A Memorandum to London
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The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
A Memorandum to London, Occasioned by the Pestilence there begun this present year MDCLXV, and humbly offered to the Lord Major, Aldermen and Commonalty of the said City.
By GEORGE WITHER.
Thereto is by him added, a Warning-piece to London, discharged out of a Loophole in the Tower, upon meditating the deplorable Fier, which consumed the house of an eminent Citizen, with all the persons and goods therein, at the beginning of our most Joyful Festival, in December, 1662. Also, a Single Sacrifice offered to Almighty GOD, by the same Author in his lonely confinement, for prevention of the Dearth -feared, and probably portended, by immoderate Raines in June and July, 1663.
Quia Legit haec,
&c.
Who read such Lines as these?
How few men, do they please?
Moreover, in regard many have reported and believed this Author to be dead; we have annexed his Epitaph, made by himself upon that occasion.
Imprinted in the Year, MDCLXV.
A Seasonable Memorandum Humbly tendered to the City of LONDON, the Lord Major, Aldermen, and the whole Commonalty thereof, by occasion of the Pestilence, begun this year, MDCLXV.
THe
Psalmist,
when he saw
Truths
foes grow strong
A while resolved to withhold his Tongue
Even from
Good words
; (as I have often done)
But, in his heart,
New-musings
then begun
To muster so, that, he was forced to break
His resolution, and his thoughts to speak.
So fares it now with me; and I must do
That which my
Mover
hath inclined me to:
Vouchsafe it hearing, and GOD
be my speed,
For, it concerns you, and deserves good heed.
This, now commencing, is the fortieth year,
Since first, the greatest
Plague
that raged here,
Within our time, was sent for our correction,
To scourge us, with a
Pestilent Infection,
That, GOD's
intention,
being timely heeded
We, by
Repentance,
might have superseded
Those following
Judgments,
which have ever since
Inflicted been, for our
Impenitence
;
And, are still multiplying, as if from
GOD's quiver,
Sharper Arrows
were to come.
That
year,
I having lived, till the
Sun
Had thrice twelve times, quite through the
Zodiac
run,
Consider'd I had spun out half that time
Within your Walls, and might be one of them
For whose
Transgressions,
that sharp
Visitation
Came to
destroy,
or work a
Reformation
;
And, thereupon (without constraint) intended
To wait on God, where I had him offended;
That, if to spare my life, vouchsafe he should,
I might as truly serve him as I could,
By heeding both
his Actings, and our own
;
And making those things unto others known,
Which I should then observe, might best promote
His
honor
; and from being quite forgot,
Keep that upon
Record,
(though to our shame)
Which might hereafter, glorify his
Name.
During that
Plague,
not one night, all the while,
Remov'd I thence, the distance of one Mile,
Or shuned either
person, place,
or
sight,
Which, me, experimentally then might
Acquaint with anything, whereby to learn
My
Duty,
or what would my
work
concern;
By which means, I found reason to confess
(As
Job
in his probation did profess)
That I, who heard of GOD, but by the
ear,
Before that time, then;
saw him
as it were;
And, had some things, likewise, to me revealed
Which were from many wiser men concealed;
So that I both foresaw, and then foretold
What many thousands did fulfilled behold
Soon after: yea, moreover, some of them
Who, many years, my
Cautions
did contemn,
(And scofft at my
Predictions
) justified
That, which in times past, they did much deride.
But, in their
old ways,
most men did proceed
As if they took a very little heed,
Of anything, past, present, or to come,
Which might preserve
Peace,
or prevent their Doom.
What I then
saw,
and
foresaw
would befall,
I did record, in that which I did call
BRITANS REMEMBRANCER; and have not been
Regardless, what
transactions,
here were seen
During though
••
forty years of Provocation,
Wherein, GOD's
Spirit,
by this Generation
Hath grieved been. Of that large
Premonition,
At least four thousands at the first Impression
Were published through these
Islands,
to prevent
What seemed at hand; and, to the same intent
In
several modes,
at several times before
This present day,
five times as many more
Premonitory hints,
whereon ensue
As mean effects, except among those few
For whose sake
(next his Sons)
GOD, yet hath pity
On these three
Nations,
and on this great
City,
Though they have prosecuted and oppressed▪
Those, in whose
Weal
their
welfare
doth consist.
But, this comes not within the
Creed
of many
Nor can be possibly believed of any,
Whom
Pride, Self-love,
and
Ignorance
bewitches
Either with dotage upon
Pleasures, Riches,
Or
Power exorbitant
; because no
Grace
Can get admittance, where those fill the place,
For, these, are part of those things where withal
The
Devil
tempted
Christ
; and they who fall
By not resisting him in that temptation
Are drawn, at last, to yield him
Adoration
(Though peradventure they perceive it not)
And, when he that advantage once hath got;
It is not in the power of any one
To dispossess him, bud of GOD alone.
Judgments
and
Mercies,
in the common mode
Move not without th' immediate hand of GOD,
Or, some
impulses extraordinary
When from his
Dictates,
willfully they vary.
The most
Convincing Truths,
make them but madder;
They, to the
wisest Charmer
like the
Adder,
Still stop their ears; and them he works upon
No more, then if he Sung unto a
Stone.
This renders these more brutish then a beast
By whom CHRIST is but formally professed:
For,
Beasts
will shun the dangers that pursue them;
Meet those who feed them, when their meat they show them;
Know their
preservers,
yea return them too,
Requitals, in their kind, for what they do:
Whereas
besotted men,
even when they may
Perceive themselves beleagured every way
With mischiefs; although plainly they may see
That their Endeavors unsuccesful be
In spite of all their
policy
or
power,
And, God, Avengments threatening every hour
By
P
•
o
••
gies,
and by
Events,
that from
No mortal hand, to cross their hopes can come,
They either look on them as casualties,
Or, them not to concern, in any wise:
Then, with full sails, run head long on that
Rock
Which is in view; at their good counsel mock,
Who tell them lovingly, how to avoid
That, whereby, they shall else be quite destroyed,
If they
proceed
; or, cast an
Anchor
where,
They, now in hope of Preservation are:
And, if these be not
madmen,
there are none
In
Bedlam,
where we hear is many a one.
Even as a nice and
wanton Appetite,
Longs after
Kickshaws,
and takes more delight
In dishes made up of they know not what,
And not so wholesome, as plain solid meat;
So, most men, with
Expressions
are best pleased
From whence,
one sentence,
hardly can be squeas'd
Which well considered, any way conduces
To
civil manners
or to
pious uses,
Though you should strain out all, that every word
For
Caution,
or
Instruction,
might afford.
To all such true
Fanatics,
this will seem,
To be perhaps, of very small esteem,
Because, it speaks plain sense, and is not decked
And trimmed up with such gawds as they expect.
Yet this, & th
•
se strains which they much despise.
May be a means to make some
fools
more wise.
GOD promised to his
servants
long ago,
He would upon their
Children
shed forth so
His
holy spirit,
in the later ages,
That they should be inspired with presages
Of things to come; and (to his
Name
be praise)
This we have seen accomplisht in our days.
Strange
Visions
have appeared,
Truths
are foretold,
By men and women too, both young and old,
Which (though to carnal men vain dreams they seem)
With such as know God, they have more esteem,
And will appear to be his
Dispensations
;
As proper also, to these Generations,
As those, which were dispenc'd in ages past,
Unto the
Jews
at first; or, at the last,
When, as phanatik, and ridiculous,
Their
Prophets
to them seemed, as ours to us.
For, oft by their
Inspirer,
they were moved
To
Speak
and
Act,
what was by few approved;
Sometimes, to personate, what was abhorred,
Or seemed not with
good manners
to accord,
Even in their Judgments, who appeared then
The
wisest
and the most
religious men
;
Especially, when God imposed on some,
Things to be
signal
of what was to come.
But, all his
Dispensations
heretofore,
And now in use (or whatsoever more,
Shall be hereafter) scarcely will suffice
To make us, in these doting ages wise.
God, hath omitted nothing to recall us
Or, to prevent that, which may else befall us;
For every
year,
and upon each
occasion
That did occur (to cause a perturbation
Or breach into our
Peace
) he moved some
So zealous of our welfare to become,
That they their own peace have oft hazarded,
(And lost it too) by things endeavored
For our avail; yea, though their pains and cost,
As to themselves) was likely to be lost
Persu'd their Aime, sometimes, by
general
Precautions,
which did much concern us all;
And, otherwhile, by memorizing that
Which in
particular
seemed to relate
To
Persons
or to
Places,
as it best
Might bring advance to
public Interest
:
Forewarnings have by GOD vouchsafed been
To you by others, (as they cause have seen)
Who seemed to come with more authority
And trusted with
Credentials,
whereof, I
Unworthy am; But, whatsoever they
Or I appear, that, which I have for you
Prepared by God's help, I offer now,
In hope, it will be heeded somewhat more
Then that, which hath been tendered heretofore.
This
year
his former
Judgments
GOD repeats.
And, once again, your
sinful City
threats
With
Pestilence.
He, over us doth shake
A dreadful
Rod,
wherein I notice take
Of three sharp twiggs; and he above knows whether
They shall be singly felt or all together,
Because, he only knows what will be done
To stay that, which already is begun,
And keep out those two, which your City threat,
But, have not yet got entrance through the gate.
London,
I fear, unless thou take more heed
In what Course thou hereafter dost proceed
(Although that God's
Long-suffering
towards thee
Continues yet) at once, with all the three
Thou shalt be scourged: for mocked, GOD will not be.
I am resolved therefore, whatsoever
May be the Consequent of my endeaver,
Now to proceed in what he moves me to,
And, I in duty am obliged to do;
Because, though my Good will you should abuse.
Your faults, my negligence would not excuse,
Who, look for my reward (if any due)
From him, whose work I do, and not from you.
My first
Memorials,
in their
Title page
Hold forth an
Emblematical presage,
Besides much thereby
verbally
expressed
(Relating to the
plague
which doth infest
Your City now) which worth the observation
May be, in every such like
Visitation,
And might have had, if heeded, good effects
(Which have been lost by manifold neglects)
And still may, were things better thought upon
Which thereby, are advised to be done.
But here, to add that, will spend too much time,
And therefore, I referring you to them,
That, now will prosecute, which more then
Reason
Perswadeth me, is at this day in season.
Your
City,
I have loved and honored,
And, no less now, then heretofore I did,
For, GOD hath made it, the most honor'd place
That is within these
Isles,
or ever was;
He hath enrolled, and renowned her
Name
Among the Cities of the greatest Fame,
That either are, or were below the
Sun
Since men to dwell in
Cities
first begun.
Large
Pledges,
he upon her hath bestowed
Of his
especial Love
; some favor shown
Vouchsaf'd to few of them; and such a measure
Hath stored up in her, of his
hid treasure,
And intermixt, from time to time, so often
Mercies
and
Judgments,
hardened hearts to soften;
So in
Long-suffering,
also doth persevere
(Though we are at this day, grown worse then ever
That I perceive in her a
Seed
and
Root,
Which to his Glory shall bring forth good Fruit
In his due time; and this inclineth me
To send these
Memorandums
now to thee,
Intending in thy
Sickness,
here to stay
Once more, when thy
false-lovers
fly away;
And in, or near, thy borders, to remain
Till GOD restores thee unto health again;
Or, till by being quite deserted here,
I shall be forced to seek my bread elsewhere;
Of which I dreadless am: For, I depend
Upon that powerful, and most faithful friend
Who hath preserved me often since my birth,
From worse things then
War, Pestilence,
&
Dearth.
Physicians,
and all else, who ere they are
That, of
Sick persons
undertake the care,
Do challenge and ought also to assume
(Though them, it may be it will misbecome
At other times) a freedom to speak so
And, and as occasion moves them thereunto,
To act what's pertinent to their disease
In way of
Cure,
although it may displease.
I may, and do, as justly challenge now
(Since neighbor like I mean to watch with you)
Like Liberty; and will be bold to tell
That which I know will help to make you well,
Although, therewith displeased, you froward be,
Harsh words for my good will return to me,
And rage like those, who seem to loose their wits
When they are in their
Pestilential fits
:
For, I shall sober be, though somewhat sad,
To see those, whom I would keep tame grow mad.
And you I hope, what ere shall now be said
Will patient be, when well my words are weighed.
Consider well (for now high time it is,
That you and all men should consider this)
I say, consider how you have improved
GOD's Mercy since his
•
udgments were removed;
How, that provoking sinfulness abates,
And, that Abomination which God hates:
Nay well consider if it be not more
Abhominable, then it was before.
I fear it much, and every day this fear
Increaseth by what I do see and hear;
For, since I knew the world (which I have known
And heeded, till an old man I am grown)
I never heard this
Nation
so defam'd
As now of late; and sins not to be named
By modest men, with so much impudence
So often acted with so little sense
Of
manhood,
nor with such impunity
By persons of no vulgar quality
Both old and young men, high, low, rich and poor,
Out acted have transgressors heretofore;
Children are left so loose to speak and do
What their corruption doth incline them to,
(And ill example teach) that if their course
Continue long, we shall at last grow worse
Then
Sodom
and
Gomorrah
; which GOD knows
I do not mention (as some may suppose)
To scandalize this
City
or this
Nation
But to provoke them to a
Reformation.
To that intent, (so far forth as it shall
Concern this
City
) speedily let all
Who are in power, with prudence and in love
The strength of their Authority improve
Them to indulge and keep from violence,
Whose conversations are without offense;
And, by their executing of the Law
In purity, strive to keep those in awe
Who either shall maliciously transgress
(By an infringment of the
public peace
)
Or willfully
commit, abet
or
teach
What, of the
Moral Law
may be a breach.
That nothing may by you be done unto
Another, which you would not have him do
To you, if in his case; search what you find,
That may on you be charged, in that kind,
And heartily repent it. That, moreover
You may faults, which will else lie hid, discover;
Consider, whether you have not with gladness
Insulted over men oppressed with sadness.
Afflictions heaped up, upon Afflictions,
Or, added Cruelty to due corrections,
By seeking more to satisfy your Lust,
Or Vengeance, then to execute what's just
For
Justice sake
; or else, to please their Foes,
Condemned
Innocents,
their lives to lose.
Your ways examine, & search out what crimes
You have of late, more then in former times
Been guilty of: As, whether you have been
Or not, defiled with that scarlet sin,
Which in times past your
City
did abhor,
As being a
peculiar
heretofore
Of that
Malignant City,
where the Whore
Bestrides the
Beast
: be heedful also, whether
It be not partly, or else altogether
His
work,
to be in cruelties delighted;
To see meek, honest, harmless men dispighted
For
Conscience sake
; inhumanly exiled
Husbands from wives, the parent from the child
Imprison'd to the loosing of their lives
Their little Children, their beloved Wives,
And their whole Families exposed thereby
To that unspeakable extremity
Of wants and sufferings, which no flesh and blood
Can bear, without immediate help from GOD.
Whose
will
is thereby willfully withstood.
And why all this? not for transgressing Laws
Of GOD or
Nature,
but alone, because
These could not condescend the world to please
By an infringment of their
consciences.
Heed what this may deserve; if you desire
To stop the
Plague
begun; lest else the fire
Which may be kindled in your habitations,
Do quite consume them even to their foundations.
For, GOD, of his
Prerogatives
is Jealous
To vindicate all those he will be zealous
Who suffer for his sake, although perchance
They may be blamable through
Ignorance,
Or other, human frailties; for, where he
Sees
Faith
and
Love,
their sins he will not see.
As for their
Persecutors,
though he may
His just Avengments, for a while delay,
The patience of his people he doth mind,
And, they who show no
mercy,
none shall find.
Examine, whether since you made your peace
With GOD, the renovation and increase
Of willful sins deserved not renewing
Of Plagues removed, and of worse ensuing.
It is not without cause, that God now hath
Such complicated Judgments, in his wrath
On
thee
and
thine
inflicted, when grown great
In
hopes,
thou thoughtest thy happiness complete:
Nor is it hidden from thee altogether
For what sin, GOD sends
this,
or
that plague
hither.
In truth, all Plagues are due unto each sin
When with
Impenitence,
persisted in,
Yet, frequently the ROD's wherewith we are
Corrected, show forth in Particuler
What we offended in. For
Superstition
Was
Gideon's
Family brought to perdition;
King
David's
pride, made manifest in him
By numbering of the people) brought on them
A
Pestilence
: GOD visited the earth
For willful breach of
Covenants,
with Dearth;
And (as to
Zedikiah
and to
Saul
It did for that provoking sin befall)
The chief offenders and their Children too,
Stand liable to death for sinning so.
Oppression, Cruelty
and
Idolizing
The Creature (or things of our own devising)
Have been chastiz'd with
servitude
and
fear,
And, when
Will-worshipings
imposed are
On others, with inhumane violence,
Injustice acted with such impudence
As
Jezebel's
and
Ahab's,
rarely shall
Such, scape from that, which did to them befall.
But, when that
Hipocrites,
by lying hid
As
Annanias
and
Sapphira
did,
(Till GOD discovered them) may possibly
Obscure the growth of
Infant Piety
;
When they, who
Truths
foundations overthrow,
When, her malicious persecutors, grow
So mighty, that the Saints unable are
To calm them, or their furious rage to bear;
Or, when
Profaneness
and
Abhominations
Like
Sodom's,
wholly hath corrupted
Nations
Or
Cities,
till there shall appear in men
Nor
will
nor
power,
them to reclaim agen;
GOD, in such cases, to himself alone
Assumes the punnishing of what's misdone
And very frequently doth punish too,
In such a mode as mortals cannot do:
Sometimes, by
Sudden Death,
when they are in
Their Jollity, or in the Act of sin;
Sometimes, by
sicknesses
that long endure,
Whereof no man can find the
Cause
or
Cure
;
Sometimes, by that, which (till their provocation
Of GOD) had been a means of
preservation
;
Sometimes, they of their lives have been bereaven
By
Lightning,
or by
Thunderbolts
from Heaven;
And, otherwhile (struck with
d
•
spaireful fears
)
Are made to be
Self-Executioners.
This gives a
Hint
of that which more affords
Then fully is expressed by my words
To make it plain; but either thou, no doubt
Or, some for thee, will search and find it out;
Or, by the the searching after it, discern
Somewhat, which thee as nerely will concern.
Take heed of
neighbors,
and
familiar friends,
Who fawn upon thee for their own base ends,
And love thee not, (though they respect profess
By many shows of hearty friendliness)
For, some of them, already cause have been
Of adding much both to thy
Plagues
and
sin.
But, specially, of thine
own self
take heed
For, thence thy greatest dangers will proceed.
Consider therefore, by thyself alone,
What thou omitted hast, and what misdone;
Whether thy folly, falsehood, fickleness,
Apostasy from what thou didst profess,
Falling from thy
First Love,
by mis-advice;
Thy
Luxury,
thy sordid
Avarice,
Or, some vain hopes, deserved not deprivation
Of that, whereof, thou hadst an expectation;
Heed whether, to have cured, or prevented
One Plague,
thyself thou hast not complemented
Into a score; (at least, to stop one curse,
Endanger'd drawing on thee many worse.)
Observe, if ever
Beggary
and
P
•
ide
;
Did both together, upon one horse ride
So frequently as now, through every street,
Or walk so often on the self-same feet;
And, whether mischiefs which at present fall
On some, will not at last extend to all.
Mind well what thou art
doing
; what is
done
;
What is
designed,
but not yet begun,
For what thou both with
words
and
sword
hast pleaded;
What, thou hast most
affected,
or most
dreaded,
What thereon followed, or might have succeeded;
What factions thou hast favored, and what still
Wouldst favor, were thy power like thy will.
London,
if seriously thou ponderst this
Thou wilt perceive that what succeeds amiss
Flowes chiefly from thyself; and how can those
Be friends to any who are their own foes?
Thy
Chiefs,
care not how others they enslave,
So, they themselves from servitude may save,
Yet, these in fine, by that which doth befall
Become to be the basest slaves of all,
Even
Bondslaves
to their
Lusts,
and to the
Devil
By getting an habitual love of evil.
They hunt for
honor,
but, their
•
iery Title
Will add to them, less honor then a little.
They covet to be rich; but
wealth
shall more
Increse those
wants
and
Lusts,
that make them poor.
In
Policy
and
Pour,
their trust is placit
Yet, they become despised fools at last.
Yea, we have seen those whom
wealth, wit,
and
pour
Supported, sink down breathless in one hour,
That, we may know, there is an
unseen hand
Which oft strikes those, who without fear, may stand
Of
human Justice,
and beyond the reach
Of
Mortals
: That, therefore, which this may teach
Let all those heed, who, yet much heed it not:
And, let them (by whom this is oft forgot)
Remember there's an all beholding eye,
Which every secret purpose can espy;
And,
Angels
always ready at command.
To execute what no
pour
can withstand;
And such, as will for no bribe or respect,
The prosecution of their charge neglect.
Let likewise, those who most oppressed are
Be taught hereby, still patiently to bear
The
Cross
imposed for trial of their Faith:
(What ever, their oppressor doth or saith)
In
perseverance,
let them still attend
On GOD with meekness, till their
Trials
end,
And leave all
Carnal weapons,
to their use
Who, must be ruined by their abuse.
I do presume, among you many are
Who, to this wholesome
Principle
adhere,
And, that if into practice carried on
It shall both supersede the Plague begun
And every other feared Plague prevent
If timely they their other sins repent.
For GOD, will wink at many faults in those
Who
love,
and leave
Revenge
to his dispose;
Yea, oftentimes experience we have had
That, worse it makes things which before were bad,
When through impatience we in our own mode,
Attempt to do, what must be done by GOD.
Or, our suffering shall prolong (at lest)
By our
self-actings,
when we do our best.
This
Pestilence,
which now is brought in hither,
I am assured, proceeds not altogether
From
Causes merely natural,
but comes
To execute GOD's just deserved
Dooms,
From his immediate hand; and will therefore,
Those Medcines need, which must do somewhat more
To cure, or stay it from proceeding on,
Then can be, by joint
Art
and
Nature
done.
If you desire a
Sovereign Antidote
The best I know (if you neglect it not)
Is metaphorically called
Herb-grace,
And will be very useful in this case;
Some, term it
Rue,
because twill not begin
To operate, until we
Rue our sin.
Take
Rue
and
Reasons
then, which signify
Repentance
and
Discretion
; These apply
As you find cause; which, if you do, and
Fast
From things that were offensive in times past,
Keep from thenceforth a constant
wholesome diet,
And in your hearts endeavor to be quiet,
My life for yours, GOD will your Souls deliver
From every hurtful arrow in his quiver.
Nor
this,
nor any
Plague
shall you annoy,
Although as to the
flesh,
it should destroy,
For, that can add to man's loss or grief
Whose expectation is a
better life.
GOD, to this
Pestilence
hath joined
War,
And
Famine,
seems not from us to be far;
Which, if it now shall come will make the trouble
We feel already, to be more then double,
Because, our fellow feeling is no more
Of what they suffer, whom these times make poor▪
For, such are our
deportments,
as if neither
S
•
o
•
d, Pestilence
and
Dearth,
put altogether
Were no more, but an Army which did stand
Arayed, to be at our own command,
To execute our pleasures upon those,
(Although our friends) whom we repute our foes.
And therefore, have rejoiced when they seized
On them, with whom we highly were displeased.
When, unto us, ill grounded hopes appear
Whereby, of
Mercies
we presuming are;
We are frollick, as if GOD did see
Our gross
H
•
pocrisies,
no more then we.
But, let men heed well whether, to acquire
The
Sequels
which they naturally desire
Is to insult when GOD corrects their foes,
Or, censure his Intents concerning those
Whom he Afflicts; as if for wrong to
them
It rather were, then for offending him:
Or, as if sins to others only known,
Were more considerable then their own.
There is observed, much
Arragance
and
folly
In some of thy
Relations
; from which wholly
Thou for the time past canst not cleared be;
Therefore to keep from future scandal free,
And also, for thy Credits reputation
Take these
Memento's
to consideration.
Consider, if it sober men befits
To sing with Jollity about the streets
Vain
Triumph-Songs,
when
war
is but begun
As when a
final Victory
is won;
Since tis well known, that many who at first
Have thrived best, at last have thrived worst;
And, that GOD justly suffereth sometime,
(For Causes which are only known to him)
Those, more then once, before their foes to fall,
Whose
Cause
he best approveth; and who shall
Be conquerors at last: and that, where guilt
Is equal, he lets blood be often spilled,
And
war
prolongs or maketh
peace
twixt them
Who disagree, as they make peace with him.
Therefore, when you are underneath the
Rod,
Remember, you are in the hands of GOD.
When he hath crowned your hopes with good success,
Demean yourselves with Christian Lowliness:
For, when his
Mercies
much enlarged are.
He doth expect a joyful
filial fear
:
This, labor to preserve, lest else, the lack
Thereof, may bring
reversed Judgments
back.
Consider, whether Ships, Arms, men and horse,
With
policy
united unto
Force,
Can prosper to th' advancement of their end,
Who, upon those things, or
themselves
depend:
Who, all their opposites as much despise
As if their Armies were but Gnats and Flies,
Think to subdue them with jeers, mocks & taunts,
Puff up each other, with brags, shameless vaunts,
And lies devised by their foolish makers
To keep from fainting Cowardly Partakers,
Whose Consciences accusing them of guilt,
(Because, their hopefulst Refuges are built
On Quicksands) they become heart-sick with fear,
As oft as any evil News they hear;
And, on earth slight Report of good success,
Insteed of pious and meek thankfulness,
Run to the
Taverns
(which are much more free
To all, then
pious Meeting places
be)
There, heathen like, nay rather more uncivil,
Offer up
Drink Oblations
to the
Devil.
And, to cheer up each others drooping Souls
Sing songs between their glasses and their bowls;
Or intermix Reports of what was won
Or lost, though that was never said or done.
Such
Sacrificers,
may find some effect
In part, according to what they expect,
But neither for their
Faith
or
Righteousness
;
Nor will our hopes, longlasting be, unless
Use, of the Common means for our defense,
Be Sanctified by true confidence
In GOD, and we with his
known will
comply,
Bearing what ere betides us patiently;
Improve each Favor and Deliverance,
To somewhat which his Glory may advance;
And whereby, they who are oppressed and grieved
May some way charitably be relieved:
For, it is no beseeming
Thank-Oblation
For Mercies, when a
City
or a
Nation
Shall Solemnize it with but little else,
Save Gunshot, Bonfires▪ Jangling of the Bells,
Or, making others of their Joys partakers,
Only, in smoke and stinck, of Squibs & Crackers;
Or gathering rude throngs of men and boys,
To make about those flames a barbrous noise,
Which must be fed with fuel forced from some
Who had none left to make a fire at home;
Then
drink healths
to each other in the street
Untill they cannot stand upon their feet,
Or else loose their own healths: what thus to do
Can wise men think it will amount unto
But mere dispight of GOD, contempt of grace,
And, throwing (as it were) dirt in his face
For, Benefits received; though they make show
As if they had returned him all his due,
When, they but please themselves, by doing that
Whereby they sing their own
Magnificat?
What can be deemed a just recompense
For such ingratitude, for an offense
So foul, so capital, but that instead
Of future
Blessings, Curses
should succeed?
London,
heed this, and if thou wittingly
Of such
Profaneness
and
impiety
Art guilty now, or hast been heretofore,
Repent it, and henceforth, do so no more.
But, herein, some will more concerned be
Then thou art, yet, I mention this to thee
With some hope, that, they will the less contem
What's written here, because, not writ to them.
Much more I have to add, which I forbear
Lest, I by adding more then thou canst bear
With patience, may destroy what I design
For this whole
Nations
welfare and for thine,
By so displeasing thee, with what I write
That, thou slight all whereto, I thee invite:
For, though thy
flattrers
make thee to believe,
Thou art in better case, then I conceive,
Thy
best friends
know, that thine own provocations,
Imprudency in some of thy
Relations,
(Even of thy
Watchmen
) who should cures provide
For thy distempers, are so giddifi'd,
And, that their
Eies,
their
Ears,
yea and their
brains
(With every
faculty
which appertains
To thy weal) are obstructed so, by fumings
From their
Self-seekings,
& their, high presumings,
That thou art, by what these inthee have wrought
Into an dangerous
Consumption
brought;
For, thy decay of Trade, much hath increased
Their Poverty who thereby are distrest:
Thy
hands
and
feet
whose labor heretofore
Supplyd thy wants, now, can do little more,
Because, thy ablest members, by whom these
Employd have been, partake of their disease:
And; such
Confusions
daily do begin
To multiply, and farther to break in,
That, I am at a stand, what more to say
Or, what on thy behalf, I ought to pray.
Yet, one
Expedient,
I now think upon
Whereby, it may be, somewhat will be done
For they avail, if thou shalt not omit
(As GOD enables) to endeavor it.
And therefore, let that which I next express
Be read, and minded with due heedfulness.
In thee, are at this day, the chief
Well-springs,
Of all those
good,
and of those
evil things
Which throughout these
three Nations
are dispersed;
And of the
Later,
were the
Stream
reversed
Or dam'd up at the
Fountain
; and, the
first
Set freely open here, it would become
A
Rivolet of Waters,
flowing from
That
River,
which through
New-Jrrusalem
His Currant hath, still issuing out of
him
Who, of those
Living waters
is the
head
Which through all Nations will at last be spread.
And
London,
three times happy, shalt thou be
If this
Blest Fountain
may break forth in thee,
To sweeten every
Cistern
in these Lands,
Which now, brimful of stinking water stands,
And breed all these
Infections
in our
Clime,
Which are so baneful
•
o us, at this time.
There is a possibility of this
If we our parts do, as GOD hath done his;
Or, but endeavor to co operate.
With him, as he enables us, in that
Which he requires (thereto vouchsaving still
Assistance to our
deeds,
and to our
will.
)
By this
Compliance,
that
New Heaven
and
earth
Which is expected, would ere long come forth;
And
Righteousness,
then from thy
habitations
As amply flow out, thorough all these
Nations
As wickedness doth now; or heretofore
It did, when ill examples made it more.
This
Change,
more happiness would hither bring
Then, when in triumph thou broughtest in the
King,
And of rejoicing, give more cause by much,
Then we shall have when we do beat the
Dutch,
And are from dread of that delivered too,
Which some suspect the
French
intend to do;
Yea, and from what, more dangers threats then either
Of those
two
singly, or both join'd together:
Even from those, which are possible to come
From
Factiousness,
and
Male contents at home,
But this Joy will increase, and all our fears
Abate, when men do more incline their ears
To what's proclaimed by those
Trumpeters
Whom GOD reserved, to make proclamation
Of that, which most concerns this Generation;
And, when the
Influences
of GOD's graces
By
supreme persons,
and by
powerful places
Shall not obstructed be, as we have seen
Of late, and as they very long have been,
By
Antichristian wiles
; and those through whom
They are more dangerous to us become,
Because their
formal piety
makes shows
To be for
him,
whom, chiefly they oppose.
Thou
art abused by misinformations,
Not thou alone, but likewise these three
Nations
By those
Mintmasters
of untruths and lies,
Who cheat the whole world with fallacies,
Yea, much dis-serviced, dishonored too,
Is
he,
to whom, they yet pretend to do
Good services; and they by their Deceits,
Have him reduced unto may Streights
Which will destroy him, ere he is aware,
Unless, GOD shall unsnarle him from their snare;
And, in what misbefals, thou wilt have share.
To take my counsel, then, think it no shame,
(Although, a poorer man then he I am
Who saved a
City
; for, a
Mouse
may gnaw
That snare asunder, which, nor
Lions
paw
Nor teeth can break. Go, quickly, quickly lay
Your
Skarlet Gowns,
and your
gold chains
away;
Fast, watch and pray; do as King
David
did;
(When he the
pestolential Angel
spide)
Of somewhat, unto GOD an
offering
make
Which is thine own; that he a gift may take
Made acceptable, by, and in his son,
To stay the
Plague
; which newly is begun.
Shut up yourselves awhile, and throw aside
Your
factiousness,
your
malice
and your
pride
;
Lust, Avarice,
and them with every Sinn
Whereby the wrath of God provoked hath been.
Fall down before his feet with humbleness,
Your
misdeeds,
with true
penitence
confess,
Especially, those crying
sins,
whereby
You often have insenst his Majesty.
Among which, no crime can offend him more
Then when you shall (as
Cain
did heretofore)
Destroy your
brethren,
because, to GOD
They dare not sacrifice in such a mode,
As they believe he neither doth command
Nor takes, with good acceptance, from their hand.
Your
Privileges,
they do not invade
By
violence
; but, lovingly persuade
To what they do believe, promoteth best
God's glory, and the
Public Interest.
Be thou as charitable unto them;
Leave that to God alone, which unto him
Alone belongs, when he into the
Land
Hath cast his
seed,
permit the Crop to stand
Till harvest; pluck not that away,
Which looks like
wheat,
though it may prove but
Ray
But, weed out that alone, which everyone
Knows hurtful to the
Corn,
and will be none.
Thus, having way prepared to make your peace,
With GOD; in
Faith
and
Love
emplore his Grace.
This being done; the next work, which to do
Thou art, as I believe, obliged unto,
Is to improve the pour thou hast in
him
Who over all these
Island
is
supreme,
And with whom; thou dost in more favor stand
Then any other
City
of this Land,
Whilst his esteem of thee, doth seem to last
(And ere fit opportunities are past)
Unto his
Royal Throne
make thy
Address,
Emplore him, with deliberate advice,
To hear and heed that, without prejudice
Which may in season, offered be by them
Who fear God, and both love and honor
him,
With an intent to serve him faithfully,
Without selfends in everything whereby
Their services shall really consist
With GOD's, with his, and with their
Interest,
For whose sake, he originally gave
All those
Prerogatives
that
Princes
have.
For, though men so unbiassed, may dare
To speak some
Truths
which all men cannot bear,
(When cause requires) they will with moderation
So heed what tendeth to the preservation
Of
common peace,
and of the dignity
Belonging to his
royal Majesty,
(Whom God hath honored by restoring him
Unto his
Predecessors
Diadem)
That, neither
he,
nor
they,
nor
I,
nor
you.
Shall have cause, to dislike what will ensue.
If you believe this, and endeavor so
To prosecute it, as you, may yet do,
Who knows, what he, who hath the hearts of
Kings
(And the disposing of all other things
Within his pour) will do, although this may
Proposed seem, in a despised way.
It is an adventer▪ which though partly lost
Will bring in some return, that's worth the cost:
And those straits (if well heeded) wherein
he
This
City,
and all these
three Kindoms
be
Adventrers
needs, and somewhat to be done
Whereof, no likelihood is yet begun.
For, that which must draw
order
from
confusions,
To our
Destractions,
timely, put conclusions,
And, so,
divine
and
civil pow'rs
unite
That, neither, may infring each other right,
Effected cannot be, by
haughty words,
By
Policy,
or
temporary swords,
Nor by that
Formal Sanctity
with which
The
Grand Impostors
of this world bewitch
Deluded souls (that all things may become
Subjected to their
Arbitarry Doome
)
But by such
Instruments
and by such
ways,
As those, by which
Christ
did begin to raise
His
Kingdom
at the first; and by which here
It shall continue until he appear
With that
pour,
which shall batter & beat down,
More
Idol Temples
then were overthrown.
Since his first coming; and, root out all those
Idolatries,
which out of them arose;
Together with the Thrones of all those
Kings,
That are partakers in such
worshippings.
And made drunk with her
Cup
who rides the Beast;
The Subjects of his
Kingdom,
have oppressed,
And shall oppress them without
penitence,
For provocations, by that great offense.
More might be said, but, this shall now suffice;
"GOD
make us all unto salvation wise,
"
Preserve us in his love, so knit together
"That we in his love may preserve each other;
And, that all we can
think,
or
say,
or
do
May now, and in the close, conduce unto
The glorifying of his holy
Name
Though to ourselves, it may occasion shame.
AMEN.
A further Ingagement.
MAny years after that Grand Pestilence, in 1625, during which I wrote my Book called BRITANS REMEMBRANCER, and after publication thereof; some eminent persons, having respect thereunto; endeavored of their own accord, (without my seeking) that the Office of their City Remembrancer, then void, might have been conferred upon me; which motion, though it took not effect, was by me as thankfully taken as it was by them lovingly intended. Had it been successful, I should then perhaps have been more obliged upon outward considerations, then I am now, to continue my abode here during this Visitation, then I was in that aforementioned. Nevertheless, I yet resolve to partake with this City in GOD's dispensation, at this time also, unless I shall be constrained by Necessity, to seek place of abode, and means of subsistence elsewhere.
Yet, I have little external encouragement thereto; for, to me, it appears by many Symtoms, that some here, are maliciously affected towards me, (who have no disaffection to any person) as appears in particular, by their declaring already, that my house is infected with the Pestilence and Shut up; whereas (God be praised) not so much as one hath been there sick of any disease, since that Plague last begun; nor is it, to my knowledge, near my habitation. What was designed by the publishers of that Report, I cannot imagine, unless it were because, they knowing, I had no means of livelihood left (save what was supplied by the Charity of my Christian friends only) they hoped, I being deserted of all, might be the sooner exposed to destruction; as I hear some are, whose condition is more to be considered and pitied, if it be so. But this troubles me not in respect of myself; For, GOD cannot be kept from me, who is my only All-sufficient Refuge and Protection: And if this Pestilence, and Famine, also, Visite my Dwelling, (into which her Sister Poverty is already come) they shall be welcome ; for, they are Angels of GOD, and it is better to fall into his hands, then into the hands of men.
Written in June 1665.
A Warning-Piece to London, Discharged out of a Loophole in the Tower during the Authors close imprisonment there.
It was meditated upon the deplorable consuming of an eminent Citizen with his whole Family, in the night, by a sad and sudden Fire, at the beginning of our most Joyful Festival, in Decemb. 1652.
The Author conceived, that it would better stir up the hearts of some, by being sung, then Read : Therefore, he composed it in Lyrick Verse, fitted to the Tune of the Lamentation, at the end of the singing Psalms, if the last Strain of that Tune shall be repeated with the two last lines in every Stanza.
WAke
London
wake, Fast, watch, and pray,
Well heed likewise this
Warning-song
;
To eat and drink, rise up and play,
Hath been thy daily practice long:
Oh! from henceforth, remember more,
Thy
Brethren,
whom oppressors grieve;
Refresh the sick, relieve the poor;
For none without good works believe.
If hardly saved the Righteous are
Ah! how shall willful sinners fare?
2. The
Rich man,
heedlessly discerns
The near approaching day of wrath,
To fill his
Warehouse
and his
Barn,
Is all the present care he hath.
At large, he preparation makes
For offerings to his
Belly God,
Till
Justice
an occasion takes
To mixe those
offerings
with his blood;
When fools in folly most delight,
They, often, loose their Souls that night.
3. Our
Love
is cold, nigh ripe our sin,
And, in their march, GOD's Judgments be;
At his
own house
they do begin;
Then, from them, who shall now be free?
To make us thereof take more heed,
One house
they singled out of late,
And, in a bright
flame-color'd weed,
Upon the top thereof they sat
And when to sleep they laid their heads,
Consum'd her dwellers in their beds.
4. Why should not each man to whose ear
This news was in the morning brought,
Upon himself reflect with fear,
Thus, thereon musing, in his thought?
LORD, this unlook'd for stroke of thine,
Hath often been deserved by me;
This sad mishap might have been mine
This night, had it so pleased thee;
But, (praised be thy holy name)
Here, yet alive, and safe I am.
5. Oh with what terrors, were they stroke
How sadly were they discompos'd,
To find themselves when they awoke
With stifling
fumes,
and
flames
enclosed
It made their terror much the more,
If to remembrance they did call
What they had done, awhile before,
And, what so quickly did befall.
More dreadful it appears to me,
Then Dungeons, Racks, and Halters be.
6. Thus will they fare, when his last
Doome
To pass on sinners,
Christ
appears;
Thus, in a moment, he will come,
When least the world his coming fears.
Thus whether then her heedless heart
Is either sleeping or awake,
Surprized with a sudden start,
They shall with horrid terrors quake,
When they behold with sad amaze,
All things about them in a blaze.
7. Unless my thoughts misdictate me,
A
secret Judgment,
in this Act,
May doubtlesly discerned be
To show GOD's hand was in the fact.
For, though his
ways
are in the dark,
Forth from the
Cloud,
a flashing breaks
To show us, (if we such things mark)
His purpose, by the
Course
he takes.
In darkness he hath perfect Light,
And all men's deeds are in his sight.
8. But, though this
Judgment
be severe,
Let not us who escape it, ween
Them, greater sinners then we are;
But, judge what our deserts have been.
Christ
doomed not those whom
P
••
at slew
As more to blame, then other men,
Though with their blood he did imbrew,
That, which they sacrifized then;
And of those persons judged as well,
On whom the Tower of
Silo
fell.
9. Hereof, small sense have carnal men;
This, for
sad news,
at
Noon
they tell,
Return unto their sins agen,
And sleep
next night
at brink of
hell
:
That, which concerns their safety most,
As quickly slips out of their mind
As letters written in the dust,
Blown out with every puff of wind.
Of others harms, how senseless grown
Are they, who do not mind their own?
10. This came to pass within thy walls
That, thou mightest thereof take good heed,
Mind, who thereby upon thee calls,
And think, what further may succeed:
It was not from those places far,
Where much to be, thou dost delight,
That thou shouldst heed thy dealing there;
And, it befell there in the
night,
That, thou, a stricter watch mayest keep:
For
Satan
wakes when men do sleep.
11. Hereof, likewise, let heed be took,
That, when thy heart was most supine,
This
Judgment,
in upon thee broke,
Amidst thy
Music, mirth
and
wine
;
And, that, unless for sin thou mourn,
Relieve and comfort men distrest,
Thy
Feasts,
to
Fastings
GOD will turn,
And, smite thee when thou fearst it least.
When
Sodom
sinned without shame,
Down thereon,
Fire
and
Brimstone
came.
12. The
Drowned world,
was warned of old
Of what would in short time befall,
By
Words
and
Doeeds
it was foretold,
Yet unregarded still by all.
They married and in marriage gave,
Did eat and drink, as we do now,
Did so, the wrath of GOD outbrave,
And, as we, lived they cared not how:
But, lo, when in least awe they stood,
Out break the
Deeps,
in came the
Flood
13. Thou, LONDON, whosoe re doth weep,
Dost, on thy Viol, play and sing;
Thy
Children▪
daily revel keep,
Even when their
Passing bells
do ring.
Themselves on costly Beds they streach,
Regarding not how
Joseph
fares;
To them, who of
Repentance
preach
They listen, but with
Adders
ears.
And, well he speeds, who shall be heard,
If
mischiefs
be not his reward.
14 In
sixteen hundred ten and one,
I, notice took of
public Crimes,
With mine
own faults,
I first begun;
Observ'd the
Changes of the Times
:
And, what GOD had on me bestowed
Employed for the
Common good
;
Therein, I sought to find mine own,
Which, was so oft misunderstood,
That I, for being so employd,
Have been
three times,
nigh quite destroyed.
15. In
sixteen hundred twenty five,
When thou wert
sick, I watched by thee
;
Then, did my
First Forewarning
give,
And, this perhaps, my
last
must be.
For, now, my
Tools
away are took,
Some things
half wrought,
some
but begun
;
Quite being robbed of alll my stock,
Concludes my
work,
before tis done;
And that
Flesh Rugg,
by me yet worn,
May soon drop off, or, off be torn.
16. Here, I yet live, where, what me grieves,
But few of thine, have heeded much;
Nor
Mayors, Aldermen,
or
Sheriffs
Or any noble, great or rich;
But, in
Long-sufferings
being old,
(If not relived by the poor)
By
sickness, hunger,
or by
cold
Death
had ere now, unlocked my door.
Lest thou as much neglected be,
Think more on GOD, though less on me.
17. My
Public warnings,
are suppressed,
As once, was
Jeremiah's
Roll;
Which GOD, will when he sees it best,
Revive, with an enlarged
Skroll
:
Meanwhile, by
stifled musings
tired,
The flames within me closely pent,
Like powder in
Granado's
fired,
Do tear my heart, through want of vent,
And crack my
earthen vessel
more
Then all my
sufferings
heretofore.
18. Within thy
West
and
Eastern Jail.
Now twice ten months confind I have lain,
Denied both
Relief,
and
Bail,
Which
Law
allows, and
Rogues
obtain:
To tell, what others did, or said,
Is thought in me a
grand misdeed,
Though being of their harms afraid,
I did but bid my friends take heed:
If this be falls for
words
well meant,
Woe to
ill deeds,
with
ill intent.
19. Alas! how apt are we to fear,
Or fancy danger, where is none?
Yet how unapt, how loath to hear,
What may prevent a certain one?
Except propounded in their mode,
Who, in their own conceit are wise,
The Counsels both of
Men
and GOD
They, either frustrate, or despise:
Which being well weighed, is a
sign,
That, to
destruction
they decline.
20. Seaven days before the late sad night,
Thy
Praetor,
seized in my hands
What GOD inclined me to write,
For timely
warnings
to
these Lands
;
So, that, which to their weal conduc'd,
Hath hitherto been fruitless made;
And, I more strictly have been used,
Though, I before, hard measure had.
But, GOD, by whom it was begun,
Will gard me, till my
work
is done.
21. No more seems now within my pour,
But, down to lie, beneath my Lode,
Attending my
Redemption hour,
With patient waiting on my GOD.
Yet, there is hope, that
Prayers
may
To what is feared stoppage put;
And, since, to
Heaven
there's open way,
(Though from the world, I close am shut)
As
Jonas
did (when in a
Whale
;
Close prisoner
kept) to God ile call.
22. Correct us LORD, but not in wrath,
Purge rather, what misdone hath been,
By any
temporary Death,
Then by correcting
sin
with
sin,
For all the blood that hath been spilled,
Let us, who think ourselves most clear,
In private, search out our own guilt,
And, wherein else, we faulty are,
That, by a
self-condemning Doom,
We may escape the wrath to come.
23 Preserve thy
Church,
Lord, bless the
King
And, seeing thou hast him restored,
Him, out of all his troubles bring,
And, make his
will,
with
thine,
accord,
That under his Protection here,
We, without
faction, hate
or
strife,
(In all uprightness, without fear)
May live a sanctified life,
And, he indulge the
conscience tender,
As best becomes, the
Faiths Defender.
Thus, on what lately did befall,
I sung my
Musings,
to the wall,
Which gave thereto, as much regard
As most will, when abroad tis heard:
For, little have such lines as these,
Which may a
Carnal palate
please.
The
wanton
huggs a wanton strain,
The
miser,
that which treats of Gain;
Ambitious men
give most applause
To that, which their, Ambition claws;
In lies and follies, fools delight,
And, if this ever come to sight,
It will by none, be relish'd well
Save those, with whom the
Graces
dwell.
The more
Precautions
are in season.
(The more agreeable to Reason)
Their Rage it will the more increase,
Who are inclined to oppress;
And, if I die not in this place,
It will be merely of GOD's grace,
To make it known, the
Rage of man,
Is bounded, do the worst he can.
These
Musings,
and some other too,
Escap'd surprise, with much ado,
And, that whereof I was bereft
Me, for awhile, in sadness left;
Yet, much more sorrowful am grown
For others sakes, then for mine own,
Because, the
world
so misbefriends,
What to her own well being tends.
God, never any
Place
bereaves
Of
saving means,
till him it leaves,
Nor is their any man quite lost,
Till he resists the
holy Ghost.
He, helpless leaves no
willing one
In acting what he would have done;
But, when to
selfness,
man adheres
Then, as he worketh, so he fares
GOD, gives first motion to each
wheol,
In motion also, keeps it still,
If he with him
Compliance
feel,
Else let's it go which way it will.
Thus he will do, and thus hath done,
Even ever since the world begun.
That, men his
works
and mind might mark,
He preached by
Noah
and his
Ark,
And, to prevent their threatened
doom
Allow'd them
six
•
one years
to come.
That,
Sodom
timely might repent,
He,
Lot
to be exemplar sent;
When
Balaam
misaffected was
He made a
Preacher
of his
Ass
;
And by a
Whale,
he
Jonas
sent
To bid the
Ninevites
repent,
Who, more thereto inclined were
Though
heathens,
then most Christians are.
What did to
Israel's
weal belong,
He gave by
Moses
in a
song,
That, when
Records
could not be had,
They, thereof mindful might be made.
When their
Transgressions
were nigh full,
To
Babel
they were sent to school;
Since which time, they still growing worse
(Till they incurred
Cain's
dreadful Curse,
For shedding of their brothers blood,
Who died zealous of their good)
Them, out of their
good land,
GOD hurled,
To rovee like him about the world;
Depriv'd (now
sixteen hundred years
)
Of
Prophets
and
Remembrancers
:
And, in this mode, with every
Nation
God deals, e're
final Reprobation.
LORD! from their wanderings call them home;
Into thy
fold,
back let them come.
We got advantage by their
fall
Let it increase by their
Recall,
Since they, and we in every sin,
Have
Parallels,
a long time been,
Let our
joint force,
henceforth be spent
To move each other to
repent,
That, they and we may in that Place,
Become Partakers of thy
Grace,
Where
Jews
and
Gentiles
shall be saved,
By our
Redeemer,
and thy
David,
By
wiser men,
in times of old,
Much was expressed, which I have told,
And, they have both in
Prose
and
Rimes,
Forewarnings
given in their times;
Declar'd in season, how GOD deals
With wicked
Realms
and
Common-weals.
Our own
Records
likewise declare
GOD's frequent dispensations here;
How constantly,
avenging wrath
In every Age pursued, hath
The greatest
Tyrants
in their turns,
Though sometimes, he their
doom
adjourns,
But, that, no just excuse will be
Either, to other men, or me,
If we shall negligently do
What, GOD inclines our hearts unto,
And may, now, or in future days
Advance man's
welfare,
and
praise.
For, on us lieth Obligations,
To bring forth in our Generations,
What needful seems to be expressed;
In such a manner also dressed
As best that Ages temper fits
In which we live, and best begets
A timely heed, in those to whom
We serviceable would become:
Yea, we to them must hand it too;
Else, lamely, we our duties do.
Thus, I according to my pour
Have done, and therefore kiss the
Tower
From whence, I send this
Warning-shot
By
Ammunition
hardly got.
LONDON, as
Moses
gave a
song
to be
Israel's
MEMENTO, I give this to thee;
To show, that (though the world doth me deprive
Of what was hers) I somewhat have to give
Which I by GOD's free grace, may call mine own,
And, is not needlessly on thee bestowed.
But, e're some
change,
the means thereof bereave,
Now, both of
Friends
and
Foes, I will take my leave
;
Adue my
Foes
; for often, by event,
You did me good, though none to me you meant.
To pray for you, I know, I am your debtor,
And, therefore so I do; GOD,
make you better,
And so to mark and mind what he intends,
That, we may in his
Love,
henceforth be
friends.
My
friends,
farewell; and no whit grieved be
Though you should me no more in
Babel
see,
For, at the
Holy Lamb,
we fafe shall meet,
E're long, in
New Jerusalem's
high street.
Written in the Tower 1662.
The
meek,
and
humble
to advise
I write; but not to teach the
wise.
You must not therefore, here expect,
Such
Strains
as
these times
best affect
For, you may have enough of those
By others writ, in
verse
and
prose.
A SINGLE SACRIFICE, Humbly, offered to Almighty GOD, by the Author during his lonely Confinement in the Tower, to mediate his gracious preventing the Dearth feared, and probably portended, by immoderate Rains in June and July, 1663.
That he with
Tools
might for this
work
be fitted,
His
Jailer,
and his
Keeper,
he outwitted;
For, twas his greatest suffering, to be pent
From means, to give such
meditations
vent.
SIN, like the
Ocean
(but, not so well bounded)
These
Islands
hath on every side surronded,
And, many Breaches, lately made it hath
Which to the furious Tempests of GOD's wrath
Exposeth us (even quite throughout these Lands)
So, that, Hills, Dales, and all in danger stands.
The
Air,
whose cloudy brow, upon us lowrs,
Dissolves itself, into destructive showers,
To move us unto tears of
penitence
By feeling that, whereof we have no sense.
For, they, who are most sensible of spoil
(by
Rains
or
Droughts
) of corn, and wine and oil,
Feel not in heart, the least remorse for
sin;
But, when they should bewail it, laugh and grin.
They, who are very froward, and repine
If they loose but their
monk
•
or their
swine,
(And, sometimes vex them selves till they are sick,
For losses, not amounting to a
Chick
)
And can with many bitter tears, bemoan
Small
sufferings,
for their greatest sins shed none.
In mine own person, I much need not fear
Such
temporary Plagues,
as threatened are
By Rain or Winds, by cold, or scortching wether,
By sudden floods, or fires; for, I have neither
Estate to lose, nor hope of getting ought
Which, by such things▪ may be in hazard brought;
And, am at present, with my daily bread,
By his own hand, miraculously fed,
Whose
All-sufficiency,
should me sustain
Though all the
world
were to be drowned again.
External things,
are little pertinent
To my chief fafety, or my best content:
For, should a
Famine
; me of life bereave
Death
would be more advantage then to live
A life like mine: and as I have been used,
A speedy death, is rather to be thus'd.
Yet, whilst, I may be serviceable made
To him, from whom, this life at first I had,
I am content to live till it expires,
Although it were in
storms,
in
floods
or
fires
;
And, likewise, am so sensible of that
Which to the
Common welfare
doth relate,
That up to GOD a
prayer
I will prefer
To crave prevention of what many fear:
For, though I am not suffered to present
A prayer to
King, Lord,
or
Parlement
;
Here to GOD's Throne I free access have got,
And he doth hear me when men hear me not:
Of which assured, in this
loneliness,
My self to him, I humbly thus address.
Almighty and most merciful Creater,
Of heaven and earth, of
fire,
of air and water,
With whatsoever, consists of
form
or
matter,
Of all invisible, or to be seen,
Of all that
is
or
shall be,
or
hath been,
Felt, heard
or
understood
(excepting
Sin,
At whose birth all
Privations
did begin.)
Thou, by whose wisdom all the whole
Creation,
Is ordered, and hath still a preservation,
Make acceptable in thy sight, I pray,
What I shall meditate or write this day
And, let not my
Requests
be flong away,
Though we have often forfeited again
That
Grace,
which we did heretofore obtain,
And liable to all thy
plagues
remain.
We must confess, that in these last
three years,
Thou hast abated many of our fears,
For thine own sake, and for the sakes of them,
Whom thy
blaspheamers
and their
Foes contemn.
Awhile ago, we were surprised with dread
Of hunger, and the scarcety of bread,
By such
distempered seasons,
as foreshow'd
That
Chastisement
which here, is now renewed;
And, was removed, ere many had much sense,
Of what some felt, or of their own
offense.
Once,
we were frighted with such
sicknesses
As seemed forerunners of the worst disease;
And, till this hour, a brutish
Discord,
Keeps us in daily hazard, that the
Sword
Will be again unsheath'd: yea, though we are
Preserved still, from what we justly fear,
And that, thy patience might be more disern'd,
Have year, by year, been graciously forewarned
(By
Signs
and
wonders
probably foreshowing,
The sad events, that seem to be pursuing.
Our crying sins) yet, we do never the less,
Continue still in our obduratness.
Though, much
Instruction,
likewise, we have had,
Examples, Premonitions,
public made,
And extraordinary
Dispensations,
To draw us, from our willful
aborrations,
We so increase them, that, it renders me,
Exceeding fearful to Petition thee,
Those
•
emporary Judgments
to withdraw
Whereof, we at this present, stand in awe,
Lest they, whom no good counsel mollifies
Thy
Justice
and thy
Mercy
quite despise;
And fall into that
Reprobated sause,
Which brings
unchangeable Impenitence
:
For, that, the
Consequence
hath often proved,
When
Plagues
before
Repentance
were removed.
The
fields
were lately clothed beyond our hope
With an appearance of a
fruitful crop,
Which
moisture
by unseasonable showers,
So evidently, by degrees, devours
That, most men are afraid the teeming
Earth
Insteed of
Plenty,
will produce a
Dearth
;
And, they among us, who do most neglect
Removal of the
Cause,
most dread th' effect.
Yet,
human pity,
me doth so incline
To make the
Common fear,
a part of mine,
That, though I am not likely much to gain
Or loose thereby, whether it
shine
or
Rain,
I, (as I am a man) well pleased could be
Thy
Peoples votes,
might be vouchsafed by thee.
To that intent, I meekly do assay
To
mediate
; but, now I come to pray,
That
Spirit
whose assistance is expected,
Withdraws, as if my
suite
would be rejected;
So, that I know not how to
speak
or
write,
What gain thy
gracious acceptation
might
Though, fear, my prayers may be turned to sin,
Considering, what
Postures
we are in.
For, who, the pleading of their
Cause
dares own,
On whom, a
righteous King
doth justly frown?
They being
Rebels
too, in whom appears
No
penitence,
but only
slavish fears?
Who, conscientiously, can pray for them
Who persevere all
Justice
to contemn?
Who turn away their eyes, when thou forth sendst
Foretokens, of what thou for sin intendst?
Who hide them too, so far forth as they may
From other men; or, (if that fails) assay
To
misinterpret
them, when they do see
The things nor
hid,
nor
disapprov'd
can be?
Who, can with
Faith,
thy
Grace
for them implore,
Who, are unmerciful unto the poor?
Who, daily to thy burning wrath add fuel?
Who, both to others, and themselves are cruel?
Who, their afflicted Brethren to dispaiers
Expose? close up their ears against their prayers?
And most injuriouslys with those men deal?
Who, most endeavor, to advance their weal;
Yea, for whose sakes it is, that they are not
Destroy'd like
Sodom,
when thou caldst forth
Lot?
Who, are so far, from striving to be better,
That still, to hide one
sin,
they act a greater,
Till they on one another heap so many
That they have little shame, or sense any;
Although their impudent
abominations
Have their
Infection
spread, through all these
Nations?
LORD! who, on their behalf, can mediate
For any of those
Blessings
which relate
Unto their
temporary weal
alone,
Who, of their
Brethren's
welfare, care have none?
Who, do employ their
pour,
but to oppress?
Turn all thy
Graces
into wantonness?
Fling, as it were defiance against heaven?
And, though by thee, they freely were forgiven
Innumerable debts, (and likewise are
By thee enrich'd more then before they were)
Take never the less, their
fellows
by the throat,
Who owing them not much more then a Groat,
Forbearance crave, and at their feet do fall,
With, promise, when they can, to pay them all?
What can such look for; but to be bereaven
Of that
Grace,
whereby they were once forgiven
Their debts; or think deserved but, to be laid
In chains, till every farthing shall be paid?
Who, can to thee be
Advocate
for those
Who, both to
Truth
and
Righteousness,
are foes,
Though they profess both? who, though ever learning,
Can never get the knowledge & discerning
Of what pertains to thy
essential Truth,
Because, they being all
EAR,
or all
MOUTH,
Neither
hear
willingly, or speak of ought
Whereby they may to
stedfastness
be brought?
But rather itch to
hear,
and
speak,
and
do
That, which their own
self-will
doth prompt them to;
And, was infused into them by
false teachers,
Whom they suppose to be the foundest Preachers,
When they confirm them, in what doth belong
To their
will-worship,
be it right or wrong;
And keep up those
Diana's,
which were made
Their
Goddesses,
but to uphold their Trade?
These, twixt
Believers,
do contests maintain
For
Trifles,
which tend more to their own
Gain
Then
Godlines,
or those means to increase
Which may conduce to settlement of peace,
In Christian Charity, and Righteousness.
All, I (with hope to speed) can pray for such
Is, that they may not love the world too much;
Or, by
hypocrisy,
and
lip professions,
(To get themselves a share in her possessions)
Obstruct the blessed work of
Reformation
By
Factions,
to the final extirpation
Of all those
Dispensations,
which have yet
Some use; and which, whilst thou dost them permit,
They to advance thy
Glory
may improve:
And, by sincerely seeking
Truth
in
Love,
So exercise thy
Graces,
whilst those last,
That, they will perfect be, when their times past.
My GOD, for these, to this effect I may
And, do (I know) with thy allowance pray;
Because, I hope, tis no
malicious pride
Which hath to
Selfness,
drawn their hearts aside.
But, as for them, who have inclinde their ears
So long time, to
ungodly Counsellers,
So persevered, in the
sinners way,
And, therein with delight, so long
made stay
That, to the
Scorners Chair
advanced they are,
Resolving with themselves to settle there;
The Dictates of thy
holy ghost
contemn,
Absolve the wicked, Innocents condemn,
Term
evil, good,
the
best things
evil call,
(Or, make twixt them no difference at all)
Ascribe thy
Attributes
unto the
Devil
And his
Vicegerent
; make thee, of all evil
Prime Author
; Thee, detrude out of thy Throne
To set their
Idol,
and themselves thereon;
Pervert the lawful use of every Creature,
Till their depraving the whole
human nature
For
Vengeance
calls, and as it were, enforces
Thy
Justice
to turn
Blessings
into
Curses
;
What can be spoke for these, to save them from
Thy
Judgments
here, or in the
world to come?
I cannot, LORD, thy
mercy
comprehend,
Nor know how far their
malice
doth extend,
Such things, are knowable to thee alone;
Therefore, concerning these,
thy will be done.
The best of us have gone astray so far,
In
Provocations,
that, perhaps here are
Now, very many in the state of those
For whom, we are forbid to interpose
Our mediations betwixt
them
and
Thee,
As touching
Judgments,
that now threanned be:
Such, even among thy
People
heretofore,
Made thee forbid a
Prophet
to implore
Withholding of those
Plagues,
which at that time,
Were threatened to be hurled down on them.
Yea then, though thy
choice worthies
should have pleaded.
That, thy
Decree
might have been superseaded,
Thou didst resolve, their suite should not be heard
For any, save themselves, with good regard.
When
sins
grow ripe, and Scandalous become,
They seldom scape a
temporary doom,
Though thou vouchsafest
mercy,
as to
David
Whereby, the Souls that sinned, shall be saved,
LORD, though that growth, our
Guilt
attaineth hath,
Alway remember
mercy,
in thy
wrath.
Some such like Barr, and prohibition now,
From thee is issued forth, for ought I know.
Alas! if so; what possibly can we
Endeavor, till it shall reversed be?
Or else dispensed with? I can never pray
With confidence, for what suspect I may
Is not precarious: And, as qualified
We are, things
grantable
may be denied,
At least, so long time, as that shall be wanting
Which makes their chief
condition
of their
granting
▪
It is not a slavish
terror
(without
Love
And faithful
Penitence
) that will remove
The
Plagues
that lie upon us; or prevent
A
Threatned Judgment,
when 'tis imminent.
It is not
will worshippings,
though much applauded,
By their
approvers,
and by them begawded
With
Superstitious Dressings,
that can please
Thy
Majesty,
and thy just wrath appease:
It is not our
formal whinings,
or
Orations,
Or, our
Confessions,
or our
Deprecations,
Or, Bablings with the
Tongue,
without a
heart
That, will thy threatened
Judgments
quite divert,
Till thou hast done thy
work
which is in hand,
Or, till we more conform to thy command;
Whereto, perhaps,
that, which we fear,
may more
Conduce, then that, which we to scape implore.
For, few do conscience of their duties make
Much longer, then the
Rod
is on their back.
Yet, somewhat, makes me hopeful, that thou hast
Against what I would ask, no
sentence
past;
And, fain would I obtain from thee, this day,
A
Public Blessing,
e're I go away,
Which might in some degree, abate the dread
Whereby, now, many are distempered.
To thee, thy
Children
for a
Blessing
cry
Upon those
Fruits,
which drench'd in waters lie;
And (though unworthy)
Jacob
like, I am
Resolv'd with thee, to wrestle for the same.
Let, not my LORD, be wrath, that I go on
To prosecute the
suite
I have begun;
For, I with
filial fear
approach thy Throne.
Direct us, how in this, and such like cases,
We may make acceptable our
Addresses,
Lest, we grow overwhelmed with dispairs,
Or, come with over peremptory Prayers:
For, somewhat thou, at all times, hast to grant
To comfort those, who consolation want,
When they are sensible of their condition,
And come before thee with unfaind contrition.
Yea, though, when we are outwardly distrest,
We may not absolutely make request
For what seems needful; yet, when we resign
In all our suits, our
own will
unto
thine,
Our wants (if in particular denied)
Are with a Fatherlike respect suppli'd
Some other way, by mercifully granting
A better thing, then that, which we thought wanting.
For, thou, till he himself shall bar the door,
Excludest no man's
prayre,
who doth implore
In
Faith
and
Charity,
that, which may tend
To give him, a
well-being
without end.
Of
this,
experiment I oft have had,
And, me thou confident thereof hast made.
This
Creed,
thou hast been pleased to teach me, LORD,
Both by thy
holy spirit,
and thy
word,
Confirming my experience day by day,
That, I to other men declare it may,
As I in duty, am obliged to do,
When thou my heart inclinest thereunto.
And, by thy favor, now proceed I can
In that, which, when these
musings
I began,
I neither able was to prosecute,
As I intended; or commence my
suit,
In terms, which I could think fit to present
To thee; or, to myself, could give content.
But, now the
Bars
removed and I can make
A shift to
Stammer,
what I could not
speak.
By thy Assistance likewise, I believe
That, what I now shall pray for, thou wilt give;
Even everything (implicitly at least)
Which shall in this my
Prayer
be expressed:
I, therefore, in thy sight, now spread abroad
My
private meditations,
in this mode;
And hope, it shall be spread, where many may
And their
Amen
to that, for which I pray:
And, that their joining in this my
Oblation,
Will gain us all shares in thy
acceptation.
Oh! I should then sing, with a Joyful heart
LORD,
let thy servant, now, in peace depart.
That
Everlasting Gospel
make more known,
By which, thy
Love eternal
is forth shown
To all
mankind
; and which, a glorious throng
Of
Angels,
published in a Joyful song,
(Unto the glory of thy blessed
Name
)
When first thy
Son
array'd with flesh became;
That, all the world may know, the same Goodwill
Which thereby was expressed, continues still:
And, that,
Desire to know both Good and Evil,
Proceeded from our
Selves,
and from the
Devil,
But, not from thee, who, didst intend Salvation
To
Adam,
and to all his Generation;
Not reprobating any of his Race
Save such as willfully dispis'd thy
Grace,
And, justly, caused the product of that
Which, thou didst never
prenecessitate.
Thy Love to all
mankind,
compels me oft
(Though for it, I maligned am, and scoffed)
To preach it to the world, that, men may more
Mind it with thankfulness, then heretofore.
I know this
Truth
is owned, even among those
Who, unto thee are yet,
apparent foes
;
And, that, hath hindereth many to embrace
The Doctrine of thy
Universal Grace,
Because, they are not heedful, that, unless
These held some
Truths
with that unrighteousness
Which they maintain, not many would believe
That
Mistery,
by which they do deceive.
But, to prevent their
wiles,
unclose their eyes,
Who cannot yet perceive their fallacies;
And let it be made manifest to them
Who do not willfully the means contemn,
Which, thou vouchsafed unto all men hast,
And always wilt, at first, or at the last.
Let that
large mercy,
our hearts work upon,
More then thy
Judgments
hitherto have done;
To which intention, let thy
Saints
improve
That
Influence
which thy
Eternal Love
Hath shed on them, to work throughout this
Nation
By
Love
and
Gentleness,
a
Reformation
;
Which will be then more speedy, and sincere▪
Then that, which is compelled, & wrought by
fear.
Preserve that
precious seed,
sown in this
Land
;
Now, many Ages past, by thine own hand;
It hath been often watered by the
Blood
Of thy
Elect
; hath many Storms withstood,
And took such root, that, now it doth extend
By several
Branches,
to the worlds far end.
Permit it not to suffer diminution
Either by
calms,
or storms of
Persecution.
Let not the lofty
Cedars
over-top it,
The
wild-swine
root it up, or
tame-beast
crop it;
Nor
weeds
or
brambles
(among which it grows)
Starve it, or choke it; nor the greedy
Crows
Devour it; nor the swarms of
Locusts,
which
In smoke, ascended from
th' infernal Ditch
;
But, let it, when appearing most oppressed,
Palm-like most thrive, and be the more increased,
Till th' earth it fills; and till up-rooted be
All
plants,
that were not planted there by thee.
This, I first pray for
Lord,
because possessing
Hereof, doth lay the
ground
of ev
•
ry blessing.
Correct thou not these
Nations
in thy wrath,
But, in that measure, which shows
mercy
hath
An interest in thy
Justice.
Let them hold
The same proportion which they did of old,
In thy severest
chastisements
; that, neither
Both
Good
and
Evil,
be destroyed together,
Nor, their hopes thereby vacated, by whom
There is a
Kingdom
looked for, yet to come.
Five wicked Cities
might have spared been,
Had
twice five, Righteous men
been found therein:
Yea, Thou (although in them there was but
one
)
Defer'dst their dreadful
doom
till he was gone.
LORD, I hope, here are many thousands yet.
On whom thy
Seal,
on whom thy
Mark
is set.
Who trust in thee, whose
faith
doth not yet fail;
Who, their own, and the Nations guilt bewail:
For their sakes, lay aside thy
wrath
again;
Let thy
Sun
shine, and let thy
Clouds
drop Rain
Both on the just and unjust, as thou hast
Been pleased to vouchsafe in Ages past;
That,
Spring
and
Summer, Seed
and
Harvest-times
Untill the world shall end, may in all Climes
Be from each other still distinguished,
As long ago, by thee was promised.
At this time also, to this sinful
Nation,
Extend thy wonted favor & compassion,
By blowing hence those clouds, whose frequent showers
Spoil not alone grass herbs and pleasant flowers,
But, threaten also, to destroy those crops,
Whereby the painful husband-man hath hopes
To be rewarded for his toil and cost;
Yea, let this
Isle,
which now despairs almost,
Of such a blessing, be secured from
That
Famine,
which we are afraid will come.
Both of our
Earthly,
and thy
heavenly bread,
Preserve the means, that therewith being fed,
In
soul
and
body;
we may for the same
In
flesh
and
spirit
magnify thy
Name▪
Till
Christ
shall come. Continue in this place,
The
special pledges,
of thy
special Grace,
Close up those
Rents,
which malice hath made wide;
Unite by
Love,
those whom
self-will
and
Pride
Have dis-united: For, thy
Love
was that
Which made thee at the first, this world create;
And, 'tis the same
essential Love
(by thee
In thy
Elect
made active) which must free
The world again, from that confused estate
Whereto 'tis brought by
Envy
and by
Hate.
To that end, let thy
spirit,
(unto whom
All
Dispensations,
till thy
Son
shall come
Committed are) The hearts of men incline
To be obedient
•
o that
Discipline,
In every
Form,
which they believe to be
To them enjoined by thy
word
and
thee
;
And, that accept of, which they shall profess
And practice with unbiast Consciences.
Make thy
Elect
to stand out all the shocks,
Of
Tyranny,
like never moved Rocks;
And give them prudence, to discern the wiles,
Whereby, their
Antichristian foe
beguiles
Unstable hearts; and please to pardon that
Wherein through frailty, they shall deviate.
Indow them withal
sanctified graces
That may enable in their several places
To do the honor: And, LORD, let the Pride
Of their
Oppressors,
break so, and devide
Their
Power
and
Counsels,
that, they may at length
Be ruined, by their own
Wit,
and
Strength.
Behold, the many troubles of this
Nation,
With
mercy,
and vouchsafe it thy salvation.
Make haste to our deliverance oh LORD,
And, succor us according to thy word.
Let them be turned backward, and with shame
Confounded, who blaspheme thy holy
Name
;
Who, with their own
inventions
do defile
Thy
Ordinances,
and pursue the spoil
Of those who seek thy face. Let them who cry
Aha, aha, and say insultingly,
So we would have it,
when thy people are
Opprest, be caught at last, in their own snare,
That, they who love thy
Truth,
may to thy praise
Rejoice in thy salvation all their days.
But, gracious LORD, beside that
wasting Rain,
Which makes this
Nation
with much fear complain
And brings me now to thee; there is a
Flood
Portending Inundations too, of
Blood,
Even
blood of Innocents,
for whose prevention
To be Petitioner I have intention.
A
portion of thy word,
concerning
Cain
To me, a
mystery
seems to contain
Implying somewhat which relates to those
Who were, and shall unto thy
Saints
be foes
Throughout all
Times
; and doth relate, likewise,
To them, who offer thee that
sacrifice
In which thou most delight'st: For, ever since
That day,
Will-worshippers
have took offense
At their
Oblations
; and proceeded on
In that, which he so long ago begun.
Cain
was the first that persecuted them
Who in their
worship
differed from him;
And, I collect thence, that, even from that hour
Thou didst subject them to the
temp'ral power
Of all those
persecutors,
of whom, he
Became the
Type,
whoever they should be.
And, as I understand that
History,
Therein is couched the whole
mystery
Of that
iniquity,
which now is grown
Almost full ripe, and shall be overthrown
In thy
appointed time
; but, not till then,
Nor by the
weapons
or the
hands of men
:
For, thou hast
marked
them to be saved from
Destroying, till their
fatal hour
is come.
And I conceive likewise by what thou hast
In that
memorial
to the world expressed,
Thou wilt avenge it, on all, who withstand
Their
persons,
with a life-destroying-hand,
Though they are
murdrers
; &, that, this suctjection
Tends to thy glory, and the
Saints
perfection;
Whereof, some of them, take so little heed,
That of
precautions
they may have some need.
This hath inclined me, conscientiously
To shun opposing them destructively
In whom there is a visiability
Of
Sovereign Power,
although
tyrannical
;
Untill that some way, it grow doubtful shall
To whom it appertains; as, here of late,
When it was thought, thou didst that
power
translate
To other hands, and when he, who bereft
Them thereof, to an
Anarchy,
us left.
And, thou, who knowest my heart, knowest I did never
To pull down, or to set up
Thrones
endeaver:
But, only, to preserve the
common peace,
Complide with that, which did the
Throne possess,
Till thou restor'dst him, who was driven hence,
And, to whom, true, I have been ever since.
Now, also, to preserve, still, as I ought,
That
peace,
whose preservation, I then sought;
I do implore thee, on behalf of him
Who wears this day, the
Supreme Diadem,
That, from those
evil Counselors,
he may
Deliver'd be, who do, or shall assay,
To bring him to a willful resolution,
Of being partner in that
persecution
Which they intend: And that, in all temptations
(And maugre all severest provocations)
Thy
Saints,
may be preserved from contriving
And acting, what may tend to the depriving
Them of their
lives
or
power,
who e're they be,
On whom that
Power
shall be conferred by thee.
And, grace vouchsafe them, always to persist
In that
obedience,
which may manifest
That, conscientiously they may submit
To what thou hast ordained, or shall permit
For their
probation
; till the
fewd
and War
'Twixt
Good
and
Evil,
at a period are:
And, that, upon thy
will
they may attend
Untill that
Good
and
Evil,
hath an end,
Which had form us proceeding, and gives place
To that Eternal GOODNESS, which IS, WAS
And SHALL BE, when all
evil
heretofore
In Being, shall a being have no more.
Meanwhile confer all means, whereby both
they
And
he,
may walk on, in a peaceful way.
Thy
Judgment
to the
King
vouchsafe to give
That, he, and we in
Righteousness
may live:
That,
he
may to the Prisoners and the poor,
Shew
mercy
; to the wronged, their dues restore;
And be as kind and merciful to
them,
Who are oppressed,
as thou hast been to him:
That, our
high Mountains
may produce thy peace,
And
little Hills,
the fruits of Righteousness;
For, whether high or low, all shall receive
Such measure, as to other men they give.
I know this will be done, even by the drops
Of
mercy,
which to keep alive my hopes,
Are in this place, to me derived from
Thy
Bounty,
to fore-show, a
shower
will come
That shall refresh both me, and those, at full,
Who, at this time, each others case condole.
Be pleased to confirm this my belief,
Redouble still, our Courage as our Grief
Shall be augmented: And although among
Thy
Foes,
our bodies perish in the
throng
;
By those
external Judgments,
which we shall
Occasion to be
Epidemical,
Inflict them, rather then permit thy
Name
To be exposed to reproachful shame,
By suffering
wickedness
with proud despite,
To violate thy
Justice
in thy sight;
Or, wantonize with
grace,
till it becomes
The saddest of all
Temporary dooms
:
For,
common mys
•
ries
less grievous are
Unto thy
Saints,
though they in them have share,
Then all their
private sufferings,
when they see
Their insolence who slighted them and thee,
So winked at, as if thou either wouldst not,
Avenge thyself upon them, or else could not.
Thy
Soldiers
will be pleased amid thy foes
To die, e're any honor thou shouldst lose,
Since
death
by them, needs never to be feared,
Who know with what
life,
thou wilt them reward.
Let
Dagons
temple then, be overthrown
Though
Sampson
die, in pulling of it down:
For all thy Soldiers, seek their glorifying
In
conquering,
although it be by dying.
Our
General,
in person, led the
Van
That way,
when he his glorious Conquest wan,
Bereft
Death
of his deadly sting, thereby,
And, over
Hell,
triumphed gloriously.
Preserve those, in thy
Truth
by
Faith
and
Love,
Whom thou shalt please in these last times to prove
By
fiery trials
: So, what e're wind blows,
Whether, it rains or shines, or hails or snows;
Whether thou shak'st the
heavens
or the
earth,
Or both; whether,
War, Pestilence,
or
Dearth
Shall visit this deprayed Generation,
Thine, shall be free from inward perturbation,
And sing, a blessed
Requiem
to their soul,
When their
Oppressors
gnash their teeth and howl.
To that
Salvation
which thou dost design
For thy
Elect,
preserve thou,
me
and
mine;
And, in our several
passages
thereto,
Whether, the way in which we are to go
Be either rough or smooth, or short or long,
Keep us content; and let our
Faith
be strong
Although the
flesh
is weak. Let our
Afflictions
And, our
prosperities
; with benedictions
So sanctified be throughout our days,
That, thou mayst in our
lives
&
deaths
have praise
A large Petititon (whereof now bereft)
Before thy face, long since ingrost I left,
Whereby, I thee besought to this effect,
For my
Posterity
; and to direct
And keep them in thy ways: LORD, though to me
The
words
are lost, they are not so to thee;
My
spoilers,
cannot hide them from thine eyes,
Nor wilt thou, my
Requests
therein despise.
Rememember those, by whom we have been fed,
When we were by the world deprived of brea
•
Vouchsafe thou, for their Charitableness,
They, never want a
Friend
in their distress;
Or
comforts,
when on their
sick beds
they lie,
Or,
Freedom,
though on outward bands they die:
Mind them, when I of them forgetful grow;
Know them, though I their
persons
may not know;
Their
Alms-deeds,
which they labor to conceal,
Let thy
Son,
before all the world reveal;
And, what for
me
or
mine,
in these my prayers,
I have desired, grant to
them
and
theirs.
My
Foes
have some way been my Benefactors,
(Though, therein, they against their wills were Actors
For, that, which to afflict me they design,
Adds more to their vexation, then to mine;
And, that, whereby, they thought me to have harmed,
Against all future mischiefs, me hath armed.
In which respect, without dissimulations,
They, are to me, an object of compassion,
And, I beseech thee, so their hearts to turn
That, for their sins, they heartily may mourn.
To operate in them a preparation,
To prosecute the means of their salvation,
Their, too much
loving of themselves
abate▪
Which hath inclined them other men to hate,
And more to punish them, who reprehend,
Their sins, then those, who, against thee offend.
Bereave them of that
wealth,
in which they trust,
And spend, in giving fuel to their lust;
That
Power exorbitant,
make to be less,
Which doth but
Pride,
and
Tyranny
increase;
Lest they may make themselves the slaves of sin,
And to be
Devils,
who might God's have been,
Forgive them their offenses against thee,
When for them, truly penitent they be:
For, all their wrongs to me I can forgive
As I from thee forgiveness would receive.
This
Charity of mine
to them, is
thine
;
Thou, thereunto my heart dost now incline;
Then, surely, if thou hast a love for those
Who hate thee, yea whilst they continue Foes,
Thou wilt on them bestow all I can crave,
If they contemn not, that which they might have,
And, who, can then, be hopeless of thy Grace,
Who, in true
faith,
and
love
shall seek thy face?
Oh hear me, in what to their welfare tends,
For all in general, both
Foes
and
Friends,
(To whom,
Christ's
ransom shall not bounded be,
More by their
own fault,
then by thy
Decree
;
And who against
themselves,
shut not that
Gate
Which thou to all
Mankind,
hast open set.)
Make us true
Lovers,
as we ought to be,
And, we shall be beloved still of thee.
Incline us charitably to regard
The
poor man's
prayers and ours shall be heard.
Make us
upright,
and then shall rich and poor,
More advantageous be then heretofore
Unto themselves; and they who hate each other,
Shall love, and live in amity together.
None, then shall make a
prayer,
to enjoy
In
private,
what weal-
public,
may destroy.
But, all our suits, (as in destructive Rains
Or
Droughts
) shall be preferred for what pertains
Unto the
common good
; and very many
Be benefitted, without harm to any.
I shall, moreover, be permitted then,
To do thee service with my
Tongue
and
Pen,
And, thou, with other
blessings,
wilt send hi her
What I now pray for,
seasonable weather.
LORD! should these
meditations
be despised,
Or, (as some have been lately) here surprised,
And smothered; I beseech thee, let them not
By thee, be dis-regarded or forgot;
Nor that, which yet remains to be expressed,
Be stifled any longer in my breast:
For, that, hath been more torment to my
mind,
Then to my
Body,
to be here confined.
But, each
branch
only grant of these
Requests
As with thine own good pleasure best consists,
And, that in chief, which hath preferred been
To work in us, Repentance of all sin;
Lest else, when from one
Judgment
we are freed,
Another, and another still succeed,
Till e're from all our fear
•
, thou us deliver,
We feel the
sharpest arrows
in thy Quiver.
Though all alone, the
world
hath shut me here,
And, from
herself,
exiled me, as it were,
She, being part of that great
Work Divine,
In which there is as well a share of
mine
As
hers: (
And, though no sense she seems to have
Of what I suffer in this
living Grave)
I have a Fellow-feeling of her fears,
As by those
private musings
it appears,
Which often, heretofore I have expressed,
On her behalf, and now, by this
Request;
Which GOD (I know) for his own sake hath heard,
Although my
prayer
merits no regard.
The last great
Rainy-day,
I first begun
These
Meditations;
and, e're they were done,
The
Clouds
were blown away, the
Sun
appeared,
The face of heaven was from thick vapors cleared,
And, he, who lately mustered them together,
Continues, yet, a
seasonable weather
That will renew the hopes (if it holds on)
Which this
year
promised, when it begun.
For, (to the blessed name of GOD be praise)
The
earth
begins her face again to raise,
Out of her watery bed, cheered by those Rayes
Whose absence made her many weeks of days
Sit melancholy, and aside to throw,
Those dressings, wherewith she is trimmed now.
This, doth to me, appear to be a
sign
That, to compassion, GOD doth sti
••
incline,
And, will, once more make proof what
Reformation
Shall be endeavor'd after this
probation.
Oh! in some measure, let this grace effect
That, which be justly, may from us expect,
Lest worse befall: For, GOD will not be mocked
;
The doors of heaven, are not yet so fast locked,
But, that, he suddenly may send again,
Not only such another
wasting rain,
(
Or in the stead thereof a scorching
Drouth
And make the tongue, cleave to the parched mouth▪
)
But
Fire
and
Brimstone
too, if he so please
;
Whereas, now, whilst his
mercy
doth appease
His
wrath
a little
hearty penitence,
Improv'd may keep some other
Plague
from hence,
And, for one
sin
that truly is repented,
Three may removed be, or else prevented.
Meditated and composed during the Authors close Confinement in the Tower, July. 1663.
Psalm 107.8.
Oh! that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wondrous works to the Children of men.
The whole Psalm is very pertinent to stir up to a due consideration and practice of this duty.
June 15, 1665. A PRECAUTION Relating to the time present.
Two years are past, since what precedes was writ
When here,
Excessive Rains
occasioned it.
The
present Drougth,
now makes us as much fear,
A
Dearth
may probably conclude this year:
For want of
timely moisture,
in the spring,
Hath in the Bud, ni
•
t many a growing thing;
And that
Defect
continuing to this day,
Starves herbs, and turns the standing grass to hay.
The
Winter corn,
as yet, prick up their ears;
But, to decay, the
Summer Crop
appears;
And both (if GOD prevent not) may consume
Before our usual
harvest time
is come.
As, when to cure, or give their
Patients
ease,
(Who long have suffered by a strong Disease)
A good
Physician
first applies for cures
His best known helps in such
distempratures,
That f
•
iling, tries another; and that done,
Doth then, through every course of Physic run,
Repeats it often too; and as
Events
Occasion it, makes new
Experiments
:
Even so, hath GOD proceeded with this
Nation,
To bring us to a timely
Reformation
;
Yet, our habitual wickedness is such,
That, nothing works upon us very much,
Except it be the quite contrary way:
For, when we should
Repent,
and
Fast
and
Pray,
We
Feast
and
Triumph
: when we should release
The
Prisoner,
we the
Freeman
do oppress.
When we the
poor
and needy should relieve,
The
Rich
we beggar, and the
poor
we grieve.
When
Princes
should put mourning Garments on,
Each
Vassal is
arrayed like a
Don.
The
meanest Pinnaces
wear Silken Sails,
And like the
Peacock
spread their gaudy Tailes.
Yea, in the steed of due
humiliations,
In
public,
here are
public provocations,
Still multiplied quite throughout the land,
Even whilst we lie beneath GOD's heavy hand,
And manifestly see, both every
blessing
Withdrawing, and
Plagues
every day increasing.
He therefore justly may, if so he pleases,
Do, like
Physicians,
when they find
Diseases
To, be incurable. They then permit,
Such
Patients
to take what course they think fit;
Leave them to any
Emperick,
who will
Pretend to that wherein he hath no skill;
Send them to
Epsom,
or the
Tunbridge water,
Or, that at
Lewsham
(to which tis no matter)
Or to that
Country Air,
where first they drew
Their breaths, to try what thereon will ensue.
Thither, if GOD sends after them a
Blessing,
It is more then they deserve, and worth confessing:
For, tis of his
mere Grace
; And, this, sometimes
He doth vouchsafe ere men repent their Crimes.
Such
mercies
none can sound, much less express;
For they are infinitely fathomless.
And if they work not, in a timely day,
GOD's
will be done,
is all, that I dare pray.
The Authors Epitaph.
Composed by himself, upon a Common fame Of his being dead and buried. It hath a short Preface prefixed, and an Epilogue added after it, for a Copartment to set it off.
The Preface.
RUmors
of things that
shall be,
are begun
Sometimes, before they
actually
are done,
That, we thereby
forewarned,
may prepare
To entertain them, when in
Act
they are;
And,
four times,
at the least, (though yet I am
Surviving it) my death hath been by
Fame
Divulged so, that some, no credit give
To those men who affirm that I yet live.
At this time also, a
Report
doth go
That, I was lately dead and buried too:
Perhaps, not without being fore-designed
That I, in
prison
might be hunger-pin'd:
For, having nothing left, that was mine own,
Or ought allowed, save what should be bestowed,
By their compassion, who have me preserved
From being in my
close Confinement
starved,
I might have died indeed through want of
bread,
Had all my
Friends
believed me to be
dead.
It may have likewise, an
Ill Consequent,
If, I shall be releast; which, to prevent
I have composed this following Epitaph,
Thus
Prefaced,
with this short
Paragraph,
And, sent it to my
Friends,
that, they may know
I live, and live in hope, that what I owe
To them, repaid (in life or death) shall be,
By GOD, although, not probably by me.
That, also, what this
Epitaph
expresseth
May mind me of my duty, till life ceaseth;
And, be by others, with some profit read,
Both whilst, that I am
living,
and when
dead.
The Epitaph.
By way of
Epitaph,
thus sed
George Whither,
when
Fame
voic'd him dead.
IF, I did scape the
dooms
of those,
Whose heads and limbs, fed
Rats
and
Crows,
(And, was not thrown into the
fire
Or
water,
when breath did exspire)
Then, here, (or somewhere else) my
Bones,
Lie raked up, with
Earth
and
Stones.
Their
burial place,
you shall do well
To learn from those men who can tell,
And in what mode inter'd they were;
For, I do neither
know nor care,
Or, what was either
sung,
or
said,
By others, when I there was laid;
Nor any whit, suspicious am
That, they shall be exposed to shame
Nor fear I troubling of their rest,
By those who
living men
molest,
Because, how e're the world shall please
To use them, they shall be at ease,
When that, which her despite intends
To me, shall ceaze on her own friends
As it befell to some, of late,
If that be true, which
fame
doth prate.
My
Life
was nor too long, nor short,
Nor, without
Good
and
Ill Report
;
And, profited, as many ways
I was by
Scandals,
as by
praise.
Great
foes
I had, and very many,
Friends
too, a few, as kind as any
And, seldom felt their
earthly hell,
Who love, and are not loved as well:
For, that, whereof they had sharp
sense,
I knew, but, by intelligence.
A
Wife
I had, as fit for me
As any one a live could be;
Yea, as if, GOD, out of each other
Had made us, to be join'd together.
And, whilst she
lives,
what ere is sed
Of my
Death,
I am but
half dead.
Beside the Issue of my
Brain,
I had
six children,
whereof
twain
Did live, when we divided were,
And, I,
alive was buried here.
When,
Portious,
I had none to give
God gave them (as I, did believe
He would) a means, whereby to live:
Which is here mentioned, to this end,
That others, may on him depend.
I prized no
Honors,
bought or sold,
Nor wished for
youth,
when I was
old,
But, what each
Age, Place,
and
Degree,
Might best become, best pleased me.
I coveted nor
Ease,
nor
Wealth
(No, not enjoyment of my
health
)
Ought further, then it had relation
To GODs
praise
; and my
Souls Salvation.
When I seemed
rich,
I wanted more
Then e're I did when deemed
poor
;
And, when in
Body,
most confind,
Enjoy'd most freedom in my
mind.
I was not
Factious
or
Seditious,
Though thereof, many were Suspitious,
Because, I humor'd not the times,
In Follies, and destructive crimes.
In things, that
Good
or
Evil
were,
I had abundantly my share;
And, never wished to change my
Lot
For what another man had got,
Or, that, in any
time
or
place,
My
Birth
had been, save where it was
So
wise
I was not to be
mad
Though much
oppressed
; or, to be sad
When my
Relations
did conceive
I had exceeding Cause to grieve:
For, GOD, in season, still supplide
Those needful things the world denide,
Disposing everything, so well
To my content, what ere befell,
That, thankful praise to him was due;
And, will be, for what shall ensue.
I sold not
Honesty,
to buy
A
formal Garbe of Sanctity
;
Nor to hate any was inclined,
Because, they were not of my mind;
Nor feared to publish
truths
in season,
Though termed
Heresy
or
Treason,
But, spake, what I conceived might tend
To benefit both foe and friend;
And, if in
Love,
they seemed sincere,
With their
Infirmities,
could bear.
I practice'd what I did
believe,
And pinned upon no man's sleeve,
My
Faith
or
Conscience
; for, there's none
Judgd, by what other men have done.
My
sins
were great, and numerous grown;
My
Righteousness,
was not mine own,
Yet, more prevailed by
Grace divine,
Then if it had been wholly
mine.
I
loved
all men,
feared
none
Except
myself,
and GOD alone;
And, when I knew him, did not make
Esteem of ought, but for his sake.
On him, in life time I depended,
By Death are all my troubles ended,
And, I shall live again, even here,
When my
Redeemer,
doth appear,
Which (by what I have seen and heard)
I know, will not be long deferred;
Nor that
Raign,
here on Earth, among
His
Saints,
which they have looked for long.
But, that, which we shall then behold,
May better be
believed
then
told
;
Because, we may presume as well
To put the
Sea
into a
shell,
As to demonstrate, unto men▪
Of flesh and blood, what will be then.
Nor oft, nor much desire had I,
Long time to live, or soon to die;
But, did the
work
I had to do,
As I enabled was thereto;
Then, whether it seemed
Good
or
Ill,
Left
that,
and
all things,
to God's
will
;
And, when this
mind
is not in me,
That, I am
dead,
assured be.
Do
Reader,
what I have well done;
What I have erred in, learn to shun;
And, when I must no more appear,
Let this, be thy
Remembrancer.
The Epilogue.
THis, I perceive will take up too much Room,
Within a
Church,
or, on a
Chapel Tomb
;
And, peradventure, need a larger
Stone
Then my estate will buy to write it on:
I will therefore, let it wander on betwixt
The two
Poles,
till it finds where to be fixed:
For, though it seems brought forth before the time,
It may, whilst it continues in this
Clime,
Some way advantage me, by bringing that
Into my mind, which I might else forget,
That, Whilst I live, I might conform thereto
So far forth, as I am obliged to do.
Moreover, I shall know, (when this is read)
What will be said of me when I am
dead
;
Which, that man cannot hear, who shall not have
An
Epitaph,
till he is in his
Grave.
Some part thereof, may likewise useful seem
To others, who my words, now disesteem:
For, through the spacious earth, I know not ought,
That is, or may be
said▪
or
done,
or
thought,
But, hath a tendance, if we heed it will,
Either to what is
good
or what is
ill
:
A
Single hair,
or
fluttring of a Bird,
May providentially, sometimes afford
Hints,
or
precautions,
to incline us, to
What we ought to
Observe, believe, or do.
This, also will be, as it were, to some
A
Messenger,
who from the
dead is come,
To Preach what is agreeable to
Reason,
(Although it be a
Preachment
out of season)
But, now, both
dead and living
Preachers too,
Are slighted, whatsoever they say or do.
And, if such
Predicants
found no regard,
Where
Moses
and the
Prophets
were not heard,
What, probably, from those can be expected
Who
Christ
and his
Apostles,
have neglected?
Yet, from dead Letters, and from men deceast
There comes (from what in lifetime they expressed)
A voice sometimes, to which men will incline,
A willing ear; and so, there will from
mine.
A Petitionary Meditation on the behalf of F. S. The Authors much Honoured and Charitable, Friend then visited by a Languishing Sickness.
In my
contemplatings,
VERSE, is to me
What DAVID's
Harp,
to him, was wont to be;
And, (on occasions offered) unto GOD)
I, often, make
Addresses,
in this mode.
LORD, thou didst raise me
friends,
when few or none
I had, whom I could much depend upon;
And, none of those, had they not first been thine,
Could possibly have been a Friend of mine,
In such a manner, or at such a time
As when thy kindness did appear in them:
For, such Respectiveness, to men that are
In my case is at this time, very rare.
Thereby, they worthily therefore, are grown
More precious for thy sake, then for their own;
And, me to them it binds, in Bonds more strong,
Then if their
frindship,
from themselves had sprung.
My GOD, to thee, for one of those by whom
Thou hast refreshed me I now am come
To offer what my poverty affords;
Which (though it be no more then hearty
words
)
Be pleased to accept, for those
proceeds,
That were extended unto me in
deeds
;
And, thereunto, vouchsafe thou to impute
That
vigor,
which I cannot contribute;
Since, there is nothing in my best
oblation
▪
Which of itself, can merit acceptation.
On his behalf, whom thou to me hast given,
I, here on
earth,
Petition thee in
heaven,
Not for our own deserts, but for his sake,
Who did for all
mankind
atonement make)
That (if it shall be pleasing unto thee)
His crazed
health
may now renewed be,
And, he continue by thy preservation,
A faithful servant to this
generation,
Till he those
works
hath finished altogether,
For which thou principally sentst him hither;
And, till they who yet want him, less may miss
His passage from them, to
eternal Bliss
:
For,
Life,
and all that therewith is bestowed,
He had, as well for their sakes, as his own.
Thy
people
thought themselves obliged to plead
To
Christ
for him, who for them, had but made
A
Synagogue: Elias
thou didst hear
For, her, by whom, refreshed his bowels were:
And, thou hast promised an
easy bed,
To them, by whom the
hungry soul
is fed;
Whereby I am incourag'd, and inclined,
To pray for him; who hath to me been kind,
With hope, it shall some good product beget
Both to thy glory, and his benefit.
For, thou hast to the prayers of the poor,
An ear as open, now, as heretofore,
And grantst the humble suits of faithful men,
Aswell, as of thy greatest
Prophets,
then.
To thee, I dare not absolutely pray
For ought, belonging to the
present day,
Save what that
pattern
warrants, which hath taught
To whom, for what,
and
how to pray we ought.
When therefore LORD, my frailty shall incline
My will,
to what repugnant is to
thine,
(Though I should ask it) let it be denied,
And, wants, according to thy will supplied.
The objects, and the subjects, of my
prayers
Are positively, nor hopes fears, or despairs,
Or pains, or pleasures; neither joy nor grief;
No nor a temporary Death or Life,
(Though they concern myself) except they fall
Within the verge of that
Conditional
With which thou bound'st them: For enough there is
Besides that,
grantable,
unless amiss
We ask it. And soon'st, thou wilt that dispence,
When
Faith
assaults thee with most violence.
Such things as thou hast promised, we may crave;
Such things in their best season, we shall have,
Though they are oft defer'd, till we know better
How, by their use, to make the blessings greater:
Such things, I dare to ask, and persevere
In asking them, until vouchsafd they are;
And, such things, ile now beg of thee, for him
Whose cause I plead: LORD, therefore grant thou them
Confirm him in that
Love,
whence all things had
Their
Beings,
when created things were made;
And, which at last, will knit up all in
one
That was created, when the world begun.
Contentment give him, with what
change
soere
Thou shalt be pleased to exercise him here.
Preserve him in the
saving faith
of CHRIST,
Which will secure the
blessed interest
That, he to all men offers; and to none
Denieth, who, to lay fast hold thereon
Not
willfully,
and
finally
neglects,
Thou having cured his
natural defects.
Grant him true
self-denial
: him befriend,
With constant perseverance to the end
Of all his
trials
: Every sin forgive
Committed in the flesh, whilst he shall live.
Enable him, whilst he hath time and place,
To make such an improvement of thy grace
On him conferred, that, as day by day,
Sin sprouts up, it may rooted be away.
In all, whereby the
world,
the
flesh,
or
Devil
May him assault, deliver him from evil,
And all distemperatures, that may begin
Either from things
without him,
or
within.
Let these
Petitions,
for his Consolation
Be sanctified by CHRIST's Mediation,
And lie still spread before thee, whilst in life,
My
Friend
is sensible of
pains
and grief.
So far forth also, as that, which by me
Is prayed for now, shall with thy will agree,
Let him with
faith,
in our
Redeemers
name
Both for himself and me, desire the same.
And (to conclude this
prayer
) let all those
By whom, thou hast been pleased to dispose▪
Thy manyfold
Love-tokens
unto me,
In all, here prayed for, partakers be
At every need; till thou translatst us thither
Where, all
thine,
shall with thee, live still together.
Amen.
ERRATA.
PAge 3 l. 29. read persecute. p. 8. l 31. r. persevere. p. 13. l. 15. r. war for fear p. 17. l. 1. r. our own p. 23. l. 1. r. so to p. 24. l. 4. r. their Fallacies p. 25. l. 13. r. harvest time, & p. 40. l. 18. God, praise p. 46. l. 5. r. through, & for Reb. r. Rebels p. 50 l. 10. r. the, for there. p. 56. l. 13. thee for the p. 58. l. 30. r. on for in.
FINIS.