The Building Nature Excellency and Government of the House of God
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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.
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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 DISCOURSE OF THE Building, Nature, Excellency, and Government Of the HOUSE of GOD. WITH Counsels and Directions To the Inhabitants thereof.
By JOHN BVNYAN of Bedford.
Psal. 26.8. Lord, I have loved the Habitation of thy House, the place where thine Honor dwelleth.
LONDON: Printed, and are to be Sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopsgate, 1688.
〈1 page duplicate〉A DISCOURSE OF THE Building, Nature, Excellency, and Government. Of the HOUSE of GOD.
I. By whom this HOUSE is Built.
THe
Builder
's God,
Materials
his Elect;
His
Son
's the
Rock,
on which it is Erect;
The
Scripture
is his Rule, Plummet or Line,
Which gives proportion to this
House divine
;
•
is
Working-Tools
his Ordinances are,
By them he doth his
Stones
and
Timber
square,
Affections
knit
in
Love,
the
Couplings
are;
•
ood Doctrine
like to
Morter
doth cement
The whole together,
Schism
to prevent:
His
Compass,
his
Decree
; his
Hand
's the
Spirit
By which he
Frames
(what he means to inherit)
A
Holy Temple,
which shall far excel
Call this a
Temple
or a House of
Prayer,
A
Palace, Oracle,
or
Spouse
most fair,
Or what you
will
: God's Love is here displayed,
And
here
his Treasure safely up is laid;
For his own
Darling
none can find a place,
What though some slight it, it a
Cottage
call,
Giveit the reproachful name of
Beggars-Hall
;
Yea, what though to some it an
Eye-sore
is,
What though they count it base, and at it hiss,
Call it an Alms-House, Builded for the Poor;
Yet Kings of Old have begged at the door.
II. Of the Beauty of the Church.
LO
her
Foundations laid with
Sapphires
are;
Her goodly
Windows
made of
Agats
fair,
Her
Gates
are
Carbuncles,
or
Pearls
; nor one
Of all her borders but's a
precious stone,
None
Common
nor o'th'
baser
sort are here,
Nor rough, but squar'd and
polished
everywhere:
Her
Beams
are
Caedars, Firr
her
Rafters
be,
Her
Tarrases
are of the
Algum-Tree
;
The
Thorn,
or
Crab-Tree,
here are not of use;
Who thinks them here Utensils, puts abuse
Upon the place, yea, on the Builder too;
With
Carved-work
of
Lily,
and
Palm-Tree,
With
Cherubims
and
Chains
adorned be
The
Doors,
the
Walls,
and
Pillars
of this Place,
Forbidden Beasts
here must not show their face.
With Grace like Gold, as with fine
Painting,
he
Will have this House
within
enriched be;
Fig-leaves nor
Rags,
must here keep out no cold,
This Builder covers all with
Cloth of Gold,
Of
Needle-Work,
pricked more then once or twice
(The oftener pricked, still of the higher price)
Wrought by his Son, put on her by his merit,
III. Of the Conveniencies of this House.
WIthin these Walls the Builder did
devise
That there the
Householders
might
Sacrifice
;
Here is an
Altar,
and a
Laver
too,
And
Priests
abundance,
Temple-Work
to do;
Nor want they
Living
Offerings nor yet Fire,
Nor
holy
Garments; what Divine Desire
Commands, it has bestowed on this place;
Here be the
Censers,
here's the
Throne of Grace
;
None of the Householders need go else where,
A
Throne
for
Judgment
he did here Erect,
Virtue
to cherish,
Folly
to detect;
Statutes and Laws, unto this House he gave,
To teach who to Condemn, and who to Save:
By things thus wholesome taught is every Brother
And now for
Pleasure, Solace, Recreation,
Here's such as helpeth forward Man's Salvation.
Equal to these none can be found else where,
All else turn to
Profuseness,
Sin and Care.
So situate
it is,
so
roomthy fair,
So
Warm,
so
Blessed, with such wholesome Air;
That 'tis enticing: who so wishes well
To his Souls health, should covet here to dwell,
Here's necessaries, and what will delight,
The godly Ear, the Pallate with the Sight,
Of each degree and Sex; here's everything
To please a Beggar, and delight a King.
Chambers
and
Galleries,
he did invent,
Both for a
Prospect
and a
Retirement.
For such as unto
Music
do incline,
Here are both
Harps
and
Psalteries
divine;
Her
Cellars
and
Banqueting-House
have been
In former days, a Palace for a Queen;
O House what Title to thee can be given,
IV. Of the Strength and Defense of this House.
THis House you may be sure will always
stand
She's
built
on a
Rock,
not on the
Sand
;
Storms, Rain,
yea
Floods
have oft upon her beat;
Yet stands She, here's a proof She is no
cheat
;
•
ear not therefore in her for to abide,
She keeps her ground, come Weather, Wind or Tide:
Her
Corner-Stone
has many times been tried,
But never could the Scorn, or Rage, or Pride,
Of all her Foes, by what force they could make,
Destroy her
Battlements,
or
Ground-Work
shake.
Here's God the Lord
encamping round about
His dwelling place; nor ought we once to doubt
But that he as a
Watch-Man
succor will
Those that do dwell upon his Holy Hill.
A Wall of Fire about her I will be
And Glory in the midst of her, and she
Shall be the place where I my name record;
The holy
Watchers
at her
Gates
do stand,
With their destroying Weapons in their hand,
Those to defend that in this House do dwell
From all her Enemies in Earth and Hell;
Safety! Where is it,
If it is not here?
God dwelleth in her, doth for her appear,
To help her early, and her Foes confound,
And unto her will make his Grace abound;
Safety is here, and also that advance,
V. The Delicateness of the Situation of this House.
AS her Foundation and her Beauty's much;
Conveniences, and her Defences such
As none can parallel, so doth the Field
About her, richest, rarest Dainties yi
•
ld.
Moriah
where
Isaac
was Offered,
Where
David
from his Sin was ransomed;
Where
Solomon
the Temple did erect,
Compar'd with this, is worthy no respect;
Under the very
Threshold
of this place
Arise those
goodly springs
of lasting grace,
Whose
Crystal Streams
minister Life to those
That here of Love to her, make their repose;
Sweet is her
Air,
(as one may well infer,)
Cause 'tis the
breathings of the Comforter.
The
Pomegranates
at all her gates do grow,
Mandrakes
and
Vines,
with other dainties mo;
Her
Gardens
yield the
Chief,
the richest
Spice,
Surpassing them of
Adam's Paradise
:
Here be sweet
Oyntments
and the best of
Gums
;
Here
runs
the
Milk,
here
drops
the
Honey-Combs.
Here are
Perfumes
most pleasant to the sense,
Here grows the goodly Trees of
Frankinsence
;
Her
Arbors, Walks, Fountains
and
pleasant
Springs,
Such
Mountains
round about this House do stand
As one from thence may see the Holy Land;
Her Fields are
fertile,
do abound with Corn;
The
Lilies
fair, her
Valleys
do adorn.
The
Birds
that do come hither every spring,
For
Birds, they are the very best that Sing.
Her
Friends,
her
Neighbors
too, do call he
•
blest
•
Angels
do here go by, turn in and rest.
The road to
Paradise
lies by her
Gate,
Here
Pilgrims
do themselves
accommodate
With
Bed
and
Board,
and do such
Stories tell
As do for Truth and Profit, all excel.
VI. The way of Receiving those that would here Inhabit.
ANd wouldst thou know the customs of this place,
How Men are here admitted to this Grace;
And consequently whether thou mayst be
Made one of this most blest Fraternitie?
Come hither then, unto me lend an ear;
And what is doubtful, to thee I will clear.
1. This place, as
Mercies Arms,
stands ope to those
That their own happiness used to oppose;
Those under Hedges,
High-Way Men,
or they
That would not God nor yet good Men Obey;
Those that among the
bushe
•
•••
'd to
brouze,
Or under
Hedges
used themselves to
louze.
The
vilest men,
of Sinners who are chief,
A Fornicator, Lyar, or a Thief,
May turn in hither, here take up and dwell
2. This place, as
Hospitals,
will entertain,
Those which the lofty of this World
disdain
:
The
Poor,
the
Lame,
the
Maimed, Halt
and
Blind,
The
Leprous,
and
Possessed
too, may find
Free welcome here, as also such relief
3. This place, as
David's Heart,
with free-consent
Opes to th' Distressed, and the Discontent;
Who is in Debt, that has not wherewithal
To quit his Scores, may here be free from thrall;
That Man that fears the
Bailiff
or the
Jail,
May find one here that will become his Bail.
4. Art thou bound over to the
great Assize,
For hearkening to the Devil and his Lyes;
Art thou
afraid
thereat to show thy head,
For fear thou then be sent unto the dead?
Thou mayest come hither here is room and place
5. This place, as
Fathers House,
in former Days
Is a Receptacle for
Run-a-ways
;
He that like to the
Ox
backslidden is,
Forfeited hath for Sin his share of bliss;
May yet come hither, here is room and rest;
Of old such have come hither and been blest.
Had this been false, O woe had been to
David!
Nor
Peter,
had nor
Magdalene
been saved,
Nor
Jonah,
nor
Mannasses,
nor the rest;
No
Run-a-way
from God, could a been blest
With kind reception at his hands;
Return,
Would here a come to late, if naught but
burn
Had been the lot of the Blacksliding man:
But we are told there's no rebellion can
Prevent, or hinder him from being saved,
That Mercy heartily of God hath craved;
She that went from her God to play the Whore,
Returning may be as she was before;
He that refuses to his God to turn,
That is resolved in Hell-Fire to burn;
If he bethinks himself and turns again,
6. But bring thou with thee a
Certificate,
To show thou seest thyself most
desolate
;
Writ by the Master, with Repentance
sealed,
To show also that here thou wouldst be
healed,
By those
fair leaves
of that most blessed
Tree,
By which alone
poor Sinners healed
be;
And that thou dost abhor thee for thy ways,
And wouldst in Holiness spend all thy days;
And here be entertained; or thou wilt find
VII. Of the Governors of this House.
THe
Governors
that here in Office are,
Such be as Service do with
Love and Care
;
Not
Swerving
from the
Rule,
nor yet intrude
Upon
each others
Work, nor are they
rude
In managing
their own
: But to their trust
They labor to be
Honest, Faithful, Just.
1. The
Chief
is he, who is the Lord of all,
The
Savior
; some him
Physician
call.
He's clothed in
shining raiment
to the ground,
A Golden
Girdle
doth
begirt
him round;
His
Head
and
Hairs
are
white
as any
Snow,
His
Eyes
are like a
flame
of
Fire
also;
His
Feet
are like
fine Brass
as if they burned
Within a Furnace, or to Fire was turned;
His
Voice
doth like to many
Waters
sound,
In his
Right-Hand, Seven glittering Stars are found,
Out of his
Mouth
goes a
Two Edged Sword,
Sharper then any (
'tis his holy Word
)
And for his
Countenance,
'tis as the
Sun
Which
shineth
in its strenghth, till day is done.
His name is called Holy, The
Word of God
;
The
Wine-press
of his Fathers wrath he trod;
At all the power of Sin he doth deride,
The
Keys of Hell and Death hang at his side.
This is our Governor,
this is the chief,
From this
Physician
comes our Souls relief.
He is the
Tree
of Life and
hidden Manna
;
'It is he to whom the Children
sing Hosannae.
The
whice stone
he doth give with a
new name,
In Heaven and Earth he is of worthy fame.
This man hath Death destroyed, and slain the Devil,
And doth secure all his from damning evil;
He is the Prince of Life, the Prince of Peace
;
He doth us from the bonds of Death release.
His Work is properly his own; nor may,
'It is he who pays our
Hospitalian
scores,
He's here to
search, supple,
and
bind
up
Sores
;
He is our
Plaister-maker,
he applies
Them to our Wounds,
He wipes our wetted Eyes.
'It is he that gives us
cups
of
Consolation,
'It is he renews the
hopes
of our
Salvation.
He'll take our parts, oft times to us unknown,
And make as if our failings were his own;
He'll plead with God, his Name and doings too,
His Name is as an
Ointment
poured forth;
'It is sweet from East to West, from South to North.
He's
White
and
Ruddy
; yea of all the chief;
His
golden
Head is rich beyond belief.
His
Eyes
are like the
Doves
which Waters wet,
Well washed with Milk, and also fitly set,
His
Cheeks
as
beds
of
Spices,
and sweet flowers
He used to water with those christal showers,
Which often flowed from his cloudy Eyes
Better by far then what comes from the Skies.
His
Lips
like
Lilies, drop sweet-smelling-Mirrh,
Scenting as do those of the Comforter.
His
Hands
are as
Gold Rings
set with the Beryls;
By them we are delivered out of Perils;
His
Legs
like
Marble,
stand in
Boots
of
Gold,
His
Countenance
is ex'lent to behold.
His
Mouth
it is of all a Mouth most sweet,
O Kiss me then, Lord, every time we meet!
Thy
sugard Lips,
Lord, let them sweeten mine,
2. This is one
Governor
; and next in place,
One called the
Ghost,
in Honor and in Grace
No whit inferior to Him; and He
Will also in this House our helper be.
He ▪twas who did at first
brood
the Creation;
And he's the cause of Man's
Regeneration:
'It is he by whom the Heavens were
garnished,
With all their host they then abroad did spread
(Like Spangles, Pearls, Diamonds or richest Gems)
Far Richer then the fairest Diadems.
'Twas he who with his
Cloven Tongues
of
fire
Made all those wise ones of the World admire,
Who heard his Breathing in unlearned men,
O Blessed Ruler! now the same as then!
His work our mind is to
illuminate
With things
divine,
and to
accommodate
Us with those Graces, which will us adorn,
And make us look like men indeed
New-Born.
For our
Inheritance
he makes us
meet
;
He makes us also in this World
discreet.
Prudent
and
Wise
in what we take in hand,
To
do
and
suffer
at our Lord's command.
'It is he that
leads
us to the
Tomb
and
Cross,
When
Jesus Crucifi'd
and
Bury'd
was;
He shows us also, that he did
revive,
And doth
assure
us that he is
alive
;
And doth
improve
the merit of his Blood,
At Graces Throne, for our Eternal Good.
Dark
Riddles
he doth here to us unfold,
Yea makes us things
Invisible
behold.
He sheds
abroad
God's Love in every Heart,
Where he doth dwell, yea to them doth impart
Such tokens of a future Happiness,
That's past the Tongue of Angels to express.
'It is he which helpeth us,
that
to perform,
Whether
Becalm'd,
or whether in a
Storm,
Which God commands: without him we do naught.
'It is he that doth with
Jewels
us bedeck,
'It is he puts
chains
of Gold about our
Neck
;
'It is he that doth us with
fine Linnen gird,
That maketh us oft times
live as a Bird.
That cureth us of all our doubts and fears,
Puts
Bracelets
on our Hands,
Rings
on our Ears;
He
Sanctifies
our Persons, he
perfumes
Our Spirits also, he our Lust consumes;
Our Stinking Breath he sweetens, so that we
To God and all good Men sweet-scented be;
He sets God's mark upon us, and doth seal
3. Another sort of Officers; here are,
But such as must not with these first compare;
They're under-Officers, but serviceable,
Not only here to
Rule,
but wait at
Table.
Those clothed are with Linnen, fine and white,
They glitter as the Stars of darksome Night.
They have Saint
Peters Keys,
and
Aaron's Rod
;
They
ope
and
shut,
they
bind
and
loose
for God.
The chief of these are
Watch-men,
they have power
To mount on high and to ascend the
Tower
Of this brave Fabric, and from thence to see
Who keeps their ground, and who the stragglers be.
These have their Trumpet, when they do it sound
The
Mountains
Echo, yea it
shakes
the ground.
With it they also sound out an Alarm,
When they perceive the least mischief or harm
Is coming, so they do this House secure
There from, or else
prepare
it to endure
Most manfully the Cross, and so attain
This Officer is called a
Steward
too,
'Cause with his Masters
Cash
he has to do,
And has Authority it to disburst
To those that want, or for that Treasure thirst.
The Distributor of the word of Grace
He is, and at his Mouth, when he's in place,
They seek the Law, he also bids them do it;
He shows them Sin, and learns them to eschew it▪
By this example too he shows them how
To keep their Garments clean, their knees to bow
•
Before the King, when he comes into place;
Another
Badge
this Officer doth wear,
Is that of
Overseer
; because the
care
Of the
Whole House
is with him, he's to see
They nothing
want,
nor yet abused be
•
y false
Intruders, Doctrines,
or (perchance)
•
y the misplacing of an
Ordinance.
•
hese also are to see they
wander
not
•
rom
Place
or
Duty,
least they get a
blot
•
o their
Profession,
or bring some Disease,
•
pon the whole, or get a trick to lease,
Or Lye unto their God, by doing what
Call them your
Cooks,
they are skilled in dressing Food,
To nourish Weak, and Strong, and cleanse the
Blood
:
They've
Milk
for
Babes,
strong
Meat
for
Men
of Age;
Food fit for who are
Simple,
who are
Sage.
When the great
Pot
goes on, as oft it doth,
They put not
Coloquintida
in Broth,
As do those Younglings, Fondlings of their skill,
They are your
Sub-Physicians,
and know
What sickness you are incident unto;
Let them but feel your
Pulse,
and they will tell
You quickly whether you are Sick or Well.
Have you the
Staggers
? They can help you there
Or if the
Falling-Sickness,
or do fear
A
Lethergy,
a
Fever,
or the
Gout,
God blessing of their skill, you need not doub
•
A cure, for long Experience has made
These Officers the Masters of their Trade.
Their Physic works by
Purge
and
Vomit
too,
Fear not, nor full nor fasting but towill do,
Have but a care and see you catch no Cold,
You may them Prophets call, for they can tell
•
Of things to come, yea, here they do excel.
They Prophesy of Mans
future event,
Whether to
Weal
or
Woe
his mind is bent,
Yea, so expert are they in their
Predictions,
Their
Arguments
so full are of
Convictions,
That none who hear them, but are forced
〈◊〉
say▪
Woe unto them who wander from the way
Art bound for Hell against all
wind and weather
Or art thou one a going backward thither?
Or dost thou
wink
because thou wouldst not
see
Or dost thou
sideling
go, and wouldst not be
Suspected?
Yet these Prophets can the tell,
Which way thou art a going down to Hell.
For him that would Eternal
Life
attain,
Yet will not part with all,
that Life to gain,
But keepeth
some
thing close, he should
forsake,
Or slips the
time,
in which he should
awake
;
Or
saith
he lets go all, yet
keepeth
some
Of what will make him lose the world to come.
These Prophets can tell such a man his state,
And what at last will surely be his fate.
If thou art one who tradeth in
both
ways,
God's
now,
the Devil's
then
; or if delays
Thou makest of
coming
to thy God for Life;
Or if thy
Light,
and
Lusts
are at a
strife
About who should be
master
of thy
Soul,
And lovest
one,
the other dost
control
;
These Prophets tell thee can, which way thou bendest,
On which thou frown'st, to which a hand thou lendest.
Art one of
those
whose
fears
do go beyond
Their
faith
? when thou
shouldest hope,
dost thou
dispond?
Dost keep thine Eye upon what thou hast done,
And yet hast Licence to look on the Sun?
Dost thou so covet
more,
as not to
be
Affected with the
Grace
bestowed on
thee?
Art
like
to him, that needs must step a Mile
At every stride, or think it not worth while
To follow
Christ
? These Prophets they can tell
This Officer is also called a Guide,
Nor should the People but keep by his side;
Or tread his Steps in all the paths they walk,
By his Example they should Do and Talk.
He is to be to them instead of Eyes,
He must before them go in any wise;
And he must lead them by the Water-side,
This is the work of this our Faithful Guide.
Since Snares and Traps, and Grins are for us set
Since here's a Hole, and there is spread a Net▪
O let nobody at my Muse deride,
No man can Travel here without a Guide.
Here's Tempting Apples, here are Baited Hooks
With Turning, Twisting, Cramping, Tangling Crooks
Close by the way; woe then to them betide,
That dares to venture here without a Guide.
Here haunt the Fairies with their chanting Voices
Fiends like to Angels, to bewitch our choices;
Baits for the Flesh lie here on every side:
Who dares set here one foot without a Guide
?
Master
Delusion
dwelleth by our walks,
Who with Confusion, Sings and Prays and talks
He says the straight Path's his, and ours th
••
wide
What then can we do here without a Guide
?
Let God then give our Leaders always Eyes
Yea let him make them Holy, Bold, and Wise
And help us fast by them for to abide,
4. Here are of Rulers, yet another sort,
Such as direct our
manners
to comport
With our Professed Faith, that we to view,
May let
Beholders
know that we are
new.
These are our
Conversations
to inspect,
And us in our employments to direct,
That we in
Faith
and
Love
do everything,
That
reacheth
from the
Peasant
to the
King.
That there may be no scandal in our ways,
Nor yet in our
Profession
all our days.
These should after our Busie-Bodies look,
Tale bearers also they have undertook
To keep in order, also they must see
None that can
work
among us Idle be,
Jarrs Disords, Frauds,
with
Grievances
and wrongs,
These they are to regulate; to them belongs
The
Judgment
of all matters of this kind,
5. Another sort of Officers we have
Deacons
we call them, 'cause their work's to save
And distribute those Crumbs of Charity
Unto the Poor, for their Subsistency,
That contributed is for their relief,
Which of their bus'ness is indeed the chief.
These must be Grave, not of a double Tongue,
Not given to Wine, not apt to do a Wrong Jus
•
Unto the Poor, through love to
Lucre.
In this their Office,
Faithful
to their
Trust
The
Wife
must answer here as Face doth Face;
The
Husband,
fitness to his work and place,
That ground of
Scandal
or of
Jealousy
Obstructs not proof that he most zealously
Performs his Office well, for then shall he
Be bold in Faith, and get a good degree
Of Credit with the Church; yea what is more
He shall possess the Blessings of the Poor.
His Wisdom teach him will, to find out wh
•
Is poor of
Idleness,
and who comes to
A low Estate by Sickness, Age, or 'cause
The want of
Limbs,
or
Sight,
or work it was,
That brought them to it; or such destiny
As sometimes maketh low, who once were high▪
They must remember too that some there ar
•
Who
Halt
before they are
Lame,
while others car
•
Not to make known their wants, they'll rather die▪
Then charge the Churches with their
Poverty.
This done, they must bestow as they see cause▪
Making the Word, the Rule; and Want the Law▪
By which they Act, and then they need not paus
•
The
Table
of the Lord he also must
Provide for, 'tis his Duty and his Trust.
The Teacher too should have his Table spread
By him, thus should his
House
be clad and fed;
Thus he serves
Tables
with the Churches stock,
6. I read of
Widows
also that should be
Imployed here for further decency;
I dare not say they are in
Office,
though
A Service here they are appointed to;
They must be very
Aged, Trusty, Meek,
Such who have done much good, that do not seek
Themselves; they must be
Humble, Pitiful,
Or they will make their Service void and null.
These are to Teach the
Younger Women
what
Is proper to their Sex and State, what not;
To be discreet, keepers at Home, and Chast;
To love their Husbands, to be Good, shame-Fac'd;
Children to bear, to Love them, and to
fly
What to the Gospel would be Infamy.
I think these to the Sick should look also,
A Work unfit for younger Ones to do.
Wherefore he saith,
The younger Ones refuse
;
Perhaps because their weakness would abuse
Them, and subject them unto great disgrace,
When such a one as
Amnon
is in place.
And since the good Old Woman this must do
'It is fit she should be Fed and Cloathed too,
Out of the Deacons Purse, let it so be
;
IX. The Order and manner of the Government here.
AS I have showed you who in Office are,
So I will tell you how and with what care
Those here entrusted with the Government,
Keep to the Statutes made to that intent.
By Rules Divine this House is Governed;
Not
Sanguinary
ones, nor taught nor fed
By Human Precepts: for the
Scripture
saith,
The Word's our ghostly Food; Food for our Faith.
Nor are all forced to the same degree
In things
Divine,
though all exhorted be
To the most absolute proficiency
Alas here's
Children,
here are great with Young;
Here are the
Sick
and
Weak,
as well as
Strong.
Here are the
Cedar, Shrub,
and
bruised Reed
;
Yea, here are such who wounded are, and
bleed.
As here are some who in their
Grammar
be,
So here are others in their
A B C.
Some apt to Teach, and others hard to Learn;
Some far off, others can scarce discern
That which is set before them in the Glass;
Others forgetful are, and so let pass,
Or slip out of their mind what they did hear
Wherefore our
Jacob's
must have special care
They drive their Flocks, but as their Flocks can bare;
For if they be over driven, presently
They will be Sick, or cast their Young, or die.
The Laws therefore are more and less of force,
According as they bring us to the Source,
Or Head, or Fountain; or are more remote
To what at first we should ourselves devote.
Be we then wise in handling of the Laws,
Not making a confused noise like Daws
In Chambers, yea let us seek to excel,
To each man's profit; this is ruling well.
With
Fundamentals
then let us begin,
For they strike at the very root of Sin:
So the Foundation being strongly laid,
Let us go on, as the wise Builder said.
For I donit mean, we should at all disdain
Those that are
less,
we always should maintain
That due respect to either which is meet;
Repent
I must, or I am cast away;
Believe
I must; or nothing I Obey:
Love God
I must, or nothing I can do,
That's worth so much as loosing of my Shoo
•
If I do not bear after Christ, my Cross;
If Love to Holiness is at a loss;
If I my Lusts seek not to mortify;
If to myself, my Flesh, I do not die;
What Law, should I observit, can do me good?
One Reads, he Prays, he Catechises too;
But doth he nothing else,
what doth he do?
I Read to know my Duty, I do pray
To God to help me do it day by day;
If this be not my end in what I do,
I am a Sot, an Hypocrite also.
I am
Baptiz'd,
what then? unless I die
To Sin, I cover Folly with a Lye.
At the
Lord's Table,
I do eat; what though?
There some have eat their own Damnation too.
I will suppose, I Hear, I Sing, I Pray,
And that I am
Baptiz'd
without delay,
I will suppose I do much knowledge get,
And will also suppose that I am fit
To be a Preacher, yet naught profits me
If to the first, poor I a stranger be:
They are more weighty therefore; in compare,
Not that I would the least of Duty slight,
Because the least Command of Divine Right
Requires that I myself subject thereto,
Wilful Resisters do them selves undo.
But let's keep order, let the first be first;
Repent, Believe and Love; and then, I trust
I have that Right which is Divine, to all
That is enjoined, be they great or small.
Only I must as cautionary speak,
In one word more, a little to the Weak;
Thou must not suffer men so to enclose
Thee in their Judgments, as to discompose
Thee in that Faith and Peace thou hast with him;
This would be like the losing of a Limb;
Or like to him who thinks he doth not well,
Unless he lose the Kernel for the Shell.
Thou art no Captive, but a Child and Free;
Thou wast not made for Laws, but Laws for thee;
And thou must use them as thy light will bear it
They that say otherwise, do rend and tear it;
More like to wicked Tyrants, who are cruel,
And add unto a little Fire, more Fuel▪
But those who are True Shepherds of the Sheep,
To quench such burnings would most gladly Weep.
But I am yet but upon Generals;
Particulars our Legislator calls
For at our Hands, and that in order too
Consummate what we have begun to do.
1. My Brother I must Love, in very deed.
I am taught of God to do it: let me heed
This Divine Duty, and perform it well,
Who loves his Brother, God in him doth dwell;
The argument which on me this imposes,
•
hall God Love, shall he keep his Faith to me?
And shall not I? shall I unfaithful be?
Shall God love me a Sinner? and shall I
Not love a Saint? Yea shall my JESUS die
To reconcile me to my God? and shall
•
hate his Child, nor hear his wants that call
For my little Assisting of him? sie
On such a spirit, on such cruelty;
Fie on the thought that would me alienate,
2. He that dwells here, must also be a sharer
In others griefs; must be a burden-bearer
Among his Brethren, or he cannot do
That which the blessed Gospel calls him to.
In order hereunto,
Humility
Must be put on (it is our Livery)
We must be clothed with it, if we will
The Law Obey, our Masters mind fulfil.
If this be so, then what should they do here,
Who in their
Antick pranks
of Pride appear.
Let lofty Men among you bear no sway,
The Lord beholds the Proud Man far away.
It is not fit that he inhabits there,
Where humbleness of mind should have the chair.
Can Pride be where a Soul for Mercy craves?
Shall Pride be found among Redeemed Slaves?
Shall he who Mercy from the Gallows brought,
Look High or Strut, or entertain a thought
That tends to tempt him to forget that fate,
To which for Sin he destined was of late,
And could not then at all delivered be,
But by another's Death and Misery?
Pride is the unbecoming'st thing of all:
Besides, 'tis the fore runner of a fall.
He that is Proud, soon in the dirt will lie,
But Honor followeth Humility.
Let each then count his Brother as his better,
Let each esteem himself another's Debtor,
Christ bids us learn of him humble to be,
3.
Forgive
is here another Statute Law;
To be revenged, is not worth a Straw;
He that forgives shall also be forgiven,
Who doth not so,
must lose his part in Heaven
;
•
or must thou weary of this Duty be,
Thou livest by Forgiveness, should a stop
Be put thereto
one moment,
thou wouldst drop
•
nto the Mouth of Hell. Then let this
move
And we are bid in our
forgivenesses
To
do
as God
doth
in forgiving
his.
If
any
has a quarrel against
any,
(As
quarrels
we have
oft
against a
many
)
Why then, as God,
for Christ's sake pardons you,
For Christ's sake,
pardon thou thy Brother too.
We say,
What freely comes, doth freely go
;
Then let all our forgivenesses be so.
•
'm sure God
heartily
forgiveth thee,
My loving Brother,
prithee
forgive me;
4. As we
forgive,
so we must
watch and pray
For Enemies we have, that
night
and
day,
Should we not
watch,
would soon our Grace
•
spoil
•
Should we not
pray,
would our poor Souls
defile
•
Without a
watch,
resist a Foe who can?
Who
prays
not, is not like to play the man;
Complain that he is overcome, he may;
But who would win the Field, must Watch and Pray▪
Who watches, should know who and who's together
Know we not Friends from Foes, how know we whether▪
Of them to Fight, or which to entertain?
Some have instead of Foes, Familiars slain:
Sometimes a Lust will get into the place,
Or Work, or Office, of some worthy grace;
Till it has brought our Souls to great decay.
Unless we diligently
Watch and Pray,
Our
Pride
will our
Humility
precede;
By th' Nose, our Unbelief our Faith will lead.
Self-love
will be where
Self-Denyal
should;
And
Passion
heat, what
Patience
sometime coold:
And thus it will be with us Night and Day
Besides what these
Domesticks
do, there are
Abroad such Foes as wait us to ensnare;
Yea, they against us stand in Battle-'ray,
And will us spoil, unless we
Watch and Pray.
There is the World with all its Vanities,
There is the Devil with a thousand Lyes;
There are False Brethren with their fair Colusions
Also False Doctrines with their strong delusions;
These will us take, yea carry us away,
From what is Good, unless we
Watch and Pray.
Long Life to many, is a fearful Snare;
Of Sudden Death we also need beware;
The
Smiles
and
Frowns
of men, Temptations be;
And there's a Bait in all we hear or see:
Let them who can to any show a way,
Nor isit enough to keep all well within,
Nor yet to keep all out that would be Sin,
If entertained; I must myself concern
With my dear Brother, as I do discern
Him tempted, or a wandering from the way;
Else as I should, I do not
Watch and Pray.
Pray
then and
watch,
be thou no
drowsy sleeper,
Grudge, nor refuse to be thy
Brothers keeper.
Seest thou thy Brothers Graces
at an Ebb?
Is his
heel taken
in the Spiders Web?
Pray for thy Brother, if that will not do,
To him, and warn him of the
present Woe
That is upon him,
if he shall thee hear,
5.
Sincerity,
to that we are enjoin'd;
For I do in our blessed
Law-book
find,
That
Duties,
how well done so ever they seem,
With our great
God,
are but of small esteem,
If not
sincerely
done; then have a care,
For
Hypocrites
are hateful everywhere.
Things we
may
do,
yea, and may let men see
Us do them too, design but honestly;
Vain-gloriously
let us not seek for praise,
Vain-glory's
nothing worth
in Gospel days.
Sincerity
seeks not an
open
place
To do, though it does all with
open
face;
It loves
no
guises, nor disfigurations,
'It is plain, 'tis simple,
hates
Equivocations.
Sincerity's that Grace by which we
poise,
And keep our Duties even: nor but
toys
Are all we do, if no
Sincerity
Attend our works,
lift it up never so high.
Sincerity
makes
Heaven
upon us smile,
Lo,
here's
a man in whom there is no guile!
Nathaniel,
an
Israelite
indeed!
With Duties he sincerely doth proceed;
Under the Fig-tree Heaven saw him at Prayer,
There is but few do their Devotions there.
Sincerity!
Grace is thereto entailed,
The man that was sincere,
God never failed
;
One Tear that falleth from Sincerity,
6.
Meekness
is also here imposed by Law,
A
Froward Spririt
is not worth a straw.
A
froward Spirit
is a
bane
to rest,
They
find it so,
who lodge it in their Breast.
A
froward Spirit
suits with
Self-denial,
With taking up the
Cross,
and every
Trial,
As
Cats
and
Dogs,
together by the Ears;
As
scornful
men do suit with Frumps and Jears.
Meek as a Lamb, mute as a Fish, is brave;
When Anger
boils,
and Passions
vent
do crave.
The
meek
God will in Paths of Judgment guide,
Good shall the
meek
eat, and be satisfied;
The Lord will lift the
meek
to highest Station,
Will Beautify the
meek
with his Salvation:
The
meek
are blest, the Earth they shall inheri
•
The
meek
is better than the proud in Spirit.
Meekness
will make you quiet, hardy, stron
•
To bear a Burden, and to put up Wrong.
Meekness,
though divers troubles you are in,
Will
bridle
Passion, be a
curb
to Sin.
Thus God sets forth the
meek
before our eyes
7.
Temp'rance
also is on this House impose
•
And whoso has it not, is greatly nosed
By standers by, for greedy lustful men;
Nor can
all
we can say, excuse us; when
Intemp'rance
anywhere to them shall be
Apparent;
though we other Vices flee.
Temperance,
the Mother is, of
Moderation,
The
Beauty
also of our
Conversation.
Temperance
will our
affections
moderate,
And keep us from being
inordinate
In our
Embraces,
or in our
Salutes
Of what we have, also in our
pursuits
Of more, and in a
Sedate
settlement
Of mind, will make's
in all states be content
;
Nor want we here an argument to prove,
That who inordinate is, in his love
Of Worldly things, doth better things defy,
What argument can any man produce,
Why we should be intemperate in the use
•
f any Worldly good? Do we not see
That all these things from us a fleeting be?
What can we hold? What can we keep from flying
•
rom us? Is not each thing we have a dying?
My
House,
my
Wife,
my
Child,
they all grow old,
•
or
am I ever the younger for my Gold
;
•
ere's none ahiding, all things
fade
away,
If that be true,
Man doth not live by Bread,
•
e that has nothing else, must needs be dead;
•
ache Bread for what can in this world be found,
•
et all that therein is, is but a sound;
•
n empty sound, there is no life at all,
•
cannot save a Sparrow from her fall.
Let us then use this World as we are bid;
And as in
Olden Times,
the Godly did.
Who
buy,
should be, as if they did possess
None of their purchase, nor themselves did bless
In what they have; And he that doth rejoice
In what he hath, should rather out of choice,
Withdraw his mind from what he hath below,
And set his Heart on whether he must go.
For those that weep under their heavy Crosses,
Or that are broken with the Sence of Losses,
Let them remember, all things here are fading,
And, as to
Nature,
of a Self-degrading
And wasting temper; Yea, both
we
and
they
Shall waste, and waste, until we waste away:
Let
Temperance
then, with
Moderation
be
As bounds to our
Affections,
when we see,
Or feel, or taste, or any ways enjoy
Things pleasing to the Flesh, lest we destroy
Our selves therewith, or bring ourselves thereby
8.
Patience,
another Duty, as we find
In Holy Writ, is on this house enjoin'd;
Her State,
while here,
is such, that she must have
This Grace abounding in her, or a slave
She'll quickly be unto their lusts and will,
That seek the mind of
Satan
to fulfil.
He who must bear all wrongs without resistance,
And that with
gladness
to, must have assistance
Continually from
Patience
thereunto,
Or he will find such work too hard to do.
Who meets with
Taunts,
with
Mocks,
with
Flouts
and
Squibs,
With
Raileries, Reproaches, Checks
and
Snibs
;
Yea, he who for
well-doing
is abused,
Rob'd, Spoil'd, and Goal'd, and
every
way misused;
Has he not
Patience,
soon will be
offended,
Yea his Profession too will soon be ended.
A Christian for
Religion
must not fight,
But put up
wrongs,
though he be in the
right
;
He must be merciful, loving and meek,
When they
smite
one, must turn the toother Cheek.
He must not render Railing for Reviling,
Nor murmur when he sees himself a spoiling;
When they shall Curse, he must be sure to Bless,
And thus with
Patience must his Soul possess.
I doubt our
framper'd
Christians will not
down
With what I say, yet I dare Pawn my
Gown,
Do but compare my Notes with Sacred-story,
And you will find,
Patience
the way to Glory.
Patience
under the Cross, a Duty is,
Whoso possesses it, belongs to Bliss;
If it its
present work
accomplisheth;
If it holds
out,
and still abideth with
The
Truth
; then may we look for that reward,
9. To entertain Good Men let's not forget
Some by so doing have had benefit;
Yea for to Recompence this act of theirs,
Angels have lodged with them unawares.
Yea to encourage such a work as this,
The Lord himself makes it a note of his,
When Hungry or when Thirsty I have been,
Or when a Stranger, you did take me in.
Strangers should not to Strangers but be kind,
Specially if conferring Notes, they find
Themselves, though Strangers here, one Brotherhood,
And Heirs, joint Heirs, of Everlasting Good;
These should, as
Mothers Sons,
when they do meet,
In a strange Country, one another greet
With welcome; come in; Brother, how dost do?
Whether art wandering? Prethee let me know
Thy state? Do'st want or Meat, or Drink, or Cloth?
Art weary? Let me wash thy Feet, I am loath
Thou shouldst depart, abide with me all Night,
X. The way of reducing what's amiss, into Order here.
ALtho this House thus honorable is,
Yet 'tis not
Sinless,
many things amiss
Do
happen here,
wherefore them to redress,
We must keep to our Rules of Righteousness;
Nor must we think it strange, if Sin shall be
Where Virtue is; do'nt not all men plainly see
That in the holy Temple there was dust,
That to our
very Gold,
there cleaveth rust?
In
Abraham's
Family, was a Derider
Who saith, We have
no Sin,
doth also say
We have
no need
at all to
watch and pray
;
To live by Faith, the Flesh to Mortify,
Or of more of the Spirit, to Sanctify
Our Nature: All this wholly needless is
With him, who as to this, has naught amiss.
But we confess,
'cause we would not be Liers,
That we still feel the motions and desires
Of Sin within us, and should fall away,
We therefore do
conclude
that Sin is here,
But that it may not to our
shame
appear,
We have our
Rules,
thereby with it to deal,
And
Plaisters
too, our deadly Wounds to heal.
And seeing
Idleness
gives great occasions
To'th'
Flesh,
to make it's
rude
and
bold
invasisions
Upon good
Orders,
'tis ordained we see,
That
none
dwell here, but such as
workers
be;
So plain's the Law for this, and so
complete,
It bids who will
not
work,
forbear
to eat;
Let then each one, be
diligent
to do
What
Grace
or
Nature
doth oblige them to.
Who have no need to work for Meat or Cloath,
Should work for those that want. Not that the Sloath
Of Idleness should be encouraged,
But that those, poor indeed, be Clad and Fed.
Dorcas
did thus, and 'tis to sacred Story
This House then is
no
Nurse to Idleness;
Fig-Trees
are here to keep, and
Vines
to dress;
Here's
work for all
; yea work that
must
be done;
Yet work, like that, to
playing
in the Sun;
The
Toyl
's a pleasure, and the
Labor
sweet,
Like that of
David
's Dancing in the street:
The work is
short,
the wages is
forever,
No
Drone
must hide himself under those Eaves;
Who
sows
not, will in Harvest Reap
no
Sheaves:
The
slothful
man himself, may plainly see,
The
Honey
's gotten by the
working Be.
But here's
no
work for Life, that's freely given;
Meat, Drink, and Cloth, and Life, we have from Heaven;
Work's here enjoined,
'cause it is a pleasure,
•
ice
to
suppress,
and
augment
Heavenly
Treasure
;
Moreover, 'tis to
show,
if men profess
The
Faith,
and yet abide in
Idleness,
Their
Faith is
vain,
no man can ever prove
If
this
good Counsel is by thee
rejected
;
If
work
and
labor
is by thee
neglected
;
If thou, like
David, lollest
on thy Bed;
Or art like to a
Horse, pampered
and fed
With what will fire thy Lusts, and so lays Snares
For thine own Soul, when thou should be in the' Wars:
Then take what follows,
Sin must be detected,
This is the
House of God,
his Dwelling-place,
'It is
here
that we behold his lovely Face;
But if it should
polluted
be with Sin,
And so
abide,
he quickly will begin
To leave it
desolate,
and then woe to it,
And since Sin is, of things the
worst
of all,
And watcheth like a
Serpent
on a Wall;
Or flieth like an
Eagle
in the Air,
Or runs as desperate
Ships, void of all care
;
Or (as great
Solomon
hath wisely said)
Is as the way of Wantons with a Maid,
Who
tick,
and
toy,
and with a tempting giggle
Provoke to lust, and by degrees, so wriggle
Them into their affections, that they go
The way to death, so do themselves undo:
As it is said,
This mischief to prevent,
Let all men watch, yea, and be diligent
Observers of its motions, and then fly,
This is the way to live, and not to die.
He that would never fall, must never slip,
Who would obey the Call, must fear the Whip.
God would also that
every stander by,
That in the Grass doth see the
Adder lie,
Should cry as he did,
Death is in the Pot,
That many by its Poison, perish not.
But if that
beastly
thing shall
hold
its
hold,
And make the man possessed
basely
bold
In
pleading
for it, or shall it
deny,
Or it shall seek to
cover
with a lie;
Then take more aid, and make a
fresh
assault,
At it again, diminish not the fault,
But
charge
it home. If yet he will not fear,
But still unto his wickedness adhere,
Then
tell
the
house
thereof. But if he still
Persist in his abomination will,
Then fly him, 'cause he is a leprous man,
But if he
falls
before thee at the
first,
Then be thou to him, faithful, loving,
just,
Forgive his sin, tell it not to a Brother,
If he
falls not,
but in the second charge;
Spread not his wickedness abroad at large.
But, if thou think his
sorrow to be sound,
If he shall stand the
first
and
second
shot?
If he before the
Church,
repenteth not?
Deal with him
as the matter shall require,
Let not the House for him be set on fire.
If after
all,
he shall
repent and turn
To God, and you,
you must not let him burn
For ever under sense of sin and shame,
Confirm your love to him in Christ, you must
By all such ways as honest are, and just.
Shy be not of him, carryit not alooff,
But rather give him of your love such proof,
•
hat he may gather thence, ye do believe
Two things,
monish you, as to this, I would;
The first, to show the Church wherein she should
•
n all her actions so herself behave,
As to convince the faulty, she would save
His soul: and that 'tis for this very thing,
•
he doth him unto open Judgment bring.
Then would I show the Person they reject,
What will, without repentance, be th' effect
Of this tremendous Censure, so conclude;
Leaving my Judgment to the multitude
Of those who sober and judicious be,
Begging of each of them a Prayer for me.
1. This House in
order
to this work must be
Affected
with the
sin
and misery,
Of
this
poor Creature, yea, must
mourn
and
weep,
To think
such
Tares in your neglect, or sleep,
Should spring up
here,
nor must they once invent
2.
Thus
Leven, the
whole
lump has levene
Israel
was guilty of what
Achan
did;
And
so
must stand, until they purged are,
The reason is,
Achan
a Member was
Of
that
great Body, and by Natures Laws
The Hand, Foot, Eye, Tongue, Ear, or one
•
the
••
May taint the whole with
Achan's
foul Disea
••
The Church
must
too be sensible of this,
Some
leprous stones, make all the House ami
••
And as the Stones must thence removed be,
In order to the Houses Sanctity;
So it must purged be (in any wise)
3. Next
have a care,
lest sin, which y
••
should purg
••
Becomes not unto you a further scourge;
The which it will, if such shall Judges be,
Which from its
Spots
and
Freckles
are n
••
free
••
Pluck thou the beam
first
out of thine own ey
••
Else the Condemned will thee vilify;
••
d say, Let not the
Pot,
the
Kettle
judge;
•
otherwise, it will beget a grudge,
•
great one 'twixt the Church and him that sinned,
•
or by such means,
can ever such be winned
〈◊〉
a renewed embrace of holiness,
4. Again, let those that
loud
against it cry,
••
e they donit
entertain
it
inwardly
;
••
n,
like to
Pitch,
will to the fingers cleave.
••
ok to it then, let none himself deceive;
••
is catching, make resistances afresh,
••
hor the Garment spotted by the Flesh.
••
Some at the dimness of the Candle puff,
5. Beware likewise, lest
rancor
should appear
•
gainst the person, do all in things fear;
•
wail the
man,
while you abhor his sin;
••
ty his
Soul; the flesh you still are in;
•
hy self consider, thou mayest tempted be;
6. See that the ground be good on whi
••
you g
••
Sin,
but not
Virtue,
show dislike unto.
Take heed of hypocritical intentions,
And quarrel not at various
Apprehensions
About some smaller matter, lest it breed
Needless debates,
and lest that filthy seed
Contention,
should over run your holy ground,
7. You must likewise allow each man h
••
grain
••
For that
none
perfect is,
sin
yet remains,
And
human
frailties do attend the best;
To
bear
and
forbear here,
will tend to rest.
Vain janglings, jars, and strifes will
there
abound
Where
Moles
are
Mountains
made, or fault i
•
found
With every
little, trivial, petty
thing;
This
Spirit
snibb,
or 'twill much mischief brin
••
Into this House, and 'tis for want of love,
8. For those that have
private
opinions too
••
e must
make
room, or shall the Church undo;
••
ovided they be
such
as do'nt impair
••
ith, Holiness, nor with good Conscience jarr;
••
ovided also
those that hold them shall
••
ch Faith hold to themselves, and not let fall
•
heir fruitless Notions in their Brothers way,
9. We must also in
these
our
dealings
show
•
e put a
difference
'twixt
those
sins that do
•
ash with the Light of Nature,
and what we
•
erceive against the
Faith of Christ to be
;
•
hose
against Nature,
Nature
will detect;
•
hose against
Faith, Faith
from them must direct
•
he
Judgment, Conscience, Understanding
too,
•
r there will be
no
cure, what ere you do.
•
hen men are catched in
immoralities,
•
ature
will start, the
Conscience
will arise
•
o Judgment; and if
impudence
doth recoil,
•
et guilt and
self-condemnings
will imbroyl
•
he wretch concerned, in such unquietness
•
r shame, as will induce him to confess
•
is fault, and pardon crave of God and Man,
But 'tis not thus with such as
swerve in Faith,
With them,
who,
as our wise Apostle saith,
Entangled are at
un-a-wares,
with those
Cunning to trap, to snare, and to impose
By falcifyings, their prevarications:
No, these are slyly taken from their stations,
Unknown to Nature; yea, in judgment they
Think they have well done to forsake the wa
••
Their Understanding, and their Judgment too
Doth like, or well approve of what they do.
These are (poor souls) beyond their Art an
•
Skil
••
Here
therefore you must
patience
exercise,
And
suffer long,
ye must
not
tyranize
It over
such,
but must all meekness show;
Still dropping of good Doctrine as the Dew,
Against their Error; so its churlishness
The
reason
why we must not exercise
That
roughness here, as where Conviction lie
•
In Nature, is because those thus ensnar'd,
Want Natures
light
and
help
to be repaired.
A Spirit hath them
taken,
they are
gone,
Delusions supernat'ral they are on
The Wing of;
They are out
o'th
reach
of Man;
Nothing but
God,
and
Gospel
reach them can.
Now since we
cannot
give these people eyes,
Nor
regulate
their Judgment: wherein lies
Our work with them,
if not,
as has been said,
In exercising
patience
? While displayed
The holy word before their faces is,
By which alone they must see whats amiss
With their poor souls, and so convert again,
To him with whom Salvation doth remain.
Obj.
But they are turbulent, they would confound
The truth, and
all
in their perdition dround.
XI. The present Condition of those thus dealt with.
THE man that
worthily
rejected is,
And cast out of this House, his part in Bliss
Is lost forever, turns he not again,
True Faith and Holiness to entertain.
Nor is it boot, for who are thus cast out,
Themselves to flatter, or to go about
To shift the Censure, nothing here will do,
Except a new Conversion thou come to.
XII. An Expostulation with such to return.
O Shame! Isit not a
shame
for men to be
For sin,
spu'd
out from good Society!
For man
Enlightened
to be so base!
To turn his
back
upon the
God of Grace!
For one who for his sins has
mourned, and cried!
To flight him, who for sin
hath bled and died!
What
fool
would sell
his
part in Paradise!
That has a Soul, and that of such a price!
What
parallel
can suit with such so well,
As
those,
for sin, cast down from Heaven to Hell.
But let me tell thee here is aggravation;
The Angels, though they did fall from their station
Had not the caution
thou hast had
; they fell:
This thou
hast seen
; and
seeing,
didst rebel.
One would a thought, the
noise
of this their Fall
A warning, yea, a
warning,
and a
call
Should unto thee have been,
to have a care
Of
falling too:
O how then didst thou dare,
Since God did not spare them,
thus to presume
To tempt him in his wrath, thee to consume.
Nor did the Angels from a
Jesus
fall,
Redeem'd they were not from a state of thrall;
But thou! as one Redeem'd, and that by Blood,
Redemption hast despised; and the
Mud
Or Mire of thine own
filth
again imbracest;
A dying
bleeding
Jesus thou
disgracest!
What
wilt thou do?
see'st not
how thou hast trod
Under thy foot, the very Son of God?
O fearful hand of God! And fearful will
Yea, with a signal these must hear their sin,
This dirty Sow from Mire has washed been
;
Yet there did wallow, after washed she was
;
So to procure a lust, obtained this loss.
O shame! isit not a shame for man to be,
So much averse
to his felicity,
That none can make him leave to play the fool,
Till to the Devil he be put to School,
To learn his own Salvation to prize?
O Fool! must now the Devil make thee wise?
O Sot! that will in wickedness remain,
Hast quite forgot how thou wast wont to pray,
And cry out for forgiveness night and day?
Or dost thou count they were but painted fears
Which from thine Eyes did squeeze so many Tears?
Remember man, thy Prayers and Tears will cry
Thee down to Hell, for thine Apostasy.
Who will not have what he has Prayed for,
Must die the death, his Prayers shall him abhor.
Hast thou forgotten that most solemn Vow
Thou madest to God, when thou didst crave he bow
His Ear unto thee would, and give thee Grace,
And would thee also in his Arms embrace?
That Vow, I say, whereby thou then didst bind
Thy self to him, that now thy roving mind
Recoile against him should, and fling away
From him, and his commandments disobey.
What has he done? wherein has he offended?
Thou actest
now,
as if thou wast intended
To prove him guilty of Unrighteousness,
Of breach of Promise, or that from distress
He could, or would not save thee, or that thou
Hast found a better good then he; but how
Thou wilt come off, or how thou wilt excuse
Thy self, cause thou art gone, and did refuse
To wait upon him, that consider well;
Thou art as yet alive, on this side Hell.
Isit not a shame, a stinking shame to be
Cast forth God's Vineyard as a barren Tree?
To be thrown over the Pales, and there to lie?
Well, thou hast turned away, return again;
Bethink thyself, thy foot from Sin refrain;
Hark! thou art called upon, stop not thine ear:
Return backslding Children, come, draw near
Unto your God; repent, and he will heal
Your base backslidings, to you will reveal
That Grace and Peace which with him doth remain,
Take with thee words, come to the Throne of Grace,
There supplicate thy God, and seek his Face;
Like to the
Prodigal,
confess thy Sin,
Tell him where, and how vicious thou hast been:
Suppose he shall against thee shut thee door,
Knock thou the louder, and cry out the more;
What if he makes thee there to stand a while?
Or makes as if he would not reconcile
To thee again? Yet take thee no denial,
Count all such carriages but as a trial,
Whether thou art in earnest in thy suit,
As one truly forlorn and destitute;
But hide thou naught of all that thou hast done,
Open thy Bosom, make confession
Of all thy Wickedness, tell every whit;
Hast thou a secret Sin? do'nt cover it;
Confess, thyself judge, if thou wouldst not die;
To Sin, and stand init, is the
highest
evil;
This makes a man
most
like unto the Devil;
This bids Defiance unto God and Grace,
This man resists him, spitteth in his Face;
Scorns at his Justice, mocketh at his Power,
Tempts him, provokes him, grieves him every hour;
When he ariseth, he will recompense
This sturdy Rebel for's impenitence:
Be not inccorrigible then, come back again,
There's hope, beg mercy while life doth remain.
Obj.
But I fear I am lost and cast away,
Sentence is past, and who reverse it may?
ERRATA.
PAge 15. line 6. for Anp, read And. P. 17. l. 4. for When, read Where. P. 21. l. 24. for the, read thee. P. 24. l. 18. for Disords, read Discords.
FINIS.
ADVERTISEMENT.
THere is lately Published a new Book, written by John Bunyan, the Author hereof, Entituled, Good News for the Vilest of Men; Or, A Help for Despairing Souls: Being a Discourse upon Luke 24.47. the latter part of the Verse: Showing, That Jesus Christ would have Mercy in the first place offered to the Biggest Sinners. Printted and are to be sold by George Larkin, at the Two-Swans without Bishopsgate : And by most Booksellers. 1688.