LORD have Mercy upon us, The World A Sea, A Pest-house.
- 1. By reason of the Motion, and Instability of it.
- 2. By reason of Ejection, or Casting out.
- 3. By reason of the Creatures that are in it. and that in their hourly devouring.
- 4. By reason of it's Tearme or bounds.
- 5. By reason of the Multiplicity, or Multitude of Eminent and Imminent dangers.
- 6. By reason of the many and Monstrous Shapes that are in it.
- [Page 1]7. By reason of the Non-abiding, or pres [...]nt and speedy passage.
- 8. By reason of the uncertainty of it.
- 9. By the reason of the Sapor, Tast, or Relish of it.
- 10. By reason of the Voracity, and Insatiability of it.
Of the First.
The Motion and Instability of it.
THe Sea is euer flowing and ebbing: now Eleuated; now Deprest: Continually swelling and falling.
So the world: it is neuer still, [...]rat qu [...]et: now l [...]tting vp; another while casting downe: Nay many times, working these con [...]raries; that is: of E [...]altation, and Depres [...] on, vpon one, and the same in an instant.
I haue seene the vngodly exalted, and Flourish, as a greene Bay Tree: yet he passed away; loe [...]e was gone; I sought him, and her could not bee found. Psalme. 37. 35, 36.
Man shooteth forth, as a Flower, and is cut downe: Hee vanisheth as a shadow and continueth not. Iob. 14. 2.
Our delights are like Io [...]'s Gou [...]d: Now spread, [Page 3] now dead. While they are, they reioyce vs; as that Go [...]d did that good old Prophet: But gone like that (which suddenly was, and was not) the pri [...]ation as much torments us. [...]ona. 4. 6, 7.
M [...]danc prosperity is a staffe of a Cane, [...] Reed: it may seeme to be solid and firme, but hee that shall rest vpon it, or put any trust vnto it, shall find what it is, when it breakes: when it hurts, w [...]r [...] it seemed to helpe: and pierceth through that part it supported. Isa. 36 6.
Among the waues of this Sea, thus doe wee Rise, thus fall: vpon this Billow, we Swimme; vnder the next, we [...]nke: Now Flourish; now perish, as a game that the world delights in.
Lord have Mercy upon us.
The Second Resemblance,
Eiection, or casting out.
THe Sea casts out her dead to the Shore: so the world, those that are dead to the world: that is, those that delight not in her sinfull delights, and pleasures: That know her delights, to be lightnesse, and her pleasures, a path to anguish. Attend to that of Saint Pa [...]l.
Wee are evill spoken of, we are made as the filth of the World, the off- [...]ow [...]ing of all things, even unto this time. 1. Co. 4 13
Thus to the world, and worldings are those that neglect the world: Re [...]roach'd; Reuil'd and Slaunder'd: her Language the language of Hell: and with such doe such Hell [...] [...]ounds pursue them.
If you were of the world, the world would love you: but because you are not of the world, the world hates you. Ioh. 15. 19.
Moreouer, spirituall men are not onely cast out of the World, (from her Titles, preferments and Glories) but suffer withall, many grieuous and great persecutions. The Seruant is not better than his Master: they haue persecuted CHRIST, and the Christian must endure persecution.
Lord have Mercy upon us.
The Third Resemblance.
As from the Sea, so from the Creatures within it, and that in their hourely Devouring.
IN the Sea among Fishes, the greater devour the lesser: In the World among men, the Richer de [...]ur the poorer.
They entertaine not the poore into their houses, but the houses of thepoore, entertaine to their owne possessions.
They Cloath not the poore, but vncloath them: they feede not the poore, but vpon them.
God hath giuen them, that they might giue; and doe good: but with that they should doe good, they doe euill. Not knowing that in Saint Luke, 16. 22.
The Rich man dyed, and was buried: but the Poore [Page 4] man dyed, and was carried, Whither? into Abrahams Bosome. By whom? By Angels.
Lord have Mercy upon us.
Wherefore doest thou looke upon the transgressor, and hold thy tongue, when the wicked devoureth the man that is more Righteous than he; and makest them as the Fishes of the Sea? Habba. 1. 14.
Yet in this vast Sea, the Righteous man shall not perish; but liue, though the wicked devour him
Even as Ionas, who though swallowed, yet lived in the belly, into which he was greedily swallowed.
As dying behold wee live, as chastned and yet not killed. 2 Cor. 6. 9.
Lord have Mercy upon us.
The Fourth Resemblance,
And that from the Terme, or Bounds of the Sea, are the Sands, which we know to be Barren and weighty.
SO the Terme or Bounds of this world (the end of our mortall being) is unfruitfull and weighty in the burthen of our sinnes and offences.
What Fruit had yee of those things, of which yee [...]e now ashamed? Rom. 6. 21.
What hath man of all the Labour and Toyle that he suffereth under the Sunne? Eccl. 1. 3.
Man findes nothing in death, but his workes; and those he must carry with him. Reu. 14. 13.
The whole World lies in wickednesse. Ioh. 1. 19.
As vnapt to the doing, or bringing forth any good worke, as the Thorne to bring forth Figgs, or the Thistle to bring forth Grapes.
In the confines of Life (which is death,) the wicked man finds nothing, but the weight of his sinnes committed, and his hopes and desires preuented.
An Example of this, our Blessed Sauiour giues us, in the Glutton, attired in Purple: who in the mid'st of the vnutterable Tortures he had to torment him, could not purchase a Droppe, one droppe of cold water to ease him.
Lord have Mercy upon us.
The fift Resemblance.
In the multiplicity, or Multitude of Eminent and Imminent dangers.
IN the Sea, (we all know) there be maruellous and manifold dangers by Winds, by Rockes, by Shelues, by Pyrates, and the like.
They that sayle ouer the Sea, tell of the perills thereof; and when we heare of it with our eares, we maruaile thereat. Eccle. 23. 24.
And so for the world; which how full of strange Perills, and Dangers, the Apostle Saint Paul informes us, In Iorneying, I was often in perills of Water, in perills of Robbers, in perills of the Sea, in perills among false Brethren. 2 Cor 11.
Periculum probat, Transeuntium raritas; [...]t pereuntium multitude, B [...]rn.
The Rar [...]y of those that passe safe; and the multitude of those that perish, proues the perill of this dangerous passage: The number of the first very small: the number of the last very great. Loue the world, and it shall swallow thee, her louers shee knowes better how to devour, then secure: for him with whom the [...]a [...]es, the betrayes.
Where bee the Giants? where bee the Potentates? the Eminent and Famous men of all the precedent Ages? Gone. All gone through this World, through a world of Perils and Dangers.
Lord have Mercy upon us.
The Sixth Resemblance.
In the Multitude of Monstrous shapes that are in it.
IN the Sea there are many Monsters: many Fishes of strange, of Admirable shapes and proportions.
So in the world, there be men in their nature, condition, and actions so strange, so preposterous, and monstrous, they are monsters rather than men.
There haue bin found in the Sea, Fishes, that in all points are proportioned to a Souldier armed on Horsebacke: And like vnto those on the Land, are our Roarers, ou [...] swearing and swaggering Companions alwaies arm'd to doe Murders and mischie [...]e.
Others you shall find, which haue the face in the place of their feet and their feet in the place of the head. And like those, are our coue [...]ou [...] [...]oorders; our greedy, [...]ritious gripers; and grinders of the face of the needy: who haue alwaies this earth in their eye, and Heauen at their heele: seeing to kicke at Heauen, [Page 7] and the Heauenly counsell of our Holy A [...]stle, saying: Seeke those things that are above, &c. minding onely these things below. For his God, and his Heauen, are his Gold and his Coffers; and to these hee lookes, and no farther.
Lord have Mercy upon us.
Others you shall find, that haue [...] Tongues: And like those, are many of our Advocates; of our Fawners and flattering companions, who have one thing in their words, and another in their wills: those Divels Choristers, that sing sweetly, but their Notes are honey and poyson.
The words of the double tongued man may appeare [...]e be plaine, and simple, but they are not so: They pierce through, even unto the bowels. Pr. 18. 8.
Lord have mercy upon us.
Others you shall finde, that have swords in their mouthes, or the likenesse and resemblance of swords: and so many men that have tongues in their mouths like swords, with which they are still wounding the same and good name of their Neighbours.
Behold they brag in their talke, and swords are in their lips. Psal 59. 7.
Lord have mercy upon us.
Another kind of Fish you shall finde, that hath many [...]eads: And such are such men as are subiect to many [...]es: for so many vices, so many heads; nay, so many Lords and Commanders. Covetousnesse is the Lord of the covetous: Luxury the Lord of the luxurious: Pride the Lord of the proud: and E [...]vie the Lord [...]t [...] e [...]vious.
The evill and ungodly man serves so many Lords, as vices.
Lord have mercy upon us.
The seventh Resemblance.
In the non-abiding, or present and speedy passage.
THe Sea is no place of abiding, no place to inhabite, ordwell in, but the path of a speedy passa [...]e, of a swift and violent travell: So this World; we have here no place of abiding: the Apostle to the Hebrews 13. 14 saying, We have here no continuing City, but wee seeke for one to come. We doe, or we should doe; for that place to come is our Countrey.
We are here but lodgers and strangers, and like to such, we should not forget our Countrey, and delight to inhabite strange places, but delight in the path to that, and kéeps it, till we come to our City.
What this world is, or the time of this present life, Saint Augustine tells us: Nihil nisi cursus ad mo [...]tem, Nothing but a race to Death: In which no man can make any stand, neither is it permitted to any one to goe either swifter, or [...]wer than another: The Race may be shorter, or longer, but the pace is to all men equall.
Lord have mercy upon us.
The Eighth Resemblance.
In uncertainty.
IT is not in the power of any man that enters himselfe on the Sea, to kéepe in the course hee proposes, and arrive at the place he wishes: but many times, by crosse and contrary winds hee is carryed to that place to which hée would not bée carryed: neither in that [...]eane, or manner can he came to the Port that hée would doe. So in this World: it is not in the will of man, but in the will and pleasure of the ever blessed [Page 9] Spirit, directing to arrive at the [...]ort of Salvation, or saile to the Haven, Heaven. It is not in him that willeth, neither in him that runneth: but in GOD that sheweth mercy. Rom. 9. 16.
And therefore we ought to pray continually, that God would be pleas'd to guide us in the way that may lead us to him. It is the counsell of holy Tobit. 4. 9. Blesse the Lord alwayes, and desire him to direct thy wayes.
Lord have mercy upon us.
The Ninth Resemblance.
In the Sapor, Taste, or rellish of it.
VAlde amarum est Mare, The Sea is exceeding bitter, and yet to the Fish that are in it, that there have their increase and nourishment, that bitternesse is not bitter, but exceeding swéet, and delightfull: So the World in the direct and very plaine truth of it, is exceeding bitter, and distastfull: yet to the worldling the taste is delightfull, and pleasant: Nay, in such a plenitude, such a measure, and height delightfull, that he can have no sence, no touch, or conceit of the contrary: That bitternesse is onely swéet, and in the things of this world flow all the delights that may be. Mistast, or mistake in the taste, proceeds, and arises from the corruption and default of the palat.
The men of this World have corrupt and mistaking palats, like th [...]se that are sicke of a Fever, to whom such things as in themselves are sweete, séeme bitter, and things that are bitter, sweet.
To the sound and well disposed pallat, that bread is sweete, that to the unsound, and indisposed palate is uns [...]voury. Woe be to those that call evill, good, and Aug. [Page 10] that which is good evill: putting bitter for sweete, and sweete for bitter. Isai. 5. 20.
Lord have mercy upon us.
The tenth, and last resemblance.
In the voracity and insatiability of it.
THe Sea swallowes all the floods yet exceeds not her bounds nor is satisfied with aboundance of water: All the floods goe into the Sea, yet the Sea is not full: So the world entertaines, receives, and consumes all the good things of the earth, yet never saies, it is enough.
All that is in the World, is the lust of the flesh; the lust of the eye, or the [...]ride of Life. Joh. 2. 16. But the lust of the flesh is not satisfied with delight: the lust of the eye with riches: nor the pride of life with honours.
Whatsoever the worldling hath, he hath as if he had it not; still gaping, still swallowing; still wishing, first desiring: He levels first at such a thing, and obtaines it, at a thing beyond that at a thing beyond that, and obtaines it: yet the possession of every new thing, that he wisheth for, is but the matter of another wish; building wish upon wish and degree upon degree, as if to climbe to the hight of his wish (which such a one never can reach to) were to climbe to heaven: but so to goe upward, we may feare, is but so to go downeward.
Lord have mercy upon us.
The World, A Pest-house.
AS you have looked upon the world compared to the sea, in these proper & apt resemblances; and seene it full of trouble, vexation, and sinfull ab [...]ses: I would have you now looke upon it as a Pest-house, and in these fifteene Roomes (into which wée divide this Pest-ho [...]se) see every mis-deede a disease, and every grosse sinne a sicknesse.
1 In the first Roome, see the disease of Pride, Ambition, Vaine-glory, and an inextinguishable thirst of great, and unmerited [...]tles.
2 In the second Room, see the disease of Luxury, a Disease that perturbes the minde, d [...]ls the understanding; enervates and infeeb [...]es the Memory; [...]ngs in error, oblivion, and ignorance, and make [...] a man like a beast: Holy Job cals it A Fire.
Another, the Divels Forge: in which the poore sinner made hot, is wrought to what fashion the Forger of all mischiefe would have him.
3 In this third Roome see the disease of Envv: an evill that (as Nazianzen saies) is the most just, and unjust of any: Unjust as injurious t [...] the good: But as it first, and most vehemently, excruciates the wicked possessor; an equall, and most just tormentor.
4 In this fourth Roome, see the disease of a dull, and sottish insensibilitie of that circle of danger, within which we are daily incompast: A disease, in which, we think we have eyes as quicke and cleare, as the eye of the Lyu [...], or Lynceus; when indeede they are dull and dimme as the eye of those birds, that not able to see the Sunne, flie onely in the darke; or at most by t [...]e glimmering twy [...]light.
5 In this fift Roome, see the common, but incurable disease [Page 12] of oppression: in which, the diseased laughs at the poore: to which, groanes, sighes, and laments are musick; and the teares, nay the blood of the Widow, the Orphan, and such other, as lye under the weighty pressure, a drinke that (spiced with the pro [...]t, wrench'd, wrung, and extorted from them) goes downe with a great deale of pleasure.
6 In the next Roome, see a company sicke of so extreamly strange a disease, that (like mad-men) they take the way for their journeys end: and their I [...]e for their owne inheritance.
Lord have mercy upon us.
7 IN this seaventh Roome, s [...]e the Disease of that wealthy poverty, Covetousnesse: A Disease in which a man has the stocke of the wealthy, but the soule of the poore and needy.
A Disease that makes him so silly, as to thinke hee can serve two Masters: God and Mammon: Though that God and Man, Christ [...]esus directly tels him, he cannot, Hee in whom this disease is rooted, has the roote of all manner of evill.
8 In this eighth Roome, see a cluster or heape of diseases together: Gameing, swearing, swaggering, stabbing; the disease of mi [...]e- [...]akes in pleading; or taking amisse for pleading. With these see that disease in which the diseased will not speake a word or syllable, not steeped in Oyle or honey without kissing his fingers ends: nor for his fingers ends without new fashiond legges and faces: that Disease, in which the diseased will licke o're a vice to the specious appearence of vertue; and strike where he seems to stroake, with many other Soares and Diseases.
9 In this ninth Roome, see that Disease in which a man thinks, that whatsoever he will doe, [...]e can; and whatsoever he fancies, is as easie to performe, as purpose. Like [Page 13] those fooles, [...]am. 4. 13, 14, 15. To day, or to morrow wet will goe to such a City, we will continue there a yeere: we will buy, and we will sell, and we will gaine: Here is nothing but we will, and we will; though no man to day can tell, what shall be to morrow: for what is our life but a vapour?
Their Lesson, and ours is this: If the Lord will, wee will, without which all our will can be nothing.
10 In this Tenth Roome see a Disease, than which no evill is swi [...]ter, nothing more easily flies out; and of any thing, no thing dilates and spreads it selfe farther. The heart of the Glutton is in his Ki [...]chin: of the Lustfull man, in a Brothell: of the Covetous man in his Coffer: But the heart of Detraction, pursuing the good name of his neighbour: which if he finde but a little defect, or failing, hee greedily takes in his teeth, blasts with his venemous breath, wounds with his Serpentine tongue, and with it, (for so it must follow) the heart of the man so detracted.
11 In this Eleventh Roome see a Disease, that for the cure of it, the reasonable Creature is sent unto the unreasonable Creature: Vade ad formicam, &c. Prov. 6. Goe to the Ant saith Salomon, consider her wayes, and weighing them, learne to be wise. Shee that hath no guide, shall guide thee; shee that hath no teacher, shall teach thee; shee that hath no Lord, of a servant to this sinne, (this drowsie, sluggish, slavish, and of all, a disease the most despicable, shall make thee a Lord and Commander. Shee prepares her meate in Summer, and gathereth her food in Harvest. Shee labours, and feeds, while the Grashopper playes, and fasts. The slothfull man sleeps, and does nothing; or evill, which is worse than nothing: While his field and his vineyard is cover'd with Thornes and Nettles: This is the field of the foole, which Salomons wise man seeing, makes a stand, looks on it, considers, and from it receives instruction. Prov. 24. 30, 31, 32.
Poverty comes upon the slothfull man unawares, and Necessity, like an armed man: for in this disease a man is thus dull, thus stupid. Before the enjoyment of any thing sweete, we must sweat: for the gods sell all for Labour.
12 In this Twelfth Roome see a Disease, to which a meale, a delicate dish, or a Dinner, is a bit: like that morsell or mouthfull [Page 14] f [...]ll that we use to cast to a Dogge which as soone as he hath, he swallows, and presently gapes for another. So this man: he gapes, swallows, and gapes. This man, whose God is his Belly, whose Temple is his Ki [...]chin whose Altar is his Table, whose Ministers are his Cookes whose Offering is a Banquet, and the smoake of that Banquet his Incense.
13 In the 13. Roome, after such a gluttonous feeding, see the Disease of Drinking: In which you see a man without eyes, without [...]ete, without heart, without hand, without hearing: or if he have the Organ he hath them not as he ought, in th [...]r vigor, and uses. And therefore, to see a man thus, that is, with them, and yet without them, is not to see a man, but in the place of a man, a Mo [...]ster.
A moderate Raine does good, makes the earth faire, fresh, and fruitfull: but immoderate shewers deprive her of all these blessings. And thus that earth, Man, with moderate and immoderate drinking, fresh, faire, and fruitfull: or neither fresh, faire, nor fruitfull in any of those things that become him. Take heed, lest at any time your hearts be over-burthened with surfeiting and drunkennesse. Luke 21. 34.
14 In this 14. Roome see the strange disease of strange and new fangled fashions: let them be what they will, adorne, or deforme, the fashion is the fashion, and a man must be in the fashion.
The present fashion is, a Doublet two inches too short, and the Breech ten inches too long, scarse halfe a legge to bee seene: the wast so embraced with points, and the knee with the young, or spawne, otherwise call'd sprigs, or jinglers, that old Buckle and Thong, the Girdler, is a thing that is seldome thought on and Timothy Tagge the principall man in the Parish. I could from the Hat, with the band, as light as a Feather, observe to the sole of the shooe, and in divers places betweene them, shew you other spots of the fashion, but so I might stay too long, and the fashion goe out before me: For as if every new fashion made m [...] Gallant a very new man, hee must weare out ten fashions, before he can weare out one suite; or he is not a man in fashion.
15 In this 15. Roome see that grievous Disease of Neglecting, and leaving what our best Ph [...]sitian prescribes us: and affecting [Page 15] and embracing what this Mountebanke World shall prepare for us.
Lord have mercy upon us.
This infection, these Diseases, and a multitude hard to bee thought on, are still to be found in this Past house: St Bernard saying, Peccatum morbus est anim [...], Sinne is a disease of the foule: And that the principall ca [...]se of all the Diseases of the body, are those of the Soule, which is Sinne, take these holy places to witnesse.
1. By one man sinne entred into the world, and Death by sin; and so Death went over all men, forasmuch as all men have sinned. Rom. 5. 12.
2. Behold all Soules are mine, both the soule of the father, and also the soule of the son: The soule that sinneth, shall dye. Ezek. 18. 14.
3. Thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquities: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee. Ierem 30. 15.
4. Si [...] no more, le [...]t a worse thing happen unto thée. John 5. 14.
5. Thus saith the Lord of Hasts: This City must bee visited, O [...]pres [...]on is in the midst of it: As the fountaine caste [...] [...]ut her water so she casteth out her malice: truelty and spoile is continually found within her. [...]er. 6. 6, 7.
6. For sin hath Fami [...] mea [...]erly stalk'd among us: Bia [...]s Mildews, Catterp [...]lers, and the gréedily devouring Pe [...]. 1 Kings 8. 37.
Lord have mercy upon us.
These and many other places doe most perspicuously demo [...]strate unto us the cause of these heavy Uisitations, Sinne; the disease y • Adam dyed of, and so all the sonnes of Adam.
It cannot he time ill s [...]ent, here to make a stand, and a little to [...] [...]cke to that heavy commination or threat [...] at this [...]re 5. And the better to fixe it upon our Hearts, to observe it in these foure circumstances:
Who, how, what, and for what.
Who threatens? The Lord God of Hosts▪ How? [Page 16] As a man compell'd, constrain'd, and uecessitated by the multitude of Sinnes & Transgressions: intimated in this word Must, This City must, What? Be punished, afflicted, For what? Sinne: Oppression is in the midst of it.
Oppression which was in the midst of that City, is in y • midst of this, even in the Centre of it; and so in the Centre of this Kingdome: diffusing, shedding, and spreading it selfe into every part of her faire and large circumference. As the Fountaine casteth out her water, so shee casteth out her malice, &c.
Lord have mercy upon us.
For these, and their spotted companions, did the Pestilence, that Tyrant, in the yeare of that never to be forgotten number, 1625. Arrest, and Imprison (in that Goale in which they must rot that enter) so many, many thousands of people: sparing neither the silver head of the old man, nor the golden hopes of the young man; the strength of the Male, nor the beauty of the Female.
Lord have mercy upon us.
For these, did this Tyrant, that neither feares the rich, nor pitties the poore, take the rich from his wealth, and the poore from his want, and make them in the grave companions.
Lord have mercy upon us.
For these did this Tyrant snatch the wife from the husband, and the husband from the wife: the parent from the childe, and the childe from the parent: the first be wayling the losse of halfe themselves, and their beautifull Olive-branches: and these branches (their children) the losse of that roote, from which they received their being.
Lord have mercy upon us.
For these, did this Tyrant make the Citizen flye the City to méete what hée fled in the mercilesse entertaine of the Countrie, that undutifull hand-maid; that insteed of [Page 17] taking to heart, the heart-sicke estate of her Lady, to the numberlesse number of her teares, her groanes, her sighes, and unutterable measure of anguish, added the matter of them all in the hardnesse of her heart to her miserable sonnes and daughters.
Lord have mercy upon us.
For thse, did that Tyrant cast so great an Eclipse o're the glory of this City, that nothing was seene but blacke; no more of her brightnes, no more of her splendor & beauty, than of the beauty of the heavens, when the darke robe of night over-spreads it.
Lord have mercy upon us.
To particularize the calamities of that yeare were needelesse, so few yeares have past since we felt it, that in husband, wife, child, parents, kinsman, friend, trading, or in o [...]e sad thing or another, many thousads yet living féele it.
And to make us the more to feele it, God again has begun to strike us: But like an [...]noulgent father, he yet hath bin pleased to strike us, telling his stroaks by leasure; and in that telling us, he had rather affright, than hurt us. As I live (saith the Lord) I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked may turne from his waies and live, Ezek 14. 11. For his way is the way to death; but the way of the Lord to life, and both eternall.
Lord have mercy upon us.
Heere God Almighty has strooke one, there another; there another, and a great way off, another: this wéeke so many; another so many: one Bill rising, another falling: the increase bidding flye from sinne: the decrease not to flie from the City: a command to depart, and asw [...]et invitation to tarry. Let every one that calleth on the name of Christ, depart from iniquity. 2. Tim. 2. 19.
Lord have mercy upon us.
The best flight we can make is to flye from that, as fast as we can, the farther, the neerer to God. Every punishment [Page 18] is an Arrow from the qu [...]ver of God Almighties anger: and those aimed onely at sin; from which, if we carefully flye, we remoove the marke, and with it evade the danger.
Lord have mercy upon us.
My wish to the flight of those that flye, is, that flying, they may thus flye: and withall (Gods will ever placed in the fore front of all our wishes) that they may not (as sometimes it happens at a shooting) intending to runne from the arrow they see not, runne under it, and sinke where they seeke their safety: Too many so have runne: too many beene so over-taken.
L [...]t our prayers be one for another, that staying or flying, living, or dying, wee may all live and dye in the feare, love, and favour of Go [...] our Almighty Creator.
Lord have mercy upon us.
It is written of two of the Schollers of I socrates (Euphorus and Theopompus) that for their difference in the swiftnesse, and slacknesse in Learning: The one had neede of a Bridle, the other neede p [...]aspu [...]re.
But wee had neede of them both: every one both of Spurre and Bridle: A Bridle to [...]ur [...]e us from running so fast in those courses for which God Almighty pla [...]ues us: and a Sp [...]rre to pricke us forward to those things that may m [...]ve him to spare us.
Lord have mercy upon us,
And enlighten our understanding, make us see what we ought to see and know what we ought to know: Which that wee may assuredly doe; teach us O Lord to know thée; and to know, that to b [...]e able to speake (as it is said of Solomon) from the Ce [...]er in Lebanon, to the Hysop that [...] [...]o it of the Va [...] [...]o know all the Creatures, and not to know the [...] their Creator, is, in knowing of all things, to know noth [...]ng, and seeming so wise, to bee foolish.
Lord have Mercy upon us.
St. Austen tels us: That he that knowes thee, though these things he doe not know, is a happy and a blessed man: Hee that knowes thee, and these for these, is never a whit the more blessed: but hee that knowes thee, for thee; for thy selfe the Fountaine of all our happinesse, is happy and blessed for ever.
Lord have mercy upon us.
Teach us O Lord to know thee; to know thee angry; and give us grace to endeavour to please thee: Following the counsell of thy holy servant Ho [...]ea, in turning to thee O Lord, that so having smitten us, thou maist [...]eale us; having wounded us, thou maist make us whole; and in thy good time, translate us from this Sea full of stormes and dangers: this Pest-house full of Sores and Diseases, to that Haven, and that Habitation, where there is no storme or tempest, and where Death or Disease never entred.
Lord have mercy upon us.