HOLY Observations. LIB. I. ALSO Some few of DAVID'S Psalms Metaphrased, for a taste of the rest. By IOS. HALL.. AT LONDON Printed by H. L. for Samuel Macham: and are to be sold at his shop in Paul's Churchyard, at the sign of the Bullhead. 1607. To the right Honourable, EDWARD Lord Denny, Baron of Waltham, my most bountiful Patron, Grace & PEACE. Right Honourable: THis advantage a scholar hath above others, that he cannot be idle, and that he can work without instruments▪ For, the mind enured to contemplation will set itself on work, when other occasions fail: and hath no more power not to study then the eye which is open hath, not to see something; in which business it carries about his own Library, neither can complain to want books while it enjoyeth itself. I could not then neglect the commodity of this plentiful leisure in my so easy attendance here; but (though besides my course, and without the help of others writings) must needs busy myself in such thoughts as I have here given account of, to your Lordship: such, as I hope will not be unprofitable nor unwelcome to their Patron, to their Readers. I send them forth from hence, under your honourable name; to show you that no absence, no employment can make me forget my due respect to your Lordship: to whom (next under my gracious Master) I have deservedly bequeathed myself and my endeavours. Your goodness hath not wont to magnify itself more in giving than in receiving such like holy presents: the knowledge whereof hath entitled you to more labours of this nature (if I have numbered aright) then any of your Peers. I misdoubt not either your acceptation, or their use. That GOD, who hath above all his other favours given your Lordship even in these careless times, an heart truly religious, give you an happy increase of all his heavenly graces by my unworthy service. To his gracious care I daily commend your Lordship with my Honourable Lady; wishing you both, all that little joy earth can afford you, and fullness of glory above. nonesuch. july 3. Your Lo: Most humbly devoted for ever, In all duty and observance, Ios. Hall. HOLY Observations. AS there is nothing sooner dry than a tear; so there is nothing sooner out of season than worldly sorrow: which if it be fresh and still bleeding, finds some to comfort and pity it; If stale and skinned over with time, is rather entertained with smiles then commiseration: But the sorrow of repentance comes never out of time. All times are alike unto that eternity, whereto we make our spiritual moans: That which is past, that which is future, are both present with him. It is neither weak nor uncomely, for an old man to weep for the sins of his youth. Those tears can never be shed either too soon, or too late. 2 Some men live to be their own executors for their good name; which they see (not honestly) buried, before themselves die. Some other of great place, and ill desert, part with their good name & breath, at once. There is scarce a vicious man whose name is not rotten before his carcase. Contrarily, the good man's name is oft times that heir to his life; either borne after the death of the parent, for that envy would not suffer it to come forth before: or perhaps so well grown up in his life time, that the hope thereof is the staff of his age, and joy of his death. A wicked man's name may be feared awhile; soon after, it is either forgotten or cursed: The good man's either sleepeth with his body in peace, or waketh (as his soul) in glory. 3 Oft times those which show much valour while there is equal possibility of life, when they see a present necessity of death, are found most shamefully timorous. Their courage was before grounded upon hope: that, cut off, leaves them at once desperate and cowardly: whereas men of feebler spirits meet more cheerfully with death; because though their courage be less, yet their expectation was more. 4 I have seldom seen the son of an excellent and famous man, excellent: But, that an ill bird hath an ill egg, is not rare; children possessing as the bodily diseases, so the vices of their Parents. Virtue is not propagated: Vice is; even in them which have it not reigning in themselves: The grain is sown pure, but comes up with chaff & husk. Hast thou a good son? He is Gods, not thine. Is he evil? Nothing but his sin is thine: Help by thy prayers and endeavours to take away that which thou hast given him, and to obtain from God that which thou hast, & canst not give: Else thou mayst name him a possession; but thou shalt find him a loss. 5 These things be comely & pleasant to see; & worthy of honour from the beholder: A young Saint, an old Martyr, a religious soldier, a conscionable Statesman, a great man courteous▪ a learned man humble, a silent woman, a child understanding the eye of his Parent, a merry companion without vanity, a friend not changed with honour, a sick man cheerful, a soul departing with comfort and assurance. 6 I have oft observed in merry meetings solemnly made, that somewhat hath fallen out cross, either in the time, or immediately upon it; to season (as I think) our immoderation in desiring or enjoying our friends: and again, events suspected have proved ever best; God herein blessing our awful submission with good success. In all these human things, indifferency is safe. Let thy doubts be ever equal to thy desires: so thy disappointment shall not be grievous, because thy expectation was not peremptory. 7 You shall rarely find a man eminent in sundry faculties of mind, or sundry manuary trades. If his memory be excellent, his fantasy is but dull: if his fancy be busy and quick, his judgement is but shallow: If his judgement be deep, his utterance is harsh: which also holds no less in the activities of the hand. And, if it happen that one man be quallifyed with skill of divers trades, and practise this variety, you shall seldom find such one thriving in his estate: with spiritual gifts it is otherwise; which are so chained together, that who excels in one hath some eminency in more, yea in all. Look upon faith: she is attended with a Bevie of Graces: He that believes, cannot but have hope: if hope, patience. He that believes and hopes must needs find joy in God: if joy, love of God; he that loves God, cannot but love his brother: his love to God breeds piety & care to please, sorrow for offending, fear to offend. His love to men, fidelity & Christian beneficence: vices are seldom single; but virtues go ever in troops: they go so thick, that sometimes some are hid in the crowd; which yet are, but appear not: They may be shut out from sight; they cannot be severed. 8 The Heaven ever moves, and yet is the place of our rest: Earth ever rests, and yet is the place of our trouble: Outward motion can be no enemy to inward rest; as outward rest may well stand with inward unquietness. 9 None live so ill, but they content themselves in somewhat: Even the beggar likes the smell of his dish. It is a rare evil that hath not something to sweeten it, either in sense or in hope: Otherwise men would grow desperate, mutinous, envious of others, weary of themselves. The better that thing is wherein we place our comfort, the happier we live: and the more we love good things, the better they are to us. The Worldlings comfort, though it be good to him because he loves it; yet because it is not absolutely and eternal good, it fails him: wherein the Christian hath just advantage of him, while he hath all the same causes of joy refined and exalted; beside more and higher, which the other knows not of: The worldling laughs more, but the Christian is more delighted. These two are easily severed: Thou seest a goodly picture, or an heap of thy gold: thou laughest not, yet thy delight is more than in a jest that shaketh thy spleen: As grief, so joy is not less when it is least expressed. 10 I have seen the worst natures, & most depraved minds not affecting all sins: but still some they have condemned in others, and abhorred in themselves: One exclaims on covetousness, yet he can too well abide riotous good fellowship: Another inveighes against drunkenness and excess, not caring how cruel he be in usury and oppression. One cannot endure a rough and quarrelous disposition, yet gives himself over to unclean & lascivious courses: Another hates all wrongs, save wrong to God. One is a civil Atheist, another a religious Usurer, a third an honest drunkard, a fourth an unchaste justicer, a fifth a chaste quarreler. I know not whether every devil excel in all sins: I am sure some of them have denomination from some sins more special. Let no man applaud himself for those sins he wanteth, but condemn himself rather for that sin he hath. Thou censurest another man's sin, he thine; GOD curseth both. 11 Gold is the heaviest of all metals: It is no wonder that the rich man is usually carried downward to his place. It is hard for the soul, clogged with many weights, to ascend to heaven: It must be a strong and nimble soul that can carry up itself, and such a load; yet Adam and Noah flew up thither with the double Monarchy of the worlds the patriarchs with much wealth, maoie holy Kings with massy Crowns and Sceptres. The burden of covetous desires is more heavy to an empty soul than much treasure to the full. Our affections give poise or lightness to earthly things. Either abate of thy load if thou find it too pressing, whether by having less, or loving less: or add to thy strength & activity, that thou mayst yet ascend. It is more commendable, by how much more hard, to climb into heaven with a burden. 12 A Christian in all his ways must have three guides: Truth, Charity, Wisdom: Truth to go before him; Charity & Wisdom on either hand. If any of the three be absent, he walks amiss. I have seen some do hurt by following a truth uncharitably: And others while they would salve up an error with love, have failed in their wisdom, and offended against justice. A charitable untruth, and an uncharitable truth, and an unwise managing of truth or love, are all to be carefully avoided of him that would go with a right foot in the narrow way. 13 GOD brought man forth at first, not into a Wilderness, but a Garden; yet than he expected best service of him. I never find that he delights in the misery, but in the prosperity of his servants. cheerfulness pleases him better than a dejected and dull heaviness of heart. If we can be good with pleasure he grudgeth not our joy: If not, it is best to stint ourselves; not for that these comforts are not good, but because our hearts are evil: falting not their nature but our use and corruption. 14 The homeliest service that we do in an honest calling, though it be but to plow, or dig, if done in obedience, & conscience of God's commandment, is crowned with an ample reward; whereas the best works for their kind (preaching, praying, offering evangelical sacrifices) if without respect of God's injunction and glory, are loaded with curses: God loveth adverbs; & cares not how good, but how well. 15 The golden infancy of some hath proceeded to a brazen youth, and ended in a leaden age: All human maturities have their period: Only grace hath none. I durst never lay too much hope on the forward beginnings of wit and memory, which have been applauded in children. I knew they could but attain their vigour; and that if sooner, no whit the better: for the earlier is their perfection of wisdom, the longer shall be their witless age. Seasonableness is best in all these things which have their ripeness and decay: We can never hope too much of the timely blossoms of grace, whose spring is perpetual, and whose harvest begins with our end. 16 A man must give thanks for somewhat which he may not pray for. It hath been said of Courtiers, that they must receive injuries & give thanks. God cannot wrong his, but he will cross them▪ those crosses are beneficial; all benefits challenge thanks: Yet I have read that God's children have with condition prayed against them, never for them. In good things we pray both for them, and their good use: in evil, for their good use, not themselves: Yet, we must give thanks for both. For, there is no evil of pain which God doth not; nothing that God doth, is not good; no good thing but is worthy of thanks. 17 One half of the world knows not how the other lives: and therefore the better sort pity not the distressed; and the miserable envy not those which fare better, because they know it not. Each man judges of others condition, by his own. The worst sort would be too much discontented, if they saw how far more pleasant the life of others is: And if the better sort (such we call those which are greater) could look down to the infinite miseries of inferiors, it would make them either miserable in compassion, or proud in conceit. It is good, sometimes, for the delicate rich man to look into the poor man's cupboard: and seeing God in mercy gives him not to know their sorrow by experience, to know it yet in speculation: This shall teach him more thanks to God, more mercy to men, more contentment in himself. 18 Such as a man's prayer is for another, it shall be in time of his extremity for himself: For, though he love himself more than others, yet his apprehension of God is alike for both. Such as his prayer is in a former extremity, it shallbe also in death: this way, we may have experience even of a thing future: If God have been far off from thee in a fit of thine ordinary sickness, fear lest he will not be nearer thee in thy last: what differs that from this, but in time? Correct thy dullness upon former proofs: or else at last thy devotion shall want life before thy body. 19 Those that come to their meat as to a medicine (as Augustine reports of himself) live in an austere & Christian temper, & shallbe sure not to joy too much in the creature, nor to abuse themselves: Those, that come to their medicine as to meat, shall be sure to live miserably and die soon: To come to meat as meat, if without a gluttonous appetite & palate, is allowed to Christians: To come to meat as to a sacrifice unto the belly, is a most base & brutish idolatry. 20 The worst that ever were, even Cain and judas have had some ●autors that have honoured them for Saints: And the Serpent that beguiled our first Parents hath in that name had divine honour and thanks. Never any man trod so perilous and deep steps, but some have followed, and admired him. Each master of heresy hath found some clients; even he, that taught all men's opinions were true: Again, no man hath been so exquisite, but some have detracted from him, even in those qualities which have seemed most worthy of wonder to others. A man shall be sure to be backed by some, either in good or evil, and by some shouldered in both. It is good for a man not to stand upon his abetters, but his quarrel; and not to depend upon others, but himself. 21 We see thousands of Creatures die for our use, and never do so much as pity them: why do we think much to die once for God? They are not ours so much as we are his; nor our pleasure so much to us as his glory to him: their lives are lost to us, ours but changed to him. 22 Much ornament is no good sign: Painting of the face argues an ill complexion of body, a worse mind. Truth, hath a face both honest and comely, and looks best in her own colours: but, above all, divine truth is most fair, and most scorneth to borrow beauty of man's wit or tongue: she loveth to come forth in her native grace like a Princely Matron; and counts it the greatest indignity, to be dallied with as a wanton Strumpet: She looks to command reverence, not pleasure: she would be kneeled to, not laughed at; To prank her up in vain dresses and fashions, or to sport with her in a light and youthful manner, is most abhorring from her nature: they know her not, that give her such entertainment; and shall first know her angry, when they do know her. Again she would be plain, but not base, not sluttish: She would be clad not garishly, but not in rags: She likes as little to be set out by a base foil, as to seem credited with gay colours. It is no small wisdom to know her just guise, but more to follow it; and so to keep the mean, that while we please her, we discontent not the beholders. 23 In worldly carriage so much is a man made of, as he takes upon himself: but such is God's blessing upon true humility, that it still procureth reverence. I never saw Christian less honoured for a wise neglect of himself: If our dejection proceed from the conscience of our want, it is possible we should be as little esteemed of others, as of ourselves: But if we have true graces, and prise them not at the highest; others shall value both them in us, and us for them, and with usury give us that honour we with held modestly from ourselves. 24 He, that takes his full liberty in what he may, shall repent him: how much more in what he should not? I never read of Christian that repented him of too little worldly delight. The surest course I have still found in all earthly pleasures, To rise with an appetite, and to be satisfied with a little. 25 There is a time when Kings go not forth to warfare: Our spiritual war admits no intermission: it knows no night, no winter, abides no peace, no truce. This calls us not into a garrison, where we may have ease and respite, but into pitched fields continually: we see our enemies in the face always, and are always seen and assaulted: ever resisting, ever defending, receiving and returning blows. If either we be negligent or weary, we die: what other hope is their while one fights, & the other stands still? We can never have safet●● & peace, but in victory. There must our resistance be courageous and constant, whe●● both yielding is death, and all treatyes of peace mortal. 26 Neutrality in things good or evil is both odious, and prejudicial; but in matters of an indifferent nature is safe and commendable: Herein taking of parts, maketh sides, and breaketh unity. In an unjust cause of separation, he that favoureth both parts, may perhaps have least love of either side; but hath most charity in himself. 27 Nothing is more absurd than that Epicurean resolution, Let us eat and drink, to morrow we shall die: As if we were made only for the paunch, & lived that we might live: yet there was never any natural man found savour in that meat which he knew should be his last: whereas they should say; Let us fast and pray, to morrow we shall die: For, to what purpose is the body strengthened that it may perish? whose greater strength makes our death more violent. No man bestows a costly roof on a ruinous tenement: That man's end is easy & happy whom death finds with a weak body, and a strong soul. 28 Sometimes, even things in themselves naturally good, are to be refused for those, which (being evil) may be an occasion to a greater good. Life is in itself good, and death-evill: Else David, Elias and many excellent Martyrs would not have fled, to hold life, and avoid death; Nor Ezekiah have prayed for it, nor our Saviour have bidden us to flee for it, nor God promised it to his for a reward; yet if in some cases we hate not life, we love not God, nor our souls. Herein, as much as in any thing, the perverseness of our nature appears, that we wish death, or love life upon wrong causes: we would live for pleasure, or we would die for pain; job for his sores, Elias for his persecution, jonas for his gourd would presently die, and will needs outface God that it is better for him to die, then to live: wherein we are like to garrison soldiers, that while they live within safe walls, and show themselves once a day rather for ceremony & pomp, then need or danger, like warfare well enough; but if once called forth to the field, they wish themselves at home. 29 Not only the least but the worst is ever in the bottom: what should God do with the dregs of our age? when sin will admit thee his Client no longer, than God shall be beholden to thee for thy service: Thus is God dealt-with in all other offerings; The worst & least sheaf must be Gods Tenth: The deformedst or simplest of our Children must be God's Ministers: The uncleanlyest and most careless house must be God's Temple; the idlest and sleepyest hours of the day must be reserved for our prayers; The worst part of our age for Devotion. We would have God give us still of the best, and are ready to murmur at every little evil he sends us: yet, nothing is bad enough for him, of whom we receive all. Nature condemns this inequality: and tells us, that he which is the author of good, should have the best; and he which gives all should have his choice. 30 When we go about an evil business, it is strange how ready the devil is to set us forward; how careful that we should want no furtherances: So that if a man would be lewdly witty, he shallbe sure to be furnished with store of profane jests, wherein a loose heart hath double advantage of the conscionable. If he would be voluptuous, he shall want neither objects nor opportunities. The currant passage of ill enterprises is so far from giving cause of encouragement, that it should justly fright a man to look back to the author; and to consider that he therefore goes fast, because the Devil drives him. 31 In the choice of companions for our conversation, it is good dealing with men of good natures: for, though grace exerciseth her power in bridling nature, yet (sith we are still men, at the best) some swinge she will have in the most mortified. Austerity, sullenness, or strangeness of disposition, and whatsoever qualities may make a man unsociable, cleave faster to our nature, than those which are morally evil. True Christian love may be separated from acquaintance, and acquaintance from entireness: These are not qualities to hinder our love, but our familiarity. 32 Ignorance as it makes bold, intruding men carelessly into unknown dangers; so also it makes men oft-times causelessly fearful. Herod feared Christ's coming, because he mistook it: If that Tyrant had known the manner of his spiritual regiment, he had spared both his own fright and the blood of others. And hence it is, that we fear Death, because we are not acquainted with the virtue of it. Nothing but innocence & knowledge can give sound confidence to the heart. 33 Where are divers opinions, they may be all false; there can be but one true: and that one Truth oft-times must be fetched by piece-meal out of divers branches of contrary opinions. For, it falls out not seldom, that Truth is through ignorance or rash vehemency scattered into sundry parts; and, like to a little silver melted amongst the ruins of a burnt house, must be tried out from heaps of much superfluous ashes. There is much pains in the search of it; much skill in finding it: the value of it once found requytes the cost of both. 34 Affectation of superfluity, is in all things a sign of weakness: As, in words he that useth circumlocutions to express himself, shows want of memory, and want of proper speech: And much talk argues a brain feeble & distempered: what good can any earthly thing yield us beside his use? and what is it but vanity to affect that which doth us no good? and what use is in that which is superfluous? It is a great skill to know what is enough, and great wisdom to care for no more. 35 Good things, which in absence were desired, now offering themselves to our presence are scarce entertained; or at least not with our purposed cheerfulness. Christ's coming to us and our going to him are in our profession well esteemed, much wished: But when he singleth us out by a direct message of death, or by some fearful sign giveth likelihood of a present return, we are as much affected with fear, as before with desire. All changes, although to the better, are troublesome for the time, until our settling: There is no remedy hereof but inward prevention: Our mind must change, before our estate be changed. 36 Those are greatest enemies to religion, that are not most irreligious. Atheists, though in themselves they be the worst, yet are seldom found hot persecutors of others: whereas those which in some one fundamental point be heretical, are commonly most violent in oppositions. One hurts by secret infection, the other by open resistance: One is careless of all truth, the other vehement for some untruth. An Atheist is worthy of more hatred, an Heretic of more fear; both, of avoidance. 37 Ways if never used cannot but be fair; if much used are made commodiously passable; if before oft used, and now seldom, they become deep and dangerous. If the heart be not at all enured to meditation, it findeth no fault with itself; not for that it is innocent, but secure; If often, it findeth comfortable passage for his thoughts; If rarely, and with intermission, tedious and troublesome. In things of this nature, we only escape complaint, if we use them either always or never. 38 Our sensual hand holds fast whatsoever delight it apprehendeth: our spiritual hand easily remitteth; because appetite is stronger in us then grace: whence it is that we so hardly deliver ourselves of earthly pleasures, which we have once entertained; and with such difficulty draw ourselves to a constant course of faith, hope, and spiritual joy, or to the renewed acts of them once intermitted. Age is naturally weak, and youth vigorous; but in us the old man is strong, the new faint and feeble: the fault is not in grace, but in us: Faith doth not want strength, but we want faith. 39 It is not good in worldly estates for a man to make himself necessary. For, hereupon he is both more toiled, and more suspected: but in the sacred Commonwealth of the Church, a man cannot be engaged too deeply by his service: The ambition of spiritual well-doing, breeds no danger. He that doth best, and may worst be spared, is happiest. 40 It was a fit comparison of worldly cares, to thorns: For, as they choke the word, so they prick our souls: Neither the word can grow up amongst them, nor the heart can rest upon them: Neither body nor soul can find ease while they are within, or close to us: Spiritual cares are as sharp; but more profitable; they pain us, but leave the soul better. They break our sleep, but for a sweeter rest: we are not well but either while we have them, or after we have had them. It is as impossible to have spiritual health without these, as to have bodily strength with the other. 41 In temporal good things, it is best to live in doubt; not making full account of that, which we hold in so weak a tenure. In spiritual, with confidence; not fearing that which is warranted to us by an infallible promise & sure earnest. He lives most contentedly, that is most secure for this world, most resolute for the other. 42 God hath in nature given every man inclinations to some one particular calling; which if he follow, he excels; if he cross, he proves a non-proficient, & changeable: But all men's natures are equally indisposed to grace, and to the common vocation of Christianity: we are all borne heathens. To do well; nature must in the first be observed and followed, in the other crossed and overcome. 43 Goodman, is a title given to the lowest; whereas all Titles of Greatness, Worship, Honour, are observed and attributed with choice. The speech of the World bewrays their mind & shows the common estimation of goodness compared with other qualities. The World therefore is an ill Herald, and unskilful in the true styles: It were happy that goodness were so common; and pity that it either should not stand with greatness, or not be preferred to it. 44 Amongst all actions Satan is ever busiest in the best, and most in the best part of the best; as in the end of Prayer when the heart should close up itself with most comfort. He never fears us, but when we are well employed: and the more likelihood he sees of our profit, the more is his envy, and labour to distract us. We should love ourselves, as much as he hates us; and therefore strive so much the more towards our good, as his malice striveth to interrupt it. We do nothing, if we contend not, when we are resisted. The good soul is ever in contradiction; denying what is granted, and contending for that which is denied; suspecting when it is gayne-saide, and fearing liberty. 45 God forewarns ere he try, because he would be prevented: Satan steals upon us suddenly by temptations, because he would soil us. If we relent not upon God's premonition, and meet not the lingering pace of his punishments to forestall them, he punisheth more by how much his warning was more evident and more large; Gods trials must be met when they come: Satan's must be seen before they come; and if we be not armed ere we be assaulted, we shall be foiled ere we can be armed. 46 It is not good to be continual in denunciation of judgement: The noise, to which we are accustomed (though loud) wakes us not; whereas a less if unusual stirreth us: The next way to make threatenings contemned, is to make them common. It is a profitable rod that strikes sparingly, and frights somewhat oftener than it smiteth. 47 Want of use causeth disability, and custom perfection. Those that have not used to pray in their closet, cannot pray in public, but coldly and in form. He that discontinues meditation shall be long in recovering; whereas the man enured to these exercises (who is not dressed till he have prayed, nor hath supped till he have meditated) doth both these well, and with ease. He, that intermittes good duties, incurs a double loss: of the blessing that followeth good; of the faculty of doing it. 48 Christianity is both an easy yoke, and an hard; hard to take up, easy to bear when once taken. The heart requires much labour, ere it can be induced to stoop under it; and finds as much contentment when it hath stooped. The Worldling thinks Religion servility: but, the Christian knows whose slave he was, till he entered into this service; and that no bondage can be so ill, as freedom from these bonds. 49 It is a wonder how full of shifts nature is; Ready to turn over all good purposes. If we think of death, she suggests secretly, Tush it shall not come yet: If of judgement for sin, this concerns not thee; it shall not come at all: If of heaven and our labour to reach it; Trouble not thyself, it will come soon enough alone: Address thyself to pray; it is yet unseasonable, stay for a better opportunity: To give alms; thou knowest not thy own future wants: To reprove; what neeedest thou thrust thyself into wilful hatred? Every good action hath his let: He can never be good, that is not resolute. 50 All Arts are Maids to Divinity; therefore they both veil to her, and do her service: and she like a grave mistress controls them at pleasure: Natural philosophy teacheth, that of nothing can be nothing made; and, that from the privation to the habit is no return: Divinity takes her up, for these; and, upon supernatural principles, teaches her a Creation, a Resurrection. Philosophy teaches us to follow sense, as an infallible guide; Divinity tells her, that faith is of things not seen. Logic teaches us first to discourse, then to resolve: Divinity, to assent without arguing. Civil law teacheth, that long custom prescribeth: Divinity that old things are passed; Moral Philosophy that tallying of injuries is justice: Divinity, that good must be returned for ill; Policy, that better is a mischief then an inconvenience: Divinity, that we may not do evil that good may ensue. The School is well ordered, while Divinity keeps the chair: but, if any other skill usurp it, and check their mistress, there can follow nothing but confusion and Atheism. 51 Much difference is to be made betwixt a revolter, and a man trained up in error. A jew and an Arryan both deny Christ's deity: yet this opinion is not in both punished with bodily death. Yea, a revolt to a less error is more punishable than education in a capital heresy. Errors of judgement, though less regarded than errors of practice, yet are more pernicious: but none so deadly as theirs that once were in the truth. If truth be not sued to, it is dangerous; but if forsaken, desperate. 52 It is an ill argument of a good action not well done, when we are glad that it is done. To be affected with the comfort of the conscience of well performing it, is good: but merely to rejoice that the act is over, is carnal. He never can begin cheerfully, that is glad he hath ended. 53 He that doth not secret service to GOD with some delight, doth but counterfeit in public. The truth of any act or passion is then best tried, when it is without witness. Openly, many sinister respects may draw from us a form of religious duties: secretly, nothing but the power of a good conscience. It is to be feared, God hath more true & devout service, in closerts, them in churches. 54 Words and diseases grow upon us with years. In age we talk much, because we have seen much, and soon after shall cease talking for ever: We are most diseased, because nature is weakest, and death which is near, must have harbingers: such is the old age of the World. No marvel, if this last time be full of writing, and weak discourse; full of sects and heresies, which are the sicknesses of this great and decayed body. 55 The best ground untilled soonest runs out into rank weeds. Such are Gods Children; Overgrown with security ere they are aware, unless they be well exercised both with God's plough of affliction, and their own industry in meditation. A man of knowledge that is either negligent, or uncorrected, cannot but grow wild and godless. 56 With us vilest things are most common; But with GOD the best things are most frequently given. Grace which is the noblest of all God's favours, is unpartially b●●●●wed upon all willing ●eceiuers; whereas Nobility of blood and height of place, blessings of an inferior nature, are reserved for few. Herein the Christian follows his Father; his prayers which are his richest portion he communicates to all; his substance according to his ability, to few. 57 God therefore gives, because he hath given; making his former favours, ●●●●ments for more: Man therefore shuts his hand, because he hath opened it. There is no such way to procure more from God, as to urge him with what he hath done. All Gods blessings are profitable and excellent; not so much in themselves, as that they are inducements to greater. 58 Gods immediate actions are best, at first. The frame of his creation how exquisite was it under his hand! afterwards, blemished by our sin: man's endeavours are weak in their beginnings, and perfitter by degrees. No science, no devise hath ever been perfit in his cradle; or at once hath seen his birth and maturity: of the same nature are those actions which God worketh mediately by us according to our measure of receipt. The cause of both is, on the one side the infiniteness of his wisdom and power which cannot be corrected by any second assays: On the other, our weakness helping itself by former grounds and trials. He is an happy man that detractes nothing from God's works, and adds most to his own. 59 The old saying is more common than true; that those which are in hell know no other heaven: for this makes the damned perfectly miserable, that out of their own torment, they see the felicity of the saints; together with their impossibility of attaining it. Sight without hope of fruition is a torment alone: Those that here might see God and will not, or do see him obscurely and love him not, shall once see him with anguish of soul & not enjoy him. 60 Sometimes evil speeches come from good men, in their unadvisedness▪ and, sometimes, even the good speeches of men may proceed from an ill spirit. No confession could be better than Satan gave of Christ: It is not enough to consider what is spoken, or by whom; but whence, & for what. The spirit is oft-times tried by the speech: but other-times the speech must be examined by the spirit; and the spirit, by the rule of an higher word. 61 Greatness puts high thoughts, & big words, into a man; whereas the dejected mind takes, carelessly, what offers itself. Every worldling is base-minded; & therefore his thoughts creep still low upon the earth. The Christian both is & knows himself truly great; and thereupon mindeth and speaketh of spiritual, immortal, glorious, heavenly things. So much as the soul stoopeth to earthly thoughts; so much is it unregenerate. 62 Long acquaintance as it maketh those things which are evil, to seem less evil; so it makes good things which at first were unpleasant, delightful. There is no evil of pain, nor no moral good action, which is not harsh at the first. Continuance of evil, which might seem to weary us, is the remedy and abatement of weariness: & the practice of good, as it profiteth, so it pleaseth. He that is a stranger to good and evil, finds both of them troublesome. GOD therefore doth well for us, while he exerciseth us with long afflictions: and we do well to ourselves while we continually busy ourselves in good exercises. 63 Sometimes it is well taken by men, that we humble ourselves lower than there is cause. Thy servant JACOB, saith that good Patriarch; to his brother, to his inferior. And no less well doth God take these submiss extenuations of ourselves; I am a worm & no man: Surely I am more foolish than a man, & have not the understanding of a man in me. But I never find, that any man bragged to GOD although in a matter of Truth, and within the compass of his desert, and was accepted. A man may be too lowly in his dealing with men, even unto contempt: with God he cannot; but the lower he falleth, the higher is his exaltation. 64 The soul is fed as the body, starved with hunger as the body, requires proportionable diet and necessary variety, as the body. All ages and statures of the soul bear not the same nourishment. There is milk for spiritual infants, strong meat for the grown Christian. The spoon is fit for one, the knife for the other. The best Christian is not so grown that he need to scorn the spoon: but the weak Christian may find a strong feed dangerous. How many have been cast away with spiritual surfeits; because being but newe-borne they have swallowed down big morsels of the highest mysteries of godliness, which they never could digest; but together with them have cast up their proper nourishment. A man must first know the power of his stomach, ere he know how with safety and profit to frequent Gods Ordinary. 65 It is very hard for the best man, in a sudden extremity of death, to satisfy himself in apprehending his stay, and reposing his heart upon it: for the soul is so oppressed with sudden terror, that it cannot well command itself, till it have digested an evil. It were miserable for the best Christian, if all his former prayers and meditations did not serve to aid him in his last straits, and meet together in the centre of his extremity: yielding though not sensible relief, yet secret benefit to the soul; whereas the worldly man in this case, having not laid up for this hour, hath no comfort from God, or from others, or from himself. 66 All external good or evil is measured by sense: neither can we account that either good or ill, which doth neither actually avail, nor hurt us: spiritually this rule holds not. All our best good is insensible. For, all our future (which is the greatest) good, we hold only in hope; and the present favour of God we have many times, and feel not. The stomach finds the best digestion even in sleep when we least perceive it; and whiles we are most awake, this power worketh in us either to further strength or disease, without our knowledge of what is done within: And on the other side, that man is most dangerously sick, in whom nature decays without his feeling, without his complaint. To know ourselves happy, is good: but woe were to us Christians, if we could not be happy, and know it not. 67 There are none that ever did so much mischief to the Church, as those that have been excellent in wit & learning. Others may be spiteful enough, but want power to accomplish their malice. An enemy that hath both strength & craft is worthy be feared. None can sin against the holy-ghost, but those which have had former illumination. Tell not me what parts a man hath, but what grace: honest sottishness is better than profane eminence. 68 The entertainment of all spiritual events must be with fear or hope; but, of all earthly extremities, must be with contempt or derision. For, what is terrible, is worthy of a Christians contempt; what is pleasant, to be turned over with a scorn. The mean requires a mean affection betwixt love & hatred. We may not love them, because of their vanity: we may not hate them, because of their necessary use. It is an hard thing to be a wise host; and to fit our entertainment to all comers: which if it be not done, the soul is soon wasted, either for want of customers, or for the misrule of ill guests. 69 God and man build in a contrary order. Man lays the foundation first, then adds the walls, the roof last. God began the roof first, spreading out this vault of heaven, ere he laid the base of the earth. Our thoughts must follow the order of his workmanship. Heaven must be minded first; earth afterward: and so much more, as it is seen more. Our meditation must herein follow our sense: A few miles give bounds to our view of earth; whereas we may near see half the heaven at once. He that thinks most both of that which is most seen, and of that which is not seen at all, is happiest. 70 I have ever noted it a true sign of a false heart, To be scrupulous and nice in small matters, negligent in the main: whereas the good soul is still curious in substantial points, and not careless in things of an inferior nature; accounting no duty so small as to be neglected, and no care great enough for principal duties: not so tithing mint and cummin, that he should forget justice and judgement; nor yet so regarding judgement and justice, that he should contemn mint & cummin. He that thus misplaces his conscience, will be found either hypocritical or superstitious. 71 It argues the world full of Atheists, that those offences which may impeach human society, are entertained with an answerable hatred and rigour: Those which do immediately wrong the supreme majesty of God, are turned over with scarce so much as dislike. If we conversed with God as we do with men, his right would be at least as precious to us as our own. All that converse not with God are without God: not only those that are against God, but those that are without God are Atheists. We may be too charitable: I fear not to say, that these our last times abound with honest Atheists. 72 The best thing corrupted, is worst: An ill man is the worst of all creatures, an ill Christian the worst of all men, an ill professor the worst of all Christians. 73 Naturally life is before death, and death is only a privation of life: Spiritually it is contrary: As PAUL saith of the grain, so may we of man in the business of his Regeneration. He must die before he can live; yet this death presupposes a life that was once, and should be. God chooses to have the difficultest, first: we must be content with the pain of dying, ere we feel the comfort of life. As we die to nature, ere we live in glory: So, we must die to sin, ere we can live to Grace. 74 Death did not first strike Adam the first sinful man: nor Cain the first hypocrite; but Abel the innocent and righteous. The first soul that met with death, overcame death: the first soul that parted from earth, went to Heaven. Death argues not displeasure: because he whom God loved best, dies first; and the murderer is punished with living. 75 The lives of most are misspent, only for want of a certain end of their actions. Wherein, they do as unwise Archers, shoot away their arrows they know not at what mark: They live only out of the present, not directing themselves and their proceedings to one universal scope: whence they alter upon all change of occasions, and never reach any perfection; neither can do other but continue in uncertainty, and end in discomfort. Others aim at one certain mark, but a wrong one. Some (though fewer) level at the right end, but amiss. To live without one main and common end, is idleness and folly. To live to a false end is deceit and loss: True Christian wisdom both shows the end, and finds the way. And as cunning politics have many plots to compass one and the same design by a determined succession: so the wise Christian, failing in the means, yet still fetcheth about to his steady end with a constant change of endeavours: Such one only lives to purpose, and at last reputes not that he hath lived. 76 The shipwreck of a good conscience is the casting away of all other excellencies. It is no rare thing to note the soul of a wilful sinner stripped of all her graces, and by degrees exposed to shame: so those, whom we have known admired, have fallen to be level with their fellows; and from thence beneath them, to a mediocrity; and afterwards to sottishness and contempt, below the vulgar. Since they have cast away the best, it is just with God to take away the worst; and to cast off them in lesser regards, which have rejected him in greater. 77 It hath ever been counted more noble and successful, to set upon an open enemy in his own home, then to expect till he set upon us, whiles we make only a defensive war. This rule serves us for our last enemy Death: whence that old demand of Epicure is easily answered; whether it be better Death should come to us, or that we should meet him in the way: meet him in our minds, ere he seize upon our bodies. Our cowardliness, our unpreparation is his advantage: whereas true boldness, in confronting him, dismays and weakens his forces. Happy is that soul that can send out the scouts of his thoughts beforehand, to discover the power of Death afar off; and then can resolutely encounter him at unwares upon advantage: such one lives with security, dies with comfort. 78 Many a man sends others to heaven, and yet goes to hell himself: and not few having drawn others to hell, yet themselves return by a late repentance, to life. In a good action it is not good action, it is not good to search too deeply into the intention of the agent, but in silence to make our best benefit of the work: In an evil, it is not safe to regard the quality of the person, or his success, but to consider the action abstracted from all circumstances, in his own kind. So we shall neither neglect good deeds because they speed not well in some hands, nor affecta prosperous evil. 78 God doth some singular actions, wherein we cannot imitate him; some wherein we may not; most wherein he may and would fain be followed. He fetcheth good out of evil; so may we turn our own & others sins to private or public good: we may not do evil for a good use; but we must use our evil once done, to good. I hope I shall not offend, to say, that the good use which is made of sins is as gainful to God, as that which arises from good actions. Happy is that man, that can use either his good, well, or his evil. 79 There is no difference betwixt anger and madness, but continuance: for, raging▪ anger is a short madness. What else argues the shaking of the hands and lips, paleness or redness, or swelling of the face, glaring of the eyes, stammering of the tongue, stamping with the feet, unsteady motions of the whole body, rash actions which we remember not to have done, distracted and wild speeches? and madness again is nothing but a continued rage, yea some madness rageth not: such a mild madness is more tolerable than frequent and furious anger. 80 Those that would keep state, must keep aloof off; especially if their qualities be not answerable in height to their place. For, many great persons are like a wrought picture upon a course cloth; which afar off shows fair, but near hand the roundness of the thread mars the good workmanship. Concealment of gifts, after some one commended act, is the best way to admiration, and secret honour: but he that would profit, must vent himself oft and liberally, and show what he is, without all private regard. As therefore, many times, honour follows modesty, unlooked for; so, contrarily, a man may show no less pride in silence and obscurity, than others which speak and write for glory. And that other pride is so much more the worse, as it is more unprofitable: for, whereas those which put forth their gifts, benefit others while they seek themselves; these are so wholly devoted to themselves, that their secrecy doth no good to others. 81 Such as a man's delights and cares are in health, such are both his thoughts and speeches commonly on his deathbed: The proud man talks of his fair suits, the glutton of his dishes, the wanton of his beastliness, the religious man of heavenvly things. The tongue will hardly leave that, to which the heart is enured. If we would have good motions to visit us while we are sick, we must send for them familiarly in our health. 82 He is a rare man that hath not some kind of madness reigning in him: One a dull madness of melancholy, another a conceited madness of pride, another a superstitious madness of false devotion, a fourth of ambition, or covetousness, a fifth the furious madness of anger; a sixth the laughing madness of extreme mirth, a seventh a drunken madness, an eighth of outrageous lust, a ninth the learned madness of curiosity, a tenth the worst madness of profaneness and Atheism. It is as hard to reckon up all kinds of madnesses, as of dispositions. Some are more noted and punished than others; for that the mad in one kind doth as much condemn another, as the sober man condemns him. Only that man is both good, and wise and happy, that is free from all kinds of frenzy. 75 There be some honest errors, wherewith I never found that God was offended; That an husband should think his own wife comely, although ill-favoured in the eyes of others; that a man should think more meanly of his own good parts then of weaker in others; to give charitable (though mistaken) constructions of doubtful actions and persons (which are the effects of natural affection, humility, love) were never censured by God: Herein alone we err, if we err not. 84 No marvel if the worldling escape earthly afflictions. God corrects him not; because he loves him not. He is base-born and begot: God will not do him the favour to whip him. The world afflicts him not; because it loves him. For each one is indulgent to his own. God uses not the rod where he means to use the sword; The pillory or scourge is for those malefactors which shall escape execution. 85 Weak stomachs which can not digest large meals, feed oft and little: For our souls, that which we want in measure, we must supply in frequency. We can never fully enough comprehend in our thoughts the joys of heaven, the meritorious sufferings of Christ, the terrors of the second death: therefore we must meditate of them often. 86 The same thoughts do commonly meet us in the same places; as if we had left them there till our return. For that the mind doth secretly frame to itself me morative heads, whereby it recalls easily the same conceits: It is best to employ our mind there, where it is most fixed. Our devotion is so dull, it cannot have too many advantages. 87 I find but one example, in all scripture, of any bodily cure which our Saviour wrought by degrees: Only the blind man, whose weak faith craved help by others, not by himself, saw men first like trees, then in their true shape. All other miraculous cures of Christ were done at once, and perfect at first. Contrarily, I find but one example of a soul sully healed (that is) sanctified and glorified, both in a day; all other by degrees and leisure. The steps of grace are soft & short. Those external miracles he wrought immediately by himself; and therefore no marvel if they were absolute like their Author. The miraculous work of our regeneration he works together with us; He giveth it efficacy: we give it imperfection. SOME few of David's Psalms Metaphrased, for a taste of the rest. By J. H. AT LONDON, Printed by H. L. for Samuel Macham. 1607. TO MY LOVING and learned cozen, Mr SAMVEL BURTON, Archdeacon of Gloucester. Indeed, my Poetry was long sithence out of date, & yielded her place to graver studies: but whose vain would it not revive to look into these heavenly songs? I were not worthy to be a Divine, if it should repent me to be a Poet with DAVID, after I shall have aged in the Pulpit: This work is holy and strict, & abides not any youthful or heathenish liberty; but requires hands free from profaneness, looseness, affectation. It is a service to God and the Church by so much more carefully to be regarded, as it is more common. For, who is there that will not challenge a part in this labour? and that shall not find himself much more affected with holy measures rightly composed▪ Wherefore I have oft wondered, how it could be offensive to our adversaries, that these divine ditties which the spirit of GOD wrote in verse, should be sung in verse; and that an Hebrew Poem should be made English. For, if this kind of composition had been unfit, God would never have made choice of numbers, wherein to express himself▪ Yea, who knows not, that some other Scriptures, which the spirit hath indicted in prose, have yet been happily & with good allowance put into strict numbers? If histories tell us of a wanton Poet of old, which lost his eyes while he went about to turn MOSES into verse; yet every student knows with what good success and commendation NONNUS hath turned JOHN'S gospel into Greek Heroics; And APOLLINARIUS that learned Syrian, matched with BAZIL and GREGORY (who lived in his time) in the terms of this equality, that BAZILS' speech was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but APOLLINARIES 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, wrote, as SVIDAS reports, all the Hebrew scripture in heroics, as Sozomen (somewhat more restrainedly) all the Archaiology of the jews, till SAULS' government, in 24. parts; or as SOCRATES yet more particularly, all MOSES in Heroics, and all the other histories in diverse metres: but how ever his other labours lie hid, his Metaphrase of the Psalms is still in our hands with the applause of all the learned: besides the labours of their own FLAMINIUS & ARIAS MONTANUS (to seek for no more) which have worthily bestowed themselves in this subject. Neither do I see how it can be offensive to our friends, that we should desire our english Metaphrase bettered. I say nothing to the disgrace of that we have: I know how glad our adversaries are of all such advantages; which they are ready enough to find out without me, ever reproachefully upbraiding us with these defects. But since our whole Tralation is now universally revised; what inconvenience or show of innovation can it bear, that the verse should accompany the prose? especially since it is well known how rude & homely our English Poësy was in those times, compared with the present; wherein, if ever, it seeth her full perfection. I have been solicited by some revered friends to undertake this task; as that which seemed well to accord with the former exercises of my youth, and my present profession. The difficulties I found many, the work long & great; yet not more painful than beneficial to God's Church. Whereto as I dare not profess any sufficiency; so will I not deny my readiness, and utmost endeavour, if I shall be employed by Authority: wherefore, in this part, I do humbly submit myself to the grave censures of them, whose wisdom menageth these common affairs of the Church: and am ready either to stand still or proceed, as I shall see their Cloud or Fire go before or behind me. Only (howsoever) I shall for my true affection to the Church, wish it done by better workmen. Wherein as you approve, so further my bold but not unprofitable motion, and commend it unto greater cares: as I do you to the greatest. nonesuch july, 3. Your loving Kinsman, IOS. HALL.. Psal. 1. In the tune of 148. Psalms; Give laud unto the Lord. 1 WHo hath not walked astray, In wicked men's advice, Nor stood in sinner's way; Nor in their companies That scorners are, As their fit mate, In scoffing chair, Hath ever sat; 2 But in thy laws divine, O Lord sets his delight, And in those laws of thine Studies all day and night; Oh, how that man Thrice blessed is! And sure shall gain Eternal bliss. 3 He shall be like the tree, Set by the water-springs, Which when his seasons be Most pleasant fruit forth-brings: Whose boughs so green Shall never fade, But covered been With comely shade. So, to this happy wight, All his designs shall thrive: 4 Whereas the man unright, As chaff which winds do drive, With every blast Is tossed on hy, Nor can at last In safety lie. 5 Wherefore, in that sad doom, They dare not rise from dust: Nor shall no Sinner come To glory of the just. For, God will grace The just-mans' way; While sinners race Runs to decay. Psal. 2. In the tune of the 125. Psalm; Those that do put their conf. WHy do the Gentiles tumults make, And nations all conspire in vain, And earthly Prince's counsel take Against their God; against the reign Of his dear Christ? let us, they sane, Break all their bonds: & from us shake Their thraldoms yoke, & servile chain. While thus alas they fond spoke, He that aloft rides on the skies, Laughs all their lewd devise to sco● 5 And when his wrathful rage shall 〈◊〉, With plagues shall make the all forlorn, And in his fury thus replies; 6 But I, my King with sacred horn Anointing, shall in princely guise His head with royal crown adorn. Upon my Zion's holy mount His Empires glorious seat shall be. And I thus raised shall far recount The tenor of his true decree: 7 My Son thou art, said God, I thee Begat this day by due account: Thy sceptre, do but ask of me, All earthly kingdoms shall surmount. All nations, to thy rightful sway, will subject; from furthest end 9 Of all the world: and thou shalt bray Those stubborn foes that will not bend, With iron mace (like potter's clay) 10 In pieces small: Ye Kings attend; And ye, whom others want obey, Learn wisdom, and at last amend. 11 See, ye serve God, with greater dread Than others you: and in your fear Rejoice the while; and (lowly spread) 12 Do homage to his son so dear: Lest he be wroth, and do you dead 13 Amids your way. If kindled His wrath shallbe; O blessed those, That do on him their trust repose. Psal. 3. As the 113. Psalm; Ye Children which, etc. 1 AH Lord! how many be my foes! How many are against me rose, 2 That to my grieved soul have said, Tush: God shall him no succour yield; 3 while thou Lord art my praise, my shield And dost advance my careful head. 4 Loud with my voice to God I cried: His grace unto my suit replied, From out his Zion's holy hill. 5 I laid me down, slept, rose again. For thou O Lord dost me sustain, And sav'st my soul from feared ill. 6 Not if ten thousand armed foes My naked side should round enclose, Would I be thereof ought dreaded. Up Lord and shield me from disgrace: 7 For thou hast broke my foe-men's face, And all the wickeds teeth hast shed. 8 From thee O God is safe defence; Do thou thy free beneficence Upon thy people largely spread. Psal. 4. As the x. Commandments; Attend my People. 1 THou witness of my truth sincere, My God unto my poor request Vouchsave to lend thy gracious ear: Thou hast my soul from thrall released. 2 Favour me still, and deign to hear Mine humble suit. O wretched wights, 3 How long will ye mine honour dear Turn into shame through your despites? Still will ye love what thing is vain, 4 And seek false hopes? know them at last, That God hath chose & will maintain His favourite, whom ye disgraced. God will regard mine instant moan. 5 Oh! tremble then, and cease offending; And, on your silent bed alone, Talk with your hearts, your ways amending. 6 Offer the truest sacrifice Of broken hearts; on God besetting 7 Your only trust. The most devise The ways of worldly treasure getting: But thou, O Lord, lift up to me The light of that sweet looks of thine; 8 So shall my soul more gladsome be, Then theirs with all their corn & wine. 9 So I in peace shall lay me down, And on my bed take quiet sleep; Whiles thou, O Lord, shalt me alone From dangers all securely keep. Psal. 5. In the tune of 124. Psalm; Now Israel may say, etc. 1 BOw down thine ear Lord to these words of mine, And well regard the secret plaints I make. 2 My King, my God, to thee I do betake My sad estate oh do thine ear incline To these loud cries that to thee powered been. 3 At early morn thou shalt my voice attend: For, at day break, I will myself address Thee to implore, and wait for due redress. 4 Thou dost not Lord delight in wickedness; Nor to bad men wilt thy protection lend. 5 The boasters proud cannot before thee stay: Thou hat'st all those that are to sin devoted: 6 The lying lips, & who with blood are spotted, Thou dost abhor, and wilt for ever slay: 7 But I unto thine house shall take the way, And through thy grace abundant shall adore, With humble fear within thine holy place. 8 Oh! lead me Lord within thy righteous trace: Even for their sakes that malice me so sore, Make smooth thy paths my dimmer eyes before. 9 Within their mouth no truth is ever found: Pure mischief is their heart: a gaping tomb 10 Is their wide throat; & yet their tongues still sound 11 With smoothing words. O Lord give them their doom, And let them fall, in those their plots profound. In their excess of mischief them destroy 12 That rebels are; so those that to thee fly Shall all rejoice and sing eternally: 13 And whom thou dost protect, and who love thee, And thy dear name, in thee shall ever joy. ● Since thou with bliss the righteous dost reward, And with thy grace as with a shield him guard. Psal. 6. As the 50. Psalm; The mighty God, etc. LEt me not Lord be in thy wrath reproved: Oh! scourge me not when thy fierce rage is moved. 2 Pity me, Lord, that do with languor pine: heal me whose bones with pain dissolved been; 3 Whose weary soul is vexed above measure. Oh Lord how long shall I'bide thy displeasure! 4 Turn thee O Lord, rescue my soul distressed; 5 And save me, of thy grace. 'mongst those that rest, In silent death can none remember thee: And in the grave how shouldst thou praised be? 6 Weary with sighs, all night I caused my bed To swim: with tears my couch I watered. 7 Deep sorrow hath consumed my dimmed eyen, Sunk in with grief at these lewd foes of mine: 8 But now hence, hence, vain plotters of mine ill: The Lord hath heard my lamentations shrill; 9 God heard my suit and still attends the same: 10 Blush now, my foes, and fly with sudden shame. Psal. 7. As the 112. Psalm; The man is blest that God doth fear. 1 ON thee, O Lord my God, relies Mine only trust: from bloody spite Of all my raging enemies Oh! let thy mercy me acquit; 2 Lest they like greedy Lions rend My soul, whiles none shall it defend▪ 3 Oh Lord! if I this thing have wrought, If in my hands be found such ill: 4 If I with mischief ever sought To pay good turns; or did not still Do good unto my causeless foe, That thirsted for my overthrow; ● Then let my foe, in eager chase, Ore take my soul, and proudly tread My life below; and with dis-grace In dust lay down mine honour dead. 6 Rise up in rage, O Lord, eftsoon Advance thine arm against my fo'ne: And wake for me till thou fulfil My promised right; so shall glad throngs Of people flock unto thine hill. For their sakes then revenge my wrongs, And rouse thyself. Thy judgements be O'er all the world: Lord judge thou me; As truth and honest innocence Thou findest in me, Lord judge thou 〈◊〉 9 Settle the just with sure defence: Let me the wicked's malice see 10 Brought to an end. For thy just eye Doth hearts and inward reins descry 11 My safety stands in God; who shields The sound in heart: whose doom each day 12 To just men and contemners yields 13 Their due. Except he change his way His sword is whet, to blood intended, His murdering bow is ready bended. 14 Weapons of death he hath addressed And arrows keen to pierce my foe, 15 Who late bred mischief in his breast; But when he doth on travel go, ●6 Brings forth a lie. Deep pits he delves, And falls into his pits himself. ●7 Back to his own head shall rebound His plotted mischief; and his wrongs ●8 His crown shall craze: But I shall sound jehovah's praise with thankful songs, And will his glorious name express, And tell of all his righteousness. Psal. 8. As the 113. Psalm; Ye Children, etc. 1 HOw noble is thy mighty name, O Lord o'er all the world's wid● frame Whose glory is advanced on high Above the rolling heavens rack! 2 How for the graceless scorners sake, To still th'avenging enemy, Hast thou by tender infant's tongue, The praise of thy great name made strong, While they hang sucking on the breast▪ 3 But when I see thine heavens bright, The Moon & glittering stars of night▪ By thine almighty hand addressed; Oh! what is man, poor silly man, That thou so mindest him, & dost deign To look at his unworthy seed! Thou hast him set not much beneath Thine Angels bright; & with a wreath Of glory hast adorned his head. Thou hast him thy sovereign Of all thy works; & stretched his reign Unto the herds, and beasts untame, To fowls, and to the scaly train, That glideth through the watery main. How noble each-where is thy name! Psal. 9 To the tune of that known song, beginning; Preserve us Lord. 1 thou & thy wondrous deeds, O God With all my soul I sound abroad 2 My joy, my triumph is in thee, Of thy dread name my song shall be, 3 O highest God: since put to flight, And fallen and vanished at thy sight, 4 Are all my foes; for thou hast passed Just sentence on my cause at last: And sitting on thy throne above, A rightful judge thyself dost prove: The troops profane thy checks have stroid And made their name for ever void. ● Where's now, my foes, your threatened wrack? So well you did our cities sack, And bring to dust; whiles that ye say, Their name shall die as well as they. ● Lo, in eternal state God sits, And his by throne to justice fits: Whose righteous hand the world shall wield And to all folk just doom shall yield. The poor from hy find his relief, The poor in needful times of grief: 10 Who knows thee Lord, to thee shall cleave, That never dost thy client's leave. 11 Oh! sing the God that doth abide, On Zion mount; and blazon wide 12 His worthy deeds. For, he pursues The guiltless blood with vengeance due: He minds their case; nor can pass o'er Sad clamours of the wronged poor. 13 Oh! mercy Lord; thou that dost save My soul from gates of death & grave: Oh! see the wrong my foes have done; 14 That I thy praise, to all that gone, Through daughter Zion's beauteous gate With thankful songs may loud relate▪ And may rejoice in thy safe aid. Behold: the Gentiles, whiles they made A deadly pit my soul to drown, Into their pit are sunken down; In that close snare they hid for me, Lo their own feet entangled be. 16 By this just doom the Lord is known, That th'ill are punished with their own. 17 Down shall the wicked backward fall To deepest hell, and nations all 18 That God forget; nor shall the poor Forgotten be for evermore. The constant hope of souls oppressed 19 Shall not ay die. Rise from thy rest, Oh Lord, let not men base and rude Prevail: judge thou the multitude 20 Of Lawless pagans: strike pale fear Into those breasts late stubborn were: And let the Gentiles feel and find, They been but men of mortal kind. Psal. 9 As the 51. Psalm; O Lord consider 1 WHy standest thou Lord aloof so long & hidest thee in due times of need 2 Whiles lewd men proudly offer wrong Unto the poor? In their own deed, And their devise let them be caught. 3 For lo, the wicked braves and boasts In his vile and outrageous thought, And blesseth him that ravens most. 4 On God he dares insult: his pride Scorns to inquire of powers above, But his stout thoughts have still denied 5 There is a God; His ways yet prove Ay prosperous: thy judgements high Do far surmount his dimmer sight. 6 Therefore doth he all foes defy: His heart saith; I shall stand in spite, Nor ever move; nor danger 'bide. 7 His mouth is filled with curses foul, And with close fraud: His tongue doth hide 8 Mischief & ill: he seeks the soul Of harmless men in secret wait, And in the corners of the street, Doth shed their blood; with scorn and hate His eyes upon the poor are set. 9 As some fell Lion in his den, He closely lurks the poor to spoil, He spoils the poor and helpless men, When once he snares them in his toil. 10 He croucheth low in cunning wile, And bows his breast; whereon whole throngs Of poor, whom his fair shows beguile, Fall to be subject to his wrongs. 11 God hath forgot, (in soul he says) He hides his face to never see. 12 Lord God arise; thine hand up-raise: Let not thy poor forgotten be. 13 Shall these insulting wretches scorn Their God; and say thou wilt not care? 14 Thou see'st, (for all thou hast forborn) Thou see'st what all their mischiefs are; That to thine hand of vengeance just Thou mayst them take: the poor distressed Rely on thee with constant trust, The help of Orphans and oppressed. 15 Oh! break the wickeds arm of might, And search out all their cursed trains, And let them vanish out of sight. 16 The Lord as King for ever reigns. From forth his coasts, the heathen sect 17 Are rooted quite: thou Lord attendest To poor men's suits; thou dost direct Their hearts: to them thine ear thou bendest; 18 That thou mayst rescue, from despite, The woeful fatherless, and poor: That, so, the vain and earthen wight On us may tyrannize no more. FINIS.