The Authors Letter, or an Apology to all Ministers, Pastors and Teachers of the universal Church, be they of what sect soever.  
REverend Fathers and beloved brethren in the common faith and salvation published by our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, to every Creature under heaven: You shall understand how that I was never taught the knowledge of Letters; yet let it not be judged by you presumption in me to undertake to teach all the world, it being in no other subject then what every man knows himself; therefore I teach no man, but bring to his remembrance.  
Your servant was born of poor Parents, which could neither of them writ nor red, neither had they care nor abilities to put me to School; none respected me, no friend in the world bestowed on me twelve pence charge; the teaching I had was one fortnight by a Gentleman, a Minister that kept School in Lincolns-Inn-field, and then he dyed.  
I have known what it was to get my bread by the sweat of my brows ever since I was seven years old, and when I was nine, I was put to apprentice, and it so happened by divine hand, that my Master had one onely Son, which was a weak child, and he kept him then at home, making him to red the holy Bible, having a School-master to teach him to writ, with which I was so much affencted, that like an Ape, I would be fingering the pen and scribble I knew not what, and when I had done, I would ask him what Letters they were like; and when he had  told me I took great heed, though I seemed to mind nothing, it being the opinion of all that I was a block-head, and must be cut for the simples.  
Yet on a sudden I acquired the habit of making Letters, at which they were no little offended to see that I could writ before I could red; it was not the neglect of my business that moved them to be angry, for he is now alive, and there are many that know I did usually double the task of an Apprentice, which gained me so much ill will among the rest of my Shop-mates, that they said it was pitty I should live to do two mens works; my Master gave strict charge that I should not handle a pen more, and I accordingly was watched, for none loved me, insomuch that one of my fellows showing me one morning how to handle a pen, was by my Master felled to the ground, and myself sorely beaten. Thus I left that practise, resolving when my time was out to go to School, for I was young enough to learn all Sciences, but the necessity of the War forced me for a soldier, and so all my purposes were prevented.  
But they being ended, I returned to London, and betook me to my Trade, but all seats of work was filled with such company, that they seemed Sodom and Gomorra to me, their ribal and vain discourse did put my poor weak mind to infinite pain, so that contrary to the course of Trade, I betook me to a Chamber in a poor godly Womans house, who had one daughter that could red & feared God accordingly, meditating day and night in his holy Book the Bible; her pleasure was to bestow herself upon me to wife, of whom I begot six Sons, and she then dyed,  
We being poor, sickly, and full of Children, was fain to labour day and night to keep the wolf from the door, howbeit what time I had, I spent in the study of my own nature, for my wife, dear heart, she would but could not red for her children.  
For thus I reckoned within myself, that there was but two ways to find God one by relation, and the other by my own experience.  
Thus I went on making Observation after my own fashion, that observation and consideration had wrought in me such a habit of mind, and made me to know so many rare secrets of nature that when I did talk, people wondered at me, and though I was mad; others would adore me, and make me there God whether I would or no, both which extremes troubled me not a little, and to prevent them, I have withdrawn myself from the society of men, and will never be known till my Lord come to bring to light all the hidden deeds of darkness; neither is there any need I should, having found a man that will be diligent in my business, whom I must trust as an instrument to communicate my mind, for my heart is ready to burst with the deep sense of the distraction of my Country, and all Christendom in general besides: I have emulation against the Prince of darkness, for he had done me much wrong in deceiving my friends and sweet companions with whom I was wont to delight myself in conversing about the great things of my God: and that wild by which he deceived them with several others, through which he deceiveth the whole world, methinks is manifest to me, amongst which this is one that I observe, a fierce bitter spirit which one servant of the Lord hath against another, yet all seeming, and I think in very dead do with like zeal affect their Master, so that the point of the controversy to me lies here, that they are ambitious who shal glorify him most; as if a man should have many wives of equal affection towards him, as our Lord Christ hath sure, yet would they be at variance among themselves, and it were but for this, who did love him most, and be highest in his favour.  
But let us be wiser, in our Husbands Fathers House are many Mansions, stately buildings, and room enough for us all; our Lord is no respecter of persons, him that loves most shall have most, and who that is none can tell, but our Lord will be judge.  
Then I looked again, and saw that our dis-agreeing here, was the cause of our strife in all things, and reason  told me that the effects would not cease till the cause was removed; then did I beat my head to find out the cause which I conclude to be. Thus, a wrong apprehension of God, in having too narrow thoughts of his boundless compassions, accompanied with the ignorance of his law, not knowing that that which is one mans duty, may at the same time be anothers sin, having these errors in our minds, that God will be good to none but to such and such that perform such duties; which we know, albeit they may do many other which we know not, and they more excellent in their nature; but we see our duties, and not our sins, and grow proud, self-conceited; then stand further off, I am holier then thee: thus comes faction, sedition, and all heresy whatsoever, then we grow fierce zealots, compass Sea and Land to make Proselytes, though when we have done, we make them three times more the children of the Devil: To avoid which great inconveniences, and to reduce us to love and unity; let every man, if he please, do as I was forced to do, choose himself a God, and be constant to his own Religion, then needed he not go a whoring after the gods of others, as I did too long myself, and went almost out of my wits to give them con●ent but could not.  
Let me not be mistaken, as if I meant to take away the public profession of God in the World; oh no, that is not my mind, then I never had had a God myself but my belly, had I not heard of him.  
But this I would say, God nor Christ is not therefore my God, because they are the Gods of others; nor yet simply, because they are worshipped that which makes them mine, is a particular act of my own, faith multiplied gains me, assurance, and inrest.  
And for my part I tell you truly, I do no more esteem of my Lord Jesus, for whom I would willingly undergo great tortures, if thereunto called, because the People of this Nation swear Christ is there Judge and Saviour: And others cry up God, and Christ, and Heaven within them, all this sig●ifies no more to me, then the Turks Mahomet, and his conceited Paradise.  
But so far am I from discouraging the public profession of God in the World, that were there no wiser heads then I, I would tolerate all the heathen to use there liberty, and the Jews should have their Synagogues, so they would grant us the same liberty to extol and laud our God amongst them in there Country; yet I know Wine is strong, Kings are strong, Women are strong, Delusions are strong, but our God, and his truth, is strongest of all; and he that knows God, and is firmly persuaded of his interest in him, need no more fear the power of delusion, then he that knows he hates a woman, and knows also that he hath no venereal humour in him to provoke him to concupiscence, then sure he knows he may look on a woman and not be affencted with lust.  
But he that knows not this, let him take heed how he goes among them, for he had better trust, if he has a whore to his wife, in bed all night with the veriest Whoremaster under heaven, then trust himself with his own false heart in their assemblies; else, I say, they will deceive him; Wine is strong, Kings are strong, Women are strong, Delusions stronger; yet our God and his truth is strongest of all.  
And to manifest his excellence, Had I the strength of Angels, and the wisdom of Solomon, I would spend it every mite.  
Now Reverend Fathers, let me crave your clemency and gentle construction of some uncouth and unsavoury words, which in this Treatise may s●em strange to your years: 1. Because I am no Scholar. 2. Because I am a man of much business and could not stand to study words, but used such as were in my mind.  
3. My intent was, that this Pinnace should go a great voyage, and meet with all the stormy conceits and imaginations of men, therefore I freighted her according, so her hull be sound and do not leak, I care not by how much she is besmeared with Pitch or Tar.  
4. I have been a Traveller by Sea and Land thirteen years, I sought me a God, addicting myself to no faction in Religion, but went up & down picking up every scattered corn & ear of truth as nigh as I could, treasuring them up in my memory, for I knew not how to use a Book till within these three years, in which time I learned great experience of the nature and humours of men in general, which makes me shape my words according.  
5. I have also been a great company keeper, the deep scene of other mens sins, and hope to deliver them, leading me thereunto; which pity moved me to go into Alehouses, and associate myself with drunkards and pot-companions, with whom I would be hail fellow well met, so long as I list myself, and would please there humours with some delightful story that I had in my budget, until I had affencted their hearts with love of my company; then could I say what I list to them, and they would hear me then with meekness and a sad heart, with serious acclamation would I cry out unto them against sin, and show them the evil of it, and how it still deceived us, promising us joy and pleasure, but never was so good as his word, and what a great evil we had done ourselves at this time by mis-inproving it, for which we must give an account; and who would serve such a Master that always promised that which they could not perform.  
Thus much conviction have I wrought, but conversion you know is no● the work of a man, nor yet of a day.  
This being the end I aimed at, their good, not their good Ale, I may not call to men to accuse me, because now they know me not; but let the Devils charge me with once being drunk in all my life if they can: This being considered, I hope it will be sufficient to make you to think that your servant is no Ishmalite to have his hand against every man, but rather one of the sweet Spirit of Jesus, who according to the will of God would have all to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth, and did therefore endeavour to become all unto all, on purpose that he might win some.  
The unknown servant of God and friend of nature. Your servant as you are Christs.   

THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.  
Christian Reader,  
THat either does in a good degree know thyself, or willing to learn, for to no other will my speech be profitable; thou shalt understand Nosce teipsum, the great Oracle of God in Nature, the total sum and subject matter of all formal Divinity, is here in a figure, in some degree, presented to thy view; by one who hath proved his own words by his experience, who having no greater ambition in the world, nor indeed knowing nothing that is of so much moment, as for a man certainly to know, or thoroughly to be persuaded in his own mind, and to know where, and by what means he may expect without wavering, his eternal filicity, which truly is nothing else but the knowledge of God here by faith, and the actual enjoying the fruition of his blessed presence in the world to come.  
For though it be too true, that there are a company of sensual inconsiderate Creatures, rather beasts then men, which do seem to content themselves in the things of this life; and when they die, think and say, there is an end of them; neither are they without, learned other to warrant their opinion; for as it is recorded of Pope lo, who himself being moderator, in a dispute of the immortality of the soul, concluded thus, it began of nothing, and in nothing ends.  
But sure I am, that this conclusion will never satisfy any considerate man; who must needs be so far convinced of the vanity of things here, that was it not for hope of a better life, he would be weary, and despise this utterly.  
Now I having been much conversant with such persons, and always a great admirerer of their conceited happiness, oft wondered myself, why I could not be so merry as they; now those Divine Doctrines which did lodge in my mind,  told me, there was no reason to the contrary; for Gods s●rvice was perfect freedom, and his commands was not grievous, that the yoke of my Lord was easy, and his burden light: But I found the quiter contrary in my experience, which made me make the stricter search into myself, for by no means could I except against his Law:  
And by examination I found, that my grief and trouble of mind did arise from my ignorance how to wear his yoke, and rightly to put it on.  
Then did I seize wondering at the happiness, having found a way to make myself merry with such comforts they dreamed not of whensoever I do please; Which way in a word was this:  
First, I laid hold of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, labouring mightily to persuade myself, that he was the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, who indeed and indeed came from God, and brought from the bosom of his Father the good tidings of peace and reconciliation, unto all those that were willing to believe and forsake sin; which thing might be easily accomplished by the help of his Laws, and most holy and incomparable examples:  
And here, Reader, I judge it will not be amiss to acquaint thee by the way, of a great obstruction and doubt that did arise in mind, Whether or no there was ever any such man, that did indeed come from God, or was intruth so holy.  
But this doubt in me was thus salved, by my saying, I would believe the report and study, to frame my life after the example of what was written.  
To which it was again replied in me, so I might like a self-willed fool as I was, and lose my labour and expectatioon when all was done: If so, said I, then let be, it will be but Christ hath deceived me.  
But my next serious thought was this, it is good for me to know what it is I expect from Christ, lest it should so happen, that he perform what he promised, and yet I be deceived in my own expectation; but the answer of my conscience was this, that he would make good his word as he had said, That all who believe and obey him should have eternal life; for I doubted not but that God which gave to me this, could give me a better, and it pleased me well, to think that I had so great a testimony of his love, that he spare not his own Son, but gave him up to death for us all, to assure us, that he with him, meant to give us all things: And now, to the praises of his Eternal glory be it spoken, methinks I am now persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor Devils, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other Creature, shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is manifest in Christ Jesu●.  
Yea, I can truly outbrave the vainest, Carnallest wretch in the world, as I sometimes do in such a degree, that I myself have incurred the censure of being carnal; but I value not that I know myself a little, and my God knows more; and by this I reason, shall carnal, sensual, simplo people triumph in their conceited comforts, who by the rules of all reason, are every moment drapping into the gulf of eternal destruction, and shall not I triumph in hope, who by faith have interest in God the most high for my farther, Christ for my Brother, Heaven for my Habitation, and am every moment going thither; if they can be merry, I much more, but they are merry, and so let thee and I, or else know the reason wherefore that is right reckoning.  
Why should we be sad; is sin the cause? let us repent, mercy is ready, God will not keep it from us, men nor Devils cannot, it lies not in their power: How comes it to pass, that we have not the sense of it, ready to cheer us in all distresses, it is long of the traitor within that is never contented, whose unreasonable appetire the Devil uses as his instrument to persuade us against every thing, to the end we might be certain of nothing: He tells us all things are sin, that by that he might enslave us with a necessity of sinning; he tells us that there is no sin at all, that he might bring our soul insensibly into eternal thrall; but we will tell ourselves, thus a sinner I am, fain would be better, and will when I can.  
Fare thee well.   


CHAP. I. OF Man in general, with a chief respect to his soul.  
CHAP. II. Of the two common Notions of the mind known to all, though under different names, about which names it is vain to dispute, or to go out of ourselves; that is, to forsake our own Notions to judge of others; for if we know not the meaning of our own notions, how can we know the meaning of others, till we have made our own.  
CHAP. III. Of the most admirable free-power that God hath given man to dispose of himself within himself; in what manner the man doth please, and what distress the man shall endure from himself, that will have God for his portion.  
CHAP. IV. showing the course this man took to make himself a God, how he met with Reason, who ministered to his necessity; a discourse between Reason and the man, and what rules Reason propounded, by which he should learn his God to know, also himself, his friend, from foe.  
CHAP. V. The enemy being discovered, the man agrees with reason to fight against her, and how they overcame and bound her with Chains, wrought the man to peace.  
CHAP. VI. The man being wrought to peace, and finding the sweetness of it in himself, entreated Reason to direct how his Christian friends and Country-men should come into the same condition.  
CHAP. VII. How Reason answered, and shewed cause why this could not easily be, unless they would first do those things which in their conceits was impossible to be done. 2. To leave doing those things which in their conceit was damnable to be left undone.  
CHAP. VIII. Another Discourse between Reason, and the man of the grosseness of the particular errors, which is the cause of all Christian difference, ●nd how they should be remedied with ease if men will themselves.    

Of the author.  
THe Author he will not be known,  
Yet like him there is few or none;  
He was never taught to writ nor red;  
But as his Genius did him led.  
And little did he think, God knows,  
That he should thus his mind disclose,  
But 'twas his zeal that burst out right  
To see his Country languish quiter.  
When as it lay within his breast,  
To show them how and where their souls must rest,  
In making God and Christ there own,  
Reason their guide to him alone.  
Now by his Figure thou shalt see,  
Both what man is and what should be;  
If thou dost cast it in thy mind,  
His life's divine as thou shalt find.  
Then buy his Book, and it premise,  
Use it in thy exercise,  
The price will be but very small,  
And to the poor he'l give it all.  
Before his God he doth this say,  
Whom he doth serve both night and day;  
His writing is no feigned gin,  
But every word is true in him.   

To the Pastors and Teachers.  
This Book's an Orchard, Here a three doth grow,  
Called Eperience, whose fruit is good to know,  
It is his own, so heed be understood,  
Prove it he will with his vital blood.  
This Pasture is good,  
Here your sheep may feed,  
'Twill help the shepherds  
If they stand in need.  
Now if Elias he be fed,  
And should a Raven bring him bread,  
Yet hearty his food he will eat,  
And give God thanks if it be good meat.  
But if you his Doctrine should refuse,  
Yet know his labour he'l not lose,  
In spite of pride and her disdain,  
His Works shall never be in vain.  
Slight not his words, although that he  
A Scholar dare not say to be;  
For should we him a Scholar cry,  
Few Scholars durst his Art deny.   

Of Man.  
Man is a contradiction, so I hold,  
Made of best and basest mould:  
In him, as in a Glass we see  
All things that were or ever shall be.  
If thou to any man adhere,  
Let not his interest be in cheer,  
For if his Mistress stand him by,  
Make thou no doubt the man will lye.  
Now sith ' tis so, thou careful be  
self gets not upper hand of thee,  
Thrice hap man if thou sublime  
Thy carnal self to self divine.  
This thing may soon with ease be done,  
God will assist thee with his son,  
And reason he will show thee how  
Thy God, thy Christ, thyself to know.   

Of Reason.  
Reason I cannot thee define  
But next my God thou seemst divine,  
Angels do by thy order stand,  
For so my Lord doth them command.  
By wisdom all things governed be,  
As thou in holy Writ mayest see,  
Of all the virtues reason is King,  
Without him thou canst do nothing.  
Let prudence in thy mind still be,  
As thou intend'st thy god to see,  
For if thou hast not this same grace,  
In thee he will not take a place.  
Be sure that now thou follow him,  
Shoon faction, superstitious man of sin,  
He loves the scarlet purple Whore,  
'Tis he builds Babel, bominable, more.  
That is the old man in us of whom S. Paul writes, called, the body of Death, the Antichrist.   

The Epitome of a New Man; or a Leaf from the three of Life, to heal the bleeding Wounds of the Nations.  

CHAP. I. Of Man in general, with a chief respect to his soul.  
I Will not here trouble your mindes with the various distinctions and opinions which the learned have concerning the Soul and its parts, but leave them to their consideration, who have little else to puzel their heads with: We are poor men, and must busy our brains about the necessary care of providing for our wives and children, and have someth●ng else to do then to dive into the Abyss of words, into which whosoever falls, let him take heed that he be not drowned; but I shall come down right to the matter, and fix my discourse to those two notions which I am sure to find in every man, and speaking to that, I am sure to speak something: Neither dare I go about to anatomize the Soul or Body, it is a work too ponderous for me; not but that I think I know as much as some others, who profess more ●kill, and have had as many conceits in my head, having made no little search after her going in myself, and in the writing of others: for I now paused but a little, and above twenty Authors came to my remembrance, who have all written of that subject; but they are not all of a mind, therefore I cannot believe what they say, now I being no Scholar, have no further insight in these things than an ordinary man: And as for my own opinion, I date not writ, because I have no rule to prove it true to thee, and it would be no small piece of presumption in me, to assume the knowledge of that, whereof the greatest wits in the World confess themselves to be ignorant, for there was never any yet that ever I red or heard of, though they took much care and pains in cutting and slashing the body of man, and have found out the use of every Organ, but they cannot tell what the soul is, nor by what Organs the moves.  
Des carts tells us, That it is united to all the partes of the body jointly, and that there is a little carnel in the brain, in which the soul is situated, and there exercises her functions.  
But the same Author tells us, that it is an error to believe, that the soul gives motion and heat to the body; Death comes not, saith he, by reason of any defect of the soul, but onely because some one of the principal parts of the body is corrupted.  
But others say, They cannot find where the soul is, or whether she be organical or no, and in the brain which is termed the seat of reason, they say there is nothing more to be seen, then what is in the craney of a beast; this will conclude with an ingenious Scholar, We are men, & we know not how there is something in us that can be without us, and will be after us; but of the passions of the soul, and of the universal nature of man, Des carts, together with many a learned Writer, doth distinctly treat, in whom thou mayst find every thing incident to the body of man with their proper and improper names; I say improper, because we know nothing properly, much less then can we give a demonst●ation of them to others; if thou like them not, use thy own liberty, impose new ones, let us do as Adam did, call every thing as we list ourselves, onely let us be constant to our own notions, else we may live the age of Methusalem and not know one thing from another, nor our right hand from our left; now I would have thee save all this labour, contend not about words, but let every man use his own dialect or speaking, and now hear what is said from within you.   

CHAP. II. Of the two common notions of the mind known to all those under different names, about which names it is vain to dispute, or to go out of ourself; that is, to forsake our own Notions to judge of others; for if we know not the meaning of our own notions, how can we know the meaning of others, till we have made them our own.  
OH, oh, oh, my dear friends and Countrymem, 'tis known unto you, and unto all and every individual Son and Daughter of Adam that is this day under heaven, that there are two potent Powers within you that do continually strive and contend one with the other about the good of the subject in which they do inhabit, viz. your soul and body, even as you see the people of the Nation about the good of the Nation, so both these equal and alike pretending your welfare and felicity.  
Now let me say, that there could be no War, no Division or Contention without, if the inward War were by you rightly managed; had every one so much spiritual prudence in exercises, to know your friend from your foe within these Wars and tumoults would soon cease, and be slighted as a thing that did not concern you, but you would find such a sweet harmony and content in your own breast, in living the delightful life of reason, and enjoying the peace of your own mind which would prove to your content little less then a Paradise, yet let me add, that God himself would delight to dwell amongst us. Powers they are, but what else to call them I know not any otherwise, then as the learned have styled them, some calling them the power of God, or of the Devil, or more properly, the spirit of God, and of the Devil; others the good or evil genius.  
The Philosophers, they consider them as two likewise, though differing in their names, calling them thus, the power of nature, or the power of humour; what they are we know not, but wonderful things are by them effected, that is evident; and holy Writers give them various appellations, but still meaning the same things, as the new and old man, Rom. 6.6. Ephe. 2.15. The flesh and the spirit, Joh. 3.6. and sin which is a thing contrary to nature, sense and reason, is by S. Paul called, the body of death which was in him, and put him to so much care and pains by discipline to keep in subjection, least whilst he was preaching to others himself might be a cast away, 1 Cor. 9.27.  
O learn of him that had the constant care of all the Churches affecting his mind, well might he cry out as one overburdened, to be delivered from the body of this death, Rom. 7.24. When we are charged with nothing but the care of our own souls and families, and yet are swallowed up and drowned in sin, but through Christ he was delivered, and so mayst thou if it be not thy own fault, sin shall not have dominion over thee, Rom. 6.14.  
Secondly, This body of sin or base humour, contrary to nature, according to Philosophy, is by S. Paul called the man of sin, or the Antichrist, Thes. 2.23. with which every son and Daughter of Adam is is really possessed, as well as the Pope of Rome, or the Ministry of England, and that whore spoken of Revelation the 17. The first sirt●ng on many waters, against whom the seventh Angel powred out his viol, may be as well interpnted of that common Strumpet, the interest of this world which lodges in every one of our hearts, as of any thing I can imagine, see else vers. 15. The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are Peoples and Multitudes, and Nations, and Languages; and who knows but this might be the time for God to put it into our hearts to fulfil his will, and give this our Kingdom to the beast, I mean, the interest in this world to be disposed on by them in whom the beast reigns as we judge or think.  
Let us see the word of our God fulfilled in us, which we should undoubtedly do, if we did but know and consider ourselves.  
Good Christians, as you love your Lord, forget the world while, it will leave and forget you else ere it be long, you cannot imagine the unspeakable comfort of so doing; remember our Lords Kingdom was not of this world, and ought we not to be Pilgrims and strangers here; do we not seek and expect a Country, with a City whose builder and maker is God, if this be it that you none have, let who as will take all for me, I care not how soon.  
But methinks I would tell thee a little of my opinion, what I think of these beasts spoken of all along the Revelation, but I doubt they eyes will hardly see my meaning, but I will show thee, as well as I can in a few words.  
1. We have, Chap. 4. vers. 5.6.7. four beasts described with their forms and faces; here we have a Throne likewise mentioned, and a sea of glass like unto chryftal. Him that sate on this Throne, was to look on like a Sardine, or a Jasper-stone; and round about this Throne were twen●y four seats, and upon the seats twenty four Elders sitting, clothed in white Raiment, and on their heads Crowns of Gold, and in the midst of this Throne mark this, in the midst of this Throne, and round about this Throne, were also these four beasts full of eyes before and behind, each of them having six wings full of eyes also.  
We see what the work of these four beasts were, vers. 8.9. and all along to the 15th Chapter, they joined issue with the Angels and Elders, to serve them in the executing of their ministry, by which they ministered unto God, and the lamb day and night resting not, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, and in the 15th Chap. and vers. 7. there one of them is said to give unto the seven Angels seven golden Vials full of the wrath of God, which we may see poured out in the rest of the Chapters; likewise thou mayst see in Chap. 4. ver. 5. mention made of seven bright burning Lamps, which are there interpnted to be the seven Spirits of God; now all the question will be this, what all these do signify, or rather what concernment the signification of these, or any of these is to thee and I, if they concern us not, why do we beat our heads about the meaning of them, if they concern us, how and by what means shall we know in what particulars.  
And now for my part, I am no Prophet, nor no Prophets Son, nor yet Scholar, and to my knowledge I never heard Sermon, nor red nor heard red any kind of Comment on this Book; and for others minds, I know them not, therefore of necessity must speak my own or say nothing, both which I can do with few words, I have heard men say at random, that it is a mysterious piece, no man living knows what to make of it; in this I am persuaded they speak their own experience.  
Therefore do I presume to tell theee a little of mine, not that I would for all the world say, that what I say, is the mind of the divine Author, for that is too sublime for me.  
Yet when I have been, as sometimes I am in the depth of serious meditations.  
1. Viewing and reviewing intellectual speculations, contemplating about divine Objects, I have seen a glorious Throne in my own mind, or within me.  
2. Him that sate upon this Throne, in me hath been far more amiable in my eyes to look on, then a Sardis or Jasper-stone: could I see him always, I would wish no other heaven.  
3. This he signified to me by the twenty four Elders, which I find to be a Metaphor of Government, having some alusion unto the Elders, by whom the people of Israel were governed, which shewed me, that if ever I meant to behold him, and have his glorious Throne erected in my understanding, I must be obedient to order and Government.  
I have seen and heard within me, thundering, Lightnings, and terrible voices, which hath made my poor soul oft amazed, and tremble and shake with horrible fear and astonishment, far worse then ever any thunder or lighining without did, or I think can do, for when I hear that, I constantly rejoiced to think it is but a flay biting to what I have known in me.  
I have also seen the light of those seven bright lamps, the seven Spirits of the everliving blessed God, to wit, the seven most famous Arts and Sciences, whose influence is great in or on the minds of men, whose bright resplendent beams, the eyes of my dark understanding are not able to look on, how much less then can I describe what they are; yet this I can say, though I know not what the Sun is, this I know, it is the instrument of life and light, without whose influence all we poor mortals would frieze ston dead in half an hour.  
So likewise these seven most famous Arts are the instruments of all the life and light of knowledge, the feet and eyes of my God, with and by which he goes throughout all the world, teaching and enlightening the Sons and Daughters of men in their degree, whose instruction whoever he be, that either presumptuously or ignorantly slighteth, and will persevere and be true to his principal in so doing, what ever he be, look to himself how he can any other way, I will cause him to kill himself within nine dayes, mark what I say, I will cause him to kill himself in nine dayes, his God whatsoever he be, shall not deliver him out of my hands; let that man single himself out, and I will meet him, if I make not my words good in him, let the Parliament, or what power soever, crucify me for a deceiver &c.  
I have also seen a sea of Glass clearer then crystal, which f●a I call the trausparent air, through which I behold all terrene earthly Creatures.  
The four beasts full of eyes before and behind, are to me the epitome of the four principals of nature of which I and all animales living are made and constituted, which if well-heeded and kept in me in their own proper sphere, with the help of the light of the seven lamps which ever burns, would causme to serve God and his Lamb, as we see these four beasts did all along, yea at last I should not faint in singing hallelujah, and giving them glory for ever and ever.  
I could go on and tell thee who the other three beasts are, for I know them too well to my sorrow, I can call them by their names as I can any man I know; and as for the two witnesses I know them right well, since by the power of the first beast that rise out of the bottonles pit, in me I slay them, and let there dead bodies lye in the streets of my most unreasonable carnal affections, which is that spiritual Sodom and Egypt in me, where I crucified my dear Lord that bought me; and had not the spirit of life from my God entered into them afresh in me, I had perished eternally, and been killed for offering such violence to them, by that holy fire that proceeds out of their mouths, together with those deep delusions, that these three monstrous beast; would have persuaded me into, but I hope there reign is at an end in me, by reason my God is come into me, and hath judged my great whore, who hath deceived me and made me often drunk with the wine of her fornications; but when she is utterly destroyed, then and not tell then shall I sing Halelujah's, but then I will be glad when the Lord omnipotent shall reign in me; oh how shall I rejoice when I know myself to be indeed and indeed the Bride, the lambs wife, by mine apparel, being arrayed with fine linen, clear and white, the simplicity and godly, sincere righteousness of his Saints, Chap. 19. v. 8.  
Object. Thou wilt say, I have  told thee a fine dream; but what doth this signify as to the mind of the divine Author; or how will this any way prefit thee?  
Dost not thou know the Authors mind, and how to apply his words to thy use in particular, it is folly to flatter, I much less can tell.  
This is my dream, as thou sayest, if it like thee not, dream thyself and spare not. I will not contend with thee about the nature, though it may be I can make more use of my dream then I can of thine, or of any other mans beside, and will esteem it best for all thee, because its best to me.  
And whereas thou askest what profit this is to thee.  
I ask thee, what if John was in my person, and should make a speech unto thee, and open all the particular heads about which there is so much dreaming between the Church of England, and the Church of Rome, as also those which are called fifth Monarchy men, together with Learned Feak and Rogers, and many more that I could but will not name.  
Imagine he should utter himself in these words, saying, We were all Dreamers, and devisers of lies, and when we had done, fathered them upon him, making the world believe they were his thoughts, thereby gratifying the Devil our common enemy, prompting our own false deceitful hearts in envying and hating one another, raising Contentions, Disputations, and Controversies about we know not what, thereby destroying the peace both of our own and others souls, and that which the Church of England says concerning the Pope and his Clergy of Priests and Jesuits, and we one of another, is true in us all, viz. that when the 5th Angel sounded his Trumpet, Chap. 9. opening the bottonles pit, out of which there arose a smoke as of a furnance, insomuch that the Sun was darkened by reason thereof.  
What if he should say this pit was our bottonles hearts, filled with groundless bottonles imaginations, with which we made such a horrible smoke both in our own minds, and in the mindes of others, that neither we ourselves, nor those that look on us, can behold the bright beams of the Son of Righteousness shining within us.  
Would you be angry with him for speaking so plainly, if you would I would not, but with humility confefs it is true in me, and I think it is so in you; do not think that I speak of ill will, for I have so much affection in me yet, that will command me to lay my hand under the worst of your feet at any time to do you good?  
But what if he should say, we were full of those unclean spirits spoken of Chap. 16. which were manifest when the sixth Angel sounded his Trumpet, who like croaking Frogs and Locusts, ●omes insensibly ' out of our bottonles hearts through our mouths, while we are under the power of the Dragon and the beast, they being the spirits of Devils make us prophesy lies, by which we corrupt the earth and them that dwell therein.  
Could we bear this, should we not bring his own words against him to defend ourselves, and lay the fault on others.  
If you would, I would not, but humbly confess it is all true of me: but indeed I never gave my consent as I know of, to preach up miracles & lyingwonders in all my life, as many that I know, and could instant have done, whose experiences must needs often contradict them; if they would consider them; therefore I will say nothing of the little Horn of the North, expounded by our learned Divines, to be meant of Oliver Lord Protector, of late memory; Nor yet of Christ's coming to reign on the earth in the year 56. which thing the asserter was so assure of, that one to my knowledge in Canterbury, slighted his Shop, and Trade, and Wise, and Family, going up and down to preach this most true Doctrine, and turned an arrant Rogue at the last, others neglected the taking of Leases for any longer time, being formerly possessed that Christ would come, and there would be no more need of houses.  
And for that little Horn of the North, his death hath put a period to that controversy, and give all those Learned expositors the lye to their Teeths.  
And believe me, for I would not swear but so far as I know my own mind, let God damn me if I lye; methinks I had rather be thrown into a Lake of burning Brimstone, then be given up into the power of any of these three monstrous beasts; for though this last who is of the earthly descent, hath two horns like a lamb, in which he doth somewhat resemble the lamb my Lord more then the other, yet my curses light on him to choose, I know what I say, I curse the beast, and a Christ within too, without being wrought with or form the consideration of a Christ without, that blessed Jesus I mean, which was born in Bethlem, and to the end that he might sanctify me by his own blood suffered without the Gate at Jerusalem, to whom I will go when I go forth of myself, as sometimes I am fain to do to fetch in provision, else I think I should starve, for the place where I am forced to live, so long as God an● Nature pleases, is barren like the Isle of Patmos, where John had all these heavenly discoveries; in me grows nothing that is good, I have neither grass not plant, but what was set and sown with the seed I had from without me, neither will it grow unless I am careful, and take great pains to nourish it, which I am forced to do, knowing that if I go to market without ware, I had as good whistle in my fist, as think to take money; nay, if I should intrude myself to the banquet of the great King, without I carry a wedding Garment with me, the King himself will find me out, and cause me to be bound and cast into utter darkness, where is nothing but weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.  
But Lord how much good it doth me, to think that I have a visible Christ to go to at any time, from whom I can have any thing; I want for nothing, wine and milk without money, and without price, yea eye-pleasing to anoint my dim eyes, that I can see how to curse and crucify all the invisible Christs within me, and to sand them to the bottonles pit from whence they came, by the help of my God, in spite of the Devils name; but be ru●d by me, and we will leave of dreaming now, & this hellish art which the Devil hath taught us to go out of ourselves, to find false in others, and overlook our own at home, onely to get ourselves a name or interest in this world, were it not so we should never do it.  
A pretty cheat, I have excellent skill in other mens hearts, and know right well all their intents and purposes, or designs, and can give perfect instructions to others how they should order their lives, and govern their Families.  
I know right well how the State ought to govern, how the mariners should steer the Ship, though I never was at Sea in all my life, I have red something: I know how the Judge should do justice, how the Lawyer should pled, the Minister preach, the Carpenter build the house, how the Merchant should freight his Ship for his advantage: I am also a soldier, and have excellent skill in all point of Marshall discipline, and can marshal men into every form and figure that belongs to War.  
Tush, I know how to govern all things but myself, and family, and in that I have no more skill then a Horse, neither have I any more command of my own heart then I have of a post.  
But there is a third appellation or title attributed to these two Powers, by Solomons distinction, whose wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the Children of the East, and all the wisdom in Egypt.  
He calls the good power, otherwise termed the rational soul wisdom, and adviseth his Son above all things, to get understanding, Prov. 4.5, 7, 13. Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go; keep her for she is thy life. Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom, Wisdom is better then Rubies, & all things that can be desired are not to be compared to it: & as for folly, or the fleshly part of man, called the body of death or humours, the animal or sensual soul, opposing the wisdoms, the rational soul; it would be tedious to city the Scriptures that I could allege to that purpose, I will therefore wind up all in one, to distinguish the difference as a sure rule of his experience, who had made greater trial of both then either thee or I can do, and found that wisdom did excel solly, as far as light excelleth darkness, Ec. 2.13.  
But our new times have produced new names, some calling them thus, the light and dark sides of God, not much unlike the opinion of those Ancients, who conceit that there was a black and a white God, one having influence over man from the middle upward, and the other from the waste down-ward; others term this Power to seeds, after the manner of the Apostle, speaking, Rom. 9. concerning Jacob and Esau, Gal. 3.16. others, the light within them; but as I said at first, so now let every one please himself with his own dialect, and call things by what names they will, so that they be but constant to what they say, we will leave off contending any longer ●bout terms, and with a joint consent prepare ourselves to light the good fight of faith, and manfully to oppose our enemy within, which is to be managed by us against these four principal strong holds; let the enemy lark either without or within, that is all one, we must eye him both ways.  
1. Fight against vain disputation without, managed by others within, by thy own imagination the counterfeit of reason; and for this know all labours be vain, if the end be either impossible or not worth the pains.  
'Tis but saying thus; What will this profit me if it be true or false? so shalt thou not labour in vain.  
2. Be sure to fight against all Doctrines or insinuations whatsoever, that have any tendance to unman thee, and beat thee out of conceit of thy natural right, that rich grace of free-will, the chief Dismond in thy Crown, by means of which thou dost manifest all the other excellences and graces given thee by thy immense Creator.  
3. Fight against all insinuations that fight against thy interest, that is the peace of thy own conscience.  
4. Fight against all that fight against Reason, let them call themselves what they will, and say they are of God, do thou call them Gog and Magog, or the Devil, and worse, for no words will express their malice:  
But all this is worth nothing, neither doth it amount to one mite more then what was at first asserted in two words, viz. that there are two potent Powers within that do contend one with the other about the subject in which they do inhabit our body and souls, and I am sure they are not both our friends, therefore let us be careful which we cleave to.  

Thus thou mayst see the state of wretched mortals life,  
That he must constantly resolve to be at strife,  
At strife he still must be against his inbred foe,  
I mean his appetite which ever seeks his woe.    

CHAP. III. Of the most admirable free power that God hath given man to dispose of himself within himself, in what manner the man doth please, and what distresses the man shall endure from himself, that will have God for his portion.  
SInce we are by the ordination of the great God made Lords of our own affections, that we may choose which we will cleave too, though we by means of our own wretched idleness, know not which to choose, but suffer our minds to be crucified between two interests, whereas if we were men, we should resolve to stick to something; if God be God follow him, but if Baal be God, let us follow him, 1 King. 18.21. if the flesh can make us happy let us serve it, and fulfil the lusts thereof: we do but torment ourselves, for we cannot serve two Masters, the World and God, are interests utterly inconsistent one with the other; and believe this whoever thou art, 'tis at thy choice, whether thou wilt serve God or no. I am sure he stands not in need of thee, neither cares he for any to serve him but such as are willing: if thou canst get a better Master take him, thou shalt have his free consent; thou mayst if thou wilt hate him, and his people, as too many do and have done, if it tends to thy adv●ntage, do it, I will bear thee harmless before my Maker, be constant to thy own interest, whatsoever thou by thy actions makes it to be; waver not, nor suffer thy mind to halt and hang in dispense between God and the Devil, light and darkness; let either the animal or the rational soul have its will, and all will be quiet; but if Reason reigns it will be a lasting peace: choose one, itis not so hard a matter as it is made, to decide the difference, 'tis but asking thy own heart what it is that she desires, and truly she is not a shamefaced Gentlewoman, nor mealmouth'd, but will tell thee her mind plainly, if you will but vouchsafe her a serious hearing; she will tell thee, that all thy labour is vain that thou takes, thinking to please her with worldly trifles, she will prove this to thee by thy own experience in few words, but asking thee this question, what hath all this vanity profited her, what was alleys pleasure more then the day before; and what are they both now? doth not three dayes sorrow make make her forget all the comforts that ever she had; and if Reason did not help her in this exigent, would not she despair and cause thee to hang rhy self. She hath so dainty an appetite, that none less then God will please her; she is vanity herself, and loves certainty, but here she can find no such object to fix her eyes upon; alas, she is not such a fool as we make her, but doth plainly perceive the emptiness of all things under the Sun, in these two respects: 1. They are all insufficient to perform what they promise and would willingly do. 2. They are dishonest and unconstant, and will not do that good for us which lies in their power; but I must not be large, but if thou be wise please thyself now, all the world and every individual object therein is at thy choice. What, time passes away, say, wilt thou have a God or no, or wilt thou be without him to all eternity; thou mayst enjoy thyself without a wife, and live happily, better then with one, so mayst thou woman without a man, but without a God none can.  
I say, thou must have a God, though it be but a God of clouts for there is not any one faculty of thy soul that can be exercised without an object, either in opinion or in reality; if so then, let us consider what manner of one he shall be, imagine we were now choosing our wives, by which rule I was forced to go, when I had spent my spirits and wearied myself from one sect to another, to find one myself a God, in quiring of this man and of that man, at last of every man, what God they served, and how he would be worshipped, to see whether it was possible for me to serve their God or no; and believe me, I could never find in all my life two men of one opinion, but they differed in some material circumstance or orther, which filled my mind with more then a thousand cares and doubts, insomuch that at length I fell almost into despair, fearing that I should have no God at all; but in the midst of these anxieties of careful sad thoughts, it came to my mind to choose myself a God, I could be but damned for presumption, which motion pleased me well, then I began to take courage, and so studied what manner of one he should be, in whose presence I could dwell for evermore; and in this business the main work I had to do, was to make my own false treacherous heart be constant to itself, which when I had security of, and was satisfied, she often telling me, that she would now be contented with any God I thought good.  
O this being done with little pains, taking in the two Books of God, viz. my own nature and Scripture. I was completely furnished as to a God, according to my own hearts desire, insomuch to the glory of my God be it spoken, I have no need for any man to teach me to know my Lord; thus by the help of these two natural Notions which I found within me, have I made myself a God, in whose presence I more long to be, then ever I did for my wedding day; but he is not such a God who of his mere will and pleasure damns men, because he will damn them without any respect or consideration of their doings simply, in respect to his own decrees: Oh how the thoughts of such a God did astonish me, I was not able to cast them in my mind, but choose rather to have no God at all, and to live without the opinion or thoughts of God in the world, let no man rashly blame me for my impiety in so doing, for reason  told me, him that made the way must go in it, and that it was no unkindness in one of the Kings of England, whose Queen to make herself singular, desired that every Woman might have her right breast cut off; Madam, said the King, I must begin with you.  
Just so dealt I with my Mistress, else I might have had a God as well as others, a great while ago for she loves singularity as well as any Gentlewoman under braven, and would have had a God like herself; but she pleases not me, neither durst I trust to a God of her choosing; but if any man will yet judge me, let him set himself in my place, and look on God with the spectacle of this opinion as his own, it may be he may do worse, then what he condemns me for; for if tradition or relation be true, I have ground for so speaking. Francis Spiar, as I have heard, out of an apprehension of God being his enemy, was so enraged, that he wished himself above him: and some others in my dayes whom I can but will not name, one especially, who giving way to the Devil, was overpowered, and in the depth of melancholy conceited herself to be the child of perdition spoken of, Thessalonians 2.2.3. and so presently through the force of her imagination quibbling within her humour, drew on her mind the sense and torments of Hell, crying out against God with cursed execrations, wishing herself in his place, that she might be revenged on him, she would make him to feel what smart she endured, but through mercy I prevented this in me, by beginning the world anew, stripping and dispossessing myself of all those painted Robes which custom and tradition had clothed me with, and making myself a God with whom I shall never be displeased, though he damn me, I will bear him witness to all eternity, his censure on me will be just.  

And now I will sing this Anthem of joy  
In commendations of my God,  
And in despite of all others;   

All other Gods I do defy,  
But such that hath eternity,  
And live in everlasting glee,  
Knowing no woe nor misery.   

No other God of any kind  
Shall ever harbour in my mind,  
But I to him will show despite.  
Do it I will with all my might.   

I scorn such Gods be whom they may,  
That doth not right in justice sway,  
And bring all things in good degree,  
To those that serve them faithfully.   

I had rather have no God at all,  
Then one to bring my mind in thrall,  
Without a God I will ever be  
Except I have him whom I see.   

The God to whom my heart is resigned,  
Is sweet and pleasant to my mind,  
O such a God, so good is he,  
The like to him there is none can be.   

Which makes my soul unto him trust,  
Knowing his will abide I must;  
And if to Hell he would me throw,  
Then unto hell I strait would go.   

But so I hope ' twill never prove,  
My God he is the God of love;  
Yet if to Hell he will me throw,  
My mind shall never from him go.   
Thus thou seest I have got a God, I thank God, and would not for all the world be without him, as once I was, wherefore take heed to thyself, if thou hast none as yet, how thou choosest one, mistake not in thy choices, for all misery under heaven came from a mistake; I am sure there was never any evil yet committed, but the ground of it was a mistake; was there ever any wilful sinner, but first sinned unawares; no certainly, mistake spoils all, had not the Jews been mistaken, they would never have crucified the Lord of Glory.  
But methinks I see thee very inquisitive and nettled in thy mind, musing in thyself to know what manner of God this conceited fellow has got, wishing that thou mightest see him, to know how thou didst like him, being as desirous of a God as I, for all my prating; but wouldest thou have me tell thee who or what my God is, what good would that do thee, if thou didst like him ever so, this is my comfort, thou canst not steal him from me; neither will he be thine, but on the same terms as he is mine, and so I am willing to spare thee an interest with all my heart my God respects no persons, nor I neither; but to answer thee in a word, I know him not myself, my eye did never see him but and imagine him, neither can do.  
Neither could I ever meet with any in my thirteen years journey, as I  told thee of, that could or would tell me who or what there God was, and how he would be worshipped; whether they feared least I should steal him from them, or else be more diligent in serving him then themselves. I know not, something was the matter I could not learn him, nor know his service from them; yet I made diligent inquiry of every Traveller, after a God, for I wanted one exceedingly, and they all spake their pleasure some said I was a fool, there was no God at all, but a superstitious conceit the Learned had devised, and put into the heads of the vulgar to keep them in awe, and to raise their own interest of Credit and famed, and to have the Peoples Purses at their command, to feast and make themselves merry, like a pack of knaves as they are.  
Others said, sure there was a God, but he was so sublime and high in his own enjoyments, that he regarded not, nor took any Notes of the affairs or transactions of men.  
Others said, yes, he did and had by a simplo act of the knowledge of himself known and decreed all and every individual act and thought of the Sons of men.  
Others said, no, this was false, as all the rest, but indeed there was a God, but he had no such knowledge, nor made he any such decrees, but left men to the liberty of their natures, to do as they list themselves, onely taking account of their actions, because he intended to bring them to judgement after death, and to give proportionable rewards to every man according as his works should be.  
Thus I was at my wits end amongst them, my G●d knows, and what to thnk I knew not, till I bethought myself of this new trick, viz. making myself a God.  
Pray tell us how you did that, what, let us know something, it may be we may like and follow your example; that which is good for one man, may be good for another, if it be divine good it must be so. I doubt thou wilt not for fear least thou shouldst be mad as I am, who away with this, you are not mad, besides if you are, we are not to be sure, neither do we fear that any thing that you can say, will put us out of our wits: Saist thou so my heart, then hark hither, for in truth I am not afraid to tell thee, nor ashamed neither.  
Thus I did it, I said to myself, surely there is a God, or else I am God without any more ado; but I am not God, therefore, thus I conclude a God, will that please thee?  
I but what manner of God was that that you imagined, of which you talk so much of, how did you do that?  
First, I imagined or conceited a person in my mind, and because I knew none that my fancy loved above a rare beauteous comely woman, I thought on her, and what a pleasure and delightful happiness it would be to have affection and strength to enjoy so sweet an object, as I list myself to all eternity; but Reason corrected this first thought, and  told me that men were more excellent and noble then women  
Which thing he proved by a testimony drawn from that high esteem that women had of men above themselves, which argued that there was some real excellency in a man above that of a woman, or else they conceited so, for it is evident that they honoured them in their opinion, and for all there prating can do nothing like a man.  
[ Reader, I spake this in opposition to a mad sect that I met with in my Travels, an opinion which taught thus, they were not men that did wear breeches, nor women that were coats; but I know no proof they have for it, except it be this, because some men let there wives wear the breeches] and because I knew womens opinions were unconstant & light, I grounded nothing on them, neither did I listen to their thoughts, but made my own inquiry more into myself, to see whether I had found ever such sweet content and delight in the society of men as I had of women, and I found I had a great deal more then reason  told me, it was more proper to imagine a man in whom all those rare excellent qualities I delighted in did exsist, then I looked again among all the excellent men that I knew, to see whose virtues I loved most, and truly I saw that they were all imperfect, as there was one excellent quality, so there was a mixture of badness in the best, so that in brief, I could choose none of them for my example, to find out a God to please me.  
I also cast my eye inward, and looked on my own excellence, thinking to make that my God, for reason  told me, that it was better to do so, then to dote upon the excellence of others; besides, I had this advantage by it▪ I should have a God at home, and need not to go out to look any as I had done.  
But in this serious view, believe me, I saw myself to be worse then the Devil by how much I had belied him to excuse my own false heart, and am still possessed with this desire, rather that my God would give me into his power then to my own, so far am I from making that my God.  
Yet let me tell thee, that I have many rare excellent natural parts that if they were pullished with the art of Learning, they would shine lustrious in the eye of the world.  
For I am a m●n of a comely countenance, somewhat bashful, naturally of a modest behaviour, ruddy ●heeks, and ruby lips, as they have been often called by my Goddesses.  
And what though I am poor, yet do I want no change of Garments, for I have ●our Suits of the best fashion, made as nigh as I could after the example of those four beasts John showed me. 1. Orth t which I most esteem, is of Cloath of Gold. 2. Cloath of S●ver. 3. Flush, or black Velvet. The fourth is somewhat like white satin or Holland, but it is all besmeared with menstruous, so that if any any one see me in this, he will be sure to keck at me, though God help him, he hath no other clothes to wear.  
Thus with the use of these Suits, I can metamorphize myself into almost what shape I please: besides, I have so much natural art in rhetoric, that I can place my words as I list myself, and can delude and entice the opinion of the vulgar to what I please; which thing I have much experience, not that ever I deceived any, let all the Devils in Hell prove this if they can against me; but I did it to show them their weakness, how apt they were to be deceived, and what need they had to watch and beware of men, and to let no man deceive them; for had I been in good earnest through blind zeal, as I was in jest, I had cheated them utterly, and brought them into many damnable errors.  
For I will assure thee, before I put on my hairy Garment, I had such skill that one would have thought I might have cheated Jacob, though he had the blessing; but I ever hated cheating, for fear I should cheat myself in the end.  
Thus in brief, I saw nothing in myself, nor in any thing else that was worth desiring; but I hated life, and loved death; yea, lived dead as to sense of things for some weeks together, pleasing myself with these thoughts, that I had better never been, and being to die, and never to be more, but to be scattered with the wind like the dust to all eternity, then to have no better object to trust too, and delight in, then what yet my eye had seen  
And in the midst of these sad thoughts, my Lord Christ in all the robes of his divine virtue and love, was presented to my view; and it was asked me within, what I thought of such a God, could I delight in his company?  
And then that cursed doubt haunted my Ghost, I could not tell whether there was ever any such or no, it was said from within me, believe, and thou shalt see the glory of God, but I replied, I had been cheated too much already by believing, I would now turn Thomas, see before I believe any further.  
But reason  told me I was mad, and doted, what could I see no difference, nor distinguish between the objects of sense, and the objects of faith.  
He bid me red again my book of Nature, and asked me this question, How I knew myself to be a man; nay, how I knew whether I bad any being or no, or that I was ever born, or had Father or Mother; he bid me prove this without faith if I could: I  told him I had sense of these things, and that he talk like a fool; he bid me prove I had sense at all, but I could say nothing but mum.   

CHAP. IV Sh●wing the courses this man took to make himself a God, low he met with reason who ministered to his necessity: a discourse between Reason and the man, and what Rules Reason propounded, by which he should learn his God, to know also himself, his friend from foe.  
WIth that he laughed exceedingly, and said, ha, ha, ha, have I brought you to nothing now; I see that you see your labour is in vain, none of the Gods of all the N tions will please you, and are you yet in the same mind you were in; would you now have a God; a God, yes, or else I am undone for evermore; then he said, will you take one of my choosing; I, with all my heart: then; said he, you must follow my direction, do as I bid you, I said I would, and thank him too.  
Then said he, come hither you doting fool, has God been with you all this while, and yet have you not seen nor known him.  
But I denied stiffly that ever I had seen him, and  told him he would persuade me out of my wits as others had done.  
But he bid me red over my book of Nature, and turned me to this lesson, bidding me view the d fficulty and forrows I had gone through, asking me by what hand, and in what manner I was delivered; and before I had red this lesson, I had more then a hundred witnesses, accur●ing ●o my memory, all alleging and cl●arly proving a divine power above myself without me, exercised within me, so that I was convinced to the full, of these two most n● ble attr butes, viz. Power and Goodness.  
Then he asked me this question, Whether I saw no wisdom there, and I looked, and could not deny but I did, wisdom power, and goodness exercised towards me in the sharpest of all his dispensations, though indeed I have felt many a bitter blow, not knowing what a dayes health hath been this sixteen years to speak of, but I value it not, since I knew it was the chastising hand of my Father, who doth all things for my good.  
Thus having found these three Attributes in myself, I looked abroad, and reason shewed me these and many others, which I had no sense of in myself, as beauty, pleasure, strength, riches, honours; all which pleased me well, but yet I saw not eternity nor perfection in any of these; and I asked Reason to show me that, it being the chief object of my desire; but he  told me, he could not show me that any otherwise, but by the eye of raith, and bid me believe that there was such th●ngs.  
Nay, said I, show me this, else all the other will do me no good, and I began to quarrel with him for a cheat, and to say, he helped me fairly, taking me from being any more cheated by others, to make a prey of me himself: what, did he think I was such a fool to be deluded in this manner, what was goodness, wisdom, or power, riches, beauty, or strength, or any thing else to me, if it were not perfi● & permanent, what would all this avail me, since I might lose it in a moment, or enjoying of it, have more trouble and disquiet then content and peace? 〈◇〉 bid him hold his tongue without he could talk wiser, I had heard such stories to much already.  
'Twas easy to fain a Paradise, as Senex de Montibus did to establish his Government, and to keep his subjects in awe, who finding a convement place in a pleasant valley, where he made a delicious Garden, full of odiferous flowers and rare fruits; also a Palace of all worldly contentments that could be devised with music, wherein were many rare Pictures, and variety of dainty meats; when he had thus done, took a young man and gave him a sleeping potion, which so benumbed his sences, that he perceived nothing when he was carried thi her, who when he awaked. finding himself in this fair Garden, and entering into the Palace, and eating the meats, and enjoying all the pleasure that a sensual heart can desire, might think he had been in heaven, and go up and down afterwards, telling the people that he was in Paradise, and what rare things he had seen; but he would not have deceived me, for I have seen better things then these, if I could have always had the sense of them.  
Reader, I have been often so highly transported with the thoughts of God in my mind, and the sense of his love in my understanding, that the pleasure of women, I am certain, was nothing to it; but thou canst not believe this, nevertheless it is true.  
Still Reason laughed at me, and said, it should seem you are so cunning, that none can deceive you; I pray how came you by all this understanding; there he pinched me, and I could say nothing but mum: he asked me why I did not speak, but I answere● not, but grew sullen: he said, have you never a tongue; I said yes, but not to prate to such deceivers as he was: he asked me w●●●ther I knew what I said, & who I spoken to. With that I fel into a Passion, & railed against him very much, and if God should damn me for it, I know not what I then said, my Tongue went too fast, but reason was kind and gentle towards me, and let me alone till my mad fit was past, and I began to return to my former thoughts, wishing for death, and praising the state of the dead, how happy were they, and O what a pleasant thing it was to be voided of all thought and care whatsoever, unless one could be so happy to find a God to ease and cast ones cares upon.  
Then Reason came to me the second time, and with a kind salute and cheerful countenance, he said, How now my lad, what art thou God sick still? but I turned my face aside, and scorned him in my very heart.  
But he was so kind, that he took me by the hand whether I would or no, and said, what ailest thou, be free to me tell me thy grief, I am able to show thee a way to ease and help; let it concern what it will, prithee tell me but what it is thou desires, if I do not show thee the way to attain it, say I am a fool; with that he repeated and reckoned a great Catalogue of excellent things, and asked which of those I wanted, or whether I would have them all.  
I seeing him ingenious, made him this reply, I know my own wants better then any could tell me, and I knew that none of these things he had name would help me; but he followed me close, and asked what would give me content, did I know myself, I was the man he looked for, and desired to speak with, and truly I spoken that which I understood not, neither was able to prove, had he examined me, he would have found me almost mad, and not able to answer him, unless I had done as at the first, falling into a railing passion.  
But I was somewhat sullen, and would say nothing for a great while, till I had well considered and examined myself; then I said I wanted a God to make me happy; why then, said he, thou mayst choose one.  
But by this time I was wrought so low, and became so sensible of my own weakness, that I confessed I had no skill to please myself, and with that I  told him how often I had cozened myself as I could prove, for my mind had  told me more then ten times, how that if I had such or such an enjoyment it would make me happy, when I was a bachelor, she said, if I was married to such a one I needed no greater bliss; when I was a Husband-man, she  told me if I were a Genleman, & had such a gallant House and so many servants, what a brave life should I live then; and when I was a Gentleman, she  told me if I was a Knight or a Lord, I should be a brave fellow. And when I was a soldier, she said it was fine to be a Captain, till she brought me at last to be a Lieutenant-General, there she would not let me rest, but  told me I must be a General, till she made me a King, then I thought myself safe, and my posterity after me, but the Devil is in her for deceit: I was thrown down all on a sudden, and if God be not merciful to me must perish to all eternity, for following her council, and undertaking to keep other mens Vineyards, and neglecting my own, so that I am resolved rather to trust the Devil, then my own imagination, it hath so of ten deceived me; for I observed always, that those rare thoughts that hurried me on to the desire of these things, immediately left me when they had brought me thither, and I had no more esteem of the things I so desired, then a Cat had of a Mouse after she had played with it, nor so much neither; but to keep close to what Reason said, if thou be not able to know and choose what is for thy own good, there is a necessity that thou must be ruled by some other, or else die miserable; I said I would die rather, then run the hazard of being tormented and cheated as I had been; he said he never cheated me yet, neither would I ever follow his advice, he could never have the honour to be trusted by me.  
But I churlishly answered, he had created me all this while, like a Rascal as he was, or else it was the Devil in his likeness, But I thought it was he, he answered meekly, Every like was not the same. I asked how I should know the difference, since every one that spoken to me, said, he was reason, it was no matter for that, by reason he would show me.  
But I said I would reason no longer; then Reason wep bitterly, and asked me why I would die; what reason was there that I should destroy myself; and he took it very unkindly that I should suffer myself to be so much abused by others, and lay all the blame at his door, but I regarded him not, but was wilful, till I considered with myself, that this course was contrary to the scope of all my endeavours, to go about to seek a God to preserve me, and yet would not use that means which was in my own power to preserve myself and writ folly, the more I considered, it seemed to me for to think, that unless I improved that one Talent of my nature that God had given me, that I should ever have two Talents of grace, and much less to rule over five Cities, when I had no command of myself, how should I enter into my Masters joy: Thus I began to consider, and to lay it to heart, for I was a sool to think meat would kiill me, because through persuasion I had eaten too much.  
Then did I call to Reason to help me with his council, but he said I must not be wilful, but incline mine ear and harken diligently as I had done before to that which was not reason: I said now I would withal my heart, so I might have a God.  
He said that I should, he would warrant me, and a good one too, if I would be constant to his directions.  
And the first thing he bid me do, was this, believe, and I should see his glory.  
I asked whether there was no other way, for I was loathe to trust any more, he said no.  
But if I would go that road, he would show me what my heart desired and convince me by every step as he went, that he meant no deceit; he said likewise, that the Lord Jesus Christ whom I pretend to love, should indeed appear to me to be precious: These words rejoiced my heart, and I  told him, that if he did as he said, I would follow him in whatsoever he bid me do to my lives end.  
But could he not show me perfection and eternity, here he said no, and to convince me, he asked me whether ever I saw auy such thing in my Book of Nature, what made me dream of that now.  
But I  told him this was not handsome for him to answer my question, by asking another, I did not like it, for I expect that he would show me other things then what I had yet seen or known.  
He said, he meant to answer my expectation fully, if I would be quiet and stay his time, and place and learn my first lesson, believe, before I would see the glory of God, and afterwards it should come to pass, that I should have actual possession of it, and have the sense of him dwelling in me for evermore.  
This saying amazed me, and I cried out Blasphemy, for I thought that he would persuade that I should be God of myself. At which he was very angry, and said, did I not promise to be quiet, and yet would I prejudge his Councells.  
He said, he could show me how I should understand and have all this and more then he had name, and yet not be my own God.  
I besought him to give me an example of this, for I thought it a rare secret. And presently he instanced the human nature of Christ, who as he said, & I believed, was the express image of my invisible God, and chief of every Creature, in whom was all fullness, for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He also said, from him I should receive what grace I would for thanks; for such was the Fathers pleasure, because he loved his Son, to give him all things, save the power of being his own God.  
Neither durst he ever to think so of himself, but owned one above him, nay he was so humble that he never durst presume to do any thing, no not so much as to speak a word, but as his Father that sent him gave directions, what he should say, and in his most greatest trial in the midst of those exquisite tortures which he endured on the across, which made him really to think, that his God had forsaken him, yet would he not endure the thoughts of being his own God, though indeed and indeed it was in his power at that time to have vindicated himself against the mockings of the Scribes and Elders, and rest of the people who wagged there heads at him, saying, let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the across, and we will believe in him, which thing he might have done to have strengthened the faith of his Disciples, and to have satisfied them, had he been so minded to make himself his God, what need he take such pains to be obedient to death, in doing the will of another; but this he knew, how excellent soever he was, yet was there one above him, who would doubtless have charged him with high treason, had he so done, notwithstanding all their temptations.  
O matchless pattern of self-denial, reason said, to whose steps do thou take heed, and thou shalt never fall into this extreme, though vain persons should adore thee, as they have done some to their sorrow, witness James Nailer, poor man, if his repentance be true.  
And to confirm this, he shewed me a Gentleman of my acquaintance whom I knew to be a prudent man, whose piety had got him so high an esteem in the hearts of all that knew him, that they would have done I think, as the Galatians pulled out there own eyes, or done any mischief to themselves or other, if he would have said the word, which the good man perceiving and ●nding that his spirit was not able to bear their factions love, affect●d his mind in all his discourse, to show the vanity of man, that he was a nothing Creature, and in the midst of all his glory was but as Grass that withereth, &c.  
But the madness of the people was such, that the more he humbled himself, the more they idolized him, which the man yet perceiving, striven vehemently to beat off their affections, and to place them on their right object, insomuch that he inflamed his body with a mortal disease, as Physicians judged past recovery, which when the good man perceived that he must die, and his Christian friends came to visit him with tears in their eyes, but like those of Jobs, were not able to minister one word of comfort to him, which he still perceived, fell into a passion as they ●●●ght, and cursed their comforts, bidding them keep their breath to cool their own pottage, he could sup hotter broth then they thought, he could thus hidding them in anger look to themselves, or else let the Devil in hell take them for him, he could do them no more good, he had done too much for them already in the Devils name, but when his adorer heard him thus to despise their Comforts, and repent him of the good he had done them, as they thought, and giving them up to their own guidance, or else to fall into the Devils, they immediately changed their opinions concerning him, and thought he was possessed with Devils himself, and so forsook him quiter, and ran away for fear, reporting that he was turned a Ranter or else he was stark mad out of his wits, but the heavens knows they never ministered any other way to his necessity, which made the good man so much sport to see that he had frighted the Children to themselves, that he forthwith recovered of his most desperate disease: happy, said he, would this Nation be, if all men were of this mans mind, that is, not to suffer children to dote upon them.  
Now reason said, it would not be amiss, if I did so as he did, rather then suffer myself to be idolized either in my own or other mens opinion.  
This satisfied me exceedingly, and I thanked Reason hearty for this example; for I saw that I need not fear to make myself God if I kept this rule.  
I bid him go on; but he said that he had little else to say as for a God, this was sufficient, if I kept it in mind, and meditated on it, to make my life in all points like his, I should do well, and within this nine and twenty years I should be with him in glory; he said it would be of much use for me always to have this example red, as the Seaman had his Compass, that I might not lose myself in the storms nor misty fogs.  
He also said, that I should set my heart at ease, and beat my brains no more; for if I should study to the world end, I should never find the like example, so like that God as I desired, as he was, therefore by all means I should keep him, till I had my God in possession.  
He also promised to be an assistant to me, to put me in mind when I forgot him, bidding me look to it, for he would torment me if I did not go after his example; and truly I find him constantly as good as his word, I am as sure to be beaten when I do any thing contrary to reason, as the skin sticks to my back.  
Thus Reason hath brought me to a God, if thou likest him thou mayst have him as well as I; but if thou hast a better, keep him to thyself, this will serve my turn: moreover reason said, sith I had taken all this pains in good earnest to find a God, and in the end committed myself to his direction in point of choices, he would now show me many other rare secrets if I would be constant to my choice now I had made it, and not go a whoring after the gods of others; he bid me assure myself of this, there was no God had such excellences as my own; if I doubted it at any time, I should compare excellence, and if my Gods exlence did not exceed theirs, in my own opinion, and my mind was a Kingdom to me, more then a twenty shillings piece of gold did a counter, I should have liberty to choose another God when I thought fit.  

Thus I my God at length did find,  
Whose Lodgings are now in my mind,  
By reason I my God have known,  
By reason him to thee I have shown,  
If thou shouldst beauty in him see,  
'Tis long of reason, not of me.  
Now let me say the thing I know right well,  
With in thy mind two potent powers do dwell,  
Those anxious cares mixed with fears commotion,  
Argues their zeal, and ●ke their strong devotion,  
Who casting all things ever for thy good,  
till reason reckons, so 'tis understood.  
That thou mayest know itis true as I defined,  
The place of thoughts it is the womb, thy mind,  
The Father that doth the thoughts beget,  
Is God ore the Devil, no other knowest thou yet,  
Then have a care from whom thy thoughts do come,  
Let reason rule thee, else thou art undone.  
Just as thou thinkest, just so shall all things be,  
In truth believe it, so it seems to me.   
And in the first place, he shewed me an excellent art how to device and frame Laws, and to bind the rebels within, viz. all manner of fleshly concupiscence, and every imagination and high thought that would exalt itself in me, in opposition to the example of Christ.  
1. He gave me a general rule, to which all the particular Law he gave me should he reduced.  
That which made for universal peace and health both of my body and mind, he said should be esteemed by me as my critic Law.  
That which made against the universal health and peace of my body and mind, how plausible soever it might seem, when it was adorned with Rhetorical ornaments, though uttered by the tongue of an Angel, I should think him a Devil that meant to destroy me: But then said I, alas, I know not what makes against the health of my body, or for the good of my soul.  
He said then, I was a fool indeed, he took me for one that knew myself.  
He was sure, that he had heard me often chide and rebuk others for their folly and weakness in suffering themselves to be drawn aside by every apple Temptation, and so dispossessed of that paradise of peace and pleasure consisting in the health and tranquillty of body and mind; and did I know other mens faults & how to instruct and correct them, and not my own, this could not be: Thus he chid me soundly, and  told me, I was a busy-body, not fit for the society of men, good for nothing but to find faults with others, troubling my head about other mens business; else it was impossible, said he, for thee to know what they should, or ought to do, or who was their friend or for, but I might easily know my own, if I mind myself; mary, you are that pretty, spruce, witted fellow so much talked of every where, that can teach every man, that hath such great parts of wisdom and divine graces, and knows all Arts and Sciences, and who are friends and foes to the Commonwealth, excellent skill in the affairs of the world all over, but yet you do not know your friend from your foe:  
With that he gave to me a good cuff on the ear, and said he would teach me more wit; and I confessed myself to be too blame in being so busy, and spending my judgement so rashly on others, for I had no skill, though I pretended it, I knew not their faults, nor their friends from their foes any more then my own: and for my own, I was so grossly ignorant, that I knew them not at all, but my vices esteemed virtues, and my virtues vices, being always afraid to act virtue, lest I should disp●ease one or other, and lose my interest in them; therefore would I flatter them, though my mind  told me the things they did were not good, which caused me at the last to fall in with their designs, and then I would undertake them right or wrong for my interest sake.  
Said he, you have made brave work amongst them then, have you not? setting the world together by the ears, and bringing them into confusion; are you not guilty of their blood by your own confession; and pray consider, do not brazen it out, nor slink back, and pull your neck out of the collar, how oft have you condemned and damned your own soul in the person of others? as I could show you in a thousand particulars, but you would not endure to hear me: When I governed the Nation, you said I was a Tyrant, but now you cannot tell how to govern yourself, neither do your own actions please you, you are at your wits end, are you not? you will be, when you do consider how you have destroyed yourself, in destroying of others, neither will you ever be at peace, till you let them alone: Your Governours will not please you, they have no right to reign over you, and why, they know not your wants, neither have they discerning spirits; when shall they, if you know them not yourself? do you not know they are men, and doth not your duty bind you to submit to them, though they are of the basest sort, what is that to you, if my God will have such to reign ov rt is world, and will give you a better, if he by their hand take this from you, can you not trust my God with this, you shall whether you will or no, for you shall never have any to please your mind; no if Christ had come in the year 56. I am sure his Government would not have given thee content, though thou so much desiredest it; God will please none but such as please themselves, with any thing: Judge them not, for wert thou in their places, thou must do the same deeds, and worse too if occasion served.  
And why art thou offended with them? if they were Devils they could not hurt thee, but by thy own consent; if by violence they will take thy coat, let them have thy cloak; so if they compel thee to go a mile, be not unwilling to go twain: If thou wilt serve my God, and will not act by their news, thou must suffer by them patiently, and not rail against them like a Dragon.  
Governed thou must be, till thou canst govern thyself, then any Government will please▪ thee; and till then thou wilt destroy thyself, and all depends upon thee.  
When I understood this, I cried out, saying, alas, what evils have I done, especially to myself; had I been ware of this, I would have been more sparing in my censures for my own sake, but he was mighty wrath, and full of indignation with this answer, and bid the Devil take me for my ignorance, for I had condemned the just, and did I think, Lord have mercy on me should serve my turn; no, no, said he, all the difference between virtue and 'vice lies in this one point, the virtuous speak, and do onely the things they know; and the vicious that they know not, which makes the same act virtuous in one, that is vicious in another.  
Now this is the worlds damning sin, to suffer their Tongues to run before their wits, damn and curse others to the pit of hell for doing those things with knowledge and reason, which themselves do daily and know it not, as if knowledge were the cause of sin, when nothing is more evident, that people perish for want of knowledge, neither shall all the wits in Europe persuade me, but that if the unjust person knew that unjustice were unprofitable at the time when he is about to act it, that he would or could do it:  
Did the Whoremaster know the whore had the Pox, or would burn him at the very instant; would he use her, I think not.  
No, no, we are either ignorant or forgetful, and hence comes all our strife, and that cursed habit to remember other mens faults and forget our own; thus in a great rage he sai●, his God should forget all such for ever, unless they did remember themselves, though they were as a Signet in his right hand.  
The righteous, said he how ever it falls out, are quiter otherwise affencted, they do nothing so much as condemn themselves; they, as it were, dote on their own faults, doubt and fear there best acts, yea indeed loathe and abhor them, by reason of that impurity they see in them, but in relation to others they are so tender, feating they should judge amiss, they will not censure them at all, unless you abuse them beyond measure, and patience quiter spent, them blame them not to be offended, for they are but men. [ W●en the oil is all spent, the lamp must go out.]  
The righteous are not censorious, but rather too pitiful, to slow in exacting there own right, to apt to credit others, suffering themselves to be abused grossly, till they become a prey to the wicked.  
O how have I known the simplo cheated, and is it not the trade of the wise men in London this day so to do; alas, I see them entertain their Chapmen with serious countenance, and holy religious discourses, insinuate themselves into there affections, showing them choices of wears to please them, when the men have taken great pains, and come along journey to please themselves; and when they bought there parcel, having business to do in the Town, leave them in the Shop with those whose honesty they think they may trust, who having other Chapmens Letters ready for the same commodity, forthwith sand them away, and then hurry, post the Workmen, put them to a great inconvenience, and themselves also to cheat the Chapmen: this I have known some, though I will not say in this manner, get an estate of many thousand pounds these decaying times, for which they may thank there conscience and religion; these are religious men I speak of, that do know me, and they know I will not lie, I scorn it, and had they used their wits, and not their religion, it would never have troubled me if they had got ten thousand times more; but I by my Religion, I thank God, have in this sense lost all, and care not, having got sincerity and a better hope in my eye.  
But then there is another foolish affection which too to much reigns in the hearts of the righteous; I know not what name to call it, unless it be foolish pitty; this makes them like faint-hearted chirurgeons, who dare not ripp up the Ulcers of their Patient, though they know their wounds are mortal and will kill them without a remedy; yet for fear the wind should get in them, or some other accident happen, and so their plaster should have the imputation of poison upon it, and themselves disgraced, and be accounted little less then murderers. Just so the righteous dealt by the wicked, they fear censuring them according to their known deserts; and will not ripp up nor anatomize their faults, and why do they so, lest the Devil should take an advantage by it, and make them desperately wicked, or else for fear they should despair, and laying their words so to heart, that they should sink under the sense and heavy weight of their own sins, but the wicked lye always on the catch with the righteous, watching their steps and human infirmities, taking all advantages to multiply every mistaken word, & call it blasphemy; nay, if the righteous answer not their unreasonable expectation in all things, what heavy censure will they without fear or wit cast upon them. O you righteous speak for yourselves, let not the wicked oppress you, nor cause you to blaspheme the most worthy name by which you are called; forsake not religion, though they swore thou art a hypocrite, and call thee Ranter, Knave, Rascal, Fool: the way to be wise, it not to go to the it School, it matters not what they say, thou knowest thyself, and thou shalt know that God knows thee; but the righteous pitty the wicked, & lament to see their blindness, and that betrays them.  
O this foolish pitty spoils a City, and hath wrought me more sorrow then all my sins besides; this is that which makes gracious Parents have graceless Children, good Masters bad servants, honest and just men, dealt unhonest and unjustly by: Out this pitiful Devil, thou spoilest all, he hath undone me, and all the godly, to do his creature good; the truth is, the Devils Kingdom could not stand, were it not for the righteous to support it, and they can do him no better service, nor give greater encouragement to sin, then when they commiserate and pitty with their affection the estate of the wicked; but let them take heed, the time is at hand, the Devil their Master will show them no such kindness, in the mean time let not the righteous be so liberal of their charity least they want themselves: remember the wise Virgins, and take this for a truth, proved by my experience from many observations which is true of all men, except those few where grace hath made the difference, censures will not reach them, but there spare your censures for the Lord sake, especially if they are weak in understanding, they will apply the wicked portion to themselves, and that will kill them indeed; oh it will break their hearts to hear you tax them of the want of zeal for their Lord, when the continual notion of their mind, together with the concurrence and universal strain of their actions do prove to their conscience, and to the view of all diligent beholders, that there is nothing so high in their desires, nor hath such root in their affections, as the glory and honour of their God. confident I am for the righteous, how strange soever some one or two particular actions may seem to a sudden and rash censure; yet they would rather die then dishonour their Maker: Reader, thou hast no love to God, unless in some measure thou hast this experience in thyself.  
But the wicked are persons of another constitution, hard-hearted and their minds are designed another way; money is their highest object, and hath the chief place in their desires; neither care they how nor by what means they get it, nor indeed from whom they never affect their minds with this thing, called Conscince, but for a compliment to their intended purpose; they know onely to get Money, they mary wives and serve God for nothing else, their whole religion tends that way, and butter will as soon break their heads, as love their hearts; & those Preachers that preach for money in this sense or to raise themselves any indirect interest through the affections of the people, no marvel they are long winded and can preach three hours together, tell they weary the peoples patience and make them mad, but scape well enough themselves, because they never affect their mind with meditation before, nor in nor after their speaking with what they say, but the eye of their minds, and thoughts of their hearts, is to think how this will take and please such and such of the people, by whom they intend to raise their fortunes; yet have they a most admirable faculty to out-reason( as they call it, prate I say) any, and to answer as it were all the weighty Arguments, though ever so powerful and rational, or rightly drawn, yet will they reduce them to their own advantage in a trice, so that it is to no end to dispute with them.  
I could tell them how they do this, but I am already to large, and this would make a great and unhandsome gap in my discourse.  
Yet I will give some light by which every man may discover the secrets of his own heart, and see how he deceiveth himself and others; let him sit down and consider what was the chiefest thing in his affection when he choose him a wife, if he knows not this he knows nothing: for if he knows how to choose a God, he knows how to choose a wife without controversy; but he that knows not how to choose a wife, shall never choose me a God; I will not be afraid to conclude of such, how specious so ever their pretence may be they know nothing, we all know we must use words to win our Mistresses favour, and he that will raise himself an interest with the form of Godliness, without the power of it, must use many more, we must tell our Mistress her beauty ravishes our hearts, she is so handsome, so sweet, so comely, so lovely to behold, that her sight sets our sences all on fire, and there is nothing will quench them nor satisfy us but her love; neither is there any other motive to induce or persuade this our affections to the admiring of these her admirable, singular, incomparable superlative, excellent, matchless beauty, but the true and known sense of her serene virtues; oh her virtues, her virtues, that rich Jewel, that Crown, that Ornament with which she was clothed from the top to the to, this is that which makes her beauty shine in our eyes more glorious then the Kings daughter that was all glory within; love her who can choose, she is so sweet an object, by reason of that rose and choice flower in her Garden, whoever he was that smelled of it, it must needs attract his senses, that he must either die or live in the enjoying of the savour of it by lodging in her bosom; we regard not her portion, because we know it is sure, her virtues, her virtues, is the object of our desire, in the enjoyment of which onely our hearts would be blessed.  
Now women for the most part, having little or no skill in their own virtues, are easily brought to believe that which they so much desire to be true, forthwith gave their consent, which being done, and their money fingered, my man changes his mind, then all that beauty and virtue with which he was taken in a trice, is by him turned into deformity and 'vice; that comely face, with a high forehead, of a lovely brown complexion, with rosy cheeks, & ruby lips crystal eyes, I very teeth, bluish veins, alabaster skin, is no better then a tany tallow-fac'd kitchingstuff jade, her pretty nose is now long picked, or hooked like a Swines snout.  
O Fie upon her, how was I decived when I saw babies in her eyes; was ever man so cheated, sure the damned bitch painted; now I see no such thing as may be called beauty at all.  
As for her virtues, rak hell and skum the Devil, you cannot find her fellow, she has none at all, or else I have no eyes to see them, commonly both.  
O she is so bad that she cannot be expressed, I am not able to endure the house with her, would God or the Devil had her, I cared not which so I was rid of her, I would get another and money to boot, and see how I should speed the second time.  
This is such a nasty stinking spoisonous jade, she stinks like a Pole Cat, no man is able to abide her, and before I will lye with her for my necessity, I will first-run the hazard of damning soul and body with a Harlot, before I will lie with such a furkin of foul stuff as this is; Is not this a brave Rogue, every man will say, Hell is not too hot for him; but I say, thou pining whining deceitful hypocrite with dissimulation in thee, art as bad as he, and shall have as much punishment when thou comest to be Judged: in the mean time, poor women, as bad as I love you, I will pitty your cases, and tell you the truth men and wives, if you do not the longer you have one another, better love one another, you never loved rightly at all.  
But since you have taken one another for better and for worse, if either man or wife prove contrary to expectation, I think you have no remedy but patience; but if you chance to choose again, take this direction.  
There are but three things in the whole world desirable; the first is Virtue, to which head is reduced all wisdoms, Justice, Prudence, Temperance, Patience, fortified Charity, &c.  
2. Is beauty, or comeliness of parts; to which head be reduced all bodily strength, proportion, and suitableness of limns, together with the superficial knowledge of all Arts and Sciences whatsoever.  
3. Is Riches, to which is reduced all kind of Treasure, such as Goods and Land, Gold, Jewels or Rings, cattle, Sheep, Horses, and all such things, &c.  
Now I am infallibly assured, that thou canst not love any thing but is of one of these consideration; and how easy is it to see which of these three things I love best; but here is the cheat, thou canst hardly see them all in one subject, therefore thou wilt feign them wise and virtuous, if they be rich, yea and comely to, though they be never so deformed, cruck'd backed, talow faced, and never so bad conditioned, never inquire into that, have they money, how much, five hundred, or a thousand pound, then it is all well enough.  
Thus let virtue be the object thou looks on when thou choosest a Bride, be sure it is in her; if thou art mistaken, it is thy fauit, blame her not, but love her, and work it in her: If her friends deceive thee in her portion, be not angry with her, nor never hit her in the teeth with it, as villaias do, till they make their poor women weary of their lives, drown and hang themselves, damn soul and body to the Devil for ease: And shall I believe those have skill to choose me a God to please me, that cannot please themselves with a wife, no not I.  
Thus have I proved the whole world a cheat; for there is not one man nor woman, at least all such as repent their bargens, but it is manifest by their own confession; wherefore husbands see that your wives are virtuous: if they had none when you had them, why did you mary them; if they had it, it is improved, or else it is your fault.  
If they have none, I will say you have none, and persuade all men to be of my opinion; therefore if you be wise, look to your wife and children, for if I see not the fear of God in them, you shall never make me believe but you are hypocrites, preach and pray till Dooms-day if you will, I can tell you your reward for that.  
Money is no commodity in heaven, the streets are paved with gold, and ●ou that mary wives or husbands, or do any thing else, prea●● and pray, and such like, for money, thinking to get an estate of four, five, or six hundred, or a thousand pound or two, or ten, or twenty, or thirty, or fifty, nay let it be a million, my God will not own you nor your services, if you think to presume because of your great purses, and so in rude yourselves as gests to his banquet, without this wedding-garment, I mean, the love of God and virtue, and the testimony of your conscience within you, ready to witness this, that in simplici●y and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but with the grace of God, you have had your conversation in the world; I say, if you have not this ready, then talk of it, as much as you will now, my King will cause you to be bound hand and foot, and cast into utter darkness, where is nothing but weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.  
But thou gentle Dove, sincere soul, who dost not live for any thing, but to glorify thy Maker, and do his will, let the Serpents subtlety be tempered with thy innocency, make them to know thou canst be wise and godly to, and have a Mistress or Treasure without all this hypocrisy; and you that have any dealings in this hypocritical generation, think on this rule when you are in them,  

Here lies a snare in every dead,  
The which will woe and torment breed,  
Unless we secretly device,  
To shun the hook, and take the prise,  
Which sure to do is wisdoms part,  
And hit it right requires art.  
None like to the Worldling, be thou wise,  
While their tongue go to thy promise,  
Let not their crafty words thee cheat,  
Be sure thy wits be not to seek.   
Do this, and thou shalt have money enough, I will warrant thee.  
The things to be premised at this time are these; whether I know myself to be so worthy in every respect as they make me.  
2. How they know me to be so, from what particular grounds.  
Will a Thief believe himself, and so confess himself a Thief, because thou beliest him to be one? no, he will put thee to the particular proof, and so must thou do by thy flatteries, whether within or without, it is impossible else but thou shouldst be deceived, and so necessary deceive others.  
I did not think to have talked so much, but it is no great matter what I say, since I am mad, I may please my own fancy, and talk what I list myself, yet will I talk no more of this.  
But now I will go to Reason again, that mad fellow, my companion; for all he beats me, I like his discourse well, and am resolved to follow his direction when all is done.  
Re. But if it be so, thou dost not know thyself.  
I do not know what to say to thee, thou art as bad a fool as him that did not know a big from a Dog, and worse too; what, thyself not know, nor yet thy friend from thy foe, this is madness in the abstract, the Devil is a fool indeed, if he cannot deceive such a soul as thou art; this is the sole cause of all thy distemper, it is enough to make the whole world mad if they saw it. I am persuaded they would be as little in their wits as thou art. Ma. mary I know not how it is with others, but God help me, and have mercy upon me, 'tis so in me; Good Sir tell me how to remedy it. The truth is, I know no other way then to meditate on that general rule I gave thee, and diligently consider and mark every thing thou dost feel, hear, or see, until thou dost come to that which thou thinks will please thee, then be sure to mark that with a different character, then see and consider how long this will endure; if it vanish, consider what was the cause which hinders thee from enjoying thy wonted pleasure; if it be any other cause then what is of absolute necessity, it is in thy own power to divert it, and possess thyself of thy wonted pleasure; be sure whatsoever thou dost, keep a high esteem of that which always pleaseth thee, be it what it will, if it be a crucified Jesus; this was once S. Pauls lesson, to know nothing but Christ and him crucified, Cor. 2.2. it is no matter for that, a Christ without may do thee as much good, as a Christ within, and for ought I know more far if thou wilt thyself: The like course I would have thee take with those things that displease thee, mark them all, and when thou hast done, get a Table of them in thy head as perfect as thou canst tell twenty, and if this will not teach thee thy God to know, to know thyself, thy friend from thy foe; go to thy old Master the Devil for a better instruction, for thou art like to have no other from me.  
Ma. Well, I was fain to take this Direction for want of a better, and with much ado, God knows, I found my friend from my foe; but who do you think my foe should be? one that I little dreamed on, it was my Darling, my darling, my most beloved, my second self the wife of my bosom, the delight of my eyes, the delight of my mind, the life of my body, my animal soul, my unreasonable affections which persuaded me day and night to my own destruction; and when I saw and was thoroughly persuaded that it was she, O Christ how I cried, for I did so love her, that I thought it would have broken my very heart to have changed my countenance from smiling to frown.  
And so far was I from chiding or beating her, that I would rather have died like a fool as I was, then to have denied her the least of her unreasonable desires. Nay, I think, had she asked my heart blood, and brought me a knife to bid me cut my own throat, had it not been for this honest man, Reason, I in my conscience should have done as other fools in this kind have; yea, the truth is, did not Christ help me, and sand me him to keep me company, I should dote upon her still.  
But when she saw that Reason was about to work my affections off from her, and that I was resolved to be ruled by Reason, and do what he bid me without dispute; it is not to be expressed, the pleas she made to keep her interest in my affections; O how she railed against Reason, and called him all to nought.  
But Reason said nothing to her then, and bid me hold my tongue, let her rave her fill, and when she saw that I slighted her in this sort, good Lord how she threatened me, and said, would I follow Reason, then I should never enjoy a good hour, nor a quiet day, nor have ones nights rest as long as I lived, but be perplexed with blasphem●us odious thoughts, and hideous visions, fearful sights, doleful out-cries, and a distressed wounded spirit should always attend me. Nay, she said, she would cause the Devils to torment me after death, else she would be a Devil herself, but she would be revenged on me; and my Reason too, my God, knows she spake so much, that she made me horribly afraid; but Reason said, regard her not, follow my directions, I will bring thee to thy God, who shall secure thee from all their power; in the mean time we will deal wisely with her, bind her fast with Laws, and if she rebel and break any of them, thou shalt plague her, and I will be as bad a Devil to furnish thee with a thousand devices that she never yet dreamed on, for all her cunning.  
The subtle Jade seeing that Reason was my friend, made no more ado but drew up all the strength and power within me to oppose reason itself.  
And in the first place, she would dispute with him, but reason was wise, knowing it was to no end to dispute with the Devil, he said, the Lord rebuk her for her presumption, he had something else to do then to reason with her, unless she would come to club law, and if she would not he would make her whether she would or no; with that he bid me bang her soundly, and I durst do no other but execute his command, for fear he should leave me to her mercy, and I had rather run the hazard to have fallen into the hands of the Devil I knew her so well.  
And sometimes Reason himself would come, and he would bang her, I thank him for it, I knew not how nor which way, and betwixt them they would put me into a horrible fear for the time; It is but a folly to lie, she for her part would cry and make such a noise, and pitiful faces, it would grieves ones heart to see her, but I pitied her not for all she was my own, but bid her submit to the Government of Reason, as I had done, and then all should be well, and I would love and cherish her as well as ever I did in all my life.  
She seeing there was no remedy, was forced to dissemble herself servant to Reason; but it would make you wonder to hear how subtly the jade went to work to make her composition.  
First, how she found fault with his demands and impositions; she  told him he was to rigid and tyrannical, if he took this course his Kingdom would not stand long, for he would kill his subjects by his oppression: what, there was reason in all things, and he pretending reason, could not be ignorant of that, no violence could be durable, he knew it well enough.  
Why did he force and bind her to that whereunto she was willing, she knew well enough, that there was a necessity of a God, and she was willing to keep all his Laws; what, would he have her heart out.  
This Reason answered thus, he bid her do them, and he would find no fault.  
But she said, they were not Gods Law that he imposed on her, but things of his own or some other mans invention. neither did she believe that God would own them when it came to the upshot, he would have little thanks for his pains: and since she must be a slave to his will, she besought him that she might have those privileges as other Captives had, to go up and down in my House, and to have me abroad now and then to recreate me, for the old love she bore me.  
But Reason, said she, should not trouble herself about me, what ever she did, he would show me other gets pleasure then ever she had done, and do more good for me then she could imagine.  
Then she besought him that he would be kind to her, and not check her so much.  
She could instance him many examples from those where Reason did undoubtedly rule; yet did he not take this course neither was there any need be should thus kerb her, sure God did not require it at his hands.  
[ Let none be thy example but the Lord Jesus, and the Apostle Paul, the gentle Apostle.]  
Reason, said she, should not tell him what was Gods laws, nor teach him how to govern by her example of others; be knew what he had to do, it may be he had not undertaken for them as he had for me, and as much skill as you have in their hearts, you do not know that they ever desired it as this Man hath done; it may be they asked me for nothing, but to bring them into a good esteem in the world, to have the favour of men, that they might get Golds and Silver, Good and Lands, and such things; but this poor man, like a fool in their judgement, as he is, cares for none of these things, he will have a God or nothing; and it is not so easy a matter to bring one to God, as it is to Gold, and such like things; thus you may be mistaken in your example as wise as you are.  
But keep your tongue between your teeth while you are at ease, let the man and me alone, and tell me not what God requires, for he requires that you should be crucified.  
But we will deal kindly by you, 1. We will whip you as oft, and with as many stripes as we please, if your back be too hard for us, we will let you blood by spoonfuls; if this will not do, we will cut off your toes one after another, next every finger that you can spare; after this, if we cannot tame you, and make you keep within the bounds of our Laws, we will pull all the hair off of your head by degrees, by the roots; if this will not tame you, but you will rebel, if God damn us for evermore, we will take your own right hand, and put a knife in it, and it shall stab you, or cut your throat: Thus we will crucify you.  
These words are inserted in one of the Authors critical Laws.  
We will make you and all the Devils know,  
Reason hath power to rule below.  
[ Thus at the utmost, reason threats is but what unreasonable men do ordinarily do, both to themselves and others]  
You have no plea left you, but to find fault with my Government, and pretend that you can device better Laws, which will be more for the subjects good, to bring them to pleasure and gaze: It is manifest, who dares deny, but you have great skill in Government, as appears all along, ever since the world stood, and especially in these times, wherein your master-piece is shown, in that you have brought them into Confusion and Madness.  
And as for this poor man in particular, it is so lately done, you cannot yet forget it, how you and they together served him, if you should be so impudent to deny it, he shall testify it to your faces, how you lead him by the nose like a blind Bear round about the Bear-garden, thirteen years together, where every one had a slash at him, till they whipped out his eyes, and wearied him almost unto death, to make themselves sport: You made him mad you all know, and thought he must be butted alive in Bedlam; but through mercy, by my means and direction, he is now alive, and hath good sense and memory, able to convince you all of your folly if he list himself.  
And before I have done with him, it may be I will make him to give you all to know, that you are not well in your wits, nay mad, without you obey my rules, as he hath done, thus he silenced her.  
But yet the cursed jade would not leave me, but when reason was absent, she would tempt and torment my poor mind, which happened ever now and then, for reason methought did often leave me; what the cause was, I cannot tell, unless it was that I might see and be thoroughly sensible of the malice of my Mistress, and become thankful unto God and him for my marvelous deliverance from her power, and also, that I might have the better esteem of reason, and hug him when he came to me again, and delight myself in conversing with him; so that by loving him, I should at length become careful of giving him any just occasion of forsaking me, lest he should leave me quiter: But I hope I shall never offend him so much, in presuming to do any thing contrary to his holy Laws; and I dare say, from that experience I have had of him, he is so honest, that he will not otherwise leave me, till he hath brought me to God according to his promise at the first.  

And then farewell reason, my sweet guide,  
With all things that ever I saw beside.   

In the mean time live or die,  
Damn or perish eternally,  
I still must keep him company.   

And for my most deceitful Whore,  
I will set this mark upon P. my door,  
Unto her I will go no more.   
If there be any that will pled with me in her behalf, I will retort her arguments against them.  
Let them say what they will, and reason from what premises they can imagine, if I once perceive that they take her part, let them be rich or poor, friend or foe, I will not regard what they say, neither will I inquire nor consider from what Catagory their arguments are drawn; I know she doteth, and so of necessity must all that take her part, it is too apparent, else they would not condemn others for things they know not, and daily lose paradise themselves for a less temptation then an Apple.  
Witness all their lying, cheating devices, though custom hath wrought a habit, that they cannot see they are sins; but whatsoever is customarily and ordinarily done, is well done, let the reason be what it will, never seek into that.  
Besides, reason  told me there was a world of danger in disputing or doing any thing in his absence, and he bid me tell this secret to the world, though they were not worthy of it; viz.  
That he hath many and sundry causes to leave us, some from the temperature and constitution of our body, because of the natural or common impediments incident unto us.  
There was many causes arising from our business, we were wont to be over busy, or else idle, and none of this he could abide, though it may be we thought we had most of him at such times, but we were deceived, and therefore must take better heed, if we thought to have his company.  
Then said I, alas, it is very hard for them to know when thou comest, and when thou go●st.  
Is there not some means to make it plain to them?  
I have but one rule of which they are capable.  
What is that?  
Let them be sure to mark themselves when they begin to grow across, pevish, or indis●osed in mind, when nothing will please them, this is an infallible argument that at that time I am not with them, and that I have left them, or else not come unto them.  
I, but said I, methinks thou shouldst not leave them at al. He said I was a fool for thinking so, for this is all in all to make them sensible of their own weakness, they being ever apt to run into extremes, and all their censuring and damning of others, comes directly from the Catagory of presumption, O did I not presume my own soul is safe, I would pity the distress of others, but it is well with me my ship is in harbour, though thine is on the main, and tossing to and fro, and will there certainly be shattered to pieces; alas, alas, how do I see men tost too and fro, say they have no assurance, yet do nothing more then presume of their own salvation, condemn and damn others to the pit of Hell for sin and doting, when there is not the wisest man alive but doteth daily, though he seeth it not, neither is there any way under heaven, that reason knows better then this, to make their own rod beat them, by giving them into the hands of their own passion and weakness, and if they would once come to know what the Divine Heavenly Philosopher meant in those words, Luke. 14. vers. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. they should enjoy his company ten times more then they do, would they get but a right esteem of their own ability at all times, for this they must have, or else they will never know God nor themselves, and without which knowledge they can never judge of any thing, but madly undertook all things, but indeed do nothing.  
There is so small a difference between light and darkness, day and night, sincerity and hypocrisy, truth and fallacy, that he that will judge must be strong, and have a good ensight, else he can never see the difference at all times; for if they mistake the sense of one word, they must of necessity make a false construction, and what a sad thing would that be in many cases.  
For, said he, it is a matter of the greatest moment in the world, and most noble worthy becoming a man always, in point of action, to consider his ability, else he must needs speak evil of things he doth not know, and undertake that he cannot do: Thou canst judge no man, for that every individual act which is real good in one, is real evil in another, one circumstance alters the case: Now if their be twelve men to make a Jury, the Judge must not give sentence, though he have the consent of eleven; but if thou wilt say thou knowest all secrets, thou art the God I look for, I will come and worship thee, whatsoever men call thee; he must know all secrets that will assume to be Judge in matter of conscience.  
Nay, said I, if the case be so dificult, Ile leave off judging others.  
But for my Mistress in particular, I know her well enough, and I shall know all that will take her p●rt, but I will never dispute with them, unless it be in the way of Jerome, and then they shall not know me neither, because I will say what they say for quietness sake, thus I hope I shall please them.  
If any of her friends will writ in her behalf against me, I will burn my book, not because I know not how to answer them, though I am no scholar, but because they will not know my answer, but I need not fear, there is none will be so mad as I, to talk to a mad man.  

Ile fight the fight of faith,  
Hold fast eternal life,  
And for this reason saith,  
I must avoid all strife.   
Thus reason hath wrought me to peace, and brought me to the spiritual sense of my good God by believing, whose dwellsng is now in my heart.  
Let men or Devils try if they can dispossess me of the sense of him, I hope ere long I shall be with him, above the reach of their power, in the fruition of those fountains of pleasure which are at his right hand for evermore.  
Where I shall have abundance, without want, liberty without restraint, security without fear, glory without ignominy, eyes without tears, joy without heaviness, peace without perterbation, blessedness without misery, light without darkness, health without sickness, satiety without loathing; and above all this, my soul without sin, where there will be no good absent, nor evil present, where I shall have what I can desire, and I shall desire nothing but good.  
In fine, as a worthy writer, who undertook darkly to represent the heavenly vision, saith, That the lively representation of it is impossible, and I know he spake the truth, by what my eyes hath seen.  
Thus he reckoneth and gives us the sum of whatsoever can be said.  
This life everlasting is the perfection of all good things, for fullness is the perfection of measure, infiniteness the perfection of number, immutability the perfection of State, immensity the perfection of place, immortality the perfection of life, and my God the perfection of all; who as he and reason saith, and I believe, will be to me all in all, meat to my taste, beauty to my eyes, perfumes to my nose, music to my ears, and as the Psalmist saith, Glorious things are spoken of the City of God, what then might be spoken of the builder of t. Now let no unbelieving heart ask,  

What is my God, or Where is heaven or hell,  
W●en I with him do meet, I these to him will tell.    

CHAP. VI. The man being wrought to peace, and finding the sweetness of it in himself, entreated Reason to direct how his Christian friends and Country men should come into the same condition.  
THus being wrought to peace in my own mind, and finding what a delightful thing it was to live heaven on earth, in being conformable unto the rules of reason, my bowels earned within me towards my friends and country men; who as I thought, had no sense of it, yet durst I not weep, nor  shed one tear, though God knows, my heart was ready to burst within me, to see their madness; nay, I could not go in the streets, but my flesh would tremble to hear their discourse; insomuch, that I made a Law with myself, not to inquire after news, and devised things to stop my ears, and if reason had not forbid me, I had turned Her●●litus down right; but he said, if I wept for all, it was my nature, and I had tears at will, it should cost me both my wit and life, and with that he shewed me now and then a sad example of some persons who had destroyed themselves to do others good, yet could not effect their end; in fine, he said it was madness to weep for them that had no sense of their own misery, and for them too, unless by weeping I could help them.   

CHAP. VII. How Reason answered, and shewed cause why this could not easily be, unless they would first do those things which in their conceits was impossible to be done. 2. To leave doing those things which in their conceit was damnable to be left undone.  
THen I besought him to show me some other way how their good might be effected, for fain I would have them as I was.  
He said that was hardly possible to be; but his words was ambiguous, and I concluded it might be, if they would themselves but take that pains as I had done.  
He said, that they would hardly ever do, and bid me rest myself content, and give God thanks for my own salvation; and withal, bid me consider what difficulties and danger I had gone through in my thirteen years journey, and with what horrible fears and trembling I was possessed; yea, at very last, when I thought myself sure, having got an excellent Pilot, to show me how to steer my ship to avoid all the rocks and quicksands; and while I laid me down to sleep, being tired with watching, the man was as weary as I, and unawares he thought, and I in my conscience believe, run our ship upon a shelve, and there she stuck, and could not go any further; and for his part, he slept soundly, and I think he is a sleep still, but I was sure he said: I could not sleep one wink, the wind and the waves did so beat upon our bark, that I made no other account but that we should suffer shipwreck at the last; but Reason being a better Plot then he, hath brought me off most gallantly.  
This by the way, let all Masters, Owners, take heed how they trust the ship, their souls, or their religion, in the conduct of any but God and themselves; for I will assure you, this was an honest, godly man, and had good skill in the map of the whole world, and for the carded and compass, he had them at his tongues end, and could name you every point thereof; insomuch that his memory was as good as a Concordance, to direct you to any part of the Bible for ought I could perceive by him; and let me say this for myself, I was once one of his most intimate acquaintance, but now I know him better then he knows himself( if I am not mistaken)  
I said, I hoped he was no respecter of persons, but would do the like for all men.  
He said, then they must turn over a new leaf, and do that as they never thought on, running the hazard of being as mad as ever I was.  
I said, that sure they will be willing to do, especially when they see I am in my wits again without their help, therefore I besought him to tell them what he would have them to do.  
He said, in the first place they must take special heed unto those Directions inculcated in the Epistle to the Pastores of the Churches: I asked which, he said, all, they were not many of them, three or four at most.  
2. They must endeavour to quench that fiery bitter burning zeal, or rather, spirit of spiteful emulation which they had one against another in the matters of God and his services, they must not be Judges of other mens evil thoughts, but study themselves how to maintain and keep their own conscience voided of offence towards God and men, there they should find work enough, and not care what men said or thought of them, for this breeds all the quarrel, because I will be esteemed more holier then thee.  
2. He said, they must of necessity if ever they will be at peace, give way to their minds, and entertain large thoughts of God, for he will magnify his mercy, because it is great above the heavens, and his truth reacheth unto the Clouds, therefore they did marvelously err, and do themselves and the world abundance of injury, in limiting the most high, or any of his divine Attributes to any sect or opinion under heaven.  
He said unto me, was it not a shameful thing in my judgement, for an Assembly consisting of two men, and four silly women at utmost, and divers assemblies as I had seen consisting of eight or ten persons, to presume to assert themselves the onely Church of Christ the Elect peculiar people of God, condemning all others though never so sincere to be Antichristian.  
I am ashamed to say, I have been one of three, that have spoken from that known Text, 2 Cor, 6.17. Wherefore come out from amongst them, and be you separate, saith the Lord, and touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. After we have made our prayer to this effect, that the Lord would be pleased to appear in the midst of us, and to own us by his powerful blessed spiritual presence, urging the promises, wheresoever two or three were gathered together in thy name, thou wilt be in the midst of them: then would we pled the sincerity of our hearts, and God knows, if we were honest, it was more then we knew, or because we had not wit enough to deceive, beseeching the Lord to pass by the frailties and infirmities of his servants, and to delight himself with the prattling of his Children.  
He knew well enough the purpose of our hearts, and scope of our intention, was to glorify him and build his spiritual house; not by might, nor by power, but by the dictates and directions of his own blessed spirit in us, &c. then who art thou, O great Mountain before Zorobabel, thou shalt become a plain, and we will bring forth the head ston thereof, with shouting crying. Grace, Grace, our hands shal lay the foundation of this House, and they all shall know that the Lord of Host hath sent us; who are they now that dare despise the day of small things, &c.  
Thus have we gone to build up and edify these our conceited Houses, or Castles in the Air, and I think verily, nay I am sure for my own part, had not God come down into me, and confounded my language, I could have found brick and mortar enough to have built an other gets Tower then that of Babel in the Land of Shinar, Gen. 11.2.3. For their declared end was but to reach the heavens, and our unknown purpose and course tended higher to reach the God thereof, if it had been possible, and to have pulled him from his Throne, and set myself there, but to pass on and show you a little how we laid the foundation of this devilish stately building.  
1. Fitting our discourses to prepare the hearts and minds of our hea●ers to our Doctrine, showing the Coherence of the Text, with the occasion and scope of the words, the drift and mind of the Spirit, as we said in that particular Scripture, then would we divide it after our fashion into parts. Then Paraphrase and give the sum of the words, then to gathering of the Doctrines as thick as hops.  
1. out of the Coherence. 2. Out of the Drift, out of the Division. 3. And out of the words themselves. Then would we prove them with Reasons drawn from the consent of Scripture as clear as the Sun at midnight.  
But O the woeful use that we made of them, it would make any Christians understanding heart tremble, to hear how zealous and bitterly we would invict against the Whore of Babylon, and all her Antichristian Ministry, which in our sense was all the whole world, except ourselves.  
God knows I lye not, for I think we were as zealous and fervent in our hearts, as ever the Apostles were, when they did teach and preach the Lord Jesus Christ, and to speak the truth of it, we could preach no other Doctrine; let us take what Text we would, except it were matter of controversy, such as the personal reign of Christ on Earth a thousand years, and other disputable points which no man understood, neither was necessary for any Christian living to know. I could name the personages, but I hope I need not, I would have them know themselves, said he, thou hast spoken enough to make them with a witness.  
3. That error also concerning Gods Law, must of necessity be mended, as he said; for by Law we must understand, the universal Law of God, as well that of Nature, as that which was written, else we could not bind all men to serve him, the Jew with the gentle, the bound with the free, the sick with the well, the heathen with the Christian. He said, there was good reason so to do, for without doubt God was the God of them all; yea, if we did not so consider, one point would contradict and clash against another.  
It was apparent God was their God as well as ours, else why did he give them food and raiment, and fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with joy and gladness. Nay, why did he give his blessed Son, the Lord Jesus Christ out of his bosom to die for them, and appoint his Gospel to be preached to every Creature under heaven, what doth all this signify, but that he once loved the Indian Moores of America, as well as the fair sanguine complexions of Europe, and for ought I know are at this day as highly in his favour, nay higher then the dissembling Scotch Presbyter, and the cruel Spanish Inquisitor, with the antic French, the apish germans, also the muck-worm Butter-boxes of Holland; cheating hypocritical English, that boast and brag so much of their saintship and interest in his favour; yea, he may love them better then he doth me, though I have thus pleaded my interest in him.  
Alas, alas, God sees not with mans eyes, neither doth he judge after mans Judgement, him that hath but one Talent shall be as well excepted of as him that hath five, if he improve it: and there is no man can judge another in this sense, though it be true, There is no name given under heaven that we know of, by which Salvation can be expected, but by the name of the blessed Jesus; doth it there follow, they all shall be damned who have not the Gospel, when we by our contentions keep it from them, and them from it, let him be damned that thinks so for me.  
What do you mean, O Christian, whatsoever you do, leave this censuring of yourselves & others, you will all be mad else, and put the whole world out of their wits, when you press thing; upon them so directly contrary to the light of nature, reason, and conscience within them, as too many of your sects do to my knowledge in the name & by no less authority, then by the Authority of you rtruly blessed Lord Jesus Christ, when you speak and mean such things which I am sure never came into his heart, neither shal all the world persuade me to think, that he will damn poor weakly sick people, that never knew one dayes health in all their lives, who dare not go out of their houses, or hardly shift themselves, least the could should strike to their hearts, and they thereby become culpable of their own destruction, for careless doing of that which should cost them their lives: Though you will not believe they have faith unless they manifest it to you in this particular point of obedience.  
O dreadful Doctrine, how dost thou tear my mind to repeat thee; had thy asserters my sense, their spirits would fail them, and they would tremble; well may they choose the night to perform their deeds of darkness in, for were the Sun God he would not shine upon them, they distracted the minds of poor weak souls, and fill them with ten thousand dreadful desperate thoughts, and make them draw heavy censures against themselves, who have holy devout conversations, and cannot choose but sear God, living always under his correcting hand, yea perform more of his Law in point of passive obedience, in a thankful quiet humble way, submitting themselves unto the good pleasure of God in one day in this their healthless comfortless languishing sad sorrowful sickly life, then ever thee or I did in all our active preaching and prating, & yet they must be damned; neither know we one word of comfort to minister unto them, unless they will be baptized in winter, in winter, in frost and snow; if they pled their weakness, our God is strong, and will no doubt assist us in this performance of his own Ordinance: let us act faith in this particular on him, his car is not deaf that he cannot hear, neither his power shortened that he cannot save. He is the same God yesterday, and to day, and these are his Ordinances; let us not now want faith to trust him, Great things may be done by faith, by faith and baptism the Mountains of all your afflictions may be removed and cast into the Se●, and yourself come whole and sound leaping away: O do not want faith to believe it, and it shall not be done: We might city you a cloud of witnesses to prove the great things that hath been done by faith, but they would all be as impertinent and false as the former.  
And since I came into my wits I cannot abide to abuse the holy Scriptures as I have formerly done, Christ forgive me for it, it was my ignorance.  
But if this will not prevail with them, to cause them to gird up their loins, and go or be carried with us to be baptized, we know no other portion for such faithless unbelievers, but damnation.  
What, will you not be baptized, then go you cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.  
Here I could ring you a peal, that if you heard it would make your hair stand an end, and could call you worse then you are able with all your rhetoric and the language of the beast to second you, if you had it( the Antichristian Clergy, & prove it when I have done) who many of them take great pains in study, and writ●●g out what they judge profitable, and comparing it again and again, ponder and prie, view and review all their words, it may be three moneths before they dare utter them for fear of erring, but study you cannot abide, though you would be Preachers; I know it is your glory that you can speak a whole day together Extempore, without premeditation; but woe, woe, woe, and woe too unto those souls that hear you.  
Thus I could go on and give you reason for what I say, that should tear your heart in pieces, and make you absolute mad to consider but half the time as you would have your Auditory consider you; but I will not, I dare not, you are not able to hear me, besides I must love you, and not tell you of your faults to your hurt.  
But for those that have the light, and Christ within, they are strong; yet let them look to themselves, I give them faire warning, I will revenge myself on them for their cursing me so bitterly without a cause; yet will I not hurt one hair of their heads for all the world, but I will take their Christ from them, and tread him under my feet, and make them tremble and quake to some purpose, when my own time serves.  
Thus miserable comforters, are we are we not in this blind guides do we not shut up the Kingdom of heaven against these poor souls, & cause them to despair of mercy, O Christ we do, and shall be shut out ourselves if we repent not, and turned into utter darkness, where is nothing but weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, though now we think ourselves the children of the Kingdom.  
Again, we think we do God and Christ good service, propagate his Gospel, edify and build up his Church, strengthen their minds by our unpremeditated 3 or 4 hours preaching by the Glass, until we are not able to speak a word more; and some of us have been fain to leave the place, when we have forgot ourselves, to others to manage, till we have gone forth and taken breath, and collected our memories afresh.  
Others presuming upon their memory, have come into the speaking place, before they have spoken forty words they were speechless, and went down with blushing, shane being forced to come out of the place after along pause, and being demanded the cause, said, the Devil did trouble them; others would come with other mens Sermons written in Short hand, and when they have thought to have preached, they could not red what themselves had written; yet having somewhat a more impudent face, made shift to hum and ha out their hour; though God knows not one word they spoken was to any purpose; but that which troubled me was, that these men had thanks for their pains, but the other had none, and I think they better deserved it.  
But you long and strong winded Teachers, who have your lesson by road as perfect as A. B. C. you will never be catched in this fault to be sure, but I will lay a worse to your charge. O you kill al those that diligently hear and consider what you say, by forcing them to that extreme attention and intention in hearing and considering, two great Works so long continued, make them mad, that is to say, dote, for every dotage may be called madness, and this they must needs do, unless God should work miracles in strengthening their nature: your long and tedious, and sometimes across impertinent discourses, do extract the humidity of their spirits, and cause their blood to be thick and dr●ggy, yea adust burnt up by reason hereof, so that nature cannot pass to perform her offices, b●t you being Divines, should not be  told that the spirits live in the blood, and if they by reason of any extraordinary care or trouble, whatsoever be expended and evaporated; what do you talk to, ha?  
This is the reason, if you will receive it, why many cry out in your assemblies, and say, they are damned, which opportunity the Devil oft times takes to possess them, and make them destroy themselves, to the end they might do what in them lies to make their word● good.  
And others who are of a flegmatick moist constitution, fall down swooning dead before you, which fills your hearts with as●o●●shment and wonder, to see the ma●vellous strange dealing of God towards his children, then you go to prayers with them, but alas that will do them no good, when you have by the vehementness and impertinence o● your discourses evaporate their spirits, they can make no use of your words for want of them; thus instead of edifying and building up, and strengthening, you pull down, weaken, and kill the good attentive people of the Lord, and make them sick of all religious exercises, turn whimsical Quakers, Ranters, and what not; the Lord lay not this sin to your charge, for I know you cannot answer for it.  
Thus he chid you soundly, and I hope you will not be angry with him for it, for I am sure he hath spoken the truth.   

CHAP. VIII An ther Discourse between Reason, and the man of the grosseness of the particular errors, which is the cause of all Christian difference, and how they should be remedied with ease if men will themselves, in which is inserted seven divine exhilarating eulogiums.  
BUt then said I, since you mention the Quakers, pray what do you think of that sort of people, they are very numerous? and they seem to be the onely people that live in communion with God by the spirit, now all is done, they can preach without Book, or meditation by the Spirit, they have a most excellent gift of discerning the hearts of men, ripp up and say open the very secrets to the view of every mans conscience, in so much that none that hears them, unless he will wilfully and obstinately blaspheme against the spirit; and so incur to himself that woeful doom of never being forgiven in this world, nor that to come: but must needs confess that they are inspired, and that God must needs be in the midst of them.  
Their old men dream dreams, their young men see visions, their Sons and their Daughters, their Wives and their Women do all prophesy. And for all they are called Quakers, they live in the sense of joy unspeakable and full of glory.  
When Reason heard me say so, he fell a weeping, and said, alas, alas, there was never men more deceived, and given over to stronger delusions, then those that believe such things as these of them. You may see by their looks they lye.  
I asked him what he had for them, he said, they wanted no instructions, having got the light within them to led them into all manner of darkness,  
How, said I, do you think they are in darkness notwithstanding all this; pray tell me then, what I shall do to enlighten them, for I have a good opinion of them that they are honest, and will not steal, not knowingly deceive any man; therefore if they be in darkness, it is more then they know, I dare presume.  
He said, Counsel would do them no good neither would they hear it, they were so strong in their own conceits.  
Poor wretches, said he, their blood and spirits are adust, full of Melancholy, and their excrements black, or of a sad colour, which makes them full of these conceits, and imagine they see God, and hear him, when it is no such matter, 'tis but the Phantasm of their weak, sick brains, that runs a wool-gathering af-they know not what, and they will find it I know not when.  
Nay, said I, the men are strong, and in good health, and eat their meat well, unless it be when they fast for some extraordinary manifestation of God or other.  
He said, that was nothing, they were sick, though they knew it not, and must be purged or let blood, else he was sure the Devil could not cure them.  
God forbid, said I, that the Devil should ever do so good a work, and so said he too.  
But is there nothing will do them good, unless they will take physic? then I am afraid they will be mad, or die indeed; for I know that there is many sober Christians as well as them, that if the Lord will not answer their prayers, when they have sent for the Elders of the Church, and they have prayed over them, and anointed them with oil in the name of the Lord, in their sick beds, yield rather to the misery of their disease, then run the least hazard of being cured by physic; not knowing the meaning of the words of our Lord, Mat. 4.4. Man lives not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God: And if bread or oil will not save their lives, they will use no other means, but die.  
And what hope had I to think that the Quaker, who as he said was the madst and self-willed of all men, would hear of taking physic, especially when they knew they were not sick, it was folly to think of it; had he no other direction to give them? He said yes, if I could but get them to be merry, and sing, it may be that might do them good.  
Sing, said I, alas, you know they have sad hearts, how can they sing, they will abhor that direction worse then the former, because there is sin in it as they think.  
He said he could not help that, he could but take the yoke from off their jaws, and lay meat before them, if they would not eat, or if they had no stomach, would take nothing to get them one, there was no remedy, they must be mad, die, or be damned for ought he knew, he had no other way to help them.  
And when I saw him angry I durst ask him no more questions that time.  
But prayed him to tell me what songs he would have them sing: Said I, thou knowest that they abhor those that are put into metre by Hopkins and Strenhold, and all sect, besides them, and call them the black Psalms, though indeed holy David, a man after Gods own heart, was cannon-shot ever now and then in his distresses to sing them.  
And it is worth their serious consideration, to think what influence Davids singing and playing on the harp had upon Sauls evil spirit, though it came in him as a particular judgement from the Lord; but I am afraid they are so possessed with the Devil, that they will not think I speak true of them, in saying they are mad, melancholy, though their very turds bears witness to my words.  
He bid me teach them some, see how they would like of mine, I could not tell but they might please them.  
I  told him I was no Scholar, and every Scholar not able to make verse to sing as they should be.  
He said it was no matter for that, they had not a Scholars understanding, nor a Poets judgement, I should do them as well as I could, by the light within me, if they did not like them, let them mend them at their pleasure, without offence if they could.  
Qu. Then shall I turn Poet, what manner of songs shall I make, trow?  
Answ. Such as thou thinkest are best agreeing with their constitions, if thou meanest to do them good.  
Qu. How shall I know their constitutions, since they do not know themselves?  
Answ. ●uels at them, as they do at all things else.  
Qu. But what if I miss their humour?  
Answ. This physic will do them no harm if they get every word of it in their hearts; if they do not like it, they may forget it when they please.  
Say you so, then I will try my skill, if singing will do them good. I will teach them to sing in grace of God, every one in particular, if they will learn of me.  
I wonder what men mean by the light within, I know the light of the body in the eye, the eye, the eternal commonsense by which we judge, we see: now if that light be darkness, corrupted by hum urs or unwholesome doctrine, contrary to the form of scund words even the ●… ords of our Lord Jesus Christ, such men must needs make mad ●… k, and if the blind will presume to led the blind, let them fall ●… he ditch; but who is most ●linde, those that have eyes, and ●… se spirits of the bot●omless pit, pull them out by their obstru●…   


SONG I. This Song gives the direction, with reason, how thou shouldst steer thy Affection to all men living,  

COme now set up a Throne within thy mind,  
Where Christ will rule, as I by Scripture find.  
Let all the Elders have in thee their seat.  
Twill mak● for thy advantage very great.   

Let reason be observed, and things in order done,  
whilst thou dost draw thy breath under the Sun:  
O keep an eye upon the Lamp so bright,  
Learning, I mean, that matchless Pearl of light.   

And now forget not thou thy A, B, C,  
If thou a scholar of my Lords wouldst be,  
Remember still thou knewst not A, from B,  
Till Learning gave thee these same eyes to see:   

Thou sayest thou art rich, and learning hath at will,  
And kno●e● not how ignorant th●u art still,  
Miserable, wretched, blind, naked, poor,  
Further to seek then ere thou wert before.   

O that thou wouldst but once incensed be,  
That these same very words concerneth thee,  
And so apply them to thy private mind,  
The joy unspeakable, so doing, thou mightst find.   

Come then leave off this cursed Art of hell,  
Let p●ace with all men in thy mind still dwell,  
Turk, Pagan, Pope, Jew; or Infidel,  
They were the Lords, as thou mightst know full well.   

Think thou not much that they should have a part,  
And let their souls have interest in thy heart;  
Wert thou a man, thy nature would thee bind,  
Shouldst thou it kill, thou wouldst be a Devil in kind:   

For them he  shed his ever blessed blood,  
As well as thee, were it but understood,  
And why should thou usurp the dignity,  
When as they are thy Lords as well as thee:   

And now unless that thou obedient prove,  
embrace his doctrine, which is onely love:  
I say thou may est believe me if thou will,  
What ever thou art, thy soul shall hang in hell.   

Come love then all men with a cheerful mind,  
For God is love, as I in Scripture find,  
Love shall not hurt thee, i● it be but true,  
Proportionable, every man his due.    

Song II.  
By this Song thou shalt discern the object of thy hatred in thyself and others, which will give thee occasion thus to pray and triumph, if thou overcome them.  

MOst glorious God of sacred truth,  
And blessed Majesty.  
Lord let thy spirit of Truth and Grace  
Into all truth led me.   

dispel those clouds of ignorance,  
and misty errors blind,  
refel the Rebellious Laws of sin  
that would obscure my mind.   

And let thy word which is the truth,  
refined and purified  
Me, by thy Spirit illuminate  
and in my heart abide.   

For sweet, and pure, and peaceable,  
thy heavenly wisdom is  
Converting souls and maki●g known  
those sacred mysteries.   

Which do reveal that glorious light  
that truly lighteneth thine,  
And will the lasting light at length  
make in their faces shine.   

Lord let this Sun of Righteousness,  
with his resplendent rays  
Illuminate the souls of thine  
in these dark gloomy dayes.   

Where swarms of Sects and Factions,  
schisms and Heresies,  
Do Rent the seamless Coat of Christ  
By Satans subtleties.   

By whose Delusions many are  
Or ' ecome and vanquished,  
And by seducing spirits from  
the truth are blindly lead.   

But Lord thy blessed spirit hath  
expressly  told of these,  
That in the latter times should come  
such sad and dangerous dayes.   

Whose impious and pestiferous ways  
are all deciphered plain,  
In thy most holy word of truth,  
with all their wicked train.   

These wandering Stars and raging Seas,  
foaming out their own shane,  
Do by their lewd pernicious ways  
the way of truch defame.   

Like empty clouds they carried are  
about with every wind,  
And having itching ears, the truth  
abides not in their mind.   

But then puffed up with spiritual pride,  
and lying vanities,  
Great swelling words they vent, and speak  
evil of Dignities.   

Dominion they do des●ise,  
Like savage sensual bruits,  
Themselves corrupting do produce  
contaminated fruits.   

In Cain's cruel murderous ways,  
these filthy Dreamers go,  
And greedily run for reward  
In Balaams ' Error too.   

But as rebellious Core did fall,  
gain-saying so these shall,  
According to that Woe pronounced  
suddenly perish all.   

Therefore Lord cause thy little flock  
from thee never to swerve.  
But from all these devouring Wolves  
them save, shield, and preserve.   

Lord hid thy Turtle in the Clefts  
of the Rock of thy great power,  
And let no cruel beasts root up  
thy Vine, and it devour.   

In the top of the Mountains Lord,  
let thy holy mount be  
Exalted, and thy truth extolled,  
that all the world may see.   

Thy glorious and out-stretched Arm,  
which doth salvation bring,  
That all thy Saints and Angels may  
triumphant Anthems sing.   
What think you of this Song? This is very well done, if it be not too heavy a tune for them, you must not forget that they are a sad people, for all their boasting.  
Then I will teach them a song of the same: Pray let us hear that in another tune.   

SONG III.  
In this Song thou hast an exact definition of the two Powers that are within thee, with a sure rule by which thou mayst know which is good, and which is evil.  

OH! h●rk, Oh! stay, Reason doth say,  
See you not what I see,  
Oh! 'tis a Spirit of dreadful might,  
And I muse whom he should be,  
Oh sick, Oh sick, Oh very, very sick,  
Oh sick and like to pine,  
The sickest time that ever I had,  
Oh help me Power Divine.   

Yonder he comes, yonder he comes,  
With courage, might and main,  
Oh! sure he doth intend to fight,  
And I fear I shall be slain.  
Oh sick▪ Oh sick, Oh very, very sick;  
Oh sick and like to pine,  
Without the intervening might  
Of him that hath Power Divine.   

The place where I do him behold,  
Is in my mind sublime,  
And either it is the Hellish Spirit,  
Or else Gods Spirit Divine.  
Oh sick, Oh sick, Oh very, very sick, &c.   

But how shall I this Spirit know,  
Whose Marching I descry,  
Is not there now some rule good Lord,  
By which I may him try.  
Oh sick, Oh sick, Oh very, very sick, &c.   

For if he be the Spirit of Grace,  
He will not me devour,  
But if he be the Hellish Spirit,  
Lord keep me from his power,  
Oh sick, Oh sick, Oh very, very sick, &c.   

I dare not yet, I dare not yet  
At all with him combine,  
Until I know he is of thee,  
And comes of thy design,  
Oh sick, Oh sick, &c.   

He tells me that he is my Friend,  
And doth me much persuade,  
And yet I dare not hear his voice,  
Nor yet accept his aid.  
Oh sick, O sick, &c.   

Therefore behold, thy servant stands,  
At Se●try Post●re still,  
And will not yield to his commands,  
Nor yet his min●e fulfil.  
Oh sick, Oh sick, &c.   

Until I do the Spirit know,  
Whose marching I descry;  
Therefore learn me some rule good Lord,  
Whereby I may him try.  
Oh I am sick, Oh sick &c.   

I much do doubt, I much do doubt,  
And fear it now and then,  
That he is not the Spirit of Grace,  
But is the Hellish Fiend.  
Oh sick, Oh sick, &c.   

For if he was thy Spirit pure,  
I need not thus to cry,  
He is not so importunate,  
But I might him deny.  
Oh sick, Oh sick, &c.   

His gentle motions they are such,  
That quickly are gain said,  
But this most violently doth urge.  
And will not be denied.  
Oh sick, Oh sick, Oh very, very sick,  
O sick, and like to pine,  
Without the intervening might  
Of him that hath Power Divine.   

What is the Word, what is the Word,  
I pray thee tell to me,  
Oh tell me now thy word whereby,  
ist know him thine to be.  
Oh sick, sick, &c.   
( The Word is Holy Scripture, which is a Compendium of Reason, or Reason in the abstract; whosoever speaks not according to this, it is because there is no light in them.)  

If that he be the spirit of Grace,  
Thou mayest know him right well,  
He speaks nothing but down-right truth,  
No lye he can thee tell.  
Oh sick, &c.   

Oh what is truth, Oh what is truth,  
This matter I would know,  
Oh what is truth, Oh what is truth,  
I pray thee to me show.  
Oh si●k, &c.   

Oh truth it is, Oh truth it is,  
A reckoning made most neat,  
Re●ucing ●ll deducted parts,  
Unto the whole complete.  
Oh sick, &c.   

By this thou mayest the Spirits know,  
That's in thy mind sublime,  
Whether he be the Spirit of Hell,  
Or else Gods Spirit Divine.  
Oh sick, &c.   

For if he be the Spirit of Hell,  
By this thou mayest him try,  
For sure the truth he cannot tell,  
But forge he will the lye.  
Oh sick, &c.   

Now therefore heed and mark him well,  
When h● his news doth start,  
For all the truth he cannot tell,  
But must conceal a part.  
Oh sick, &c.   

By this thou shouldst the Spirits try,  
That's in thy mind sublime,  
Whether or no they be of God,  
Or come of his design.  
Oh sick, Oh si●k▪ Oh very, very sick,  
O sick and like to pine,  
without the interwening might  
Of him that hath Power Divine.   
Old excellent, sure this will do the cure, or else the Devils is in them, but if he be, we make no doubt, with Gods leave and their industry, to sing him out.  
It is almost incredible to think, the great confusion, mist and darkness that Satan will make in the mindes of men, if they stand strictly upon the examination of this; for the Devil well knows, that his time of reigning is but very short in that soul that is resolvedly set upon this work: But be not faint-hearted, but at this time be sure to exercise these three virtues, Faith, Fortitude and Patience, and I will warrant thee thou shalt put him to flight; which being done, make good thy pursuit, and in short time thou shalt overcome him; Fight the good fight of Faith.  
By this Observation or Rule thou mayest soon see, that the Ranters and Quakers are not lead by the Spirit of Truth and Grace, but by the spirit of error; which is manifest to him that shall consider their confusion both in Doctrine and practise, and knows, That God is the God of Order, and not of Confusion: But these men, as it is evident, know no order, but run on furiously, and as I think, without either fear or wit: The searcher of hearts knows, that I speak not this out of any ill-will or emulation to any Sect or Opinion under heaven; for I judge them rather objects of great pitty, then the least spite: But if it may be by any means, that I might do my country good, in reducing those that are gone off from the Rule of Holy Scripture and Rrason back again▪ unto that good old way wherein they may find peace for their souls, or at least, that I might stay and strengthen the feeble knees of those that are ready to fall; and by reason of their weakness, are soon overwhelmed by their thundering and terrible expressions, which in reason of their own nature, do make a deep impression upon tender hearts, especially being uttered with that vehementness and earnestness of affection with which they are wont to speak; and likewise harping upon something that is known and granted to be true, weak people do hence presently conclude, they must needs be of God, and have discerning spirits, otherwise they would not dare to be so rash, and so by little and little to fall in with them to shelter and shrowd themselves from the horror which those expressions do import. and leave off judging themselves, which is the duty of every Christian, and quiter contrary to the Law of our Lord, whom they profess to have reigning in them, living in a constant breach of his command in judging others; which is too too manifest.  Matth. 7.1.2: Judge not, that you be not judged; for with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judgea, &c. Hebr. 10 30. The Lord shall judge his people. Luke 6.37. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged John 7.24. Judge not according to the appearance; but judge righteous judgement. Rom. 14.13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more; but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block, or an occasion to fall, in thy brothers way.  

SONG IV.  
By this Song thou shalt learn to choose thy companions, in whose society thou canst not choose but delight.  

I Will sing of mercy, of mercy I'll sing,  
Of mercy, O Lord unto thee,  
O make my heart joyous, my Christ, O my King,  
That I thy salvation may see.   

Thy judgements thy judgements also I will tell,  
How they dist●butea be,  
Thy dispensations th●y do excel,  
Righteous, my eye doth them see.   

Therefore I will myself now behave,  
Even with a perfect heart,  
If thou Lord wilt but dwell in my soul,  
From thy Precepts I mean not to start.   

I will set no evil thing me before,  
My eye shall be fixed on thee,  
The works of iniquity, Lord, I do hate,  
They never shall cleave unto me.   

A froward mind I will not bear,  
Such evil my soul must shun,  
Of all perterbations I will have a care,  
Lest I thereby should be undone.   

Him that his neighbour doth not love,  
And dealeth deceitfully,  
A wick'd person I cannot approve,  
He keeps not my Company.   

The unconstant mind is not for me,  
Content is my desire,  
And though I am of a low degree,  
My mind shall not aspire.   

The Covetous slave my soul doth hate,  
And liberal I will be,  
Yet my own goods I will dilate,  
For that is hon●sty.   

My delight shalbe with the faithful souis,  
That love sincerity,  
And hath respect to all thy commands,  
But, oh, that I could them see.   

Oh when shall I come, Lord, when shall I come,  
Unto thy holy hill,  
Where I might behold those objects I love,  
And feed on thy pleasure still.   

Those joys I do mean, which are at thy right hand,  
Of which thou hast infinite store,  
'Tis but the sight of thy countenance Lord,  
That will fijl me for evermore.    

SONG V. Reasons Invitation.  

COme hither thou vain man,  
What doth thy heart desire,  
Of me thou mayest it have,  
Let not thy mind aspire.   

What is it thou wouldst have,  
That I to thee cannot show,  
Let not thy spirit rave,  
His pleasure let me know.   

Let me but see the thing,  
For which thy mind is pined,  
The heavens will comfort bring,  
Their God doth so them bind.   

With thee he'll come and dwell,  
Although thou art but poor,  
And when thy cruse is out,  
Himself will sand thee more.   

wouldst thou now be a King,  
A King thou then shalt be,  
If thou canst rule thyself,  
Thou shalt be King of me.   

And I am Reason hold,  
Of courage fierce and fell,  
I scorn to turn my back,  
For all the powers of hell.   

What can thy heart desire,  
I it to thee will show,  
Let not thy mind aspire,  
But keep thy thoughts below.   

If thou wouldst be a man,  
A God I'll make of thee,  
But if thou wouldst be a God,  
Then ask no aid of me.   

Live thou by thy own power,  
For that doth God become,  
The Creator do not devour,  
There life shall be thy doom.   

But if thou wilt be a man,  
T●en thou must know my Law,  
His instrument I am,  
To keep all souls in awe.   

For I with God do dwell,  
And know his Immense powers,  
Thou wouldst think I lye to tell;  
How I have felt their showers.   

But sure I do him see,  
And dare not him offend,  
Yet torment will I thee,  
Tell thou thy ways amend.    

SONG VI.  
By this Song thou mayest defend thyself from all the casual cares that are incident to man,  

My Ship hath anxious thoughts aboard,  
Which makes me fly unto my Lord;  
O heavens how my poor Bark doth crack,  
I fear that I shall see shipwreck;  
Therefore aloud to thee I cry,  
O help me Lo●d, or else I die.   

These blustering winds and raging Seas,  
Will give my mind but little ease,  
I tossed am both to and fro,  
Which breeds my pain, my grief, my woe,  
Yet through I am resolved to go.  
Though I do die in doing so,   

And this by faith I always know,  
These furious winds will cease to blow;  
And after all the storms aro past,  
Sweet comforts I shall find at last:  
Therefore I will hoist up my sail  
In spite of all this future gale.   

Into the Ocean now I lance,  
Being resolved to take my chance,  
Contented either to sink or swim  
Knowing that I shall rise again:  
Yet be is so that my hope should fail,  
My lusty ship shall bear up sail.   

Better I had to venture thus,  
Then to endure that I know to be worse,  
My ship shall toss it to and fro,  
Sith 'tis my mind to have it so,  
Until that I do come to shore,  
Where I shall rest forevermore.   

This ship it is my mind, good Lord,  
In which are Rebels to thy word,  
Which revel rou● and me distracted,  
Which makes me think my brains will crack;  
Yet still I must them with me bear,  
Before thy face to kill them there.   

These blustering winds and foaming Seas,  
Are casual cares which on me seize,  
By which I am tossed to and fro,  
As I along to thee doth go:  
But yet thou bidst me to be stout,  
And like a soldier keep them out.   

The place to which my Ship is bound,  
It is the Heavens whose figure is round,  
In which contained is all bliss,  
For those that do not do amiss:  
Where there I shall thee see,  
And ever keep thee company.   

Whose beauteous beams that are so bright  
Will soon dispel my darksome night,  
At whose right hand doth always spring  
A Fountain fil'd with every thing,  
Whose silver streams to me doth run  
Through the man Christ thy blessed son.   
Sing this on any occasion of trouble, or unkindness of friends, &c.   

SONG VII.  
Do not find fault with these words, but device better when thou wilt thyself in Gods name, for this is a Song of Triumph, and it shows thee where Christ will reign, and thou shalt see him as I do, and have done, if thou wilt fight and overcome.  

DIng dung, ding dung, ding dung,  
My battle is almost done,  
My victory so is won;  
Ding dung, ding dung, ding dung,  
Triumph for ever.   

My Triumph it shall be,  
Sweet musics melody,  
Better then ever you see,  
Ding dung &c.  
Triumph for ever.   

I'll have a Chariot of Gold,  
D●ng dung, ding dung &c.  
Most lustrious to behold,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Triumph for ever,   

My neck shall wear a Chain  
Ding do●g, ding dung, &c.  
Yet Gold I do disdain,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Triumph for ever.   

My Bracelets I will have,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Though here I am ae slave,  
Ding dung, ding dung, ding dung,  
I'll triumph for ever.   

Of this they shall be made,  
Ding dung, &c.  
And better could it be said,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Triumph for ever.   

White Pearl, Diamond, Sardis ston,  
Ding dung, &c.  
My name is writ that is not known,  
dung dung, &c.  
Triumph for ever.   

My Garment shall be white,  
Ding dung, &c.  
To Christ I have a right,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Triumph for ever.   

For Christ my Lord will come,  
Pow tow, pow tow, pow down,  
Therefore I will beat my drum  
Row tow, paradow, row town.  
Triumph for ever.   

The Devil shall be bound,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Therefore my drum shall sound,  
Pow tow paradow, row town,  
Triumph for ever.   

The Judgement shall begin,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Therefore I will down with sin,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Triumph for ever.   

Gog Magog shall go down,  
Ding dung, &c.  
The Saints shall wear the Crown,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Triumph for ever.   

But when shall all this be?  
Ding dung, &c.  
Q. And where shall I this see?  
Ding dung, &c.  
And triumph for ever.   

A. The Scripture doth not tell,  
Ding dung, &c.  
I know not very well,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Triumph for ever.   

Q. Shall it be at Jerusalem,  
Ding dung, &c.  
And what shall we do then,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Two triumph for ever.   

An. Why thither we will go,  
Ding dung, &c.  
To see this glorious show,  
Ding dung, &c.  
And triumph for ever.   

But when that we come there,[ Interlocution.  
Ding dung, &c.  
How shall we all come near  
Ding dung, &c.  
Triumph for ever.   

How shall we Christ then see,  
Ding dung, &c.  
And know which man is he.  
Ding dung, &c.  
To triumph for ever.   

This thing I cannot tell,  
Ding dung, &c.  
I know not Christ so well,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Triumph for ever.   

Then sure 'tis Christ within,  
Ding dung, &c.  
And there he must be seen  
Ding dung, &c.  
Before triumph for ever.   

O how shall I him see,  
Ding dung, &c.  
This thing will puzzel me,  
Twill do my Muses wrong.  
Spril triumph for ever.   

Why there thou mayst him find,  
Ding dung, &c.  
If that thou art not blind,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Then Triumph for ever.   

O show me how to look,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Go take the Christian book,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Triumph for ever.   

And see the Christ in thee,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Just such a one to be,  
Ding dung, &c.  
Then triumph for ever.   

And when this hath been,  
Thy Triumph shall begin,  
Till then thou must not sing  
Ding dung, nor triumph for ever.   
Weak Christian Reader, whose good I tender as my own, Christ knows my heart, if I could imagine any way to strengthen thee, I would not spare my pains; but it grieves me not a little to think that thou wilt flout me for my love, and call me all to nought; but that is thy ignorance, I pitty thee, thou knowest me not, neither canst thou now, because I have laid an injunction myself to be mad, that is, to wear mad habit; and why did I so, truly to keep my wits alive to serve thee, for I was too much affencted with the distraction of my Country; and here I have stripped this Song for thy sake out of its rich Clothes, and put it down plain in Prose, if by any means I might please thee.  
Thus have I taken no little pains, being neither Scholar nor Poet, to device these seven Songs; there is for every day one, and I think that is enough, but if seventy times seven would do you good, I would spend my wits under God to device them.  

MY battle is almost done,  
My victory so is won;  
My Triumph it shall be,  
Sweet musics melody,  
Better then ever you see,  
I'll have a Chariot of Gold,  
Most lustrious to behold,  
My neck shall wear a Chain  
Yet Gold I do disdain,  
My Bracelets I will have,  
Though here I am a slave,  
Of this they shall be made,  
And better could it be said.  
White Pearl, Diomond Sardis ston:  
Thy name in writ that is not known.  
Thy Garments shall be white,  
To Christ thou hast a right,  
And Christ thy Lord will come,  
For I have beat the Drum  
The Devil shall be bound,  
As true as my Drum did sonnd,  
The Judgement shall begin,  
Do thou now beat down sin,  
Gog Magog shall go down.  
Thou shalt have a Crown.  
But when shall all this be,  
And where wouldest thou it see,  
The Scripture in express terms doth not tell,  
Therefore I know not well,  
Shall it be at Jerusalem?  
prithee what wouldst thou do then?  
Why thou wilt thither go  
To see a glorious show.  
But when thou com●st there  
Thou cnust not come him near,  
How wilt thou then him see.  
And know which man is he.  
This thing I cannot tell,  
I know not Christ so well,  
Then sure 'tis Christ within,  
And there he must be seen  
O how shall I him see,  
This thing will puzzel me,  
Twill do my Muses wrong.  
Sp●il triumph for ever.  
Why there thou mayst him find,  
If that thou art not blind,  
O show me how to look,  
Go take the Christian book,  
And see the Christ in thee,  
Just such a one to be,  
And when this hath been  
Thy Triumph shall begin,  
Tell then thou canst not sing,  
Triumph for ever.   
But when would you have them sing them; at any time, especially when they feel their minds distresed, or when they list themselves.  
O why did you put in that word ( list themselves) now I am afraid that all my labour is invain in devising these Songs. I thought before to have  told them of a hundred and fifty more, but if you put it to their choices, I will not speak one word of them, & truly I think or am afraid these will be to no purpose. For every sect dispises singing, and preach vehemently and maliciously against it, call those Psalms put into metre by Thomas Sternhold and John Hopkins, with others, the black Psalms, and what will they say of mine then.  
Then what shall I do to do them good?  
It may be I will dress thee, and some others, within a hairy Garment, as Rebecca did Jacob, since thou wouldest so fain have them to have a blessing.  
Alas you spoil all by telling them so before hand.  
Tush, their eyes are dim, and their feeling and understanding is no better then Isaacs, if it be so good, and yet thou knowest he was deceived.  
But when shall this be done?  
Nay, stay there.  
But what shall I do when I am thus dressed? go amongst them and teach every man how he should be his own physician, since they will not trust others to minister to them, for physic they must have, or else they will madly die, and that for ought I know eternally.  
But methinks the Magistrate might save us all this labour, and do but as they did in New-England by those eleven strangers, though otherwise free-born Englishmen.  
What was that, give them twenty two whippings, containing 350 stripes, if every Justice of Peace would cause them by his power to be served as they did eleven of their neighbo●s, give them sixteen whippings, reckoned together, containing 160. stripes; or if they had but power to serve them as they did the five and forty inhabitants and strangers together, put them into prison for 137 weeks put together, and there give them a hu●dred thirty nine stripes; sure this would make them to know themselves without any more ado.  
I do not know what virtue pitched Ropes have; but this I know, that Tar is of a healing nature, I have experience that it cured my Dogs ears the other day after I had cut them.  
But if I could think that pitch Ropes were of greater force, nay, that they would minister any thing to their good, I would give all the money in my pocket to buy them some.  
He said, alas, that would do them no good, it was neither Pitch nor Tar, nor Ropes neither, that was a proper remedy for their disease, nor yet whipping, nor bonds and imprisonments, they would make no more of Ropes then samson did of his new Cords, but either slight them, or sullenly die under them; and for imprisonment they valued it not, nay if they would burn them at a stake, they would hardly feel it, they would be filled with such a devilish strong conceit of their martyrdom; and if they would hang them, they will please themselves with these thoughts, that they are going to heaven in a string.  
Therefore he condemned all those to be almost as mad as they that thought any such means would cure them. The most that this could promise was, that they might be silenced for a time; but he said, there could be no Church kept so pure at last, since the Apostles departure to be sure, but they were always in danger, and did still arise one or other amongst themselves, that would speak perverse things to draw away Disciples after them.  
Nay in truth, he said, that there was not a man of us all, that was ever yet so sanctified, except the Captain, our Lord Jesus Christ, but was always in danger of deceiving himself and others.  
And therefore whatsoever I did, I should take heed of countenancing any such indirect means, for the wisest of us did not know; unless we had that spirit as they had, to presume ourselves inspired and infallible, but that they might be overtaken in their fault, and we being Christians should not be ignorant of this main point of the Law of Christ, Bear ye one anothers burdens: thou that art spiritual, restore such in the spirit of meekness considering thyself, least thou also be tempted, Gal. 6.12. Indeed, he said, if some such things could be done by them to themselves, or by others with their consent, he did believe it would work kindly with them; but for others to punish their bodies, and not being able to convince their understandings of the reason of it, and to show how it made for their good, it was very improper, yea impossible for them to reduce them by it.  
Nay said I, if you think and say so, I will think no more of that, and will persuade all men as much as in me lies to be of your mind.  
For I think if reason, with their own discipline, will not help them, they must be damned, for all the help of man, but self discipline is mighty powerful.  
But I asked him, why all these miseries and distractions happened among religious People: O said he, Religion is a devilish thing if it be false, it distracts the mind unspeakably, fills the imagination, that Jesabel, painted, damned bitched whore, bottonles pit, and counterfeit of reason, beast, Devil, and worse then Devil within us, the old man, the heavens crucify him for me.  
Religion is like Aesops Tongues, and so are the people that profess it; good for all things, good for nothing.  
Wherefore he bid me, whatsoever I did, I should beware of those that keep a prating about Religion, for a thousand to one they had none at all.  
The sincere Christian knows himself, and if all men say he is a devil, he knows they speak true of him, in respect to his old man, and is not angry with them; yet for all this he is not ashamed to maintain his own sincerity before God and Christ, who onely knows the secret wishes and desires of his heart.  
I thanked him kindly for his instructions, for he had informed me of more then I knew, or at least thought on before; and I resolved in myself to beware of Professors, for I saw that they had deceived me, and themselves, and all the world besides.  
Then in the last place, I besought him for my Country, or man-kind in general. Who I thought was of no Religion, nor had no fear of God before their eyes.  
I asked him for some instructions for them to do them good.  
He said, if they had no fear of God at all, he would not speak one word to them, till they did get it of themselves.  
Nay, said I, they may have Laws to restrain their humour; said he, there is enough of that, let the Magistrates put them in execution to the utmost, against them.  
Then thou takest care for none but those that are religious and fear God, there is no other that are capable of my directions; and indeed I am on Gods side, let others shift for themselves in the Devils name if they can.  
I but said I, now I call to mind, there is no man but he will say he fears God, and doth what he doth in obedience unto him, though he be never so factious or seditious: Then in what manner shall the Magistrates command such, in what manner they list themselves.  
How? this is a strange saying, In what manner they list; I believe if thou wert a man, thou wouldest not give them this liberty, or if thou didst, thou wouldest deny them obedience when they commanded thee.  
It may be I should; Man, you know is a contradiction, says one thing but does another, then what shall a man put his trust in, in God, not in Princes, for they are men.  
Then at this rate he is happy, that is, a Law to himself, who knows not that thou fool; I, but every man cannot command himself, then let him learn, for if he cannot govern himself, there is no reason but he should be ruled by force, and governed whether he will or no.  
But who shall be judge? it may be the Magistrate will call my religion faction, and say, I mean sedition by publishing it; what shall I do in such a case; endure his penalties, not revile him, but rejoice that thou art counted worthy to suffer affliction for truth sake: I but then what shall I do to keep my Goods and good name, what matter is it for them, let the Devil take them, what needs thou care so long as thou serves God: I but I cannot be so satisfied, then the Devil take thee & his dam to boot, thou art that Rogue that hath destroyed our Nation by thy whining, and preaching, and praying, thou mades me believe all this while, that thou was heavenly minded as I was, but I see this world is in thy heart.    

A word to the Righteous  
He bid me should not be angry nor pitty them, for this did not concern me, because I had crucified the world, therefore he loved me, but indeed he had the the same affection towards others, and would speak to them in particular, but it would be a good while e're they would hear him, for they would think him a Devil, and went about to persuade them out of their wits.  
O said I, they will think I am a Devil rather, and call me cursed Canaan, for giving thee occasion to discover their nakedness, and it may be they will kill me, for they have beat me already, and pulled out my eyes, and made me mad, but if they do, I know what I know, I shall be so much the sooner with my God, in the mean time I will be sure to keep close to that example thou gavest me.  
Yet again, Why should I think that they will hurt me, sure if they could but know, or were there any way by which I could manifest my affections to their consideration, & give them but a g●impse of that care and pains my poor mind hath taken for them this thirteen years, and with what violence I forced myself to behold their madness, labouring day and night to find out the reason of it, and when I had done, took no little pains to insinuate my thoughts into the wisest of them, but Lord they were Children, and I could never find them capable to understand what I did say; though I spake as plain as possible could be; the heavens knows I can do no other, it is my misery; I have no language but my own, I know not one word of either Hebrew, Greek or latin, and for the language of the beast I will never learn that if I can choose; O my eternal God, let thy eternal decree seal me up in eternal destruction, before thou force me to a thing so contrary to my mind.  
2. Did they but understand how much I have beaten myself for their sakes, and at the last took to wear their Livery, pleasing myself with madness, because I could not find reason among them, therefore do I resolve to be mad, because I will keep them company, for else I must leave the world and go to the mountains, or some desert or other, but that shall not need, since I know how to wear this Garment, and it pleaseth me so well that I will never be without it till my Lord comes: yet my wife( I mean my fancy) being a Lady of renown, daughter to a great King, Lucifer is much displeased with me, she don't her own pride, and thinks black spots becomes her, she will have her silk Gown and silk Petticoats daubed with silver lace, drag on the ground half a yard after her; but I do not envy her for it, let her dress herself as fine as hands and pins can make her; but let me alone, call me not fool, Ranter, nor Knave, and Hypocrite, but let me wear what Garments I please, so I have the hidden man in my heart, viz. a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price: 'tis no matter what I wear, Silk or satin, Tafety or Velvet, or if I please, sackcloth, or a Coat of hair; but forsooth it is a dishonour to have her Husband wear such habit, and her Fathers dignity is infringed by it, but I care not, I will please myself, if she like me not let her leave me, go to her Father again, I will return all her Dowry, and thank God I were so rid on her too, but put her away I dare not, neither can I change till death doth part; but if I could I would not, for if I should mary Sauls daughter, the King of Israel, there would be no difference, for she is just so affencted; for when David danced before the Ark, endeavouring with all his might to keep his steps in order; yet his wife counted him a fool, or mad and hated him in her ver heart; so likewise doth my holy S●sters hate me, and are highly offended, because I will dance and sing, though all my Songs are of Sion; but I know the reason, they love me, and are jealous, and look on me through the Ranters or Quakers window of their mis-understanding, which makes them prejudge my ways. Truly they do me much wrong by their vain talking about things they understand not, which makes me unkind whether I would or no, insomuch that I am forced to shut up my doors against them, least they should inflame my choler, & then I might be mad indeed, then would they foolishly glory in my destruction, and say they were true Prophets, look how God hath forsaken him, but I love them well for all this, and will have them to know it, for my design is, that they should all dance and sing with me, I will do my uttermost endeavour to teach them if they will learn; if they will not, I must dance and sing to make myself merry, and I hope there is no harm in that.  
3. Could they but think what violence I have used to restrain my natural affection, which forceth me to weep always, when I consider their unknown madness, and if I did not carry a strict hand over it, my passion would melt me away.  
But sith I do what I can to bridle it, I make no question but all my tears are put into my Lords bottle, and will one day make to my account.  
4. Did they but know how often I have hazarded my life in the writing this Treatise, by reason of the infirmity of my body, and how often I have been sick and forced to my bed since I began it.  
5. But O could they think how much wrong I have done myself, in orsaking those high thoughts & heavenly ejaculations in which I had immediate communion with my God to consult there, and my own former madness on fresh, and to dispute as I have done with all the spirits that ever I heard of, in myself have I answered all their Arguments, otherwise this Book would never have had so great a face of Majesty. Start not at my language I will be damned if I know any one untruth herein inserted: nay, if to the best of my knowledge, I know it not to be all true of myself and others.  
You will say, if this be true what I have said, there is none but those that have hard hearts can choose but pitty me.  
Alas, they have such I know by my own, and also by my experience of them, I should know my Masters conditions, for I have served them a double apprenticeship almost, and for those that belong to the spirit of Quakerism, I knew them before they knew themselves, when they first erected their meetings at Kingston on Th●mes, and in Toolies-street, and in the Maze, and in farthing Alley, and little did we think that our leaders would turn Ranters in less then three years time.  
When they  told us with trembling, that they had been in the valley of anchor I was also with Robins, Mugleton, and Reeves, and their gang in prison, & when they were on their trials at Justices Hall in the Old-Bailey; the Ranters I knew, and have had intimate converses with them by word of mouth, but I will not name them; my reason is, because they never yet name themselves in print as I saw; as the Quakers and others have done; let no man therefore call me Ranter, because I am just and will give the Devil his due, least my God by his eternal spirit of reason, rent his mind in pieces for speaking that which he, nor all men, nor Devils shall ever prove.  
But the Quakers might spare their pains in respect of me, for I know them as well by their looks, as I can by reading their Books, for the chief of them are my old acquaintance, some my near neighbours that daily came to my house. I know more of them then web, Nailer, and Fox, and little limping Willey with his yellow locks, yet they know me not, nor will not believe that I do love them.  
And for the female kind I know them in my mind, Hannah Stranger, and Hannah Tratman, and Darkis Erbery, they can all sing well, as I believe, and have heard, men tell; but I will sing with them for their Christ if they dare, let them be never so much inspired, I'll put them down my life for it.  
And for the art of quaking, I have the habit of that as well as the best of them all, and will undertake to make the strongest Quaker quake four days after he hath seen and heard my fit; yet I am but a man, and not inspired in the least that I know of.  
But as all men having the spirit of Reason in me at my command, to use or abuse even as I list myself; neither do I think any man is otherwise, though I can feign ten thousand notions as well as they, and say I am God, Christ, inspired, &c. and when I had done, get fools enough to believe in me, as they do in Mahomet; but my curses light on those spirits that have insinuated into my mind, that I am any otherwise then as I say, a nothing Creature.  
Christian Reader, my fears are thy fears, for I fear nothing myself, though I prevent the worst as nigh as I can, having had large experience of my own and others deceitful hearts.  
For once I was a Shepherds Dog, and for three years I kept his sheep, while the shepherd rid a progress in the Country for his pleasure; indeed he was imprisoned there, but I take no notice of that, because he denied the faith when he came home, in whose absence I took no little pains, as conscience and duty bound me, barking up and down to keep the sheep together, else I was sure they would all have run from his fold, and then the shepherd might never have come home again.  
Now it so happened, that I poor Cur, was grown somewhat lean and love, what with too much barking, and what with grief to see that it it was all to no purpose: For one blast from the shepherds mouth blew not onely what I and many others, but also what himself had preached and printed, and suffered for quiter away, and had not I chanced to catch hold of this leaf of the three of Life, his breath had blown me into eternal destruction.  
Though a great while I thought it would have cherished me, yet I had no ground for that, for the shepherd was never so kind as to spit in my mouth, except it were once or twice, being much persuaded thereunto, and he grudged me that, else be would not have hit me in the teeth with it to my face, and have made a Theme thereof to his sheep mouths after; but I thank him kindly to make me amends for all my former charge and pains to him and his sheep; he thus rewarded me, for he  told the sheep the Dog was mad, who all accordingly believed him, and was more afraid of his dog then they were of the Wolf that devoured them.  
Yet this Cur loves him still, and would be glad of any opportunity to lick the shepherds eyes, and hath barked all this for the lamb, and the Lambs sake, that they might not be devoured by the ignorant Wolves, their shepherds that go in sheeps clothing.  
Besides, he will bark more if God say, Amen, and will make every sheep so knowing, that they shall keep themselves till Christ the great shepherd comes to set up his Throne in their hearts, and rule them with his golden sceptre, their own reason, and for that end he hath devised two Treaties, one called, The Anatomizing of the old Man, in which he will demonstratively show how he was begotten, how born, how nourished, how we should know him, and apprehended him, and how we must persecute him to death till we know he is dead in us, and then quarter him, and hang them upon the City, Gate● of our minds, for his Treachery against the King of our peace, the Lord Jesus Christ.  
The other Treatise contains an exact definition of all the divine virtues, and their opposite vices, with their distinct objects, and time and place of exercise; all which he hath put into Verses, and adorned them as well as he could with his natural rhetoric; besides, a comet in Prose upon every distinct virtue; But thou wilt say, Brag is a good Dog, if I should tell thee that if thou wouldest affect thy mind to red and sing these eulogies once or twice a fortnight, they would leave such a tincture behind on thy spirits, that thou shouldst not be hardly sensible of the greatest calamity, but bear them cheerfully with patience.  
And in my Treatise of the old Man, I will show the perfect way to mortification, in so much that the veriest Whore-master shall be able to see the fairest beauty lie prostrate before him, and not have his mind affencted with concupiscence; and for all students that are troubled with the Venerial humour, I will ease them under God to their great content, that their labours might not be obstructed. But let no man ask to see them, till my own time is come, for I have but one poor weak man to transcribe them, and he can do but what he can. But the world never knew me, neither will they believe what I say, but call me Devil, though I served God as well as the best of them; and power out my supplications day and night before him continually, for I have experienced his truth in me, and his faithfulness to me; I know him to be what the Scriptures saith, He is a God hearing prayer, for he hath satisfied me to the utmost; true, it is no good thing will he with hold from them that fear him; and those that seek the Kingdom of heaven and the Righteousness thereof, shall have all things added unto them, even as I that am no Scholar; yet do I not presume, in saying, I am wiser then my Teachers, for here is not any disease incident to the body of man, but I know how to go to work to cure it, and have cured myself and many others besides, neither will I learn of any to make a Sermon, or to preach▪ if I list myself, from any Text of holy Scripture, & all distressed wounded consciences I can cure, resolve their doubts if they be radical, not that I am an Astrologer, but out of my own experience, for I have drunk of the cup of Tremblings more then a thousand times I thank God, and made observation of every thing that almost happens.  
Yet I practise nothing but my trade, nor will do, till I have exalted him that hath exalted me, and then I will do my Country good another way, for I love them, and would have them at peace one with another, then shall they see my Lords Glory.  
Christian Reader, infitting my Discourses to these distracted times, I sixed my eye on a rule of metaphysics, which tell me all the art of physic is comprehended in the knowledge of two words, viz. Symp●thy and Antipathy, and our disease may be well reduced to two general heads, Ranterism and Quakerism, for they are the two Fountains from which and to which all faction ebb and flow: I have according to my wisdom composed my Medicine of a sympathetical nature, but in Antipathy is too much seen, I know not, I care not what thou thinks of me, my Lord knows I am a Christian, and will be in spite of fate.  
Now Reader farewell, for I must work to strengthen myself against the beast of the bottonles pit, and all false and feigned Christs without and within me and their adherence, who will or may lay any thing to my charge.  
Which I do thus in few words.  

yielding unto their Calumnies,  
Saying, I am what they will device,  
Envious, Apostate, Rogue, Ranter too,  
A cruel wre●ch that will undo;  
All that with me w●il have converse,  
And bring their souls into distress.   

If they say I a Devil be,  
I will say I am, they speak truly;  
The worst they ever saw or knew,  
Say what they will, I'll say 'tis true.   

Apostate, Glutton, Devil, or more,  
Was my dear Lord which went before,  
On that account he sure did die  
Though here I will him deify.   

What did he do, nothing but good,  
This all the world understood,  
Therefore he a Devil had,  
His deeds had otherwise been bad.   

To have a Devil is my bliss,  
Me to accuse when I do miss,  
If they a Devil had 'twas well,  
That he might keep their souls from hell;  
It is better that a Devil I be,  
Then that the Devil should have thee.    
FINIS.