TO THE NOBILITY AND GENTRY, Lawyers And Physicians, Seamen & Tradesmen, Magistrates Subordinate and Supreme, etc. By THO. SWADLIN D. D. Cui ad Manticam res redit. Printed in the Year 1658. TO The Readers. IF any of you ask, Why these incomposed Papers? They are to beg your Charity: Nor am I ashamed of it, since a King, without dishonour, because without dishonesty, did it before me, when he said, Date obolum. Belisario; and a better King since him, when he said, He had rather live on the Church's alms than take the bread out of Priests mouths; and another before them both, when he said, Have pity upon me, Have pity upon me, o ye my friends! for the hand of God is upon me: The Hand of God permitting; else the Hand of man punishing could not continue so violent, as to threaten a starving; which how near it is, though not known, is yet much feared by Tho. Swadlin. TO THE NOBILITY AND GENTRY. NObility and Riches are not absolutely good; For they are given to the Bad, as well as to the Good. Esau was a Noble man and a Rich ma●, as well as Jacob; Dives as well as James: and therefore I have no reason to put my confidence in them, or to think myself the more in God's favour, because I have more of the world's Treasure. Neither yet are Riches and Nobility absolutely bad; For they are given to the Good, as well as to the Bad. David was Noble and Rich, as well as Saul; and so was Nicademus, as well as Caiaphas: and therefore I have no reason to be diffident of myself, because I am Rich and Noble, or to think myself out of God's favour, because I have so much of the worlds. Nobility and Riches are only bad, when they are badly obtained, or retained worse; and then only good, when they are sent by God's blessing, either by way of inheritance, from my Parents; or by way of industry, from my Pains; and again distributed and used to God's glory, and the good of his servants. Achan by an ill obtention of Riches, purchased an ignominious death: and if others Knew what it were to kill, and then possess, They would aspire still, but to be less. Dives by an ill detention of Riches, purchased the torments of Hell: and if others Knew what it were to deny poor men food, They would covet still, but covet to be good. Job with his humble Nobility, with his large possessions, obtained God's favours: And Zacheus, by his munificent distributions, possessed the Joys of Heaven. I fear not myself therefore, because I am Noble, because I am Rich; all that I fear is, That I may use my Riches and Nobility ill; and, that I may not, I ask myself these Cases of Conscience. Whether I abate of mine own superfluities, to relieve the poor's necessities? Else I am Dives like, Luk. 16. Whether I consider the Poor and Needy, and save them the pains and shame of begging at my door and elbow? Then I am David like Ps. 4. Whether I look contemptuously upon them that are poor and needy? Sam That is, Nabal-like. Whether I have not resolved to deny relief to them that want? This is Devil-like. And when these Cases are resolved to the comfort of my soul, I may humbly and confidently address myself to Almighty God. O most gracious God thou hast dealt largely with me in thy Outward blessings; I beseech thee also, give me a large portion of thy Inward grace. My heart is full of corruption, and even with these thy blessings, of a Noble blood, and a full purse, I shall pride myself, and despise others, and scorn the Poor, and forget thee; unless with this Nobility in my blood, and this plenty in my purse thou give me the Poverty of thy spirit; It is not a poor spirit I desire, but to be poor in spirit, that while others highly conceit of me, I may be humble in mine own conceit; remembering, the more I have of thee, the more thou wilt require from me; and the greater my charge is by thy trust, the greater must be my discharge by my truth: Else my Nobility will puff me with security, and my wealth will be a thorn to choke and whither the seed of thy word in me, and make it unfruitful to me. Let me therefore take more delight in thy word, than in all manner of Riches, that in this slippery place (for Riches and Nobility are but slippery, they either thaw from us, or we melt from them) I may keep an even step, and walk with a right foot. Let not mine eye be dazzled with the glory, nor heart bewitched with the delicacy of those Treasures; lest, I am ware, They be taken from me, or I from them. Let my chief delight be upon that durable wealth and eternal Nobility, which is better than Gold and Coronets, that my heart may be enriched with the dew of thy spirit, my soul filled with the knowledge, and my hands enabled with the practice of thy will. Oh! let me remember, That these Riches, these Titles are not my Lordship, but my Stewardship, that the bowels of the Saints may be refreshed, and the hearts of the widows rejoiced, and the loins of the Naked warned by the fruits of my faith, my good works; and thereby others provoked to glorify thee. Let that be the Emd of my charity, To glorify thee; not any thought of merit, or to glorify myself. Let every Mite I give, be a fruit of faith, not a gift of fortune; and every mercy I show to others upon this ground, assure me, it is a beam of thy love unto myself; and while I have no other aim but thy glory, no other ground but my obedience, let me in the End find it a good groundwork against the time to come, and so attain the End of my faith, even the salvation of my soul; not for these works-sake, but for that Promise sake, Psal 41.2. Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy, the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble. Deliver me, o Lord! in the trouble of my life, from worldly care; and deliver me, o Lord! in the trouble of my death from sinful guilt, through Jesus Christ. Amen. In whose most blessed Name and words, I further call upon thee, as he hath taught me in his holy Gospel: Our Father which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name, etc. The Nobleman's Character. HE is endowed with the four cardinal virtues; and is a man, neither covetous, nor prodigal, but temperate; he knows how to give charitably, and to gather providently. He is a man neither foolish, nor crafty, but prudent; and knows when to speak plainly, when politicly, never falsely. He is a man neither indulgent, nor cruel, but just; and knows how to punish Iniquity, and to reward Honesty. He is a man neither timorous, nor temerous, but magnanimous; and knows how to bridle precipitancy, to spur pusillanimity, and dares scarlet his sword in an Honourable cause. Sola Virtus vera Nobilitas. To the Gentlemen of the Law. MY Calling is lawful, I question it not; no wise man doth question it; or if any man doth question it, yet God being the ancient Lawmaker, and the eternal Law giver, would soon decide it, and determine my Calling to be lawful: All my fear is, whether I use not my lawful Calling unlawfully? That I may not, I propose these Cases of Conscience to my s●●f: Whether God's glory or mine own gain, moved me to make choice of this Calling? Whether I take Fees in right or wrong Causes? Whether I afford a Tenth or a Tantamount of my abundant Fees to the relief of the poor? And when these are resolved I acknowledge it my duty, as it is every man's duty, to pray God to direct me in my lawful Calling; and so I do. O most just and righteous God who to preserve Peace amongst men, and to prevent men from wronging one another, hast ordained the Profession of the Law, and hast appointed me to that Profession; I beseech thee, give me grace so to execute my Profession, that I may do right to all men; sanctify my Tongue that my words be not deceitful; and sanctify my Heart, that equity not opulency, be the chiefest mark I aim at: keep my Hands from taking Fees, to plead in, or maintain an unjust cause; and when I shall take a Fee in a just Cause, and do not deserve it, either by my neglect, or multiplicity of other Employments, give me grace to restore it: While I am busied to obtain earthly Goods for my Clrents, let me not forget to make Thee my Advocate for obtaining the Eternal good of mine own Soul: In all my pleading before an earthly Judge, give me grace to remember that great and last day, when I, and all men besides, must appear before Thee, the Judge of Heaven and Earth. And because then, not subtle words, but a pure heart, a good conscience, and not a full purse shall speed, so direct me by thy Spirit in this Calling of the Law, that in my whole Practice, I may endeavour to execute Justice, and maintain Truth, and then receive, as thou hast promised, to them that walk uprightly, glory and immortality, Ps. 80 11. through the merits of Him, that is the Advocate of Sinners, and the propitiation for our sins, Jesus Christ the righteous. Amen. In whose most blessed name and words, etc. The Lawyer's Character. NO wife man sees him, but he thinks upon his Estate, and is glad there are such men, without whom, themselves cannot live in peace, nor their Estates be secure: None but fools grudge at their abundance, since by their diligence, we possess such abundance as we have tranquillously: Be as rich as you can, so you be honest, and though your Law cannot, yet the Gospel will find a way to cut off the entail of difficulty to Heaven from Riches: Else Vae vobis. The Physician's Devotion. NO man that hath pulse in his Body, or pastion in his heart, or brain in his head, or urine in his bladder, but will confess the lawfulness of my Profession; or if any man be so mad, or malicious, yet Asa's preposterousness in seeking to the Physician, before the Divine, and Hezechias his application of a Fig to his Plaguesore, will confute him, and tell the whole world, That the Physicians Profession is lawful and honourable, because not a wise man sees him, but he thinks of death; not a fool, but sends for him in sickness; and therefore a happy man he is in the mean time, that is welcome to fools in extremity, and to wise men at every opportunity. He is indeed as happy as any man living, if he ascribe not too much to second causes; If he make God his, as God hath made him other men's, Physician; If he show God his tears, as he looks upon his Patient's urine, he may then as well prognosticate his own health, as his Patient's death. The sight of him shall ever put me in mind of death, that I may not be afraid of death, when I cannot have the sight of him, the Physician; To whom I propose this one Case of Conscience. Whether his Prescriptions and Aims are more for his Patient's recovery, or his own Gains? And then let him pray thus, or otherwise as it pleaseth him. O most wise, most powerful, and most gracious God who hast created Man for thyself, and service, and all other things for the service of Man; and amongst men haste or ●ained, several Professions, and amongst them the Profession of Physic, to repair the Health, and to recover the Sickness of Men; The seech thee to give me grace to remember, that I must one day answer, for what I do all the days of my life; and therefore withal I beseech thee for a blessing upon all those Prescriptions I shall direct for my Patients, and to trust in and expect only from thee, the First cause, a virtuous operation upon the second cause, for the good and benefit of my Patients; and as I feel for the evenness or unevenness of their pulse, I may keep the pulse of mine own soul in an even and just temper before thee, that as I behold their urines, thou mayest behold my tears, that as I prescribe their Diets, I may always keep a temperate Diet myself; and so keep my body under, that my soul may continually have recourse to Thee, until thou take me to thyself through Jesus Christ. Amen. In whose most blessed Name and words, etc. Physician his Character. HE is Nature's best friend, as always following her dictates and directions. He is a good friend to Grace; for when he sees Nature spent, he bids his Patient send for the Divine; nor do I blame him for it, that he puts Divinity after Physic, since I know, Men are more sensible of flesh and blood, than they are of soul and spirit; nor do you blame me, if I highly prize that piece of Apocrypha, Honora Medicum honore debito. The Seaman's Devotion. THat my Calling is lawful, honourable, & ancient, Noah's Ark, Genes. David's wonder in the deep, Psal. solomon's sending ships to Ophir for Gold, and St. Act 27. Paul's escaping danger at Sea, by the help of the Shipmaster, Pilots, and Mariners, do abundantly satisfy and confirm; Yet before I go to Sea, I shall propose to myself this Case of Conscience. Whether I have taken this Calling by the direction of my Parents, the guidance of Providence, or the love of money, and desire of seeing Fashions? And being resolved, I am lawfully called, I pray: O God who hast appointed me to go down into the Sea in ships, and to do my business in great waters, Have mercy upon me. O God who dost whatsoever I thou pleasest in Heaven, in Earth, and in all deep places, Have mercy upon me. O God I am now ready to commit myself unto the waters, I am now floating upon the bottomless Sea; and that my sins may not go along with me, nor provoke thee to vex me with thy storms, Have mercy upon me. The Ship that I am now in, is but a vain thing to save a man; and that Pirates may not board us, that winds and waves may not drown us, that Infidels may not captivate us, Have mercy upon us. That th● Devil may not infect us, That we may be constant in our Religion, That we may be true and just in our deal, That in all places, we may demean ourselves as the Professors of Christ, and give no occasion to the Adversary to speak evil. Have mercy upon us. That the great Leviathan may not seize upon our souls, as the Whale did upon Ionas his body for sins we stand guilty of, Have mercy upon us, and blot out all our offences. In a Storm. O God who didst save Noah and his Family in the A●k from perishing by water, Help us, or else we perish. O God who didst hear the prayer of thy Prophet from the bottom of the Sea, and our of the belly of Hell, Hear us and help us, else we perish. O God who hast commanded, and raised the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves of the Sea, Help us, else we perish, O God these winds and these waves mount us up to Heaven, and bring us down again to the depth, and melt our souls, Help us, else we perish. O God we reel to and fro, and stagger like drunken men, and are at our wit's end, Help us else we perish. Our sins have raised thy Anger, O God and thy Anger hath raised these storms; In justice thou mayest deal with us, as thou didst with Pharaoh and the Egyptians; but we beseech thee to deal with us in mercy, as with Moses and the Israelites in the red Sea: Cast our sins into the bottomless Sea of thy mercy; Drown them in the red Sea of Jesus Christ's blood; and as he did rebuke the waves and the Sea, so do Thou turn this Sea into a Calm, and bring us to our desired Haven: Spare us a little longer before we go hence, and be no more seen Guide us in this whole voyage by thy Power; Govern is with thy Mercy, Return us with thy Grace, that we may give up our lives in the Land where we received them: Or if thou hast 〈◊〉 appointed us unto death's prepare us for death, in the full remission of our Sins, in the free justification about Persons, in the fruitful sanctification of our remaining Dai●s, and in the future glorification of our Souls, through Jesus Christ. Amen. In whose Name, etc. After the Storm. That thou hast heard us from above, and drawn us out of many waters, My soul doth magnify thee; o Lord! That thou hast delivered us from all our Fea●s, and hast not suffered the water-floods to over whelm us, nor the deeps to swallow us up, My soul doth magnify thee, o Lord! That thou ●ast shown us thy w 〈…〉 in the deep, and 〈◊〉 delivered us from death, by preserving us in the ship, and commanding the waves to be quiet, and the winds to be still, My soul doth magnify thee, o Lord! That 〈◊〉 hast brought me 〈◊〉 to the shore, & comforted me with the sight, and life, & health if my friends My soul doth magnify thee, o Lord! At thy Return. And now, what shall I render unto thee, o Lord! for all thy benefits? My soul and body I dedicate unto thee, and beseech thee to consecrate them unto thyself: They have been washed in the waters of the Sea; oh, now wash them in the laver of Regeneration: They have tasted the saltness of the Sea; oh, let them now taste the Merits of my Saviour; and then my soul shall never consent again to sin, my body shall never again commit sin: And that this may not prove presumption, but that I may bring my promise into performance, Be 〈…〉 O God with the earnestness of my soul, upon the k●ees of my body I beg thy assistance, ●nd th● graces of 〈◊〉 holy Spirit, that I m●y conq 〈…〉 s; in; he commanding power of sin, and never again obey it, the condemning guilt of sin and never despair under it: And this for the bitter Agony and precious death ●f my Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ Amen. In whose blessed Name and words I further call upon thee saying, Our Father, etc. The Seaman's Character. IN him I see a warrantable, a dangerous, a gainful, and an honourable Calling; so warrantable, that Christ of his twelve Apostles chose four Seamen, Andrew, Peter, James, and John; so dangerous, that there is never above a foot and half betwixt him and death; which made one Poet say, Ille robur, etc. He had an heart of oak that first adventured to Sea: and another; Aut insanit, etc. He is either a madman, or a beggar, or desirous to die that goes to Sea; only they are so happy in this danger, that they see Gods wonders in the deep, and give him thanks, when they are by him brought unto the haven; so gainful, that Solemons good huswife is compared to a Merchant's Ship that brings riches from a far Country; so honourable, that of old the merchants of Tyre were called Princes; and of late years, those of Genoa, Venice, and the Low-Countries are arrived so high, that a great part of the world envies them, the rest admires them: to them we are beholding for Balm from Gilead, for Incense from Sheba, for Gold from Ophir, for Cedar and Fir from Tyre, for Gums and Spices, from India; and somewhat more than ordinary there is in this Calling, since Christ hath graced it with the immaterial letters of his own name. The Traveller. I Am now taking a journey by land; whether for the necessity of business, or the visiting of my friends, or the wooing of a wife, I need not scruple myself; so I am sure, it is not for vanity or sin; I may pray God for his protection; and thus I address myself to his Throne of Grace: O most gracious God who didst protect thy servants; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in their several journeys; and gavest thy servant Tobias a convoy of Angels to conduct and bring him back again; conduct me also in this my journey by thy Angels, that I may be safe from the violence of Thiefs, and guide me by thy spirit, that I may be safe from the assaults of those great Thiefs of my Soul, the Flesh, the World, and the Devil: against the World give me the staff of faith; against the Devil give me the bag of charity; against the Flesh, give me the bottle of tears, that as a Pilgrim, I may not be cumbered with any thing of impediment, but only furthered with all things of emolument; and in every step of this journey, remember my great journey from Earth to Heaven, and keep such an even pace in the path of Grace, that thou mayest return me back from this journey to my home; receive me at the end of that journey to thy City of Glory, for his sake, who is the way, the Truth, and the life, Jesus Christ. In whose blessed name and words, I further call upon thee, etc. At thy Return. O most merciful God That many have miscarried in their travails, I hear and know; some in their purses, some in their lives; that I am returned safe in both, and injured in neither, I feel and know; and know no cause of it, but thy providence; and therefore know myself bound to acknowledge the duty of my thankfulness to that providence of thine; which I do and ever will bless, not only for this, but for all the preservations of my whole life; and consecrate the remainder of my whole life to thy service; wherein I beseech thee so to bless me in my whole race upon earth, that I may bless thee in the long race of eternity in heaven, for his sake who took his journey from heaven to earth, and returned again from earth to heaven, to prepare a place for me, and now sits at thy right hand to intercede for me, Jesus Christ my Saviour. Amen. In whose blessed name and words, etc. The Travellers Character. HE is an honest, and a wise man; h● never goes on foot, but when he wants an horse; nor doth he ever ride, but when he hath business: he spends like himself, little, or much; nor doth he make much account of his expenses; for he lays up that before he finds, or is forced occasions to use it; if he travels with safety, and returns without danger, his first salutation is, Gratias De●. The Soldier. SOme fanatics in the world have questioned the lawfulness of my calling: But I have God's word for my warrant, and Gods servants for my pattern. God's word says, when thou goest out with thin● Host, Deut. 23 or when thou goest to war; and that very word when, doth suppose it; and sure I am, God's word doth not suppose any thing which is unlawful. As God's word, so his servants too warrant it; yea, and his choicest servants; Abraham, Joshua, Deborah, Samson, Gideon, David; they were all warriors; they waged war; some of them offensive; some of them defensive; and therefore I need not doubt of the lawfulness of my Calling: all the doubt is, in resolving these Cases of Conscience; Whether I am lawfully called to this lawful Calling? How I may be assured that I am lawfully called, and may with a safe conscience take up, and make use of these weapons? And that being done I thus address myself to Jehovah the Lord of Hosts. O Almighty God who hast styled thyself a man of war, and hast now called me to be a man of war, I beseech thee, teach my Hands to War; and my Fingers to Fight; give unto me, and to every one of my Fellow Soldiers the strength of Samson, the courage of David, and the wisdom of Solomon, that we may undermine all the attempts, and overthrow all the plots, and overcome all the Giants, that fight against thy Truth; yet even in the heat of Fury give us pity that we may rather spare than spoil, and while we gird ourselves with Armour to resist these Enemies of ours, do thou put upon us thy whole armour that we may resist that enemy of mankind, and quench all the fiery darts of the Devil; go thou forth with us against them, that are come without thee against us; animate our, and abate their courage; confound their devices, but convert their souls: and because death is before our eyes, give us grace to be mindful of it, and prepared for it, that while we fight against them, we may also fight the good fight against all our ghostly enemies, and receive a Crown of righteousness: Take our Bodies into thy protection, and defend us; take out souls into thy tuition, and sanctify us; that though we return not home, we may be received into heaven, through Jesus Christ. Amen. In whose most blessed name, etc. The Soldiers Character. HE is the Father of Peace, and Mother of Patience; his subtlety begets peace; his magnanimity nurses patiences; in both he is the founder and supporter of Kingdoms: If he be conquered, he sow's patience; if he conquer, he reaps peace; in That he found'st, in This he supports the Kingdom; if he be able to second the peace of victory, with the grace of humility, he is the breeder of all virtue, and the bane of all vice; for then good laws are put in execution, and bad men in the house of correction; so necessary he is in peace, that else we lose it; so necessary in war, that else we have no hope of it; so necessary in both, that no Kingdom can subsist long without him: if you chance to see him, you see a head quick of wit, a tongue full of eloquence, an eye of vigilance, a face of courtesy, a hand of bounty, and an heart of valour, and for his good parts, say, God bless him, so that he remember and practise his lesson, Neminem concutit eneque calumniamini. The Tradesman's Devotion. THis Calling is of a large extent: For the extent of Trades is very large; so many several Trades as there are, so many several callings to those Trades there are too. The best mark whereby to know the lawfulness of a Trade, is, To find a ground for it in Scripture; or, if humane Inventions have found out some Trades, that the Scripture gives no ground for; yet if the Scripture forbids it not the Trade is lawful, and a man may lawfully make use of it; u.g. There is no mention made of a Chimney-sweeper in the word of God, yet though there were nothing conducing to this Trade, This Trade notwithstanding is lawful, because it is not forbidden; whereas on the other side, The Trades of Usury, and Pawn taking, are directly forbidden in the word of God, especially the latter, The taking of such things to pawn as are necessary for livelihood and subsistence. But I thank God my Profession is not forbidden; (for I am a Merchant, I am a Mercer, I am a Tailor, I am a Carpenter, etc.) and therefore I may safely use it: and that I may use it honestly, I pray: O God who for the sin of Adam hast appointed, that every man shall earn his living by the sweat of his brows, and shall eat his bread in the sweat of his face, and hast also forbidden that man to eat, who will not work; and to this end hast ordained several Callings, to some whereof every particular man should apply himself, whereby, with thy blessing, he should provide for his family and posterity; and amongst all haste called me to this Trade and course of life (_____) and herein hast promised to bless my honest labours and endeavours; I beseech thee that I may comfortably and contentedly undergo it, without grudging thereat, as at some uneasy burden, driving not only at mine own private gain, but also at the public good; not seeking Riches by wronging of others, by false weights, short measures, or deceitful work, (Be such thoughts and things, o God ever far from me) but only seeking a competency and honest increase, doing to, and dealing by others, as I would others should do to, and deal by me; and that I may so do and deal, I beseech thee let me ever remember, That the wages of unrighteousness, and Riches gotten by wrong and Robbery, are put into a broken bag, and shall soon diminish and be devoured; or if they do continue, they shall be for my greater hurt, and such prosperity shall destroy me; That a little with thy blessing is better than great Revenues, with thy curse; That thy allseeing eye is ever beholding me in all my do; and all my do, however close from the world, are naked in thy sight; Add to this grace of remembrance, the grace of holy care, whereby I may walk uprightly, and approve myself before thee in an even behaviour toward all men; and if it shall please thee to bless my labours, and increase my store, by my honest industry; o let me not set my heart upon that increase and make those Riches my strong City, lest such deceitfulness choke the seeds of thy graces in me, & steal my heart from thee, from the Poor, from my Calling; but let me follow my Calling in an holy measure, not wholly ingulphing myself into, nor wholly sequestering myself from the business of it; but giving myself all convenient opportunities to serve thee in piety, and to relieve the Poor in charity; that when thou shalt put an end to these days of labour, thou mayest say unto me, Well done good and faithful servant, enter into thy Master's rest. All which, and all other things needful for me, I beg of thee in the Name, and for the sake of Jesus Christ, saying as he hath taught me, Our Father which art in Heaven, etc. The Tradesman's Character. HE is a good Commonwealths-man, but a bad Statesman; and then the best, when he meddles least with it: The ware in his Shop, next to the care of his soul, should take up his time and tongue: for if he make no conscience how he spends his time, he hath no care for eternity; and if he care not to guide his tongue, he sets the Greater and the Lesser, himself and the whole world, on fire and combustion: Happy he, if he prays aright, and endeavours to do as he prays, without injuring his Customer by false weights and measures. These and many more instructions are given him from the name of his Trade, whatsoever it is, since all Trades are called, Instituta, Rationes, Mores, Disciplinae. To the Magistracy. MY Calling is lawful, whether I be supreme or subordinate; because God made David supreme, and Moses appointed the subordinate, both Justice of Peace, and Judge, and Lord Chief Justice, and Lord Keeper: only if I am a Justice of Peace, I must resolve these Queries. Whether ambition or virtue set me on this Bench? Whether I sit upon this Bench, with an eye of fear to my Superiors, with an eye of favour to my Equals, with an eye of scorn to my Inferiors, or with an eye of impartiality to them all? If I am a Judge, I must resolve these Queries. Whether I imitate Christ in his scarlet Gown and Minivere Hood? Whether as his Garments were red with the spoil of his Enemies only; so mine be red only with the spoil of malefactors? Whether as his hood was white by a holy conception, by a sinless life, and a saving death; so mine be white by an unspotted conversation, without taking bribes to turn the stream of Justice into a strange and contrary channel? If I so live, I may then assure myself, when I come to his Judgement Seat, I shall find him not Judex to condemn me, but Jesus to save me; and so I shall live, if I will remember, Judicium non mei, sed Dei. If I am a Lord Chief Justice, I must then resolve these queries truly: Whether I compound the Ark of God with nothing but the Law of God? Whether from that Ark, I tell no man less than his duty, I give no man more than his due; condemnation if he be a transgressor, without taunts; absolution, if he be an observer of the Law, without bribes? If I do so, I may then assure myself, the incorruptible Lawgiver will not condemn me, though a corruptible Law-expounder, because I was not wilfully corrupted; and so I shall do, if I remember, Hoc fac, & vives; sin aliter, peribis. If I am a Lord Keeper, I must resolve these Queries truly; Whether I behave myself answerably to the Propitiatory upon the Ark? Whether I, like that covering, keep the Law from a too severe pleading against the poor Client? Whether I do moderate the extremity of Jus summum, for the maintenance of Aequum bonum? And this I shall do, if I command my cursitory Angels to become Dii tutelares of several Shires; if I prohibit the sending out of Fines, without the sponge of Repentance, to wash out the transgressions of the Law. If I do so, I shall find Christ as Christ hath placed me, The poor man's Advocate, my Advocate with the Father, to plead his merits against my demerits. Sicredo, vivam. If I be Supreme, The Kings, I must then resolve these Queries truly, Whether like the Sun, I give grace to Saturn, gravity to my Councillors? Whether I give might to Jupiter, respect unto my Nobles? Whether I give fortitude to Mars, magnanimity to my Soldiers? Whether I allow benevolence to Venus, beauty to my Ladies? Whether I allow pith to Mercury, Rhetoric and reward to my Scholars? Whether I give constancy to the Moon, steadfastness and stability to the Commons? Or if the Sun teaches me not my duty sufficiently; I will take it higher; and because I am like God in all, only that I am a King of Men, and God is the King of Kings, I must resolve these Cases of Conscience, because my Conscience must answer for them to God; Whether my Throne be clothed with Majesty? else my Subjects will not respect me. Whether my Sceptre be full of Mercy? else my Subjects will not love me. Whether my Chair be fathomed with Justice? else my Subjects will not fear me. Whether my sword be armed with Power? else my Soldiers will not obey me. And because God dwells in absconditis, I must be careful that my Majesty be not looked upon by every eye. And because God's justice is upright, I must secure my justice from being stained by a●y bribes. And because God's mercy is not denied to any sinner, I must not deny my mercy to any Delinquent. And because God will not suffer his Power to be disputed by any Tongue, I must preserve my Power from the quarrel of any Rebel; and when it is thus, I may pray with confidence. But now I think upon it, I shall not be so saucy, as to set down a Prayer for these great persons; because Justices, and Judges, and Lord Chief Justices, and Lord Keepers, and Kings, know better how to pray, than I to inform them; only I hope without offence, I may pray for them, and the whole world thus, From pestilence, famine, and war; from earthquakes, inundations, and great fires, from the plagues of immoderate rains, and droughts; from corrupting winds, and blast; from thunder, lightning, and tempests; from epidemical and sharp diseases, and from sudden death, Deliver the whole world, good Lord! From private interpretations of Scriptures; from innovations in holy things from strange doctrines, from doting about questions, from heresies, schisms, and scandals, public and private, Deliver thy whole Church, good Lord! From the Priesthood of Micah and Jeroboam, from the combination of Judas Iscariot, and Simon Magus, from the doctrines of the unstable, and the unlearned, from the pride of novices, and from people that strive with the Priest, Deliver this Church, good Lord! From foreign invasion, and civil insurrection, from displacing good Magistrates, and exalting bad, from the massacre of Athaliah, and from the bloodiness of Herod. Deliver this nation, good Lord! From the Anarchy of Corah, and Dathan, from the tyranny of Ashur, and Achab, from the dangerous council of Achitopel, and the foolish council of Zoan, from the Statutes of Omri, and the Judgements of Jesabel; from the floods of Belial, and from the plagues of Peor. Deliver the state of this Nation, good Lord! From the pride of the Amorite, from the envy of the Hittite, from the anger of the Perizzite, from the gluttony of the Gergashite, from the wantonness of the Hivite, from the worldliness of the Cananite, and lukewarmness of the Jebusite, Deliver this City, good Lord! for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen. In whose blessed name and words. etc. To the condemned to die. YOur time is short, & therefore my discourse to you shall not be long; not many days betwixt you and death, and therefore not many words, lest I keep you from the thought of death. I dare not be so unchristian, as to think you prepare not yourselves for the last fatal stroke; and therefore one only prayer for you from me, if you have not a better from others for yourselves. O God most powerful, yet most pitiful; by thy Power preserve them that are appointed to die, and redeem them from the sentence of death, which is passed upon them, if it may stand with thy Goodness. But if thy Providence hath appointed this time for their period, and this way for their dissolution, yet by thy pity save their souls from eternal death, and grant them all those graces which are necessary for their salvation. Remember not their ignorances', Forget the sins of their youth, and Forgive the sins of their age; Give them a sight of all their sins, Give them a sense of all their sins, and true repentance to bewail; them; Give them a sight of all thy Promises, Give them a sense of all thy Promises, and true faith to apply them. Suffer not their Ghostly enemies to assault them to any present desperation, for their former presumptions against thy Justice. Send thy holy Angels to take their souls, as they did the soul of Lazarus, and carry them into Abraham's bosom; and let thy everlasting Gates be open to receive them, for his sake, who by overcoming the sharpness hath opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers. Make & keep their senses entire, their understandings right, their penitence unfeigned, their hope well grounded, their faith firm, and their charity perfect. Give them, o give them a quiet and joyful departure, by carrying their eyes back unto Jesus, who died for them, and forward to those Joys, which are purchased for them, by the life and death of Jesus Christ. Amen. In whose most blessed Name and words I further call upon thee, as he hath taught me, saying, Our Father which art in Heaven, etc. Or if any sin lies heavy upon thy soul, and thou canst not have those assistances thou desirest, then confess thy sins, and comfort thy soul in this, or such a kind of Devotion as this. Behold, o God I was conceived in sin, Psal. 51. and brought forth in iniquity; and therefore I pray, God be merciful to me a sinner. And mercy I hope to have, Because my Saviour was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Luc. 1. and born in innocency, not for himself, but me; for which, My soul doth magnify thee, o Lord! But I have discoursed with the Devil, Gen. 3. and at his temptations have tasted the forbidden fruit; and therefore I pray, God be merciful to me a sinner. And mercy I hope to have, Because my Saviour wrestled with, and overcame the Devil for me; Mat. 4. for which, My soul, doth magnify thee, O Lord! But I have committed all sin, and kept the poison of Asps under my lips; Psal. and therefore I pray, God be merciful to me a sinner. And mercy I hope to have, Because my Saviour did no sin, 1 Petr. neither was any guile found in his lips; for which, My soul doth magnify thee, o Lord! But I have fulfilled the will of the flesh too, Psal. and done no good; and therefore I pray, God be merciful to me a sinner. And mercy I hope to have, Because my Saviour fulfilled thy will, Joh. and did all good for me; for which, My soul doth magnify thee, o Lord! But I have defiled my body, Gen. as Onan by Pollution, if not as Judah by Fornication, Gen. if not as David by Adultery, 1 Sam. 11. if not as Ammon by Incest, if not as the Sodomites by Bestiality; and therefore I pray, God be merciful to me a sinner. And mercy yet I hope to have, Because my Saviour offered his Body to the knife of Luc. 2. Circumcision, to the water of Baptism, Mat. 3. to the Curse of the Tree, to the Death of the Cross; and all this to expiate the sins of my body; for which, Philip 2. My soul doth magnify thee, o Lord! But mine hands have been lifted up against Heaven; and therefore I pray, God be merciful to me a sinner. And mercy yet I hope to have, Because my Saviour's hands in Heaven are, as upon the Cross they were, stretched out to embrace me; for which, My soul doth magnify thee, O Lord! But my feet, my very feet have been swift to shed the blood of Revenge; and therefore I pray, God be merciful to me a sinner. And mercy yet I hope to have, Because my Saviour's feet were nailed, to shed the blood of Atonement for me; for which, My soul doth magnify thee, o Lord! But my heart, my inmost and remotest heart, hath been filled with evil imaginations, and that continually; and therefore I dare not but continue to pray, God be merciful to me a sinner. And mercy yet I hope to have, Because my Saviour's Heart was pierced, to offer up the blood of satisfaction for the sins of my heart; for which, My soul doth magnify thee, o Lord! But my soul, my once most precious soul, I have defaced by all manner of ungodliness; and therefore I pray, God he merciful to me a sinner. And mercy I yet hope to have, Because my Saviour's soul descended victoriously, to trample upon the enemies of my soul; for which, My soul doth magnify thee, o Lord! But yet in my Body I can see nothing but wounds, in my soul, nothing but soars, in my life, nothing but sins, and therefore I pray, God be merciful to me a sinner. And mercy I yet hope to have, Because in my Jesus I see balm enough to cure my wounds; in thy Christ I see unction enough to heal my sores; In his life obedience, and in that obedience, merit enough to pardon my sins: In his death patience; and in that patience, redemption enough to save my soul; In his blood innocence, and in that innocence, satisfaction enough to cure my wounds, to heal my sears, to pardon my sins, to save my soul; in his Descent, Humility; in his Resurrection and Ascension, Hope; in his Intercession, Comfort; for he is now at thy right hand to make intercession for me; and for which, My soul doth magnify thee, o Lord! But yet, but yet, I have trampled that blood under foot, I have crucified my Jesus afresh; and therefore dare not but pray afresh, God be merciful to me a sinner. But yet, but yet, but yet, I am the greatest sinner upon the face of the whole Earth; for who, or what man, or devil, durst to do what I have done? I have broke all thy commandments, I have broken all my vows; for better obedience, and that even to this moment of my life, the very last moment of my life, and therefore will pray so long as life doth last, God be merciful to me a sinner. And mercy yet I hope to have, Because that saying which is worthy of all acceptation, is believed by me, and I desire I may believe it, to the very last minute, Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, even myself the chiefest of sinners; for which, My soul doth magnify thee, o Lord! And now most gracious God I beseech thee to accept of my resolutions, and to accomplish them in my true, though weak, and late endeavours; and look upon me, nor as I am in myself, but as I am in thy Sen, washed, washed in his Baptism, as well from my actual transgressions I have committed since, as from my original corruption, I stood guilty of before I was baptised; look upon me, o my God as I am in thy Son, clothed, clothed with his righteousness; for his love clothed himself with the imputation of my wickedness; and doth not thy gift of faith cloth me with the imputation of his righteousness? I do believe the one, That he came into the world; and I desire to believe the other, That he came into the world to save me; for I am a sinner, the chief of sinners; look upon me, o my God as I am in thy Son, healed; healed by his stripes; for the bled to save the whole Body, the Church; and of that body, I am a member; and do not, o God do not suffer any member of thy Son's body to perish; look upon me o my God as I am in thy Son, reconciled, and at peac with thee; Rom 5.1 for being just fied by faith, I have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Look upon me so, o God and thy baptism shall cleanse me, cleanse me as well from future filth, as from passed guilt; look upon me so, o God and thy other blessed Sacrament, which I have now (or shall by and by receive) received, shall preserve me unto everlasting life; otherwise I dare not look upon thee, but in the Face of Jesus Christ; and otherwise, I beseech thee, look not upon me, but through the merits of Jesus Christ; in whose blessed name and presence, I promise thee new and better obedience, (if I live) and for whose blessed sake and merits, I beg thy assistance, that I may have victory over sin, victory over the commanding power of it, and never again obey it in the lusts of my mortal body, while I live, nor never despair under the condemning guilt of it when I die, but now while I live, and then when I die, be cured of all the stings I have received from the fiery Serpents, of the World, the Devil, and mine own flesh, by fixing the eyes of my faith upon the true brazen Serpent, Jesus Christ. Amen. In whose blessed name and words I conclude my prayer and life, in that most perfect form of prayer, which he hath taught me in his holy Gospel, saying, when ye pray, say, Our Father which art in Heaven, etc. To my Benefactors. YOu are blessed men, so the Psalmist tells you; Psal 41.1. Blessed is the man that considers the poor and needy: So my saviour tells you, Come ye blessed of my Father; For ye gave me meat when I was hungry; Mat 25. ye visited me when I was in p●ison: So St. Paul tells you; It is a better thing to give, than to receive. Such blessed men I have hitherto met with in my hunger, in my thirst, in my mprisonment, in my nakedness; Their blessedness hath blessed me; and they have made themselves more blessed, by the law of beneficence, which is, they forget their charity: But I may not make myself cursed, by forgetting my duty, in the law of gratitude; No, I will remember my Duty, by remembering God, not to forget their labour of love, because they have not forgot to do good to them that are in bonds, and particularly to myself, the worst and unworthiest of the rest. To you, my Benefactors, I say, Be not weary of well doing; You shall reap, if you faint not. To God I pray, Reward them sevenfold, o God with Grace and Plenty here, with Glory and Eternity hereafter. From Him, I assure you of both, if you add but your own Faith, to the Devotion of your Beadsman, with whom Vindicta oneri, Gratia in quaestu habetur. FINIS.