A necessary Advertisement to a needful Fortification.  BY WIL: WEBSTER. 
My former Tables much good liking won,  
The fate of this, may in the like line, run:  
With Trading times, they suited; and (I guess)  
This with our sad condition suits no less.  

AS now we busily ourselves apply,  
(Sparing for neither care, nor cost, nor pains)  
Our Cities and our Towns to fortify,  
Because a threatening danger so constrains:  
Even so (●●sasters threatening) 'tis our parts  
'Gainst their Assaults, to fortify our hearts.   

The settlement of outward peace among us  
Hath been endeavoured for, but all in vain:  
Disturbers of our peace, so much do wrong us,  
That hopes of peace we scarce can entertain:  
Those our endeavours having fruitless been,  
Now let us seek to settle peace within.   

This inward peace should first be sought, indeed;  
That, without this, is but an empty thing:  
This will support the heart in time of need,  
When that cannot a dram of comfort bring:  
This will supply our want, when that we miss;  
But that cannot supply our want of this.   

He that upon his Maker rowles his mind,  
And with sure confidence casts Anchor there:  
he's in safe harbour, neither waves nor wound,  
Nor plundering Pirates needeth he to fear.  
For these cannot of inward peace bereave him,  
Though destitute of outward helps they leave him.   

To settle outward peace, the task is hard,  
For many must concur, that now do jar;  
This other easier is, in this regard,  
To deal but with ourselves, in this we are.  
He that seeks inward peace, shall find the same,  
If he can but bring his own heart in frame.   

And over our own hearts, we may (no doubt)  
Prevail, if we divine assistance crave:  
And when this business shall be brought about,  
So, that this peace we in our bosoms have:  
Then are we fortified, and may defy  
The worst Malignants worst malignity.   

If we our hearts to such a pitch can raise,  
Patience, and confidence in God will arm us  
'Gainst the calamities of these sad days,  
They may assault, but cannot greatly harm us:  
With loss of outward things we may dispense,  
Not making them, but God our confidence.   

Our plenty, peace, and long tranquillity  
Had almost brought us to be of the mind  
That patience, faith, hope and humility  
Were not so needful, as we now do find.  
How mainly necessary, now do seem  
These graces, which were held in slight esteem?   

Gold in the chest, perhaps, was prized as much  
As these in heart, and more desired and sought:  
But gold itself will not abide the touch  
As these will do, when thus to trial brought:  
We shall do well, if we have these about us,  
Though all our helps do fail, that are without us.   

How soon may we in outward things be crossed?  
How suddenly (of all) be dispossessed?  
And comfort took in them, with them is lost,  
To make our God our portion then its best:  
From whence may peace and comfort be derived,  
Whereof we know, we cannot be deprived.   

Our Land long time hath been like Goshen Land,  
Free from such plagues our neighbour-nations felt;  
Enjoying blessings from Gods liberal hand,  
But we with him ingratefully have dealt:  
And by our sins have so provoked his ire,  
That now, it wasting is, with sword and fire.   

And in this case, now what is to be done,  
Since God is pleased, to show himself displeased?  
From him (as from a foe) we cannot run,  
Then we must seek to have his wrath appeased:  
And that's by offering up in sacrifice  
A broken heart, which he will not despise.   

And we must pray; but if we look to speed,  
Zeal, faith, and charity our prayers must wing:  
It is not long— lip labour doth the deed,  
So as a blessing down on us to bring:  
For like Baal's Priests, we long may cry and call,  
If these be wanting, yet not speed at all.   

He that (in Prayer) hath but a stammering tongue,  
And shallow memory, and wants the art  
To word it smoothly, as he goes along,  
Yet he may have a powerful praying heart.  
A currant method, takes the hearer's ears;  
But as for God, the heart he chief hears.   

This I have here inserted, that I may  
Take off discouragement from such as have  
Fervent desires, and zealous hearts to pray,  
But want a verbal nimbleness, to crave.  
Such hearts, acquit such tongues, but certainly  
The tongue cannot, the heart's defect, supply.   

The grace of zealous heart is chief; and yet  
The gift of ready tongue I value much:  
And those in whom this gift and grace are met,  
I hold, a double honour, due to such:  
But if they severed be, in such a case,  
Better to want the gift, than want the grace.   

Let us all labour for sincerity,  
That seasons all, and that God most respecteth;  
And let us seek to shun hypocrisy,  
That poisons all, and that God most rejecteth:  
With bare appearances men pleased are,  
But from men's ways, Gods ways do differ far.   

We should be blest, if we pure hearts could get,  
We should see God, and see him work a wonder:  
Our Church and State he would in order set,  
That like a broken clock are clashed asunder.  
Whose joints and wheels are scattered & dispersed  
Not by the wit of man to be reversed.   

For most unhappy differences are grown  
Between our King and his high Parliament,  
To such a height, that none but God alone  
Can reconcile, what's so in sunder rend.  
Oh that his ancient love to this our Land  
Would move him now to take this work in hand!   

It was not our deserts, that him did move,  
Truth, Peace, and Plenty, here, so long to send;  
But it was his free mercy and his love,  
And whom he loves, he loves unto the end.  
If (of his love) those blessings tokens were,  
That (he'll forsake us quite) we need not fear.   

Then let our faith sure footing take from hence,  
He hath been good to us, we all do know;  
Whereon we well may ground this confidence,  
That he'll again, in his good time, be so:  
No doubt, if we, on him, with patience wait,  
he'll bring us out, that brought us in this straight.   

He that did frame the world, most easily he  
Can bring our Land again in its due frame;  
He can, and he will do't (no doubt) if we  
Do beg this blessing in his dear Sons name.  
What so we ask, we shall obtain, he saith,  
If we (not wavering) do ask in faith.   

We must believe he'll do't, but when he'll do't,  
That to his will and wisdom we must leave:  
But we, mean while, by Prayer may urge him to't,  
He bids us ask, and saith we shall receive.  
But for this mercy, first he us must fit,  
Which being done, we then may look for it.   

We did not thankfulness enough express,  
For that long happy peace our land enjoyed:  
We almost weary were of happiness,  
And seemed to be with peace and plenty cloyed.  
Therefore, by want of peace, we now are taught  
To know its worth, and prise it as we ought.   

And like as our unthankfulness before  
Appeared, by our unworthy walking then;  
So now (if God will peace to us restore)  
We must resolve to be far better men:  
So that our lives, more lively may express  
(Than can our tongues) our hearts true thankfulness.   

Would every one take up this resolution,  
And send up zealous prayers to Mercies throne;  
God would forbear his Angers execution,  
And graciously, would be with us, at one.  
And of one mind would make us, curing so  
This our distemper, which thus work our woe.   

O that our ' God ' would cause his truth to shine  
In all our hearts, that all may it embrace;  
And then to peace would all our hearts incline,  
And from amongst us, all dissension chase:  
And that he would (lest ruin should betid us)  
Into the way of peace be pleased to guide us.   

But if Almighty God shall not be pleased  
To turn to us, and cause us turn to him,  
So that we shall not of this war be eased,  
But still be frighted with its visage grim:  
We must, if still, we thus must be annoyed,  
Prepare to bear what we cannot avoid.   

And it behoves, that then we seek to store  
Our hearts, with more than humane fortitude;  
That being thrust out from the quiet shore  
Into the Main, 'mongst waves and billows rude:  
We may above them keep, and as they rise,  
So raise our minds, and more the world despise.   

If God on us do lay adversity,  
We thereunto must patiently submit,  
Because our happiness doth rather lie  
In patiented bearing, than not feeling it.  
Let patience have its perfect work, and we  
The quiet fruits of righteousness shall see.   

If our estates we lose, we lose but that  
Which we enjoyed but at the Donors will:  
And therefore why should we repine thereat?  
If we were good, we may be good men still.  
Crosses, that are not mingled with a curse,  
Do use to make men better, and not worse.   

Perhaps, some fear, if losses on them fall,  
Their children then may want, and suffer need:  
Yet they that give their children most of all,  
Can surely settle nothing on their seed.  
If God (what we bequeath) to them shall bless,  
It is enough for them, be't more or less.   

On earthly things we must not set our love,  
On pleasure, profit, or on high estate,  
For all is vanity, as all do prove  
One time or other, either soon or late:  
For what in all this world doth pleasing seem,  
But first or last, it grows out of esteem?   

Children delight in every childish toy,  
Which when they once grow men, they do reject;  
And many men in many things do joy,  
Which yet before they die, they disaffect:  
But howe'er, when death once calls away,  
That all is vanity, than all will say.   

Then comfort needeth most, when death doth call,  
But worldly comforts than prove most unsound,  
In profit there's no profit then at all,  
In pleasure then, no pleasure can be found:  
But when all comforts fail the world holds dear,  
A heart endued with grace itself will cheer.   

Which grace, he grant us, that hath dearly bought us,  
And daily in our hearts the same increase,  
Till by his blessed guidance he hath brought us  
To everlasting happiness and peace:  
To him be praise, whose mercy faileth never,  
By Angels and by men, ascribed for ever.   
FINIS.   

Printed at London in the year, 1643.