fore thy mercy-seat, or with what countenance can I lift up these hands, thus stained with my brother's blood? How can my lips, that daily breathe revenge against my brother, presume to own thee as my father, or expect from thee thy blessing as thy child? If thou forgive my trespasses, O God, as I forgive my trespassers, in what a miserable estate am I that in my very prayers condemn myself, and do not only limit thy compassion by my uncharitableness, but draw thy judgments on my head for my rebellion! That heart, O God, which thou requirest as a holy present, has become a spring of malice; these hands which I advance, are ready instruments of base revenge. My thoughts, that should be sanctified, are full of blood; and how to compass evil against my brother, is my continual meditation. continual meditation. The course of all my life is wilful disobedience, and my whole pleasure, Lord, is, to displease thee. My conscience hath accused me, and the voice of blood hath cried against me; but, Lord, the blood of Jesus cries louder than the blood of Abel, and thy mercy is far more infinite than my sin. The blood that was shed by me cries for vengeance; but the blood that was shed for me sues for mercy. Lord, hear the language of this blood, and by the merits of this voice be reconciled unto me. That time, which cannot be recalled, oh! give me power to redeem, and in the mean time a settled resolution to reform. Suppress the violence of my headstrong passion, and establish a meek spirit within me. Let the sight of my own vileness take from me the sense of all disgrace, and let the crown of my reputation be thy honour; possess my heart with a desire of unity and concord, and give me M patience to endure what my impenitence hath deserved; breathe into my soul the spirit of love, and direct my affections to their right object; turn all my anger against that sin that hath provoked thee, and give me holy revenge, that I may exercise it against myself; grant that I may love thee for thyself, myself in thee, and my neighbour as myself. Assist me, O God, that I may subdue all evil in myself, and suffer patiently all evil as a punishment from thee; give me a merciful heart, O God; make it slow to wrath, and ready to forgive; preserve me from the act of evil, that I may be delivered from the fear of evil; that, living here in charity with men, I may receive the sentence of -"Come ye blessed of my Father, &c." in the kingdom of glory. THE SECURE MAN. HIS TRIUMPH. So, now, my soul, thy happiness is entailed, and thy illustrious name shall live in thy succeeding generations; thy dwelling is established in the fat of all the land; thou hast what mortal heart can wish, and wantest nothing but immortality. The best of all the land is thine, and thou art planted in the best of lands; a land whose constitutions make the best of government, which government is strengthened with the best of laws, which laws are executed by the best of princes; whose prince, whose laws, whose government, whose land, makes us the happiest of all subjects, makes us the happiest of all people: a land of strength, of plenty, and a land of peace; where every soul may sit be. neath his vine, unfrighted at the horrid language of the hoarse trumpet, unstartled at the warlike summons of the roaring cannon; a land, whose beauty has surprised the ambitious hearts of foreign princes, and taught them by their martial oratory to make their vain attempts; a land, whose strength reads vanity in the deceived hopes of conquerors, and crowns their enterprises with a shameful overthrow; a land, whose native plenty makes her the world's exchange; supplying others, and able to subsist without supply from foreign kingdoms; in itself happy, and abroad honourable; a land, that hath no vanity, but what by accident proceeds and issues from the sweetest of all blessings, peace and plenty; that hath no misery, but what is propagated from that blindness which cannot see her own felicity; a land, that flows with milk and honey, and in brief, wants nothing to deserve the title of a Paradise. The curb of Spain, the pride of Germany, the aid of Belgia, the scourge of France, the empress of the world, and queen of nations; she is begirt with walls, whose builder was the hand of Heaven-whereon there daily rides a royal navy, whose unconquerable power proclaims her prince invincible, and whispers sad despair into the fainting hearts of foreign majesty: she is compact within herself; in unity, not apt to civil discords or intestine broils; the envy of all nations, the ambition of all princes, the terror of all enemies, the security of all neighbouring states: Let timorous pulpits threaten ruin, let prophesying churchmen doat-till I believe.. How often and how long have these loud sons of thunder false prophesied her desolation? and yet she stands the glory of the world! Can pride demolish the towers that defend her? Can drunkenness dry up the sea that walls her? Can flames of lust dissolve the ordnance that protects her? Be well advised, my soul; there is a voice from heaven roars louder than that ordnance, which saith, Thus saith the Lord, the whole land shall be desolate. Jer. iv. 27. The whole earth is at rest, and at quiet; they break forth into singing: Yea, the fir-trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon sing, &c. Yet shalt thou be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. Isaiah, xiv. 7. They have belied the Lord, and said, It is not he, neither shall evil come upon us, neither shall we see sword or famine. Jer. v. 12. They did eat and drink, and they married wives and were given in marriage, until the flood came and destroyed them all. Luke, xvii. 26. Let him that standeth, take heed lest he fall. 1 Cor. x. 12. HIS SOLILOQUY. SECURITY is an improvident carelessness. casting out all fear of approaching danger; it is like a great calm at sea, that foreruns a storm. How is this verified, O my sad soul, in this our bleeding nation! Wert thou not, but now, for many years even nestled in the bosom of habitual peace? Didst thou foresee this danger? Or couldst thou have contrived a way to be thus miserable? Didst thou not laugh invasion to scorn? or didst thou not less fear a civil war? Was not the title of the crown unquestionable? and was not our mixt government unapt to fall into diseases? Did we want good laws? or did our laws want execution? Did not our prophets give lawful warning? or were we moved at the sound of judgments? How hast thou lived, O my uncareful soul, to see these prophecies fulfilled, and to behold the vial of thy angry God poured forth? Since mercies, O my soul, could not allure thee, yet let these judgments now at length enforce thee to a true repentance. Quench the firebrand which thou hast kindled; turn thy mirth to a right mourning, and thy feasts of joy to humiliation. Ο HIS PRAYER. O God, by whom kings reign and kingdoms flourish, that settest up where none can batter down, and pullest down where none can countermand; I, a most humble suitor at the Throne of Grace, acknowledge myself unworthy of the least of all my mercies, nay, worthy of the greatest of all thy judgments. I have sinned against thee, the Author of my being, I have sinned against my conscience which thou hast made my accusers I have sinned against the peace of this kingdom, whereof thou hast made me a member. If all should do, O God, as I have done, Sodom would appear as righteous, and Gomorrah would be a precedent to thy wrath upon this sinful nation. But, Lord, thy mercy is inscrutable, or else my misery were unspeakable: for that mercy sake |