L Aaron's ointment, until it become wax to take the impression of that seal which must confirm thy pardon. His Prayer. BUT will my God be now entreated? Is not my crying sin too loud for pardon? Am I not sunk too deep into the jaws of hell for thy strong arm to rescue? Hath not the hardness of my heart made me incapable of thy compassion? Oh, if my tears might wash away my sin, my head should turn a living spring! Lord, I have heard thee speak, and am afraid; the word is passed, and thy judgments have found me out. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and the jaws of hell have overwhelmed me. I have oppressed thy poor, and added affliction to the afflicted, and the voice of their misery is come before thee. They besought me with tears, and in the anguish of their souls; but I have stopped mine ears against the cry of their complaint. But, Lord, thou walkest not the ways of man, and rememberest mercy in the midst of thy wràth; for thou art good and gracious, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in compassion to all that shall call upon thee. Forgive me, O God, my sins that are past! and deliver me from the guilt of my oppression. Take from me, O God, this heart of stone, and create in my breast a heart of flesh assuage the vehemency of my desires to the things below, and satisfy my soul with the sufficiency of thy grace. Inflame my affections, that I may love thee with a filial love, and incline me to rely upon thy fatherly providence. Let me account godliness my greatest gain, and subdue in me my lusts after filthy lucre. Preserve me, O Lord, from the vanity of self-love, and plant my affections the true love of my in L neighbours. Endue my heart with the bowels of compassion, and then reward T me according to thy righteousness. Direct me, O God, in the ways of my life, and let a good conscience be my continual comfort. Give me a willing heart to make restitution of what I have wrongfully gotten by oppression. Grant me a lawful use of all thy creatures, and a thankful heart för all thy benefits. Be merciful to all those that groan under the burden of their own wants, and give them patience to expect thy deliverance. Give me a heart that may acknowledge thy favours, and fill my tongue with praise and thanksgiving; that, living here a new life, I may become a new creature; and being engrafted in thee, by the power of thy grace, I may bring forth fruit to thy honour and glory. 26 THE DRUNKARD. His Jubilee. WHAT complement will the severer world allow to the vacant hours of frolic-hearted youth? How shall their free, their jovial spirits, entertain their time, their friends? What oil shall be infused into the lamp of dear society, if they deny the privilege of a civil rejoicing cup? It is the life, the radical humour of united souls, whose love-digestive heat even ripens and ferments the green materials of a plighted faith; without the help whereof new-married friendship falls into divorce, and joined acquaintance soon resolves into the first elements of strangeness. What mean these strict reformers thus to spend their hour-glasses, and bawl against our harmless cups? to call our meetings riots, and brand our civil mirth with styles of loose intemperance? whilst they can sit at a sister's feast, devour and gormandize beyond excess, and wipe the guilt from off their marrowed mouths, and clothe their surfeits in the long fustian robes of a tedious grace! Is it not much better in a fair friendly round (since youth must have a swing) to steep our soul-afflicting sorrows in a chirping cup, than hazard our estates upon the abuse of Providence in a foolish cast at dice? or at a cockpit leave our doubtful fortunes to the mercy of unmerciful contention? or spend our wanton days in sacrificing costly presents to a fleshly idol? Was not wine given to exhilarate the drooping hearts, and raise the drowsy spirits of dejected souls? Is not the liberal cup the sucking bottle of the sons of Phobus, to solace and refresh their palates in the nights of sad invention? Let drybrained zealots spend their idle breaths, |