Rocks Improved, Part 2
Meditations of the ſecond Kinde, comparing Rockes and Sinnes together.
AGaine, Me thinkes, the Rockes doe typifie, the nature of thoſe Sinnes which in us lye.
1.
For firſt, all Rockes exceeding cPro. 27. 3. Zech. 12. 3. Iſa. 32. 2.Heavie are,
To thoſe who them upon their ſhoulders beare:
Yet Light, not pondrous to their proper place:
So, to all Hearts renu'd with ſaving Grace
All ſinnes more dPſ. 38. 4. 5. Job 6. 3. 4. M…t. 11. 28.heavie than Rockes are, and ſeeme;
Though ſtony hearts them light and eaſie deeme.eZech. 12. 3. Dan. 2. 34. 35. Prov. 27. 3. 21. Chron. 25. 12. Pſ. 137. 9. Eccl. 10. 9. Joſh. 10. 11.
2.
Rockes preſſe and bruiſe Them ſore on whom they lye,
And for meere anguiſh make them Roare and Cry.
Sinnes doe fo too; when God doth once awake
Mens ſoules, their Preſſure makes them fPſal. 38. 1. to 11. Pſ. 32. 3. Pſ. 22. 1. Joh. 3. 24. Pſ. 88. 1. 2 3.roare and quake.
O then beware of Sinnes, which gMat. 11. 28. Pſal. 38. 8. 2 Sam. 24. 14.bruiſe, oppreſſe
Our ſoules, and worke nought elſe but their diſtreſſe.
Rockes ſinke, and bend ſtill hExod. 15. 5. Neh. 7. 11. Jer. 51. 63. 64.downe wards: Sins doe ſo,
Tending to iPſal. 9. 17. Pſal. 55. 15. Pro. 5. 5. 2 Pet. 2. 14. Iſa. 24. 24.Hell the Place to which they goe:
Each day they ſinke men lower than they were,
Till by degrees they them to Hell downe-beare.
Oh then betimes ſhake off theſe kHeb. 12. 1. Amos 2. 13. Rev. 18. 21.weights, which preſſe
And ſinke our Soules to Hell, without redreſſe.
4.
Rocks lExod. 1…. 16. 1 Sam. 25. 35.cold, hard, dead and ſenſeleſſe are; mHeb. 3. 13. Ezech. 3. 7. Epheſ. 2. 1. 2. c. 4. 18. 19.Sins make
All ſuch, within whoſe Hearts they Lodgings take:
Beware then how ſuch Gueſts we entertaine,
By which our Soules are deaded, hurt and Slaine.
5.2 Chro. 25. 12. Iſa. 8. 14. 15. Pſal. 14…. 6. Zech. 12. 3.
Rockes make men oft to ſtumble, ſlip, and fall;
And break their Bones, Limbs, Neckes, oft times withall:
Sinnes oIſa. 8. 15. Jer. 18. 15. Iſa. 24. 20. Jer. 8. 4 12. c. 25. 27. c. 50. 32.doe the like. If then we would be free
From Slips and Break-neck-falls, we muſt them flee.
6.
Rockes are pIſa. 2. 21.deformed, horrid, barren, vile;
And ſo are qIſa. 64. 6. Ezech. 16. 3. to 40. Pro. 13 5. Gen. 49. 4.ſinnes, with all whom they defile.
Theſe make Men ugly, filthy, Steril, baſe,
And all their Glory, Beauty quite deface;
Yea, change them into rEzech. 21. 25. c. 22. 27.Monſters, wolves, dogs, ſwine;
Nay sJoh. 6. 70. 71. c. 8. 44. Act. 20. 29. 2 Pet. 2. 22. Rev. 22. 15.Fiends incarnate. O then Sinnes decline!
7.
Where tExod. 15. 16. Job 18. 4. c. 28. 9.Rockes once fixe their Stations, they remaine;
And none but God can move them thence againe:
So Sins once ſetled in Mens Hearts, there vJer. 13. 23. Rom. 7. 18. to 25. Zeph. 12. Jude 10. 11. 12. 13.ſtand
Eaſt …entred, till Gods owne Almighty hand
Expell them thence. O then let no Sinnes lye
Upon our Soules, but out them preſently,
Leſt they ſhould xHeb. 3. 12. 13. Eph. I. 1. 2. 3. c. 4. 18. 19. Rom. 1. 23. to 29.ſettle; for if once they reſt
Within them, they are hardly diſpoſſeſt.
8.
Rockes are yJer. 5. 3. Mat. 7. 25. 26. Job 41. 24.exceeding hard to batter, breake,
Mine, pierce, demoliſh. So let all Men ſpeake,
And they muſt ſay, that zJer. 13. 23. Epheſ. 1. 19. 20. 1 Cor. 9. 27. Rom. 7. 18. to 25. Heb. 12. 1.all Sinnes are ſo too,
We ruine, breake them ſtill with much adoe.
He who doth thinke his Sinnes with eaſe to quell,
Shall never tame, nor from him them expell.
9.
Rockes make their Dwellers aObad. 3. 4. Jer. 21. 13. c. 49. 16.feareleſſe, and ſecure
Of Foes or Perils, and to thinke all ſure:
Sinnes bJob 12. 6. Iſa. 28. 15. 18. Deut. 29. 19. 20 Judg. 18. 7. 10. 17. Ezech. 29. 2. to 12.doe the like to thoſe that in them dwell;
Who feare no dangers till they ſinke to bell.
O then beware leſt Sinnes make us ſecure.
No State's ſo ill, as that which ſeemes moſt ſure!
10.
All Rockes are cJer. 5. 3.bluſhleſſe, ſhameleſſe, impudent;
Sinnes are ſo too, nought can then daunt, relent.
And by degrees Mens Hearts, Browes they ſo dJer. 3. 3. c. 6. 15. c. 8. 12. Ezech. 2. 4. c. 3. 7. Heb. 3. 13.ſteele
That they no Sinne, Bluſh, ſhame, diſgrace can feele.
Take …eede then leſt Sinne, firſt, us ſhameleſſe make,
Then Senſeleſſe, Graceleſſe, fit for Hells dread Lake.
11.
Rocks, ſtones e2 King. 3. 19. 25.good grounds oft ſpoyle, and quite deface:
So fEzech. …8. 24. 26.ſinnes good men deprave, marre ſham…, diſgrace.
12.
Rockes, Stones in fertile Soiles them gIſa. 5. 2. 2 King. 53. 19. 25. Mat. 13. 5. Mar. 4. 5. 6. Lu. 8. 6. 7.barren make;
And nought will ſpring, or grow there, till men take
Them thence: So Rockes and Stones of Sinne decay,
And make Men h1 Pet. 2. 1. 2. Jam. 4. 1. to 12.fruitleſſe till remov'd away.
No fruites of Grace will ever grow, or ſprout
Up in them, till theſe Stones be digged out.
13.
Great Rockes iEzech. 24. 7. 8. Rev. 6. 15. 16. Numb. 23. 9.apparent are to each Mans eye,
And all both farre and neare may them eſpie.
Great Sinnes in all, in k2 Sam. 12. 10. 11. 12. 14. Exech. 16. 36. 37. 38. Iſa. 3. 9.Great men ſpecially,
Themſelves to all both farre and neare deſcry;
Whence lEzech. 24. 7. 8.Scripture faith, they are on Rockes Tops ſet,
And doe in m1 King. 13. & 14. & 16.others worlds of Sinnes beget.
Let all, but Great ones chiefely, all Sinnes flye;
Which though kept cloſe, will yet n2 Sam. 12 1. 12. Pſa. 90. 8 Eccleſ. 12. 14. Ma…. 4. 22.themſelves deſcry.
14.
Wilde o1 Sam. 24. 2. Job. 39. 1.Goates in Rockes feede, live, and much delight:
So, wicked Men, ſtil'd pMat. 25. 32. 33.Goates both day and night
In qEph. 2. 1. 2. 3. c. 4. 19. Rom. 1. 27. to 32. 1 Joh. 5. 19. 2 Pet. 2. 13. to 22.ſinnes and luſts doe wallow, live and joy;
Though they their ſoules at laſt will quite deſtroy▪
O Madneſſe! thus in Sinnes to take delight;
Which againſt God, Soule, Body, alwayes r1 Pet. 2. 11. Act. 5. 39. c. 23. 9.fight.
15.
The Steepe high Rockes, and Forts which on them ſtand
Are never sJer. 39. 1. 2▪ 3. Ezech. 29. 18.ſeal'd, or won but by ſtrong hand;
Much Paines, Long Seige, or Famine, which doe pine,
Or ſtarve their Men, and cauſe them to reſigne.
The ſteepe, high, craggie Rockes and Forts of ſin
Within us, none can ever t1 Cor. 9. 2…. Rom. 7. 18 to 25. Mat. 17. 2…. Luk. 2. 37. 1 Cor. 7. 5. 2 Cor. 6. 5. c. 11. 27.S…ale, force, win,
But by ſtrong hand, much coſt, paines, ſweate, ſtrife, care,
Long Seige, and Faſts, by which they ſtarved are,
And forc'd at laſt for very want to yeeld,
Where elſe they would have made us leave the field.
Its then no eaſie thing to conquer Sinne:
They muſt beſtir them who its Forts would winne.
16.
Rockes, vAct. 27. 29.wrecke, ſinke, breake Ships, Boates: So Sins oft x… Tim. 6. 9. Rev. …1. 18.ſplit
And drowne thoſe Soules which on them daſh or hit;
Not in Sea-waters, but in Lakes of fire,
Where they ſhall ever feele Gods ſcorching Ire.
17.
Inſtruct us then, O Chriſt, our Rocke, to ſhun
All Sinnes as Rockes, and not on them to run,
For feare of ruine, and ſtill give us Grace
To flye theſe Rockes of Sinne in every place,
With greater care than yAct. 27. 29.Sea-men do… avoyde
Thoſe noted Rockes, which thouſands have deſtroyd;
Not once preſuming to approach or hit
Againſt ſuch Rockes, as others Soules have ſplit.
And ſince ſunke Rockes of zPſa. 19. 12. Job 34. 32.ſecret Sinnes that lye
Hid in our Hearts, and aJam. 5. 1. 5. Iſa. 22. 12. 13. 14. c. 5. 12. 13. 14. c. …7. 7. 8. 9. Zeph. 2. 15. Job. 21. 10 12. 13. Amos. 6. 3. to 8. c. 8. 10.worldly …ity,
Mirth, Paſtimes, Pleaſures, (whe…e we le…ſt ſuſpect,
Or feare a danger) moſt ſoules ſtill have wre…kt;
Teach us theſe Rocks to ſee, and then to flye
With chiefest care, and them not to come nigh.
Yea, ſith no Sea ſo fraught with Rockes can be,
As this whereon our Soules ſayle towards Thee:
O Shield us from theſe Rocks by thy great Power,
Which elſe will Split and Sinke us every houre:
That ſo we may at laſt arive ſecure
In Heaven's bleſt Port, where Joyes for aye endure.