THE Temptations of the Divel were never more manifest then in this Age of ours, nor his power more unrestrained What a most lamentable ac­cident was that at Golstone in Lincolnshire; where a young man of honou­rable parentage wa [...] violently taken away [Page 2] by the Divel, and some part of the house with him, his hair and his brains were found mix­ed on the pales of the Court, and one of his Arms in a close not far from the house, most violently torn from his body: what is become of his body it self, there is no man can yet dis­cover; Consider this yee that forget God, least he come and tear you in peeces, & there be none to deliver you.

What an example may this be to many of our young Gallants who spend all their time in Ryot, and in wantonnesse, in drinking, swearing and cursing, and in devoting them­selves unto destruction, in which they strive to excéed one another, as if they had contracted with the Divel for the Tradition and Mon­opoly of sin: Look upon a great part of them and you shal find them to dissemble even with nature it self, and to be but so many redicu­lous Counterfeits.

The old men will be young, and do put on the Periwigs of youth: The young-men wil be old; and have their hairs made white with powders; The women do Counterfeit the fears of the Souldiers, and that Lady is not remarkable who hath not a valiant blackspot [...] [...]o upon her face.

[Page 3] And as we play the Counterfeits and d [...] ­semble with men, so we dissemble also with God: There was never more profession of the Truth, nor lesse sincerity, never more preaching, nor lesse practise. We are a peo­ple that draw néer unto God with our lips but our hearts are far from him.

Those that will not draw neer unto God God will draw far from them, and wil with­draw with him the influences of his grace & mercy.

Our fore-fathers when they came to the Church every Sabbath day, would leave at the Church door their books their paddles, and their staves; the Sermon being ended, or the Homily rend over, they would every one of them take up that brown bill which was his own, and so depart unto their owne heu­ses,

A Minister of those times observing it, and withal how unprepared they came to perform the dutyes of that day. told them that they brought their sins along with them to the Church as they brought their staves, they left them at the door when they came in them­selves, but the Sermon being ended, they all of them did take them up again, and carry [Page 4] them home in their hearts, as they did the Staves on their Shoulders or in their hands.

This was the neglect with which our fore fathers were charges, but we are a Generati­on more unrighteous then they, we leave not our manerly sins at the Church-doors as they did, but we take them into the Church with us, and we shut our ears unto the Charmer, Charm he never so wisely: when the Mini­ster is exhorting us to our dutyes, our hearts are running after our Covetousnesse, or our pleasures, and while he is sowing the seed we are multiplying the Caves, for this cause ma­ny of us are sick and many falll asleep, and many do fall into the Implacable snares of the Divel.

It is worth your observation and a larger Sheet then this to declare unto you by what degrées of Temptation the Divell doth, work on the hearts of men to destroy themselves: And in the first place, you are to know that the Divell worketh most on those Tempers which are most prone to receive his Impres­sions. He knoweth women to be the weaker Wessetts, and therefore he worketh most on that Ser to insnare them to his wiles. he [Page 5] knows they are most full of Impatience and revenge, and therefore he doth present himself unto them in that form which he conceivs to he most agreeable to them, and doth give them large promises with some assurances that their desires in all things shall be performed. being made their familiars, he by degrées will shew himself in his old colours, and then they are prepared for any mischief which their Imaginations at first did startle to appre­hend,

Amongst men there is none more fit for the Divell to work upon then the proud man, the melancholly man, and the discontented man: Job saith, That the Divel is the father of the children of pride, And God saith, It is not good for man to be alone; melancholly is the mother of discontent, & discontent be­geteth dispair.

There are more Temptations in a melan­cholly and a retyred life, then in a life that is sociable. and we are advised to avoid melan­cholly as the greatest enemy to the soul and body.

Wilt thou avoid the occasions of despair, and temptation (saith the wise man) trust not too much to thy self alone.

[Page 6] It is yet fresh in our memory, since a man of a vast estate hang'd himself in Bishopsgate street, And Thornely reason that could be gi­ven for it was that he was a proud man, from hring he discerned to melancholly, and from melancholly to a desprate Resolution to hang himself. His pride did Tempt him to a retir­conesse he thought himself too good & too great for other men and this having drawn him in­to an obstinate melancholly, it did leave him the lamentable Butce at which all Tempta­tions did shoot, he did shut his witfull ear a­gainst all Counsell and comfort from others, neither would he receive any from himself: those apprehensions being most gratefull to him that could assist him with the swiftest in­vention to dispatch himself.

It is possible howsoever that some man may be put to so much distresse that he may put an end of his life to put an end to his sor­rows, but for a man y^t aboundeth in wealth and in the love and reputation of all men, for him to drown or to hang himself, is much to be admired and it showeth that the power of the Prince of darknesse is so much the stron­ger on him by how much there apeareth no­thing in reason or in Nasure that might in­invite [Page 7] him to put so horrible an Act in Exe­cution.

Richard Biggrave of Cow lane a Coa [...] maker by his Profession, was a man that live in good reputation, and well beloved by al his neighbors. Those who knew him do al report him to be of a civell and a frée Conversation, and never to show the least sign of any di­strust in the merey of God, or of any enor­mous sin that did lye heavy upon his Consci­ence.

He was of a liberall and a chéerfull dispo­sition, and frée from those wants which com­mo nly do clowd and oppresse the Spirits, All that knew him were glad of his company, and they do as much lawent him being dead, as they did love him being alive.

He was a strict observer of his word, and whatsoever he did promise he would be most carefull to perform. He had a wife who had a long time béen sick, he loved her most initrely insomuch y^t he was heard to say, that if she re­covered not the sooner, his own dayes would be few amongst the lioing: Some there are who do impute these words as a for a runner to the sad Sequels that did follow.

He was a constant observer of the Sabath [Page 8] day, and an Example to others in the perfor­mance of Religious dutyes: From such a life as he did lead, no man could expect such an end as he had, & those who first heard of it, would not beleeve it, untill by their own eyes they were convinced of the truth of it.

He had promises & Gentleman of quality that his Coach and furniture belonging to it should he ready on such a day, which because it could not so sudenly vs performed, there are not some wanting who do affirm it to be the only cause why he did lay violent hands upon himself, but it is not to be beléev'd that so wise and so deliberate a man should rashly commit so horrible a folly: or that so dismall an end should arise from no greater a beginning. Howsoever it was, tis too true that on Thurs­day May the 6. he was found to be hanged in his own house; Being suddenly cut down by the first that did behold him it was impossible to recover him to life, and his friends & neigh­bors that passed to sée him became almost as very Carkasses as himself, being amazed at so unexpected, and so sad a sight: & not know­ing what to impute it to.

Much about the same time on the same day there were two hanged themselves in West-minster, [Page 9] an old man and a young, There was a woman also who on the same day did cut her throat in Holborn. The Narration whereof at large I do purpose [...]y [...]i [...], and do make hast to that which followeth being a subject which none can hear without as much amazement as fears and prayers

He who exactly shall consider of this Gen­tleman will beléeve that Nature. Fortune, learning and religion had conspired to make him absolute, and who shall behold him dead as he was dragged out of the Ducking-pond, néer to Islington, and lay two dayes together on the bank to be a lamentable Spectacle In the thrée score and third year of his Age will conclude again that he was forsaken by Na­ture Fortune and Religion.

His name was Michael Berkly, he was de­scended of an honourable Family in Kent, he was born on Michaelmas day, in the yeare 1597. and being likely to dye on the same day that he came into the world he was immedi­ately Christoned and named Michael, after the name of the Ark Angell to whose memo­ry the Church had dedicated that day of his Nativity

He had his Education in that famous school [Page 10] of Eat on, where in the whole progresse of good Letters he excelled all those that were his Companions. From thence he came to Christ Church in Oxford, and being famous for his learning and Ingenuity, he received the Formality and degrée of Batchelor of Arts, and no man contradieting it, he was tho­sen Collector, which is an Honour that at y^t time was given yearly unto him, who was thought to be the most generous & deserving Graduate.

Here it was that he received the uncom­fortable news of his Fathers death, who left him a great estate both in Land and monyes, He could never be perswaded by his dearest friends to marry, although many young La­dyes were mentioned to him admirable for their Beautyes and Vertues.

His mind was altogether on Travell and on the 23. year of his Age he imbarked him­self for France, not so much with a desire to behold Noveltyes and the Fashions of other Nations, as the manner of their Govern­ment. & in this there were few that surpassed him, for being the Master of a great purse he had the opportunity to instnuate himself into the Acquaintance of the greatess Personages [Page 11] where he would make such a manifestation of his learning, and of the excellent Judge­ments of Nature, that many times they de­parted with admiration frem him. It was not his desire to come acquainted with the greatest Gallants, but with the greatest schol lers, he spent most of his time in Travell, and he ving understood in one Kingdome the Me. thou and the Mystery of the Government of it, he would Travell into another.

He was taken with no place more than Spain, and although he extolled the wisedom and solemne gravity of the people, yet he as much abhominated their cruelty. When he was in Rome and in Germany he had his con­versation with the greatest Cardinals, and would put such questions to them in the de­sence of our Religion, and follow his Dis­course so wisely that they knew not what to say to him. Having béen oftentimes beyond the Seas; at length his Age and health did advise him to stay in England, and although the Parliament would willingly have im­ployed him in Spain. Upon the great affairs of the state, yet he refused their propositions, and laid the excuse upon the account of his health.

[Page 12] Being in England, he was a great hearer of Sermons be-would very saldome misse the London Lecture in the morning & he would be very frequent at Senmons in the afternoon and he would constantly give you an excel­lent account of the ability of the Preacher.

But these ventues were attended with great imperfections he was too great a Lo­ver of his mony, of which he could not but he the master of vaste considerable summes, for he lives but very sparingly at home and used all the arts of thrifts although he has a great Estate: one of his Servants who dyed since a Pensioner in the Charter-house. being de­manded why his Masser did weare no better cloathes, made answer, because he would not have the poore to begge of him as he walked in the stréets, and yet for all that he would have a penny for the poore when he pleased and sometimes more. If selfe-dentall be indeed a Vertue he was perfect in it, for although he were within he would almost constantly de­ny himselfe to his friends when they came un­to him upon the promise and the account of courtesies, Without all doubt he doted too much upon his mony, and it was thought that sometimes the greatest reason of his trabailes [Page 13] abroad, was because he would not be troubled with the charge of his brothers at home.

He was extreamly high conceited of him­self, for he thought himself to be one of the wisest men and one of the best Schollers in the world, and he accounted those to be his best friends who were of the same opinion with him. The love of his mony brought him to such a retirednesse that he but seldome would be séene in the company of any, and this brought him to a deep and an extream melan­cholly, and to a great suspition of all that be­longed to him, for without any reason he would looke on the fingers of his Servants as on théeves. His high conceit of himselfe did beget in him an extream arrogance, and this arro­gance a kind of distraction, and a sicknesse which all working on him exposed him to the temptation of going to the Ducking-pond on Thursday May 6. Whither being come he de­manded of some who were there at worke which was the deepest place of the pond, and more over sold them that he had a Duck to be hunted by three doggs that were comming to him. The men who were at worke not far from him saw him presently afterwards in the Pond, in which he entred backwards, and [Page 14] waving up into the knees, or higher, he fell backwards into the water, with which being over whelmed they used their speedtest indea­vours to pluck him out, and hot waters were sent for to recover him, but all in vaine for the life could not be recalled.

And what good now will his riches one him, which with too much care he boorded up: what good will his birth, his wit, or his expe­rience gained by so much trabaile to him.

To conclude, let not the wise man beast in his wit, nor the rich man in his wealth nor the Scholler in his training, nor the States man in his experience and his policy but let him that rejoyceth rejoyte in this, that he loveth and feareth the Lord.