tast How much of it is drown'd and gone in sleep And what thou didst for sinfull pleasure keep And what in deadly sin by thee committed What in good deeds by thee likewise omitted And then I fear that thou wilt quickly finde Thou hast mispent this time was so assigned For th' onely service of thy Saviour Whose part I fear will prove but very poor Then think how now to call this time again Which wretch'd thou hast spent so long in vain And what years yet are left to thee behinde Wherein be sure thy sins must be redeem'd And then th'wilt see that it will well appear Ther 's hardly one week left for one whol year Tho God should please to thee so many send As he to most men doth not use to lend Then call to mind what now is to be done When as thy dayes are almost all out-run And what is past already spent in sin So thou art still but how for to begin To serve thy God and also to repent And yeild him thanks for his great blessings sent And satisfaction must be likewise made Before all debts by thee be duly paid O then my soul cast up a perfect count To what a sum thy severall sins will mount And what is also due for them of right Before thy soul can enter into light And then thy heart will bleed within for wo And eyes with sorrow then will overflow With brinish floods of tears for to regain This time of thine which thou hast spent in vain And think what now there is which must be done And how long time can be for it to come And then thy heart will certaintly relent Which hitherto could ne're find time repent Or if it did 't was by and by even done With the first occasion that did offer come So as in me there 's nothing that is good Or thereunto of any likelihood To keep me there where I desire to be With thee alone deer God alone with thee Sweet Jesus please to call and call again That I in thee may evermore remain And think how I my time have lew'dly spent And then there 's hope if so I may repent But come Lord Jesus come I humbly pray That I in thee may ever live and stay And evermore thy worthy praises sing Of thee my God my hope and heavenly king And in thy service ever take delight And therein spend my time both day night Bide there my soule and call again to minde How much there 's yet left of thy life behinde And think how Judas did himself repent And yet to hell no doubt was Judas sent And do not thou my soul conceive it so That short repentance can keep thee from wo For thou that all thy life time hast now spent In Satans service with thy hearts content Canst thou conceive that one hours time shall pay For many years which thou hast gone astray O do not thou my soul presume that he Who hath spent all his time on earth in glee And following this vile wicked world wherein He hath known nothing but was wicked sin Shall leap from hell as tho indeed it were A thing of nothing for to get out there And thence above the highest heavens to fly As if all parts were either thought or ey And if they were yet thou dost know a Lake Which Dives was not able to overtake But thou wilt say that that most blessed thief Did obtain heaven by his but short belief T is true indeed yet know that he 's but one Because Gods pleasure was that there should none Presume too far nor yet have cause despair Yet doubtlesse they in most great danger are Who do defer this great accompt to make Before the houre that God's about to take The soule from out the fleshly corps and then Thou 'lt make a show like to the best of men And promise fair but search thy heart and see If thou canst finde the thiefs true faith in thee Or if it were that was a time of wonder When all the earth was in a kinde of blunder Or if thou hast that king Manasses grief For his offence examine thy belief If such there 's hope thou may'st thy Saviour win So thou repent for to remit thy sin But have a care my soul not to delay This reckoning till that dolefull day For be assured that great accompts Must have great time to cast them up And therefore thou my silly soule be sure Thou do not now delay the present cure Of this thy wound which doubtlesse mortal is But that thy Saviour promis'd heavenly blisse To all of them that with the Bridgroom come Yet want of oil thou know'st did shut out some And he that did in ground his talent hide I am afraid did not the reckoning bide O deer my soul have care make use of such And then no doubt 't wil help thy reckoning much And do not thou as traitor Judas did Despair of grace and so his talent hid Nor do not thou presume of the bless'd theif Least thou can't shew the blessed thief's belief But do thou do as good Manasses did Or like to him that other king David Who wept with grief and on the ground did ly And to their Saviour made such earnest cry That he them hard and granted to them all For whatso're they in their hearts did call O follow follow these wise kings my heart And to this good God thou thy grief impart Importune him with thy loud earnest cry And then fear not thy suite he ' l not deny Make thou good use of these two godly kings For uses good are ever goodly things Examples alwayes are before us set Of what is good that they may good beget And what is ill that we may ill forsake And so of all things we may good use make O thou my soul make some stay here a while And walk along with these two kings a mile Thou 'lt finde they were most grievous sinners both Yet both became their grievous sins to loath Follow their steps and thou shalt surely finde In them a mirrour of a godly minde For God himself did to the world impart Th' one was a man according Gods own heart Then follow him yet do not follow in all For fear of this lest in thy sin thou fall And being in it cannot rise again And then thou art sure thou shalt therein be slain in that thy sin but have a care take His better part and it will ever make Thee love thy Lord with a most joyfull heart And with thy soul and every other part And each of them shal with the rest comply Then all will joyn to love the Deity And in his service take their chief delight And therein spend their time both day night O do thou love to live as David did For tho his sins were such could not be hid Yet he did so repent him of the same As kept him free from all eternal blame And
makes it so And have I then right end thereof observed And its right use have I therein preserved Hath my delight been always moderate And hath my tongue been also temperate Have I done this for to preserve my health And have I therein injur'd no mans wealth Have I in me a heart that is upright Being ever mindfull I am in Gods sight Have I for these his blessings thankfull bin In th' use of them did I commit no sin Can I forget whenas the wind doth blow 'T is wind that doth support me here below Did I lift up my heart to God on hie Whenas the heavens above I did descrie Have I observ'd the fairest flowers to fade And yet forget why I my self was made Did I see weeds and store of thistles grow And not remember th' cause why they did so Have I this day cast up this dayes account To what a sum my several sins will mount When have I took such pains my God to serve As now I have my health for to preserve And if thou dost it really intend That thou wilt solely in his service spend Then mayst thou say with safety that thou hast This time so spent not to be spent in waste And give him thanks that he hath so thee blest As thou mayst now go home and take thy rest For man ought not to idleness be giv'n Without all doubt in idleness is sin Since all must labour that doe look to live Or else God will to them no blessing give For to the curses God himself doth add Ith'sweat of brows that man should eat his bread And though that all men labour not with th' hand Yet all doe labour with th'unstable mind For its condition is not to be idle And therefore care for it to keep a bridle Lest th' mind doe run out of that narrow way Wherein thou dost desire thy thought should stay For man doth love to keep the plainest street Which broad and beaten is with many feet And then make use of this thy harmless pleasure Since God hath blessed thee with so much leasure And given thee time a perfect reck'ning make Before death come thy life away to take This blessed time if thou wilt so but use it And cursed also if thou dost abuse it For its the use makes difference of the day And different uses doe the most men sway Without respect what may he the right end For which God did to thee these pleasures send But thou my soul have care not to forget The end for which thou here on earth wast set And always keep it constantly in mind And then fear not but thou shalt ever find Good use of all things this good God hath sent Then use thy pleasure without discontent And be not thou unmindfull ruminate Of that which doth in time determinate Both them and thee and that ere long thou must From whence thou cam'st return to be but dust And think my soul and think of this again The end for which thou dost on earth remain Within this fleshly crazie corps of thine Which of it self even daily doth decline Unto the earth from whence at first it came For th' end of all flesh ever is the same Observe this end and hereof be thou sure That on this earth thou canst not long endure And then must thou a perfect reck'ning make Of this thy pleasure which thou here didst take O make that reck'ning here upon this earth Lest death doe come and take away thy breath And then thy corps unto its like must go But thou my soul be sure must not do so For thou shalt then receive thy final doom Which grant good God it may to me be Come O stay my soul and do thou think of this For in it is thine everlasting bliss O think of this and do thou think on 't right And think on 't still think on 't both day and night For now thy pleasure is come unto an end And thou my soul must now thy doom attend Then now O now do thou this reck'ning make And to thy Saviour thee thy self betake Who willingly was plea'd for thee to die That thou for him might'st live eternally O live in him and do him ever lâ—ve Thy Saviour sweet who is in heaven above Let all thy thoughts 〈◊〉 him alone attend Thy labours then in him will only end O happy end of all this earthly pain Whereby thy heavenly Saviour thou dost gain He will make all their labours be but light Who always love to be within his sight Live there my soul and so thou mayst be sure Thy life shall then for evermore endure In height of joy and all true happiness The very essence of all blessedness Stay here my soul and do thou now admire The joyes of that most glorious heavenly quire Where Angels alwayes singing spiritual hymns Th'Archangels and the blessed Seraphims Continually do praise his holy name Who was is now and aye shall be the same There mount my soul and do thou ever stay ' Mongst them in heav'n whose joys do ne'r decay Nor yet admit of that the least decrease But ever live in sight of th'God of peace Then pray to him that he will please to send His peace to thee for world without all end And do thou always give him praise therefore From this time forth and so for evermore But stay my soul remember 'fore thou can Ascend thou must shake off this thing call'd man This case of thine wherein thy soul doth breath And leav 't behind unto this earth beneath Where it shall reap such seâ—d as it hath sown Th' end of all flesh which is corruption Whereby it fears this thing is call'd pale death Because it only takes away this breath For man's of nothing on earth sensible But that which is on earth corruptible And so it comes that he doth nothing fear But that which heart should wish and soul desire For death is such and only terrible To him whose conscience lives insensible The labouring man likes well to go to rest The weary traveller hastes to th' Iune is best The mariner strives to get within the port Yet if there prove in it to be a fort And he no friend then he hath cause to fear And with great terror he will enter there The toiled traveller likewise fears his host Where theevish ruffians haunt and rule the rost The weary labourer doth not lâ—ke that bed Wherein he knows an ugly toad hath bred The heathen they did much desire their death Because they knew not th' Author of their breath For it they held to be their chiefest good Because that God they had not understood For they did dream that when this life was done That th' end of all things was already come But thou my soul I 'm sure thou knowest more Thou know'st thou hast a loving Saviour Who conquer'd death and of himself 't orecame That thou through him might likwise do the same Ask but thy conscience
whatsoe're he doth thee Unto the Lord who made the heav'n earth And all therein even with his only breath O stay my soul and there do thou admire The wond'rous greatness of that flaming fire Appear'd to Moses in the pillary cloud Which did his chosen children Israel shrewd Untill their sins stir'd up his heavy wrath And then he did as now of late he hath Done to this I le wherein we wretched live To whom his goodnesse did such blessings give As never land on earth had more then we And yet of peace we wretched cannot ' gree So that the son 's against the father's set And father he against the son doth fret And brother ' gainst his brother often wars And so will not let fall these wofull jars Till God shall please that his most heavy hand For to withdraw from o're this sinfull land And give us grace we may in hart repent And yeeld him thanks for his great blessings sent Which we unthankfull did as yet forget And for that cause each brother's blood is set Against it self like as did wicked Cain When as his brother Abell he had slain Sweet Jesus please to stay this thy sharp sword And stead thereof to send thy blessed word That thou thereby mayst beat down growing sin The want whereof hath doubtles only bin The real cause of this our mortall fewd which doubtless doth from our hard hearts proceed Sweet Jesus please to mollifie them so Like Peter's when he solely wept for woe Or like Manasses when he came be bound By Ashurs host who fell upon the ground And gained pardon for his grievous sin Whereby with speed he was restor'd again To Juda's crown and it so long enjoy'd Untill by death he was from thence destroy'd Sweet Jesus grant that we have many such And then without doubt it will help us much To further peace for which we daily pray That thou wilt please in thy great mercy stay This sword of thine and sheath it up again That we in peace may here hence now remain And live like loving brothers in this land VVhich thou hast kept with thine own pow'rfull hand From foreign fos tho now there be none such As we our selves domestick ones by much Sweet Jesus help good Lord we daily pray This bloody war of ours with speed to stay And put us once in happy peace again That we in peace may here hence now remain And praise thy name and that incessantly For giving us this bounteous great mercy And this must thou and onely thou alone Or else Lord Jesus other there is none Can yeeld us help in this our greatest need For now is nothing can stand us in steed But onely thou then come Lord Jesu come Or else deer God we are utterly all undone For them elected to the publique good With purging ill have bred in some ill blood And th' weaker sex it is become so strong T is doubtfull Lord the other sex to wrong So as between two are esteemed extream Most suffer much tho they retain the mean For now ther 's no part of this wretched I le Tho it enjoyed a blessed peace ere while But t is grown now unto a bloody war For many a one thinks their honest neighbor far More quiet then he and so with grief repines At 's neighbours good and then his malice finds Some hole or other in his neighbours coat Tho the quarrel be but for one single groat To make complaint to them that are of power To plunder him by strong hand in an houre For some old wrong as then but newly done Perchance betwixt the Father and the Son O blessed Lord that this the German plunder Which whilom was in peaceful England wonder Should now so well with us be understood As any other usuall English word Whereby revenge in England's grown so rife It tends to take away non-nocents life For Satan o're this Isle bears such a sway As by his wiles he draweth many away From thee that is their only God and King Who are rather bound thy worthy praises sing For all thy goodnes to this wofull land Tho now it feel thy dreadfull heavy hand Sweet Jesus send some blessed Angel down To quell this hellish Satans furious frown And force him Lord as thou was pleased then When he made suit he might go into th' swine Who huried him headlong into the sea Lord drown him there that he n're more have powr To come within this spacious Ile more But we instead of blood may ly and groan In brinish tears and therein make our moan To God on high he will vouchsafe to please This cruell war of ours with peace to cease And then that we who are true English all May all one way on the name of Jesus call Vouchsafe good God that we may so accord In holy service of that heav'nly Lord As tho we differ some of us in part Yet we may all as one agree in heart And let our hearts good Lord in prai'r remain Lest in our sins we wretched may be slain When worthies dare to stand look on death Tho with that look they lose their deerest breath Brave Britains keep your ' forwon antient fame Least antient terrour turn to novell shame And since your valour cannot well be known Untill by you some valourous act be done Then look your swords be sharpe for foreign foe Whose joy 's encreased by our cause of wo's Lest we bewaile this great efflux of blood When t is too late to do us any good And worthies all in time for death prepare Since all in th' end shall fall unto death's share But look you still prefer an honourable death Before a shamefull beastly cowardly life Seeing God alone the day of death doth know But when or where no earthly man can show O then le ts pray and that incessantly To him that lives and shall eternally Come let us sing and all due praises give To him that died that we by him might live And alwayes yeeld praise to his holy name Who was is now and ay shall be the same O let us all with heart due praises sing To this our God and glorious heav'nly king Whose dwelling is above the heavens most high Whereto the best of sinners come not nigh Whose heavy judgement is for to descend Since none come there but they who do ascend Then strive my soul and do thou aye aspire To keep thy self out of that irksome fire Which burns and yet there is no light appears But pain and grief and dreadfull horrid fears Sweet Jesus please to keep my soul from hence And draw it up to th'high'st heavens that thence I may have help for without help from thee There is no comfort in extremitie Then teach me Lord with heart mouth to pray That I in thee may ever live and stay And never more so wander up and down From place to place as I poor wretch have don Sweet Jesus please
How far the cursed goats are separate From the blessed sheep who ever sit and sing In th' glorious heaven the praises of their king But they from thence are headlong thrown away Down to hell pit therein made a pray To th' ugly fiends whose cheerful office is For to deprave them of all heavenly blisse O let this horrid fearful sentence move Thy soul to elevate it self above Up to the highest heavens and there upon Spend thou some time in deep contemplation And then no doubt to thee it will appear What difference great between this joy and fear O have a care that these two ne're depart But alwaies keep them close within thy heart And think upon them seriously day and night And they will teach thee keep thy way aright Forget them not when thou art in thy bed For they will cure a sick and troubled head From all its grief and further more then so They 'l keep thee free from all eternall wo And be a means to bring thee to that blisse Whereas no doubt but thy dead father is Stay there a while my soul and do not range To think the things whose nature may be strange Or wh ch to these two are impertinent Lest they may prove to alter the intent Of gaining that which is the souls desire To keep thee free from th' deep infernall fire That Tophet which God hath prepar'd of old Both deep and large that it may sinners hold The fuel wood which doth maintain that fire By great Jehovah kindled in his ire By th' only breath which from this great God cometh And with fierce brimstone like a river runneth The strange effects whereof some say are such As differs far from all other fire in much For this wee 'r sure its nature's extreme hot There 's some do hold the fire of hell is not This comforts like the Sun from Sion's hill But that burns souls who yet w th cold are chil This we do see doth cast a glorious light The fire of hell more dark then darkest night Though this be hot we can away from 't turn But in that other sinners ever burn This fire on earth w th water may be quenched But that in hel not w th the sea though drenched The fuell here in time consumes away But that in hel it never doth decay Here we receive great comfort by this fire But they in hell have nought they do desire All Dives wealth not worth one water drop Nor all on earth procure for meat one sop There souls desires are ay insatiate Without all ease tho ne're so moderate There rules revenge with irefull anger raging Without all hope even of the least asswaging Here souls are free from bodies greatest pain But there the souls in torments aye remain Here greatest griefs are not without some ease There the tormenters rage doth never cease Here each sence hath its own particular grief There all do suffer without the least relief All sinfull souls are very sensible There is no light in 't which is visible But think black darknes doth appear to th ' ey And so shall do for all eternity Here all created shall in time decay But them in hell shall therein live for ay Death here 's a salve for every kinde of sore But they doth life torment still more more Here we desire to live and yet we cannot But there to die yet so decreed we may not Make use of this my soule and fly from hence Up to the heavens and take thy recompence For all thy service to thy Saviour done When thou with bread did'st feed the hungry one The naked cloath and eke thy neighbour love Then thou didst please thy Saviour God above Whose will is such that thou shouldst ever do So as thy self desir'st be done unto Then do so still and it will keep them free From future woe for all eternity Here stay a while my soul and think of this What difference great between sad lore bliss And do reflect at present on thy self Who whilome was in good and perfect health And thy girt loins were all so firm and strong As they presume that nought could do them wrong But leading out a sullen skittish Jade Tho having such provision therefore made As in mans judgement I was safe and free From any danger of indempnitie VVhen suddenly the horse did run about And with a fall my right hip he put out And I in danger was most imminent To have had each part from one another rent But that a stranger haply coming by Led by Gods spirit chancing me to spie God made a means whereby me to preserve From sudden death which I did well deserve But that the Lord was pleas'd to give to me A longer time that I my sinnes might see And that of them I should in heart repent VVhich no doubt was the onely cause he sent Me help from heaven and cur'd my heart again But wretched I did still in sin remain Forgetting also this his mercy great Tho carefully his Judgement did me threat Presuming still that he would alwayes be As formerly he had been unto me Ev'n heaping blessings upon blessings still Tho sinfull I did yet neglect his will and after that well nigh about a year Forgetting this my gracious God to fear And being secure as then was in my thought From any danger could to me be brought VVhen suddenly did my most gentle horse Give me a fall which prov'd to me much worse then th' other was and also danger more But that God did as he had done before VVith th' second fall disjoynt my other hip VVhen 't was more danger w th that suden skip T' have broke my neck but that my gracious God Did in his mercy with his gentle rod Me so correct as he before had done To try if I would yet unto him come And lest I should again now fall away As I had done he forceth me to stay And in a room my body doth confine Yet sends his Son with comfort on 't to shine For day and night I have therein a fire And all things else I do in heart desire So as if now I shall again neglect My gracious God who doth me thus respecâ— And be so still as I have hereto been Sleeping securely in all deadly sin Unmindfull also of his great blessings In sparing me and eke long sufferings And all things else whats'ere befitting life A loyall loving and a gentle wife And many children which are dutiful Obedient all and also most thankfull All of them able and most willing be T' affoord all kindnesse freely unto me So as my conscience telleth me now plain If I shall fall from this good God again I do deserve far worse then Sodom ever did In the dead sea for to be drown'd and hid And to the world a common by word be There in that sea lies justly drowned he VVas so ungratefull to his gracious God VVho did instead of his
rest there can be The cause I fear thou hast at all no faith Since faith is such as our sweet Saviour saith T is able make the greatest mountain move Except thou canst procure it from above Sweet Jesus help this want of faith in me Is so apparent unto every eye As each observer may discover well That by my actions I intend for hell Since my faith is not like to Peters tho He saw his Master yet did not him know Nor when he seem'd in sea a little sink He well discern'd it and of help did think Nor when he durst not on the deep sea go Untill his Master did command him so Or when as he his Master did forswear Because his heart was troubled then with fear Nor when his Master he did disobay In sleeping then when his Master bid him pray For tho he did not know him at first sight He heard his voice and apprehended right And when in Sea he did a little sink He had hope rais'd him to the waters brink And when he durst not on the deep Sea go He had faith to think that he might well do so And tho his Master he did thrice deny He did it through the flesh infirmity And when for praying he did fall a sleep It was because his Saviour did him keep O wretched beast look in thy breast thou'lt see That thine to his is infidelitie Confesse a truth dost thou thy Saviour know I fear thy heart within thee will say no Perchance thou 'lt say thou could if should him see O shamelesse man then there 's no faith in thee Since thou didst see him nail'd upon the cross For to refine thee from thy sinfull drosse May be thou'lt say that thou did not him hear T is true indeed or else thou wouldst forbear To peirce his side with every severall sin Which like to darts thou freely throws at him O wretch O wretch hast thou a heart to think If thou like Peter in the Sea should sink That thou hadst faith to raise thee up again Thy conscience tels thee thou shalt there remain And deeper far then that the deepest Sea Where seeming faith wil stand for no good plea Then have a face and faith for to confesse Thy sins are such as well deserve no lesse And then there 's hope thou hast some faith in Be pleased good God vouchsafe this faith to me Speak conscience speak durst t' on deep Sea go I fear thy heart will tell thee truly no But thou wilt say thy Saviour did not call Then hast t'not seen him nail'd on crosse at all For if thou didst thou might both hear and see Him search his arms and loudly calling he Yea thee by name If thou wilt but confesse Thy sins are such as well deserve no lesse Say so my heart and thereof do repent And then thou 'lt see that Christ for thee was sent Now speak a truth hast thou not Christ forsworn Or canst thou say that he for thee was born I fear that truth will in thee justifie Thou dost thy Saviour every houre deny For tho he call and call and call again Yet doth thy heart even still in sin remain And tho sometimes thou dost behold his blood Thou canst not say it doth thee any good For thou at his loud cry forbears to come Sweet Jesus grant that word may be my doom Speak on thou cōscience hast thou Christ obeyd Thou 'lt say thou hast him oftentimes denayd And slept in sin when Christ was not the keeper Peter's was great but thy sin much the greater His Saviour then was praying hard for him And now for thee yet thou 'lt not leave thy sin Tho Peter's fault were much against his mind Yet thou to Satan art in heart so kind As thou wilt follow him tho that Christ say no Blessed Jesus free me from this word of Go. And now do thine with Peter's faith compare Thou 'lt say thy self that they much diffring are And so much differ will thy conscience say As white from blak or this word yea from nay For if thou couldst do th'least what Peter did Then might thou say faith in thy hart was hid But tho thou say that thou hast faith in thee Yet I fear none nor thou thy self dost't see For that Christ saith t is gift of God above And them that have it mountains can remove Which is well known thou art not able do Then cry for help of him who can do so For want of faith is cause of all thy sin Then break thy heart that faith may enter in For broken hearts are they will win the crown Then break thy heart beat presumtion down For this presumption causeth many a sin In hope of time for to repent them of in Beware of Satan such he often useth And with such shifts fond man he oft abuseth Then fly this fiend and fear to come him nye For he is subtill and in carriage sly And doth delight in ranging th' earth about Then hide thee from him lest he find thee out And do thou strive to mount thy self aloft And make thy prayers to thy Saviour oft That he will thee and thy poor soul safe keep Both when th' rt waking and when thou dost sleep For except he please vouchsafe to set the scout Thou art not able keep the enemie out Then please good God to me some angel send VVhom thou thinkst good to my safeguard commend He that did father Abrahams servant guide When he went forth a wife for to provide For 's master Isaack or did Lot preserve From Sodoms plague which it did so deserve Or he that open'd Peter th' iron gate When surely death was doom'd to be his fate Or one of them our Saviour said did keep These little ones as his beloved sheep Or whom thou please to my safeguard command For to preserve me out of Satans hand Sweet Jesus keep me keep me Lord this day From all tentation I thee humbly pray For Satans rage encreaseth every where Because the gen'rall Judgement draweth near Or else that honest angel Raphael Whose company holp that yong Tobias well But doubtlesse Tobies heart was firmly bent For to obey that strict commandement His father gave him long before his death which was that he while there was in him breath Should alwayes set the Lord before his eyes And that his will should ever sin despise And he shall aye observe the Lords commands And duly labour with his fleshly hands And true and just in all his doings prove For such are they whom God doth onely love Then to their actions he will surely send A prosperous and a good successefull end And have a care thou freely alms do give For so must they that do intend to live Enjoy where is their blessed Saviour For none come there that do not pity th' poor Seeing alms is esteemed a goodly gift Before th' most high to them that use to give 't From filthy whoredome do thou safely
dost him see By so much more familiar you will be And do esteem him always as a friend Seeing he may greatly stead thee at thy end Assure thy self he 's stout and will not flie But he is always waiting on thee nie For he is one of whom thou shalt be found Tho thou wert hidden underneath the ground And if thou think from him to run away Then he 's so swift that he will make thee stay O view him love him and him look upon His countnance's comely so 's his complexion Though it be pale yet sweet 't will be to thee But th'hinder parts shalt nere be able see For he doth always forwards towards thee come And never backwards he is seen return He feareth no mans face nor yet his strength But overcometh all whatsoere at length There 's neither King nor Keisar he will spare But all in th' end do fall unto his share Though there be millions of arm'd men in field If he but throw his dart at them they yield There are no guns so great can make him flee For none on earth but only he 's shot-free His dart is always very sharp and keen And flies so fast it cannot well be seen Do but observe the nature of his dart It always aimeth at the very heart The strongest wals that ere with hands were made When he doth come by them he 'll not be staid He hits his mark as well in darkest night As when the sun doth shine tho nere so bright Then do not thou this deaths acquaintance shun From whom the swiftest of all cannoâ— run And who will cause the stoutest stand in fear If of his coming they by chance do hear Make much my soul of his acquaintance then If thou dost love him he will tell thee when He means to come if thou do often use Of him and his condition for to muse O then love thou this death his company well There 's in it more then I am able tell Yet this my soul I do in him observe That his acquaintance may in time preserve From second death which is a kindness such More worth by far then all the earth by much Thâ— make accompt of such a special friend Who is so powerful with thee at thy end As by his means there 's hope thou maist procure A happy life which shall for aye endure Amongst that blessed glorious company Who live and shall for all eternity And evermore the worthy praises sing Of Christ our Saviour and our heavenly King Then thou my soul make now a standing there And yet some more do thou of death enquire Since he is such and of so sweet a nature Whom some esteem to be of horrid feature But by observance I do in him find To thoâ—e that love him he is very kind And th'more I look upon his comely face The better still I like his comely grace As though he scorn'd the greatest earthly Kings Esteeming them to be but even base things And more then so I in him this observe If I have grace my self in time preserve From sin that then he can do me no harm If I do so I do him quite disarm For he no weapons with him bears about But with my own sins he doth beat me out From off this earth where wretched I do live But mine own sins mine own death-stroke do give So as I find if I from sin were free That then were death not able conquer me For now I see 't is only my own sin The wicked harbinger to bring death in Then do thou beat this harbinger but out And then fear not thou shalt put death to rout For if there were no sin within thy heart Then thou wert able take away deaths dart O then my soul hear this O doe thou hear Thy sin 's the cause of all thy greatest fear Then fear to sin and thou art able fray This thing calâ—'d death and force him flie away And if thou leave thy sin thou may be sure Th' art able then the sting of death to cure Then use all helps to leave thy loved sin And let slip none may bring thy Saviour in But set a watch and guard thy heart about To keep thy Saviour and shut Satan out For if thy mind be set on God above And thou resolv'd to follow him in love Then all thy actions which thou dost intend Are helps to bring thee to a happy end And no occasion can come then amiss May help to bring thy soul to th' King of Blisse Nor none let pass without some godly use Which some are wont with wickedness abuse But godly minds are ever apt to good And more for th'souls then for the bodies food Think with thy self how dost thou thee behave Canst go to bed and then not think on grave Since it 's more sure then is thy laid-down bed Shall not that surety enter then thy head Canst thou prepare to go to take thy rest And nought prepare for him hath so thee blest Thou knowst thy sleep may wel be said like death Save only that affoords a little breath Which this doth take and all what else is thine Then think of death and think on 't now in time In sleep no sense no not of greatest pain And so in death if heaven by it thou gain Then aim at heaven let it be all thy care Or else be sure have hell fall to thy share Canst thou uncloath thee to thy naked skin And then forget to cleanse thee of thy sin Hast thou the care thy bed may be made warm And then no care to keep thy soul from harm Canst thou be careful see thy linnen sweet And not remember that thy winding shee Hast thou the sense to feel thy bed is cold And yet no feeling that thou art grown old Canst thou have care thy bed should be made soft And then no care to lift thy soul aloft Canst thou be carefull for thy bodies rest Yet careless how the soul may come be blest Is flesh and blood of more esteem with then Then th' soul for which thy Saviour so did dâ—e Dost thou not know when body goes to grave The soul expects a place in heaven to have Dost pamper flesh for filthy worms to eat And starve thy soul for want of spiritual meat Thou sayst th' art sure of a living soul in thee And yet thy life doth shew it cannot be Shal no occasion slip for th'bodies good And none be found to furnish â—h'soul with food Can any think that man hath any sense Cares all for th'corps and nought for th'souls offence Is flesh and blood with thee of more esteem Then that thy soul whose care is only heaven Those go to ground from whence at first they came But this to God in whom is onely its aim Let conscience say for soul and bodies care How little 's that how great this others share So as it seems thou more esteems of monle Then dost of that thy
more Me overcome as he hath done before This my weak heart who 's faint hath no power Within it self no not for one half hour It self to keep except it so shall please My Saviour sweet this great tentation cease For thou O Lord and only thou alone Must either help or other I have none And therefore now I humbly to thee pray Thou wilt vouchsafe with me good Lord to stay And safe me keep from all tentation Of that most subtle wicked Legion Who winds himself into my very heart And will not thence by me be drawn depart Except thou please good Lord to cast him out And let him range this terrene world about And nere attempt to set on me again But cause me still good God in thee remain That I O Lord may ever in thee live And heart and mind unto thee freely give That with good conscience I may safely say Thou'â—t in my heart and there dost live and stay ' Cause in my thoughts I doe it surely find That thou art firmly seated in my mind And will not suffer idle worldly toyes For to deprive me of those heavenly joyes But that in them I may put my delight And banish all whatsoere that are not right So as no pleasure shall be able move My heart from thee my Saviour God above But that in thee I may repose my rest In whom alone I shall be only blest So I from thee do not again now fall But on the name of my sweet Saviour call When Satan doth my weak faint heart delude And on my weakness doth himself intrude Whereby he seeks to draw me still away From thee my Saviour and my only stay By some deceitful bait which he hath set To overtake me in that woful net Wherein are taken every one of those Who in that Fiend do any trust repose For who him trust them surely he deceives And of all goodness he them quite bereaves Then trust him not for if that so thou dost Assure thy self thy soul is utterly lost For there was never any gain'd by him Who doth endeavour invite all to sin Whatsoere he seems in show for to pretend Be sure to find a horrid death in th' end For all his projects are but crafty wiles Whereby poor sinners he of good beguiles And doth not suffer them to see their sin Till they be taken in his hellish gin And if by chance poor man it hap to spy Then he will have some other readily Whereby he may entrap this silly man Who of himself no good at all he can So as he is not able senses use But their right end he utterly doth abuse And here my soul do thou observe with care How by good use all parts assistant are With help to bring thee to that happy place Where all shall live who are endow'd with grace And in their journey care to keep the path Which leads to life or else they gain the wrath Of that great God whose wondrous works are such As in this pilgrimage our journey may help much If we but mark and to the Spirit give ear When God himself doth in each part appear And every minute doth some warning give Which may direct us how on earth to live So as with care we attend unto his call Who takes no pleasure in the sinners fall Although in them he will be glorified Because his name we have not magnified Have I receiv'd my senses all in vain So as their use affords to me no gain But loss of life and my sweet Saviour Who doth not cease to call me every hour O now O now begin to look at home And see thy senses how they all do come Without respect of him who hath them sent Or th' end for which they were unto thee lent And do not quench the Spirit of God in thee Lest thou be blind when dost desire to see O then use eyes and use them to that end For which Jehovah did them to thee send For wheresoere thou turn'st this eye of thine The work of God most plain in it doth shine If to the heavens thou seest his glory there Who for thy sins was pleas'd on earth appear If to the earth each herb a wonder is And by that wonder help thy soul to bliss Look in thy heart and there thou mayst behold How Satan's black although he shine like gold Then see thy soul the chiefest of thy rest How it desires to be whereâ—t may be blest O further that desire with every sense Who shall for it receive good recompence Observe how God bestowed on thee a Taste And in that part of th'body it hath plac'd So as there 's nothing into th'corps can go But it gives warning whether 't be so or no. Then use this taste unto its own right end Thou 'lt see that God did it unto thee send Not for to taste that Evahs bitter apple Lest thou want strength with Satan for to grapple But 't was to taste the things for th'body food Lest ought may enter there which is not good O then do thou of good have only care And all things ill of them be thou aware Lest that thy soul may lose its spiritual health Which is more worth then all thy worldly wealth O be thou curious of thy bodies taste Lest pleasing sins may make thy soul to waste Liâ—e as the body with it's poison'd pils Tho gold without within they 're stuff'd with ils Another Sentinel hath Jehovah sent Lest thou should smel somthing thou might repent Thou 'lt stop thy nose when 't feels a scent is ill Then stay each member and restrain thy will Which are delighted with each pleasing smell But have a care such scent not towards hell All finest flowers have not the sweetest smell Scent thou then such as to thy soul scents well Let that scent only please thy inward mind Although thy corps esteem it most unkind For soul and bodies scent have several sense This loveth sin but that loves penitence O then prefer that which thy soul doth scent Lest that in th' end thy corps have cause repent Use that restriction with this Sentinel That it scent nothing but that doth scent well Unto thy soul let it thy scent approve Who hates all ill and what is good doth love Another sense hath this great God thee sent To feel thy sins and of them to repent Thou well canst feel a small stroke of thy skin Yet wilt not feel the Spirit how quench'd within Canst thou feel hurts if in thy bodies members But thy souls hurt thou l't not be drawn remember Consider well how God hath plac'd this sense In th' outward part of th' inward for defence Thou wilt prevent the falling of a tree But th'greatest sin thou thinkst cannot hurt thee Canst thou be careful of thy bodies food And have no feeling of thy soul its good Canst thou feel prickles in thy tender skin And cannot feel thy soul is prickt within Dost thou not