was induced for that I find manie oftentimes speciallie such as had most neede to praie and meditate to reade bookes rather for the affection of words then liking of matter and perhaps more to controll the compiling then commend the contents such yet so as they read shall giue me all that I craue and find I hope that they looked not for if not in all yet in some among manie of these Sonnets As for the apt nature of Poetrie to delight to contriue significatâ—â—â—ly in fewe words much matter to pearce and penetrate â—â—â—ections of men with the aptnesse thereof for helpe of â—eâ—orie I will not saie much but for my deducing tâ—ese passions into Sonnets it answereth as I suppose best for the shortnâ—sse to the nature of passions and common burner of men who are either not long touched with so good motions or by their worldly affaires not permitted to continue much reading as for the cause of my so preposterous placing of them and deuision onely into two sorts I confesse indeed I am perswaded their disorder doth best fit the nature of mankind who commonly is delighted with contraries and exercised with extreames and also as they were by God ministred to my minde to set downe by sundry accidents in my priuate estate and feeling so I suppose my prouidence could not by a formall placing of them so soone hit the affâ—ctions of euerie Reader as Gods direction by that which men call chaunce might this way incounter the common inconstant forme of reading which is by starts to turne ouer bookes and peruse only what by the praise of others told is commended vnto them or not sought for falleth into their view As they are therefore I recommend them to thy curtesie in reading and thee to Gods holie spirit in the perusing of them if they may haue the same working in thee that I praise God some of them had in me they shall not be vtterly vnprofitable If in matter they iumpe not to thy passions in all points thinke among the great Arsenall of Satans armour he hath choyce of weapons for sundry assaults and disposeth of them diuersly according to the strength or weaknesse of the partie he besiegeth Which being as indifferent in particular persons as Gods gifts are to them thou shalt do well to thy abilitie to reforme or supply my defect who hereby do onely inuite the better able to imploy in so fit a Theame their more fruitfull spirit If in maner of the verse or stile they be as I doubt not to be amended much I do not greatly seeke the praise of a curious Architect or neither without neglect of more necessarie dutie could I attaine to the required obseruances that way and therefore craue that thy disâ—ression may regard my intentioÌ„ And thus recommending my selfe to â—â—y fauourable acceptance who herein haue rather folowed the force of mine owne inward feeling then outward ornaments of Poeticall fictions or amplifications as best beseeming the naked cloathing of simple truth true Analogie of the nature of the Histories whereto they alude and harmonie of scriptures whence they are borrowed I heartely commend thee to the Almightie THE FIRST PART OF CHRISTIAN PASsions containing a hundreth Sonets of meditation humiliation and prayer PREFACE IT is not Lord the sound of many words The bowed knee or abstinence of man The filed phrase that cloquence affordes Or Poets pen that heauens do pearce or can By heauie cheere of colour pale and wan By pined bodie of the Pharisay A mortall eye repentance oft doth scan Whose iudgement doth on outward shadows stay But thou ô God doest hearts entent bewray For from thy sight Lord nothing is conceald Thou formdst the frame fro out the verie clay To thee the thoughts of hearts are all reueald To thee therefore with hart and mind prostate With teares I thus deplore my sinfull state SONET I. HOw should my soule Lord clad in earthly mold The prison where it readie is to pine Where vilde affections captiue it do hold And threaten naught but ruin in the fine Vnto one thought of hope or helpe incline Or raise the eyes vnto the heauens bright How may it Lord take hold on mercies thine Or presse it selfe in presence of thy sight Or how canst thou therein at all delight If mercy be not spokesman in this case If merit of thy sonne should not acquite The common gilt of Adams sinfull rase Which since by faith alone man may attaine Grant me first grace not faithlesse to remaine SON II. FRo out the darknesse of this sea of feare Where I in whale remaine deuourde of sin With true remorse of former life I reare My heart to heauen in hope some helpe to win I do confesse my fault who did begin To flie from thee ô Lord and leaue vndone Thy seruice which of right should first haue bin performd by woich so many should be wonne To praise thy name But feare alas begunne To represent to me my iourny long The dangers of the world my life should runne Which made me to my soule to offer wrong But since by show of death thou caldst me backe Thy gratious helpe at need let me not lacke SON III. WIthin this arke wherein my soule doth dwell My bodie floting on worldes troubled waue Which windes of fierce affections cause to swell And hardly can my power from sinking saue I crie to thee ô Lord and comfort craue Close vp this fountaine of this flowing sin Let me by faith againe once footing haue On frutefull earth and holie life begin Lighten the burden so vncleane within Of brutish vices raging in my minde Let cleane affects the greater partie win And so increase that plentie I may finde Of sacrifices pleasing in thy sight Of faith and loue which are thy soules delight SON IIII. IN humble wise as fitteth best my state An abiect wretch deuoyd of all desert I here approch before thy mercy gate O Lord of life with broke and contrite hart I need not to reueale to thee my smart A lump of sin and shame I am I know Wounded so deepe with deadly poysoned dart Of serpents sting which did from parents grow That now my humors so do ouerflow With foule affections of my feeble minde As presseth downe my eyes on earth so low As dares not search the heauens true helpe to finde Yet since thou hast made knowne to me my grief Guide me by grace to fountaine of relief SON V. VNto thy princely wedding Lord are bed Of euerie sort some guests to feast with thee One that a spouse but late before had wed One oxen bought one taken land to fee They from the banket therefore absent bee Regarding not thy messengers of grace In number of the like Lord hold not mee But let me haue I craue the offred place Yet ere that I appeare before thy face A wedding garment first I must put on My owne vnrighteous cloathing is too base And marchandise of merits now are
SVNDRY CHRISTIAN PASSIONS CONtained in two hundred Sonnets Diuided into two equall parts The first consisting chiefly of Meditations Humiliations and Praiers The second of Comfort Ioy and Thankesgiuing By H. L. Call vpon me in the day of trouble So will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Imprinted at London by Richard Field 1593. To the rIght renoVVneD VertVoVs VIrgin ELIzabeth VVorthy QVeene of happIe EngLanD her hIghnesse faIthfVL subIeCt Henry Lok VVIsheth Long Lyfe VVIth eternaL bLIsse IVne VII MY worthlesse pen Presumeth to deuise To eternize Your peerles vertuâ—us fame In holy flame Of zeale my hart doth rise VVhich doth dispise A thâ—ame of vulgar frame The sacred dame The graces haue select That should protect The heire Muses hill Whose Phoenix quil Doth heauenly Crowne affect And those hath dect VVhich Romane Trophies fill Heauens do distill Their happie influence As come froÌ„ thence You there your portion haue Ioue long you saue VVhose Scepters you dispence For whose defence True English hearts he gaue Venus wold craue And Dian doth that due Which Pallas wils Me yeeld alone to you To the Christian Reader WHo so shall duly consider the whole Progresse of mans estate from life to death shall finde it gentle Reader to be nothing else but a verie pilgrimage through this earth to another world for whether we obserue the coÌ„mon course of all flesh which from the mothers wombe to the graue is still trauelling with change of bodily constitution from youth to age from health to sicknesse and so from one estate to another Or if we behold the particular incounters which each man findeth in himselfe in the variable change of his hopes and crossing of his purposes In both it shall by a generall experience of all mens calamities be assuredly confirmed to be too true But how much more may we finde in the direction of our soules to the prâ—per hâ—uen of their habitation euen to heauen a multitude of aduersaries lying in the way to hinder our trauell to that promised land how many afflictioÌ„s of the minde frailties of the flesh bayts of the world and snares of Satan are bent against vs to slacken if not cleane to diuert our due course thitherwardes in such sort as if God of his infinite mercie and prouidence did not oftentimes preuent and stop our willes and powers and bridle the malice of these aduersaries we should all assuredly perish by the way But now such is his fatherlie care and loue to vs in Christ that hee hath left vs a direction readie way of saftie in the midst of all assâ—ults â—r â—fflictioâ—s how periâ—â—ous soeuer euen praier whiâ—h being formed accorâ—ing to the rules prescribed vnto vs by his sonne and with feruencie of faith offered vp vnto him are of power to penetrate the heauen purchase our safetie pâ—y our debts procure vs peace of hart in the midst of all eâ—rtâ—ly perils yea knowing our coldnesse herein and feare of our owne guils deterring vs from his presence he doth not onlie licence vs to this boldnesse but allureth vs by manie sensible blessings felt in our owne consciences And calleth vs by a supernaturall courage sometimes with confidence to come vnto him and euen to hope against hope in our most desperate necessities He doth direct our tongues oftentimes herein before our mindes and our mindes before our hearts being himself readier to giue then we to aske and giuing with more regard of our good then we can craue or coÌ„ceiue for all which he expecteth nothing else at our hands but continuallie to flie vnto him to yeeld him due praise to relie on him onelie in the day of triall and to incourage others thereto for in this sort alone he will be honoured of vs. This our earthlie pilgrimage being then so dangerous to all flesh and so readie a way prescribed vnto vs for our safer passage therein he were verie vnwise that would not furnish himselfe with such prouâ—sion which costs so litle as our willes to haue it and more vncharitable that would not do his best to assist his companioÌ„ in his iourny with both counsell and comfort of the same For this cause gentle Reader I hauing through Gods great goodnesse fels in the direction and protection of my vnstable youth a plentifull portion of the wonderfull care he hath ouer vs and of the vnspeakeable force of praier and thansgiuing in all extremities the more to stirre vp my selfe to a memorie thereof haue thought good to set downe these abrupt passions of my passed afflictions as witnesses of the impediments most stopping me in my Christian pilgrimage and testimonies of the meanes of my euasion hitherto which may serue for presidents for my selfe in the like future occasions and not be altogither vnprofitable for others to imitate In which as in a glasse may be seene the state of a regenerate soule sicke with sinne sometimes Agus-like shiuering with cold dispaire straight waies inflamed with seruencie of faith and hope One while yeelding vnder the burthen of sinne to eternall death and presently incouraged to runne cheerfully forward the appointed course of this his pilgrimage and like a practized traueller vsed to the change of companie diet heate cold paine pleasure plentie and want not to amaze himselfe long with anie chaunge but by a consideration of pleasures passed or rest expected patientlie to passe ouer this world full of incomberances from a sence and feeling wherof in some measure no true childe of God is anie long time as I suppose exempt Now although I doubt not but euen these reasons will carrie the iudgement of the godlie Christian Reader to a fauourable interpretation of my purpose herein and to some delight in the tast thereof to whom no person or occasion stile or phrase will seeme vnseasonable being imployd to the glorifying of God profit of the Church or proceeding from a zeale of that effect yet the consideration that the greater number to whose handes this Treatise may happen to come are either not so well affected or so discreet and temperate as were to be wished maketh me thinke it needfull to saie something in declaration of my purpose herein not in excuse of my exercising my self in such theames which indeed ought to be the common action in some measure of all men as oft as necessarie affaires of this life will permit them neither in that I make common with others this my exercise which seemeth in secret onely to be practised by my selfe for that I take it not to be alwaies a token of pride or vaine glorie to make knowne for a common good to others that which may breed a suspect of ambition in the Author among the prophane or cauelling multitude though how herein I am carried my selfe I leaue to God the searcher of hearts to iudge onely I would satisfie them first in the cause of my writing them in verse then of the confused placing of them without speciall titles To the first I
my deeds that should performe the samâ— I know the constant meanings whence they came But will and power are falne at strife and iarre What soule begins to do doth bodie marre What loue would build distrust would ouerthrow A plenteous offring zeale doth bid bestow But fainting faith likes not to set it farre My will at least his good intent shall show Which thou ô Lord cause vnto better frame A free will offring Lord thou wilt not blame Of such weake frutes as are on earth below Which yet shal grow More fruteful by thy grace And as they be wilt in thy sonne imbrace SON XIIII THe end whereto we all created were And in this world were plast to liue and dwell If we with iudgement do obserue it well Was nothing else but God to serue and feare In which we bâ—dges of his glorie beare To yeeld him right the most our weaknesse may Which to our strength we ought not him denay Who out of earth to heauen this dust shall reaâ—e Which when within my selfe I deeply way I do condemne the dulnesse which befell To me whose gifts in nothing do excell By which I might his glorie great display On whom do stay All things that being haue Who to each creature all things freely gaue SON XV. AS is the treasure frutelesse which is hid And blisse no blisse a man doth not enioy But rather is a meane to worke annoy To him that carefully preserue it did So often times the wisest sort haue slid Into like error whilst they do conseale The gifts of grace which God did them reueale And hide the talent which is them forbid As frutelesse is it to the common weale That men respectiuely become too coy And triflingly their time away do toy And without good to others let it steale I therefore deale To world and do impart These silly frutes which grow on feeling hart SON XVI THe pleasures of this new possessed land Fore-promised long since to children thine Whereto I haue arriued safe in fine And to enioy the same assured stand To paint with praises I would take in hand That so I might incourage many more To follow forth the conquest where is store Of corne of wine and oyle for faithfull band Our Iosua Christ himselfe is gone before And showes the clusters of the healthfull wine Whereof who tasts shall not with famine pine Nor starue when plentie is at Citie dore Ne need deplore The strength of Anaks race For he the power of hell will cleane deface SON XVII BEtwixt two strong extreames my thoughts do flie Twixt heat and cold twixt heigth and depth below And bâ—â—h of them from one desire do flow The sâ—rest way to sauing health to trie Faith bids me mount vnto the heauens hie Vpon the merits of my sauior deare A guiltie conscience bids me not come neare Lest in consuming iealousie I die A heart contrite doth will me to appeare With works of righteousnesse true faith which show Faith saies that god my streÌ„gth power doth know And that I cannot finde saluation heere But bids me cheere My soule nothing feare Loue in his sonne will make him me forbeare SON XVIII FRom far I see the stars which guide the way From East to West to finde my sauiour out I well might wander all the world about To seeke saluation and in no place stay If shining truth did not his house bewray Which in his word points forth his dwelling place By which directed I will walke a pace Whilst yet I do enioy the light of day And when I come before his blessed face To offer vp my presents will not doubt Although their basenesse all the world should flout So that by faith I may him once imbrace Which giueth grace And makes accepted well Mean works as much as those which more excell SON XIX NOw will I daunce ô Lord before the traine Of those which following thee seeke home to draw Thy holy Arke the treasor of thy law That it with vs may pledge of peace remaine I care not though the world my deed disdaine And thinke it not beseeming thing for me In such a worke an instrument to be Whose yeares they deeme more fit for other vaine For so I Lord thy sauing health may see And scape the harme of cruell Satans paw Though all the scorners of the world me saw Yet would I not ashamed be of thee For being free Of holie promist land I care not how my stare on earth do stand SON XX. NO recompence ô Lord is fit for thee If duly thy desert we do regard Ne hast thou want or need of mans reward At whose command all creatures readie bee Yet if our thankfull minds thy goodnesse see Confessing whence to vs these blessings flow And in the vse of them obedience show Although alas it be in meane degree Thou yet doest frame thy loue to ours below And as thou findst the giuers heart preparde Who to his power his present hath not sparde So doest thou cansell debt which he did owe And doest bestow More graces then we craue For which naught els but thiÌ„ks thou lookst to haue SON XXI HOw precious are the praiers of thy Saints Which able were thy threatned wrath to stay And make the sunne returne in pride of day When as Iosias heart for feare it faints Thy fauour vnto Abram vs acquaints Of how great force repentant heart is found When hauing viewd vile Sodom to confound To staie at seruants sute thy wrath thou daints By praiers man hath power euen death to wound By praier he may moue a mount away A faithfull seruent praier finds no nay If that the thing we craue be pure and sound Yea God hath bound Him selfe by them to man Whose worthie praise no tongue forth vtter can SON XXII THanks will I alwaies studie Lord to pay To thee the giuer of all good and grace And thankfully thy mercies will imbrace And witnesse forth thy workes from day to day My heart my mouth my pen they neuer stay To take occasion freshly to renue The memorie of praises to thee due Lest natures weaknesse let them passe away My frailtie in this point indeed I rue Who till I see new blessings in the place Forget the fauours late before my face And mercies thine fro which such bountie grew For it is true So dull our sences are That oft thy blessings do our iudgements marre SON XXIII WHere so I cast about my wandring eye By chance or choice by hap or else by will Before my sight some obiect is there still Wherein thy power and loue I do espye In view whereof if I my thoughts do trye To raise my heart in ioy I matter finde And vnto thee my loue so firme to binde That tong nor pen should neuer idle lye Whose grace vnto thy creatures is so kinde As patrons of the same the world doth fill Who mad'st not only but doest still instill Some feeling of the same vnto the