in the kingdome of glory Fourthly let all couetous persons looke vpon mee and amend their euill liues For as I came naked into this world so did they and as I carrye nothinge with mee but my winding sheete euen so shall they Their riches the pelfe of this world shall they leaue behind them which they haue gathered in paine and hourded vp with greedie minds Oh you hungrie lions you are alwaies gaping for y e prey you are euer hungrie and neuer satisfied get you neuer so much by hooke or by crook by violent iniurie or biting vsurie But looke you vpon me For an eln of earth now shall serue mee and so must it serue you whom nothing may suffice in this world Sorrowe therefore and amende in time For you were not borne to gather worldelye substance but to serue poore Iesus who of God made himselfe poore to enrich you You were not borne to continue in this world No you haue no continuing citie heere but you must looke for another euen Heauen whence you are nowe exiled and therefore you must seeke the things that be aboue Your conuersation must be in Heauen You must not tie your harts to the earth and hourd vp the pelfe of this world lest the verie moths and rust of your tresure cry for a plague vpon and against you in the daie of vengeance For die you muste one day and be as I am and so rest in the bellye of mother earth vntil the day of accoūts when God shal rewarde euerie man according to his deserts Fifthlie let all enuious persons and euil willers beholde my hart let all bloodshedders looke vpon my feete all backbiters slanderers and curssers marke my toong all robbers and Vsurers view my handes all couetous persons note my winding sheete all selfelouers and proud men gaze vpon my face and hollowe eies let all men looke vpon me amende their liues for as I am euen so shall they be Sixtly let al Christians look vpon me courtiers and countrey men highe and lowe rich and poore yoong and old noble and vnnoble all let them looke vpon mee and remember their end Die they shal al this 〈…〉 l remember that they may neuer sinne Let all swearing belly gods al selfelouers men or women that monstrously disguise chast nature and paint their bodies which are stinking toombes of their seelie soules with intollerable vanities let al that care for beawties hewe looke vpon mee and iudge of theyr owne vanitie and condemne themselues least they be iudged of the Lord. For their broydered hayre their faced and defaced apparell theyr superfluous lasings their sumptuous Veluetes and silks their golden caules their wrought clothes their ringed fingers and their costlie fare in this worlde which Lazarus wanteth they are all vanitie neither shal they redeem them but to earth they shall and vanish with the vapour They shal al sleepe with me and they shall be one daye no better than I am worms meat stinking carcases duste and ashes they shall be whatsoeuer they doo appeare to the foolish world Kinges and princes magistrates and subiects schollers and maisters rich and poore al may looke vpon me For I am able to teache them a lesson which they forget dailie That earth they are and vnto earth they must with mee one daie and noe man knoweth howe soone Disdaine not to learne this at me for I teach you the truth which one day you your selues shal approue to be very true Seuenthly let all mourning mothers sorrowing friends lette them giue ouer weeping and vnchrystian wailinge For that cannot helpe them because it grudgeth and complai neth againste the will of God but rather let them bee merrie and reioise For behold this life is a warfare euen a continual warfare as Iob calleth it and death is a sleepe a sweete sleepe so that by it I rest from my labours I am deliuered from daunger to safetye from labour to ioye from trauel to rest from paine to pleasure and lie in the earth as it were in a bed till I must rise to iudgement This is the lucky estate of them that are dead in the lord And therfore did father Simeon desire to departe in peace and Paule counted hymselfe a wretch because hee was not deliuered from this bodye of sinne So that you haue no cause to mourne for your friends whoe by deathe are passed beyonde death euen to life to liue with GOD and to see him face to face euen as hee is But rather you haue cause to reioyse because by death they are taken into ioye to be where Christe Iesus is The dead man is but a sleepe hee is not dead but for a time and at length he shall awake euen by the sounde of a trumpet and crie of an Archangell to see his redeemer in heauen where he with thee and thou with him and the Heauenlye armie of Angels saints mailiue for euer Looke vpon me and remember this al you that mourne for the death of your friendes For blessed am I and thrise blessed This worlde is an exile Heauen my naturall countrey and so by death I am deliuered frō exile and heerein I am verie happie This present worlde is euill in heauen are ioyes that passe sense and conceit And so by death in the Lorde I am freed from euil and placed in ioye and heerin I am happie This world is no continuing citie but another that is heauen which when I liued in faith I looked for so that by death I am set in a permanent place and heerein am I happy This life is a pilgrimage hea uen my home and so by death of a pilgrim I am made a citizen and heerein I am happy To conclude by death from earth to heauen from men to Angels from warre to peace from paine to pleasure from griefe to euerlasting gladnes from vanitie miserie to perpetuall felicitie I haue passed in peace herin I am happie So that death is not to bee feared nor yet to bee lamented but rather welcome in ioye of spirit whensoeuer it commeth And for this are al Christians bound to render hartie thanks vnto the Lorde that hath turned the cursse into a blessinge and by his pretious death vpon the crosse made death no deth but an entrie to life a passage to ioy a deliuery from miserie For this blessing blessed be the name of the Lorde and let al people say Amen Imprint these few lessons in your memoryes and engraue them in the tables of your harts And thus farwel A Lodge for Lazarus Wherein the poore and friendlesse are exceedinglie comforted in spirit against all kinde of calamities incident to this temporall and miserable life made by the sayd E. H. THere are two sorts of pilgrimes in the worlde some are rich and some are pore Though the earth be the Lordes and the riches thereof his owne possessions though al men be his subiects haue deserued the like condition of life yet to blase his
1593. DAVIDS SLING against great GOLIAH Conteining diuers notable Treatises the names whereof folow next after the Epistle to the Reader by E. H. Mat. 26 41. Watch and praie Printed by R. Yardley and Peter Short Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis To the Right Worshipfull Sir George Calueley knight High Sheriffe of the Countie Palantine of Chester increase of worship c. THe earth being the common mother and milch nursse of al liuing creatures 〈…〉 gentlie 〈◊〉 yeldeth a 〈◊〉 more plentiful crop of increase 〈◊〉 possibly be measured than euer at the 〈◊〉 of the husbandman in sowing 〈…〉 A pithie persuasion to thankfulnesse and such a notable motiue to dutifulnes as a better no not the like 〈◊〉 deuised or imagined The consideration whereof 〈◊〉 Worshipfull sinking into mine understanding and compared with the manyfold curtesies which continuâ—ly haue issued from you to my noâ—mal comfort and commoditie hath incensed set me on fire though not as I woulde yet as I could to shewe some manifest signe and argument that I haue your Worshippes goodnesse in freshe and dailie memorie which although I dare not vowe to requite yet wil I do what I can in some respect to deserue Vouchsafe therefore Right Worshipfull in the meane time since I haue no pretious mines to accept and like wel of this my simple mite simple I confesse in common valuation but pretious I dare aâ—oâ—ch in sound iudgement and reason A booke it is which a kinsman of mine not so neere as deere vnto mee at my vrgent request bestowed vpon mee in writing for my priuate vse and peculiar exercise Wherof when I had marked the commoditie and sawe that to communicate the same vnto the flocke of the faithfull were much better and more thanksworthie than to keepe it at home in my cofer impounded as my proper possession and portion of my patrimonye I was won and perswaded at the importunate sute and instance of sundrie my trustie friends who vpon circumspect perusing of the same gaue it due and deserued commendation to consent and agree Authore agrè serente prosus inuito that it should bee published for the common benefite of the multitude Very loth I was I speake my conscience to offend my kinsman and friend in anye pointe of presumption and muche more loath I vtter my secret thought to greeue any godlie and deuout soule by detaining any thinge the vse whereof might increase their comfort But beyng assaulted as I was incessantlie with ve hement perswasions and not able with al my fiue wits to withstand their weakest reason I became willing to bee ordered and ruled as they by discretion mighte dispose me in so honest a request The same not in writing Right Worshipful as I had it but in printe as you haue it being the firstlings of a Cheshire wit gathered in a famous seedeplot of great learning and profound knowledge I present vnto you with suche submission as beseemeth an inferiour to his superiour a clyent to his patrone a welwiller to his benefactor Beseeching you of your accustomed curtesie that as you haue from time to time beene not onely an earnest sauourer and furtherer of godlie and zealous men but also a supporter and mainteyner of vertuous and Christian meanings so it would please you with your title of credit and countenance as with a shield to defend this religious worke againste the dartes of the malicious that vnderpropped with so strong a piller and armed with such fuâ—â—iture of munition and defense it may haue safe conduct and free passage euen through the middest of Gods enimies and so come to the hands of the wel disposed and deuout Thus abruptlie concluding I commit your Worship and al yours to the â—uition and safegard of him who neuer faileth his the Lord God almightie who as hitherto he hath so hereafter he will euen vntil the day of your death I doubt not blesse you with the dew of heauen I meane his grace wherevnto I say Amen Your Worships for sundry causes most dutifully bound WILLIAM BAKER The Epistle to the Reader OVr aduersarie the diuel is so watchfull a lion to deuoure man that as Peter speaketh he roreth and runneth about seeking by al meanes possible to deuouâ—e him Thus his greâ—â—â—nesse to swallowe vs ought to bee a sufficient motiue to make man warie and a forceable meane to raise him out of the daungerous bed of sinne wherein we daylye yea and almoste 〈◊〉 commit spirituall fornication with the 〈◊〉 â—â—sides this at baptisme our sureties in our â—â—halfe did make their protestation before God the father and mother Ierusalem that we shuld leaue the whâ—â—râ—sh embracings of Satan and marrie our selues in holines of lâ—fe vnto Christ no lesse carefullie than be in the vertue of 〈◊〉 couenant mercifully did offer himselfe 〈◊〉 all his pretiâ—us â—ewels at baptisme The marriage was solemnlie celebrated by God the father in the wombe of the virgiâ—â— Marie but at baptisme wee in our owne per sons doe as it were ratifie it protesting that Christ shal be our husband and that from that time we wil take our farewel of the dyuell the world the flesh and al our enmes Thus being married before such witnesses we cannot reclaime our league of chastitie vnlesse we wil haue God himselfe and our mother the Church and Christ himselfe with al his holye espouse to beare witnesse of condemnation against vs to the ioy of Satan our capital aduersarie And therefore where the deuel is called a Dragon with seuen heads for his subtiltyâ— and ten hornes for his crueltie and now is dust and ashes by nature prone to euill and therefore vnable to withstand him it behoueth him to take that for his weapon which may keepe 〈◊〉 safe from the inuasion of Satan and vse that remedie whereby he 〈◊〉 preserue himselfe from periury and that 〈◊〉 praier Wherefore when man is enuironed with enimies when a guilty conscience warreth against him when the world by falshood and the flesh by her allurements is about to deceiue him then is standeth him vpon to take praier in hande that hee maye bee able to conquer al those monstrous Hydras or rather deceitful whors which 〈◊〉 and furnish themselues some way or other to make Christ our Sauiour a â—â—dowe And truely of that man woulde deepely consider with himselfe either that he is a periâ—red person that giueth place to the Dyuell or that he dooth to his power make Christ a weeping widdowe as curssed Ierusalem did or that Satan by trapping him in his whoorish trickes did vtterlie vndoe him it woulde not onlye inuite him but euen enforce him to praier which is the onely meanes that is able to keepe vs true and faithfull wiues to Christ Iesus And therefore the Lord our gratious Sauiour weighing with himselfe not so much mannes naughtinesse for the which bee deserueth a diuorcement as Satans woonderous pollicâ—e and his mothers wombe wherein he married vs and baptisme wherein he dooth apparell vs
that lost that royall stamp of a pure nature to the vtter disgracing of all his progenie Man this loste sheepe thou soughtest O Iesus thou foundest sweet Iesus by death thou foundest her by bleeding paines thou foundest her by nailed hands and bored feete thou foundest her by a sharpe thornie crowne which pear ced thy glorious head by sheding of thine owne bloud by drinking of veneger in thine extreme thirst by suffering the most violent death of y e crosse thou foundest her and so fo undest thy lost sheepe man loste man sinfull man the childe of wrath O Iesus O louing Iesus tender harted Samaritan that of a sicke hast salued of a sore sinner hast saued him of a wicked Creature washed him cleane in the streame of thine inestimable mercie O Iesu O gratious Iesu thou hast sought loste man and founde lost man by condemning sinne by breaking the bands of the diuel by conquering hell sinne death and diuel in the flesh Sith therefore thouhaste O louing Iesu pitiful Iesu of thy mercy shed thy bloud not onlie for my firste father Adam but also for mee euen for the whole worlde that as sinne ouerran al men to condemnation by one man so in thee al the nations of the worlde might bee blessed And sith thou hast not onelie made a ful purgation for my sinnes beeing the slaughtered Lambe that haste taken awaie the sinnes of the worlde but also soong a conquest ouer sinne which hath lost his sting death which was dead hel which had lost the victorie and the dragon which thou ouercammest in heauen by preaching libertie to Captiues and leading captiuitie captiue there is no cause whie I should faint and feare death Arme mee therfore O Lord with this faith that thou hast dashed Death in peeces with the rod of thy merits drowned the diuell in the riuers of thy pretious blood that no torment or biting paine of the fleshe sunder mee from thee most louing Iesu but imprint in my heart thy grace that in greatest anguishe I may be so farre from the feare of it as rather to crie with thy Sayntes Come Lord Iesu Come and desire to bee dissolued with Paule and to be with thee my louing husband than by anie panges of death to refuse thee O Lord doo thy good will Amen Another OVr Father which arte in heauen thou art life how shal I come vnto thee there is no waie O Lord but thy selfe no man commeth vnto thee but by thee There is no remedy but this vessel of earth must bee broken before I shall see thee face to face euen as thou art in fulnes of glorie Dust to duste ashes to ashes claie to claie earth muste returne to earth to pay this borrowed tabernacle to earth where of it came Grasse must wither the flower must fade the vapour vanish I must be dissolued before I shall be ioyned fullie to thee my head and onelie vine wherein I liue Thy purseuant sicknes must visit this body of sinne and death muste rowe me ouer the seas of this world vnto thee in the barke of faith by the anchor of thy couenāts made to the house of Dauid O Lord therefore giue me grace to welcome death by which I must passe to life that dieng in thee I may be blessed and liue in the storehouse of thy ioyes for euer Amen Another O Louing husbande mine onely Iesus sleepe not slumber not but awake my ioye awake my comfort and lose the bandes of my miserie Death death O Lord thou hast nailed to the tree by the pretious passion and drowned Satan the prince of darkenesse in the streamie floud of thy blessed bloud Sweet Iesus louing Lord and husband mine lock vp the faith of this thy merit in my heart and clip mee in the sweete armes of thy woonted comfort Kisse me kisse mee pitious Iesu pittie mee and be not angrie with mee Diuorce me not O mercifull Iesus but marrie me in mercie and call me in thy fauor to the mariage of grace that beeing thine by the testimonie of thy spirite I may singe with a brasen face sinne where is thy sting hel where is thy victorie Mercie O Lorde mercie loue louing God loue is thy nam 〈…〉 mercie is my sute O bottomlesse pitie thy loue I labor and crie for Lord Lord Iesus thou sonn of Dauid haue mercie vpon mee and spread foorth the banners of thy comfort that I may knowe that I am thine and knowing it may neuer distrust thine inestimable mercie Amen Another in forme of a confession IN thy name O Lord Amen I acknowledge to the publishing of God his glorie and the comfort of my soule that I am God his owne childe that he hath created me of nothing redeemed me being lost preserued me from the wombe till this time In him haue I onely trusted neuer shal be confounded Beloued friendes in the Lord for your comfort and mine owne duetie heare my confession which euery christian is boūd to make I acknowledge ther fore in the face of GOD Almightie before you all that whether I liue or die I am his He hath suffered death to saue mee from death he was crowned with thornes to crowne me with glorie he was bored and nailed to the tree to nayle and to crucifie the sinnes of the whole world He was content to be pearced and goared with a speare yea so pearsed that the blood gushed out and for nothing else but to washe me cleane from the sore of sin in the streames of his mercie For this with one consent lett vs crie Our soules doo magnifie the Lord and our spirits rcioise in God our Sauiour Sccondlie I confesse that though Christe in his pretious bloud hath clensed me from the filth of sinne that notwithstanding I doo nothing in this present life but heape sinne vppon sin and hourde vp trespasse vpon trespasse so that this daie is worse alwaies than yesterdaie by increasing as daies so sins and therefore the indignation of God against mee But yet those of hel shal not be able to preuaile against me For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus my Sauiour Thirdlie I confes that as my life is sinful so it is shorte like a smoke like a shaddowe like a warrefare like a flower that fadeth grasse that withereth a word that soon passeth it is like a bubble in the water a weauers shuttle it is a span long and no moe Againe it is not onelie short but also miserable For it is an exile a vale of miserie it is a wildernesse it is stuffed with sorrowes a cage of enimies a sea of myseries a dungeon of gronings greeuous sobbings it is a storme a tempest that wonderfullie trobleth the people of our heauenlie father beleeue me it is no better than a womans trauell and that is extremelie miserable and therefore as not onelie short but also wretched I am willing to forsake it Yea death welcome death sicknes sicknes of