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
And Maker-like thou sinner might have stai'd If thou thy maker had'st in heart obey'd But willingly thou wretch didst lose that grace And so became a miserable sinful race Of runagates from ought that tends to good But that thy Saviour shed his precious blood To bring thee back to that happy state again If thou had'st grace being there in it remain Praise him praise him and for thy self do pray That thou in him may'st ever live and stay And on his passion daily ruminate To work in thee of horrid sin a hate And keep in heart for what cause he was sent To call poor sinners that they may repent For without that be sure thou hast no part Nor any portion in thy Saviours smart But thou thy self dost him still crucifie Whom thou oughtst rather even to glorifie Repent betime if thou hast any grace Or else in heaven expect to have no place For no unclean thing can ascend on hy Where Angels sit and sing continually The Praises due to that heavenly holy one Who made all creatures by his word alone And is desirous for to have them all To come to him and doth them often call Then go with speed thou wretch and do not stay For great 's the danger of one hours delay And if thou shalt thy Saviour now deny He 'll not be heard when thou dost to him cry Then thou beware of being drawn away By him that seeks thy ruine and decay And doth delude thee by some slie deceit Enticing thee with his sweet sinful baite To overthrow thy soul and body there Where nought appears but onely horrid fear Of ugly feinds whose mouthes like lions roare And with their teeth do rend and eke devour All such as come within their hellish reach Then learn by others thee thy self to teach Of sinful life and death to stand in fear Lest soul and body both these hell-hounds tear And torture them in that most fearful place Where all must live do not partake of grace Then fast and pray and fast and pray againe That thou with Christ in heaven maist aie remain And do repent thee of thy sinful crime And be thou sure thou do 't whiles thou hast time For time 's not tyed no not to th' best mans leasure Therefore this day do thou give ore thy pleasure And strive to please thy heavenly God and King And to him alwayes his due praises sing And give him thanks that he hath spared thee Till thou hast time thy sinful life to see And blame thy self for thy hard stony heart Since that thy God hath plaid a loving part In often calling and recalling thee To search thy heart and secret sins to see For though thy conscience hourly thee accuse Yet to repent thou sinner do'st refuse So that death's due for this thy great neglect But that thy God doth lovingly thee respect And though thy sins do justly death deserve Yet still thy life this good God doth preserve And stead of death he heapes on thee blessings By sparing thee and eke long-sufferings To try if thou'lt thy sinful life forsake And to this good God thee thy self betake Who poureth out his blessings on thee still To try if he by gifts may win thy will To follow him O do thou follow then And follow fast withouten all delay This thy good God and from him do not stay With all thy heart and that unfeignedly And free from that vile sin hypocrisie Lest sleeping conscience justly thee accuse That thou thy self do'st thee thy self abuse By seeming other then indeed thou art But God above seeth th' secrets of thy heart Though man believe thou art the very same Which thou dost seem as if free from all blame Or blot of sin but what to them appeares In outward show or to their fleshly ears Report doth bring but sinner be thou sure Thy Saviour cannot this vile sin endure Thus to be mock't with that the outward part Which differs far from the inward sinful heart For he desires to have thy heart alone Then give him that or else thou givest him none For soul and body are ordain'd to go At th' end together whether they will or no To th' great accompt and therefore do thou see Thou daily use to obey the Deitie And be not thou with this wicked world beguiled For then a sinner thou art sure be stiled But have a care that thou do daily use Of daily sins thy self for to accuse And keep a strict account of thy weak state And then by that thou wilt discern thy fate Which must be hell or else that heavenly bliss Fie flie from that and care to cleave to this Where be assur'd thy Saviour thou shalt see Who hath endur'd the torments due to thee To suffer death as Christ himself hath done For all of them that to him freely come Then freely go and that without delay To him that putteth no man off with nay But willingly with love embraceth all Who on the name of Jesus onely call Then call and call and do thou call againe That thou in him may'st evermore remaine And then fear not but thou shalt with him finde Eternal joyes yea far beyond thy minde For be assur'd no earthly creature can Express the real happiness of that man That cometh there and therefore do thou strive At that great happiness that thou mayest arrive Where Saints and Angels sing continually To him that lives and shall eternally O let both heart and tongue and all agree To sing his praise so lovingly dyed for thee Let all the earth the worthy praises sing Of Christ our Saviour our heavenly king And join themselves in prais w th one accord To sing the praises of the heavenly Lord On whom th' arch-angels daily do attend And shall for aye e'n world without all end And all of them do all times sing To God our Saviour our heavenly king O mount my soule and strive to apprehend These heavenly joys which never shal have end And set thy song to that glorious Angels Who joys enjoy beyond all harts desire quire Even that the presence of our Saviour sweet The very Essence of all joy compleat Sweet Jesus please my soul may there reside And in thy Passion faithfully confide And thereby draw from hence this terren part As onely guided by a fleshly heart Subjects it self unto the inferiour power Who doth not cease torment it ev'ry houre With sundry passions it cannot resist But willingly complyes to what he list For to command untill he so shall please My Saviour sweet to grant to me some ease Of this tentation wherewith wretched I Have still been govern'd from my infancy Then come sweet Jesu and that presently Or else Lord Jesu I shall surely dye In this my sin except good God thou wilt With thy dear blood wash of my sinful guilt And take from me this wicked Legion out Of my poor heart and cause be put to rout All the tentations
world well known O weep O weep that all the earth may see For our great sins how penitent we be O weep O weep let each one of us weep And every one strive from sin himself to keep But my hard heart good God is hardned so It oft forgets the cause of all my wo. O weep O weep let heart and eyes agree That 't is for him who gave his life for thee O weep O weep with tears wash off thy sin If thou intend a new life now begin O weep O weep now spend the night in weeping Which thou art wont to sot away in sleeping O weep O weep both day and night and all Least th' wrath of God do justly on thee fall O weep O weep how great thy cause to weep Because thou wilt not from thy sin thee keep O weep O weep from morning untill night Such weeping may help keep thy way aright O weep O weep spend all thy dayes in sorrow For such in time may help thy soul to borrow O weep O weep let eyes forbear to wink And let thy tears serve for thy daily drink O weep O weep in tears eat thou thy bread And with them likewise water thou thy bed O weep O weep at bed and boord and all And never cease on thy sweet Saviour call O weep O weep now when thy dayes are done Thy tears may help prevent thy death to come O weep O weep let ne'er thy cheeks be dry And all too little till the day thou dye O weep O weep and to thy Saviour say Good God me pardon I thee humbly pray O weep O weep till thou have pardon sent And till such time ne'er cease but still repent O weep O weep to wash thy heart from sin Till it be clean be sure Christ comes not in O weep O weep to cleanse that hollow place Mak 't free from sin and fill it up with grace O weep O weep till Christ shall to thee say Come now thou blessed come and with me stay O weep O weep untill thou hear this saying And mixe thy tears be sure with harty praying O weep O weep till Christ be pleas'd to hear And to thy pray'r vouchsafe to turn his ear O weep O weep with heart and soul and all Untill such time as he shall on thee call For without him thy tears are all but nought Receive me Lord whom thou hast dearly bought For my own strength good God 's of no availe Except thy blood sweet Christ for me prevaile For in my self good Lord help there is none But by thee onely and by thee alone For all my tears cannot me heaven obtaine Except thou please good God with me remaine Then come sweet Jesus and with me reside That I in thee may evermore abide But 't is not in me nor my power O Lord Except thou please vouchsafe to say the word Then say to me that blessed word of Come Without it Lord I am utterly undone Then be thou pleas'd good God on me to call Else heart and tears and soul are wasted all Sweet Jesus send me send me Lord I pray Thy holy Spirit to keep me in the way The way to life I have so long neglected I do deserve of thee to be rejected And justly too except thou so shall please Of thine abundant goodness grant me ease Of this illusion hath me so deluded As I am justly now from heaven excluded But that I know that thou dost not desire A sinners death but rather dost require That he may live and praise thy holy name Who was is now and aye shall be the same Lord finish that the great desire of me That I do never herehence from thee flee But love to follow thy most holy will And by thy help attaine to Sions hill For by thy blood Lord and by it alone I must have help or else I can have none For my hard heart good God is hardned so As it doth deserve this fatal word of Go Except thou please to call unto me Come Sweet Jesus grant that word may be my doome Then call sweet Jesu call me Lord I pray That I in thee for evermore may stay And by thy help I may have strength withstand This fatal enemy of all humane kinde Sweet Jesu help help me good God I pray That I in sin do now no longer stay But at this present I may now begin To make a reck'ning of each several sin And by thy help call this day to account And therein see how those my sins do mount And not ingross them all in one gross sum Lest that their weight my memory may benum But let each hour arraigne its own offence And so the next produce its penitence Make this accompt from morning untill night And well observe thou take thy aime aright From one till two and then from two till three And in that order look thy reck'ning be And when thou hear'st the Artists clock to strike Have care thy natural clock may do the like Observe thy care how great for earthly toyes And then how light it is for heavenly joyes Thou 'lt not forget to know when 's time to eat But this thy care is not for spiritual meat Thou 'lt know by th' clock when 's time to go to bed But when to heaven it doth not trouble thy head All earthly actions by the clock thou 'lt square Then look for heavenly such may be thy care Thou 'lt say the clock hath struck 't is time to go But not to heaven let once thy heart say so If thine occasions rest upon an hour Thou 'lt ask what 's clock at every neighbors door And if thou finde that thy set hour is past I hope thou'lt then redeem it by thy hast Do these for earth with those for heaven compare And look for these as for those be thy care And then no doubt but thou shalt surely finde Thy Saviours sufferings constantly in minde Begin at th' secrets of thy hollow heart And then from thence to every other part And draw thy thoughts into a narrow roome That thou maist gaine this blessed word of Come And call them all unto a strict account Lest let alone they may to millions mount For they are swift and like an arrow flie Once by their aime they 're sure to run awry Then have a care they alwayes aime aright Or ne'er expect that they can come to light Collect them often lest thy memory faile Which if it do thy conscience cannot quaile Examine it for each particular hour What service in it had thy Saviour And then I doubt it easily will appear Thou hast serv'd Satan most part of the yeer For though it seem at present sound asleep Assure thy self a reckoning it doth keep And will disclose all at that doleful day When for thy pleasure hell shall be thy pay Then let thy Centinels alwayes lye Pardue That they may tell when th' enemy comes in veiw Make hast to run and think
A Ship of Arms Vseful for all sorts of people in this woful time of War Fashion'd by a plain Country-Farmer SAMUEL BRASSE Nigh the River of Tease Com. Ebor Printed at London in the Year 1653. To the rightly Noble and worthily honoured Lady The Lady ELWES Wife to the Right Worshipfull Sir JERVACE ELWES Knight MAdam well may you wonder at the audacious impudence of a stranger shall fix your Name in the frontispiece of his simplicity But though I never saw your face I have often heard the fame of your pious zeal to Godward confirmed by those set hours daily put apart in your privat Closet no doubt for his service the onely reall ground of all your shining vertues which out the boldness upon me to present you this plain piece of rustick Northern work savouring its Clymate containing a few wandring thoughts of a decrepit miserable wretched Old man humbly intreating you will vouchsafe him the favour at some spare hours of your life if any such can be found to open and read and what you find unworthy your judicious eye to raze out and the poor remainder if any such can be found to place at the threshold of your Library where the hem of your vesture may preserve it from the viperous tongue of the venemous Spider And as you now live eminent amongst the best of Ladies in that famous yet terrestriall Citie of London So that you may hereafter live glorious among the best of Saints in that heavenly Citie new Jerusalem shal be the prayer of Your Servant deeply devoted SAM BRASSE To my loving Country-men the Commons of ENGLAND Dear Brethren and loving Countrymen I Have lavisht out 80 years in jollity pleasure loosing the reins of liberty to all libidinous desires glutting my self with the vain delights of this wretched world mispending that precious time my gracious God of his abundant goodness bestowed upon me for his own service solely So as I am now become that Dives our Saviour spake of daily tormented with the pain of fore-passed pleasure And lest you my Countrymen should not heare Moses or the Prophets I have sent you this message from a dying man To amend your Lives lest you fall into the Lake where you may cry for a cup of cold water to cool your tongues and be denied it Happy is he whom other mens harms doe make to beware For your souls sake and for Jesus Christs sake lay to heart what is here in charity presented by a plain Country-man your friend and well-wisher Samuel Brasse To the READER READER I Wrote this little Book chiefly for my self and familiar friends yet if any other can get good by it I shall be glad 'T is a Collection of a few wandring Thoughts of an Old man lame both in body and minde Written in his bed the other Winter occasioned with want of rest by reason of pain His intention is good if expressed by finer fingers But bear with infirmities and make that use he desireth who is your friend and wel-wisher Sam. Brasse Flie foolish Fashion ' cause a novel friend You 'll read perchance untill you see its end Then lay 't aside but good friend do not so Keep 't neer your heart and it will cure all wo. Read it re-read it read it o're again The matter 's good though th' method poor plain S. B. Of the Author and his Book An Anagrammatical Motto of Samuel Brass Brass se Emanuel is his exhortation Emanuel se Brass is his approbation Both these united in him do appear Love of Christs members of his precepts fear Of the Book His book his honour for it s revealed light A lanthorn is to walk in Christ his sight Here 's no new light nor any old tradition Nor Heresie nor Romish superstition But he that reads it may in 't truly find Full great contentment for a Christian mind William Kay Minister at Stokesley VPon perusal of this book I find it plenteously to perform what it promiseth to be a ship full fraught with Arms and represents Davids Tower wherein are a thousand bucklers all shields of mighty men Can. 4.4 'T is indeed full of divine Meditations sweet Allusions concinâ— Comparisons daâ—ting Penetrations and concludes the Authors conversation to be in Heaven It is Heaven upon Earth And I may truly say of this as Nazianzen of Basils It is Devotionis maribus occusta Navis A Shipfull fraught with the rich merchandise of Devotion This is the opinion of Tho. Oddir Minister at Kirby To the Author GOe vend these Arms throughout the Christian world Now all in war more precious they then gold Being parcel gilt all of them Cannon-proof Where they 're in use the Enemy stands aloof And though his power be limited to offend thee Fear not but Christ thy Saviour shall defend thee So thou make use of what is here set down Thou mayst be sure in heaven to wear a crown By a Friend E. A. A Ship of Armes O Sinful soul O sinful soul Shall Christ be born for thee And thou not live and in his service die O cruel Caitiff cruel Caitiff Was 't born tormentor be Of him Laid down his dear heart blood for thee O wretch O wretch O wretch O wretch That erst thou should be be bore Love Satan serve and leave thy Saviour Who in that night the Jews did him betray Went forth to th' fields as he was wont to pray Unto the Garden called Gethsemane Where he and his did sometimes use remain Attended that night onely with his own For his going thither was no further known To any of them that were his followers more Or else no doubt of followers had been store And being there he went himself apart That he to heaven might raise and lift his heart And wil'd th' Apostles they should watch pray Lest that the Tempter might take them away But he being gone his follow'rs fell asleep Whom he reprov'd because they could not keep Themselves awaking for so short a space And then did he return to 's former place And they like men unto their sleepy vain Which he well knowing turned back again And wil'd them sleep and fear not he would be Their keeper during all eternitie And then fell he upon his bended knees And pray'd for those that were his enemies That done he call'd and will'd them to awake For they were nigh intended him to take Who suddenly were then hard by at hand Attended strongly with a Soldiers Band All who were furnish'd each one Soldier-like With burnisht sword with staff or else with pike And when they came to our sweet Saviour nie He did demand whom 't was they came to spie They said For Jesus he of Nazareth That 's I said he and pray now what pleaseth You do with him whereat all being aston'd They started back and fell upon the ground And when they did from that amazement wake He said 'T is I whom ye are come to take Now Traitor Judas did
before combine Whom he should kiss might be a certain sign For them whereby to know him from the rest Which prov'd a worm within his bosome brest Who said Hail Master then he did him kiss Not knowing wretch how much he did him bliss By that foul act but yet whenas he saw Th' event thereof he then did stand in awe And gave again the Pieces price of blood In hope thereby he might receive some good But his repentance 't seemeth came too late Because he prov'd a wicked Reprobate And hang'd himself for that his Treason done To his own Master who was Gods own Son Whom now the Soldiers had with them in Hold And with our Saviour were more sawcy bold Then fitting was if they vile men had known That they should reap such seed as they had sown Then Simon he drew forth a sword and there Did quite cut off the High-Priests servant's ear But 's Master bade him sheath his sword again For who use swords with swords shall sure be slain And dost not know if so it were my mind I could of Angels thousands Legions find For to confound that cruel companie But now 's the hour and so now let it be And then he call'd for Malchus to come neer And with a touch did heal cut Malchus ear O blessed touch might that to Malchus been If Malchus heart had Malchus ear but seen But he was like the rest his companie Whose lighted torches could not make them see Within their breasts where they might easily find Even hearts of stone but Satan made them blind For th' blind are often found to be most bold An ancient Adage true as it is old Then on went they with their resolv'd design As Satan did their wicked hearts incline And tugg'd their Prisoner with all foul disgrace Until they brought him to a publick place Where multitudes were ready tending there In hope that they might something of him hear At Caesar's Hall where some did cause to make A fire but not for our sweet Saviour's sake But for themselves that it might keep them warm For fear lest they by cold might catch some harm ' Mongst whom was Peter got into the throng To whom one said he surely did belong Unto the Prisoner there was standing by But he poor man his Master did deny And after that there was another said Thou' rt one of them whom we this night betraid But he did still maintain his former Plea And said Till then he ne'er his Master see And then anon there was a Damsel came And challeng'd him and said he did remain With that same man and then weak Peter swore That he did never see that man before With that his Master turning back his eye And so beholding Peter steadily The Cock did then begin his first to crow And Peter out and seem'd to make a show Of grievous anger but the truth was so His heart was like within him burst for wo That he his own good Master had deny'd Whom he had vow'd to serve until he dy'd And call'd to mind how had his Master said By him ere long that he should be denaid Even thrice before the Cock should twice but crow As he had then done all even on a row Which made his eys gush out with brinish tears And eke his heart with dreadful horrid fears Of cruel torments due for his desert And griev'd him greatly at the very heart That he should prove to be so weak in mind Whom God himself before that had assign'd To set in heaven and be a Judge of them Who were the twelve Tribes of Jerusalem And now the Soldiers where they do abide Our Saviour still they shamefully deride Abusing him with scorn disdainfully As though that he had had no Deity And spit upon his sweetest tender face Abusing him with all the foul disgrace They could devise to make themselves but merry Not thinking he was able make them weary If so he pleas'd but he good man did bear Even whilst these Jews did box him on the ear And for their sport our Saviour they do scorn And with a fools-coat him they do adorn And first blindfold and then they do him beat And bid him guess who 't was that did the feat And at the dawning of the day they call And him convey into their common Hall Where when there could no cause be justly found For to condemn whom they had now fast bound They forge false men for witnesses to swear What wretches they from his own mouth did hear That he their stately Temple would pull down And in three dayes set one up in the room Should equal it in every each kind degree For glorious beauty and for dignitie And thereto he good man did not reply For which they deem'd him worthy well to dy Still heaping on him more and more disgrace By hurrying him from this unto that place And carrying him from this unto that Judge For of their pains these Jews they did not grudge And thence to Pilate him these wretches bear That he their wicked witnesses might hear And judge him worthy therefore for to die But he as yet could nothing in him spie Deserving death and so caus'd him be sent To Herod Tetrarch then b'ing President Who was full glad that he might see him there Of whom he did so many wonders hear But he could nothing of our Saviour get Which made him grieve and inwardly to fret So he return'd him back to Pilate's place Where he received all the foul disgrace That either hatred malice or envie Might throw on him to make the innocent die Then Pilate's wife in hast a message sent And will'd her husband he should be content And have no medling with that good just man For of him she had had a fearful Dream And suffered much and therefore humbly pray'd He rather God then any man obey'd Which struck Judge Pilate to the very heart And caus'd in him an inward grievous smart And then he said that he could find no cause To judge him dye no not by their own Lawes And wash'd his hands if so he had his heart To keep him free from th' unjust Judges part But it is conscience in a Judges breast Which makes the Judge prove either man or beast And yet because the peoples earnest cry He gave him judgement worthy well to dy So he was condemn'd and without any cause But that the Jews made Will to stand for Laws And then cry'd out O horrid shameful thing That I should thus be drawn condemn your king But they deny'd and thereto gave no ear That he the name of King of Jewes should bear Now custome was at that first set one free Who for desert was judg'd worthy to dye And therefore mov'd that they would Jesus chuse But they did Jesus utterly all refuse And cry'd aloud that they might crucifie Him whom indeed most willing was to die And made their choyce of a wicked murtherer For him that was our blessed
wherewth helhound he Continually poor wretch tormenteth me And bind him lord I thee most humbly pray That he doe never more lead me away As he hath done but that I sinfull may From this fowl Legion totally fall away But 't is not in me nor my power O Lord Except thou pleas vouchsafe to me the word Then please sweet Jesus I thee humbly pray That blessed word of comfort to me say That thou in me and I likewise in thee Shall rest and so for evermore shall be Freed from tentation of that wicked fiend The mortall enemy of all humane kinde Which hurrieth this my weak fleshly mind More wavering much then is th'instable wind Which wandreth like the sun from east to west And when 't comes there then there it doth not rest But roving runs up to the Starry Skies And by and by unto the Deep it dives And mounts again up to the highest ayre But yet can finde no firm fast footing there For though it be even now at hand hereby T is gone again in th'twinkling of an eye For t is so swift as there is nothing can Force it to stay so long as man is man Not much unlike unto that Noah's Dove Which found no footing but in th' Ark above It flies aloft and hovers in the ayre To find that rest which cannot be found there Except thou please vouchsafe to take it Lord As thou hast promised by thy sacred word For to safe keep all whom soever shall Upon the name of our Lord Jesus call Then bend you knees of my most wicked heart Which guideth all this the inferiour part And humbly pray and pray and pray again And in that posture do thou still remain Untill our Saviour please thy suit to hear And to thy prayers vouchsafe to turn his ear And do not thou if so at this repine That he hears not these sinful prayers of thine For many causes doubtlesse there may be That he as yet doth turn his ear from thee And all of them of thee thy self arise Who is at best but onely worldly wise And savours not the things that are above Which do proceed from that good God of love But diving down-wards seldom or ne're heeds That althings good frō heav'n alone proceeds And yet wilt thou unto the earth encline Distasting things are spiritual and divine And when thou seest it's onely reall cause It may be then th'wilt stop and take a pause And pray again yet still thou sinful art Extreamly troubled with a double heart Which boat-man like doth seem to make a shew Of looking upward yet doth downward draw With all its force unto this massie earth Where it at first receiv'd its vital breath And doth so clog the inward spiritual part As it doth yeeld unto the wicked heart And so they both are downward led away From thee their Saviour and their onely stay And runs so fast down Sions steepy hill As that to Babel needs these wretches will Except thou please sweet Jesus lend thy hand And force them both to stop and make a stand And climbe with speed up Sions hill again Which cannot be without excessive pain Unto the heart whose loins are stife and weak And painful climbings forceth them to break Unlesse sweet Jesu thou wilt please to be Their Comforter in this extremity And grant them strength that they may re-obtain The top of blessed Sions hill again Then come sweet Jesu I the humbly pray Come quickly Lord and do thou make no stay For the glasse is now at point to be out-run Then come Lord Jesu come Lord Jesu come And send my soul some speedy present aid Or else deer God it meerly is betrayed By a fawning friend who seems to make a shew That he to it ent'rest love doth owe. And yet indeed its deadliest enemy Who kils it self to make my soul to die O help sweet Jesu help I humbly pray My silly mind from thee thus drawn away By this foul flesh that 's foul in every part Because it s govern'd by a fleshly heart That domineers within my hollow breast And will not let my silly minde take rest For all my members they do so combine As that from heaven to earth they do encline Yea even the head wherein is onely placed The senses all which neither live to taste Nor hear nor see nor scent nor yet to feel Ought what is good but all whatsoever is ill And th' apprehension it doth still project Nothing that 's good but all things good neglect And memory it ever more forgets These blessings great and bounteous benefits Which thou hast pleased in mercy heap on me The very picture of base misery Who cannot think so much as one good thought But it is mixed with something which is nought Nor yet to presse into the Lords presence To pray for ought without some great offence For then and there I often plainly finde My minde is hurried as if with the winde O're all the earth well it know's not where Nor matter 's much so as it be not there Where it should be but alwayes runs astray Like to the blinde man that hath lost his way And is in danger ever for to fall Into a Ditch where he doth lye and crall And cry for help but if there be none by The blind man's likely in the Ditch to ly Then help sweet Jesus help I humbly pray That this my wicked wandring mind may stay And fix on thee and on thy grievous pain To bring it back to that right way again And being there I humbly pray the Lord Vouchsafe to bind it w th strong Sampson's cord When his hair was cut that it may always stay And never more so gad and run astray But ever keep within those blessed bounds To think on thee and on thy grievous wounds How thou endurd'st those bitter pains for me Of all man-kinde a wretch most unworthy Except thou please vouchsafe give me a call As thou did'st Peter or that blessed Saul Who persecuted thee and them were thine Yet at thy call did never once repine But presently he at that call became A painfull Preacher of thy sacred Name Now call sweet Jesu call I humbly pray That I from thee in sin no longer stay But come and wash thy blessed feet with tears Who hath freed me from all those horrid fears Were justly due unto my stony heart If it had had its onely due desert And then I hope my wearied soul shall rest In thee alone by whom 't is onely blest And wait on thee at this thy loving call Before that glorious heavenly Tribunal Where Angels sing 'fore thee continually The praises due to th' sacred Trinity There thou my minde do now set up thy rest For therein shalt thou certainly be blest And in that place be sure to spend thy life And do not prove like Lot his foolish wife But still aspire to mount aloft my soule That thou may'st be one in that
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
their drink was suiting to their meat They had no change but all one kind did eat And yet their mirth above the skies did mount Altho their drink were water from the fount And afterwards I read when friends did meet With th'fatted Calf or Kid they kindly greet One friend another and are well content To sing his praise who these great blessings sent In after times I see they eat good chear And many dayes of feasting as is there At Cana's mariage where no doubt was love And thereof doubtlesse did their God approve As by his blessings on them doth appear They served God altho they eat good chear But present times are truly said none such For that from these they differ more then much For now tho sometime we do make a feast Whereto we happily kill a little beast Perchance a fowl or some such other thing Yet we forget his worthy praises sing Seeing our discourse is most part idle chat Without so much as mention once of that Whereon we alwayes ought to think upon Which is on Christ his bitter passion And such feasts now are seldome with us used But other feasts where God is much abused Yet neither meat nor bread is there required But onely drink and drink alone desired But t is not water as in elder time But salt in some and in some other lime To add a relish to the taste of mault Whereby they not discerning it be salt The stomack still desireth more and more For thirst not so content with reason store Wil not be quenched til from words to blows And meeting friends they often part like foes Good God that our feasts should thus differ far Begin in freindship yet to end in war And now we alter in our time of feasting And are some say to turn it into fasting And good cause why if so we weigh it well When hardly any who 's his friend can tell But in the south part of this wretched I le We us'd to feast in Christmass time ere while And then again in Lent we us'd to fast In some sort till full forty daies were past Our antients they about Lent differ'd much But t was not time but t was the meat made such And all of them of forty dayes agreed For fasting next 'fore Pasche so decreed But some do hold no such decree is fit But better feast then fast we think on it If this were all the matter were not much But now the difference is become be such As we shal hardly know when Christ was born Or when he dy'd the times are now so torn Sweet Jesus please to be at Englands fasting As thou wast pleas'd to be at Cana's feasting For there no doubt was feasting well approved Of him who ought of all be best beloved And now let 's back to th' feast at Eebatane And see what 's come of them did there remain For Raguel swore by that great God above Till th' feast was done his children should not move And then they should have half of what he had And then return to Niniveh without dread Then Tobie he his servant did intreat To go to Rages and there he should meet With Gabael and with him also bring Both him and th' silver to that great wedding Which so he did and when the time was run Old Tobie did expect his sons return And sorrowed sore for that he greatly feared Some strange disaster had to 's son appeared Because his stay did prove to be so long Beyond the time expected he should come And Anna wept and sorrow'd very sore Much sorer far then e'r she did before And every day she went and stood on high To see if she her son afar could spie And all that time she did forbear her meat And well nigh nothing that while did she eat Her wonted sleep her eyes did quite forbear And she almost had lost her sight for fear And now did Tobie 'gin to think upon his journey when the feast was almost done And pray'd his father he would let him go For fear his parents might be dead for woe Then Raguel parted all his goodly store And gave him half of what he had â—nd more His goods his servant and his ready coyn Th' one half he had and it was all his own Then Raguel he unto yong Tobie said My God who heav'n and earth and all things made Blesse thee and thine and do to them and thee As he hath done both unto mine and me And to his daughter then he also said God make thee wife as thou hast been a maid Obedient ever to thy parents all And then fear not but good shall thee befall If thou do prove to be a loyall wife God will defend thee during all thy life And then did Raguel and his wife Edna Take leave of them and set them on their way And so they went with singing forth his praise Who did so highly their great fortunes raise Untill they came near unto Ninivie And then did Raphael speak to yong Tobie That they two might alone march on before And leave the rest to come along with th' store And went so far till Anna them espi'd And then she ran and to her husband cry'd Our son is coming him I do well see And eke the man that went along with hee And then she back again to meet her son And pray'd to God that his wil might be done And thank'd him heart'ly she saw him indeed Whom she thought surely that he had bin dead Old Tobie also he did offer out But that his son did turn him round about And pray'd him please to do as he had done Bestow his blessing on his onely son My son said he pray God he may thee blesse And bid him welcome with a hearty kisse Then Tobie put gall on his fathers eyes Which pricked sore and then old Tobie cries But then yong Tobie to his father said Take comfort Sir and be no whit afraid I hope your sight shall straight return again With that he cur'd his scaly eyes amain And then he saw his loving son and said All glory be to that great God that made The highest heavens and all that in them is Him let us laud and his name ever blisse Then son to father did at large relate What they had done and also their estate Then Tobie out his daughter Sara meet And did her see and also kindly greet So now there was great joy in Niniuee The yong man safe and th' old man also see And there they made another goodly feast Which did â—ndure for full seven dayes at least Wherat was both great comp'ny great chear So as it did thereby right well appear That Sara was a veâ—y welcome guest And so accounted and esteem'd with th' best So many came on purpose visit her Which was great joy unto her old father And when the feast came to be well nigh done The old man said unto the yong his son What wages now
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
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
next their care is little or none Whereby appears to heaven there goes but few And so indeed our Saviours words made true For that gate 's narrow but the other broad And most men love the way that most is troad But thou my soul avoyd this beaten path If thou intend t' avoyd the way to wrath For be assur'd there are no more but two Or that to Heaven or that t'eternal wo. Let all thy care then be to avoyd this And eschew all may hinder th' way to bliss So by observance thou mayst easily know Which of these two thou dost intend to go Then let thy care be always God to serve And by that means thou mayst thy life preserve Let conscience say what thy chief care hath bin To serve thy Saviour or to commit sin Let no occasion pass thee without trial And this in time wil free thee from denial At that strait gate wherein so few must enter So make that sure without all peradventure Let this be th'chiefest of thy daâ—ly cares And it prefer before all worldly affairs For worldly actions aim at worldly ends But thou my soul at that which heaven intends For though thy flesh do follow earthly things Let inward mind be set on King of Kings Let him be always in thy outward mind And then shalt thou in all thy actions find A means to bring thee on that narrow way Where they must go mean not to go astray And then thou 'lt see thy mind is ever set To serve thy God and him thou'lt nere forget For if thou dost but wash thy filthy hands Thou 'lt see thy Saviour then before thee stands To try if thou wilt wash thy heart from sin And horrid life which thou hast lived in And when thou puts in mouth a piece of bread Think how thy Saviour then for thee was dead And rose again and lives in heaven above And doth desire thou come to him in love Then set thy self to serve this loving God And hee 'l preserve thee in that narrow road Which leads to heaven then keep that narrow way And in it serve thy Saviour night and day Let all thy thoughts on him alone attend So be thou sure thy life in him shall end But then must thou have care to serve this God Or else expect to feel his heavy rod. For though he gaeatly doth desire thy life Yet thou dost know he punisht good Lots wife Presume not then that he will alwayes be As he hath hereto been to wretched thee By his long-suffering thee go on in sin As though his wrath had nere yet kindled b n. But thou hast seen his plagues on Egypt shown And then on them he chose to be his own Presume not then that he will pardon thee Superfluous branch of that wild Olive tree But fall with fear and teach thy heart to tremble Whose nature is with God himself dissemble Because thou knowst his mercy doth abound Ye thou hast seen some sawallowd by the ground For lesse offence then many of thine have bin Then strive to free thee from this horrid sin The onely cause of Sodoms sinking there Where nought doth live but onely horrid fear Then fear this God though he be slow to anger He 'l smite thee down when thou thinkst least of danger Forget not this but think on 't seriously Lest thou repent it even immediatly Canst thou for pleasure in thy garden walk Then not take pleasure with thy Saviour talk Canst thou observe each herb in its own kind And have not then thy Maker in thy mind Canst thou see Lilies in thy garden grow And not think Solomon ne're was cloath'd so When th'least of them to th' world a wonder is Then let that wonder bring thy soul to bliss When all on earth can not make th'meanâ—st there Whereby the makers Godhead doth appeare Who with his word did make them for thy use Then do not these good creatures thou abuse But thankfull be for these great blessings given To thee unworthy lift thine eye to heaven For if such glory doth on earth appeare Canst thou conceive what wonders may be there When great Jehovah by his word doth make Such herbs on earth that man may pleasure take In serving him this gracious God above Who 's God alone the God of peace and love Observe each herb in it a severall smell But how infus'd no tongue on earth can tell Their several shapes by th' King of heaven ordaind And each of others by him are restraind Their vertues great to th' world a wonderment Infus'd by th'maker to give man content Unthankfull creatures here do meditate And of these wonders deeply contemplate And then thouâ—'t see the goodness of this God To thee poor man who dost deserve his rod But that his goodness doth to thee abound Who well deserves be swallowed of the ground If so his mercy were not even much more And all his other attributes before Then serve him serve him with a filiall fear Who of his bounty hath so plac'd thee heâ—e As thou mayst see thy God on every side Above below throghout the world so wide Where God himself saw all was good therein Then do not thou pervert it with thy sin For wicked man makes wicked use of all Make no such use or else be sure to fall But thou my soule use all things to that end For which thy God did these great blessings send And then fear not buâ— he will bless thee so As from thy Saviour thou shalt never go But in his service take thy whole delight And therein spend thy time both day and night So every object will be then a mean To make thee think of that good God of heaven And then thy mind will set it self to serve Thy Saviour Christ who doth thee thus preserve From wicked Satan and his hellish power Though he be still attending at thy dore To put ill thoughts into thy fickle mind When thou forgets to serve thy Saviour kind Forget not then to let each object move Thy mind to set it self on God above For all the creatures which Jehovah made Do shew to man that he should be obey'd For they were works of Gods own onely hand And freely all submit to his command Save onely man the noblest of the resâ— Whom he doth love and wills he may be blest And for that purpose he doth daily send Continual means to bring him to that end For which he first created him on earth Where he infus'd with th'â—oul a living breath And left him free from any thought of sin Till th'wily Serpent Adam en red in And did with pleasure this weak man perswade To disrespect his God who had him made By tasting that but one forbidden tree The onely cause of all mans misery Canst then fâ—rget when dost an apple see For Adams sin how God doth punish thee And if for such a seeming small offence He punish all without a difference From high to low to
he did repent I heard him often yet will not relent Though Peter sinn'd repentance gain'd remission I commit sin yet to repent omission When Peter sinn'd he saw it and did refuse it I see my sin yet still resolve to use it O wretch O wretch O wretch wilt ne'er return Till thou be doom'd in that dark fire to burn Will nothing draw thee say this Satan no As though thou lov'st this fatal word of Go Canst thou expect thy Saviour shall retaine thee When thou dost know that Satans self hath gain'd thee Thou art ready prest hear Satan at first call But thy blest Saviour thou'lt not hear at all Peter heard th' cock made use of his preaching Thou hearest Peter without use of his teaching Each creature taught this Peter for to pray But all created thy sin cannot stay Peter was left to bring unto thee life Yet thou lov'st sin as Satan loveth strife Peter did weep and did his sin forbear But thou sinn'st still yet cannot shed one tear With Peters sin his heart was mollified But mine with sin is rather stupified O wicked heart art not ashamed to see How all thy sins have nothing softned thee Art so resolv'd as nothing shall remove thee To leave this Satan though thou seest he loves thee Consider well the cause of this his love Because thou hast forsworn thy God above O Jesu Jesu have I thee forsworn Who came from heaven and on this earth was born For to redeem me from this bond of sin And horrid life which I have lived in And here endured the paines of death for me In hope I should from this foul Satan flie And notwithstanding shall I follow him still Forsaking good and following what is ill O weep O weep even rivers of salt tears To keep thee free from greatest of all feares Shall Satan say thy Saviour is forsaken Who dyed on earth and then to heaven was taken Desirous thou shouldst do as he had done Live here a while and then unto him come Yet thou a wretch a most ungracious wretch Whose sufferings are not able thee to teach That thy hard heart is harder far then steel Wilt not be drawn thy Saviours sufferings feel O weep O weep let tears fall from thine eye For him who shed both tears and blood for thee O weep O weep now spend thy time in sorrowing For to redeem thy time is spent in sinning O weep O weep let Peter teach thee weep And it will teach thee from thy sin to keep O weep O weep let tears fall from thy eyes That they may prove for sin a sacrifice O weep O weep with tears produce thy grief If thou do hope for sin to have relief O weep O weep let tears make soft thy heart If thou expect in Christ have any part But how can I expect in Christ a part When there 's in me not any good desart For I have spent most of my time in sin And my amendment is yet to begin Can I presume then God will pardon him Who hath liv'd all his life in deadly sin With what face can he now for pardon pray Hath so offended deeply every day O hypocrite thy conscience can thee tell That thou dost think ther 's neither heaven nor hell For if thou didst it surely would appear That thou didst stand of this great God in fear Seeing thou didst see his plagues on Egypt sent When Pharaohs heart would not be drawn repent Untill the Lord had so decreed and doomed That he and his should in the sea be drowned And his elected safely brought to land Through the read sea by great Jehovahs hand For which did Moses sing praise to the Lord Who did preserve them by his onely word And Miriam she did lead the maides a dance Which highly did the praise of God advance Her Timbrel sure did make a joyful noise With which hearts hands feet keep equal poise Good God! what diff'rence now in this new world How it is alter'd from it was of old Though our solemn Revels make a stately show Yet these to them cannot compare I know Their dance set forth their joy was in their hearts But this the practice of the outward parts That shewed their thankes for a great deliverance These only th' state is in a courtly dance Such are the Masques and shows to court are sent Whose cost are cause make many a youth repent What other good in them I do not know Yet this new worlds proud humour it doth show But there leave court let country shew its skill How apt it is to practice what is ill Where Pipes and Shawms and Fiddles fill the street With filthy tunes for chast ears most unmeet And yet to these will men and women dance As though they meant the praise of hell advance Here Miriams timbrel sure hath not been heard Or if it were it was with light regard Her timbrel sounded out a heavenly tone But these do pipe or little good or none Their musick mounted hearts up to the heaven But these keep souls with bodies station even If one should dance as David did 'fore th' arke There 's many Nichals would him readily mark But now his like on earth 's not to be seen Nor many such as he have ever been Or like to Miriam are not many more Though such as Michal now there are great store Not many Miriams on our English ground Though millions like to Michal may be found Whose light behaviour in their dancing's such As doth conduce to sinful lust in much And no great need where all are apt to ill Though this their aptness soul and body kill When Miriam danced 't was with fatal fear Of that Jehovah who had plac'd them there And in their songs his praises they do sing Whose wondrous works o're al the earth do ring But now our Michals songs are nothing so For they are such as bring their souls to wo. Their dancing sent a most sweet smelling savour But ours casts us out of our Makers favour Good God! that this our English fertile land Should harbour such as will not understand How much they 're bound unto this gracious God Though now we are beaten with his heavy rod Because we have neglected him to serve VVho with his blood did us from death preserve VVithin this Isle wherein his Sun did shine Like to that blessed land of Palestine O Wicked world behold how God hath lest thee And Satan he of all good hath bereft thee For Abraham's seed can hardly now be found Except it be in graves are under ground When who 's a Christian hardly can be known If by their works their faith it must be shown Though we profess and say that we have faith Our works deny it so sacred Scripture saith For all the world so madly runs awry As most forget they 're born to live to dye O what a wicked wretched world is now When most of men do unto Baal bow Though they
no shame to flie Without Christs help thou shalt be sure to dye For there 's no hope thy conscience may forget But all thy sins it will before thee set And when thy conscience shall them so reveal Then shall that Satan to thy self appeal For equal justice he may have his own Then by Jehovah thou shalt down be thrown From out his presence to thee deepest hell And therein doom'd with feinds for ever dwell And thenceforth never be admitted see The glorious face of th' sacred Trinitie Sweet Jesus come and come good Lord in time And with thy blood wash off my sinful crime That it in judgement never rise against me But with thy wing vouchsafe good Lord protect me Help Lord help Lord let help come with speed To comfort him without it is but dead And when that thou hast examin'd th' inward thought Let th' centinels then be all before thee brought To give accompt of their fidelity Lest of their faith there may be jealousie Let none escape till he be soundly tryed Lest any of them with th' enemy have complyed And so it prove lest falshood love may appear Without all pity do thou then cashere And let them have reward to treason due For never think a traitour can be true Since he that yields in hope of any gaine Will stand in fear of no eternal paine And search each hollow in thy private tent For hidden treason from the enemy sent No law of Armes will binde him to be honest To breach of faith he 's ever found the pronest And therein doth he take his chief delight As if no good but doing that 's not right Then be thou chary of these inward friends Are friendly onely for their private ends In all thy actions ever aime at th' end And then by that thou 'lt see whereto they tend A wise man will consider 'fore he go His journeyes cause and also whitherto And if appear some danger in the way And that the profit will not charge defray He ' l take a pause and turn about againe Unto some other may requite his paine Observe that graceless gracious prodigal Who ne'er bethought him till he had spent all And then resolved what was his best to do He would with speed unto his father go And on his knees confess what he had done And humbly pray accept him for his son Whereat his father and most indulgent Was glad to see his lost son so repent And did retaine him into former favour In hope of his thereafter good behaviour Make use of this and do apply it well For such in time may block up th' way to hell So that false steward being in disgrace Because he had some way abus'd his place Bethought himself what then was best be done Whenas his Master thrust him out his room Since he was not inur'd with taking pain And that he could not live without some gaine He did resolve his Master debters call And set down less then by his book did fall Due to his Master hoping by that bout He might finde favour when he was turn'd out Wherein his wisdom was commended more Then theirs of light by our blest Saviour Observe my soul this counsel wise approve It came from him who 's God of peace and love Assure thy self these words fell from his mouth Who is the Essence of all real truth Even God of gods and eke of might is most And were endited by the Holy Ghost Then lay them up in th' closet of thy heart And have a care they do not from thee part Sow not this seed upon that stony ground Where there can be no firme fast footing found Nor yet ne'erhand that common high-way-side Where fowles of th' aire will not let it abide Nor where it may be chok'd with growing thorns Will spring up faster then the growing cornes But look it fall upon that wealthy mold Where every corne may bring an hundred fold That this thy care may prove a perfect token Thou art one of them to whom these words were spoken Lest Esay's prophesie in thee be verified Although thou hear yet still thy ears are tyed And though thou see yet still thy eyes will winke Because they shall not to thy hard heart sink Lest thou shouldst see and to thy Saviour cry That he might heal thee of thy malady O look thou sleep not lest the enemy come And sow some tares among thy winnowed corne And see thy salt be not without its savour Lest thou be cast from out thy Makers favour And have a care to keep this enemy out Who takes delight in ranging th' earth about Avoid such sleep and stand and watch and pray That thou maist drive this enemy far away But without help thou art not able do it Then pray to him who can and 's willing to it Sweet Jesus help this weakness is in me Without thy help Lord I am sure to dye Then help Lord help good Lord help me with speed Without thy help sweet Saviour I am dead For my hard heart good God is hardned so As 't doth not fear this fatal word of Go. O wicked heart art still as aye hast been Sleeping securely in all deadly sin Sweet Jesus help and wake me from this sleep And from tentation good Lord do me keep And grant that when I hear the cock to crow I then like Peter from my sin may go And so conceive that Princely bird was sent To call upon me that I might repent And weep and grieve for all my sins and say Vouchsafe me pardon good Lord I thee pray And call to minde that gracious prodigal And not forget how I have wasted all My life in sin and so resolve this hour To run with speed to my sweet Saviour And on my knees say I have sin'd against thee And then no doubt he will againe retain me And that I may observe that stewards fact Was so commended for a most wise act If I do so I need not be afraid My sute shall faile then not be deny'd Lord sowe this seed upon that fertile mold Where every corn may bring an hundred fold But I am still as hereto I have been O'recome with mine own best beloved sin For all these are not able me remove But I will yet forsake my God above O cursed cursed cursed cursed thou Why didst so long unto this Baal bow What hast thou got for all thy service done I fear thou 'lt finde this onely Thou art undone Stretch out thy hand show thy grath is gotten Thou 'lt see 't at best 't will prove to be but rotten Do but examine where lieth all thy gaine Thou 'lt finde nought left except it be some paine Where rests that profit by thy pleasure taken Even onely in this thou art of Christ forsaken O cursed cursed cursed cursed thou Hast had so much and canst show none on 't now Thou 'lt say th'hadst pleasure where now doth it rest In a guilty conscience boyling
know that when thy soul is gone Thy body then hath feeling in it none Examine conscience whether's greatest care For this thy body or thy soul is there I fear thou feel'st this of thy body more Then dost thy soul though smitten nere so sore O sensless man have feeling of thy sin Or else thou'lt feel that God is not within Another member hath Jehovah given Using all helps to bring this man to heaven On either side of th' head hath set an Ear That either side the Spirit of God may hear Then hear this Spirit which loudly crieth on thee Lest thou too late mayst cry Good Lord help me Thou knowst that God hath promised all to hear That call on him then do not thou forbear But call in time lest it may prove too late When death hath deem'd deep hell to be thy fate Doth not God send a tinkling in thy ears To make thee think 't is th'passing bell thou hears O do not stop thy ears from this sweet bell For it may help to stop thy way to hell Say hast not heard thy sins oft-times reproved And notwithstanding thou thy sins hast loved Remember Adam he heard Evahs voyce And left his seed by it no cause rejoyce Then stop thy ears against the Syrens song For sweetest singers often lead to wrong But ope them wide unto thy Saviours cry And then fear not he 'll not thy suit deny But then must thou leave off thy pleasing sin Or else be sure thy sâ—ul is lost within But there is nothing that is in mans power Without the help of his good Saviour Then to him to him to him freely go And be not thou put off from him with no But fall down flat upon thy bended knees And nere rise up till such time he shall please To call thee thence and shew to thee the way Wherein with safety thou mayst walk and stay But 'fore thou art able to accomplish this Which is no doubt a perfect heavenly bliss Thou must repent thee of thy former sin And horrid life which thou hast lived in And that being done from th' bottom of thy heart With resolution nere from him depart Nor be orecome as hereto thou hast bin With willing mind to commit any sin Assure thy self he will thy prayers hear And to thy soul he will himself appear And yield thee comfort from the heavens above Even from thy Saviour who is God of love Then mayst thou think that there is hope of rest In him by whom thou shalt be ever blest For only by him and by him alone Thou must have rest or rest there will be none Then since thou knowst where rest is to be had Be not dismayd in any sort with dread But let him always be to thee a guide And stand resolv'd thou never from him slide But have a care to keep him in thy mind And then be sure that thou shalt ever find That saving health thou didst in heart desire If thou doe it with heart and soul require Without all fear of any opposition Of that most hellish and most wicked Legion For if thy blessed Saviour be but there Assure thy self be will not come thee neare But if that Christ shall once but turn his back Then look about thee have care be not slack For if thou be then thou shalt surely find That he will quickly enter on thy mind And if by cunning he get in a foot Thou art not able get his body out But he 'll have all and then he there will dwell Untill he draw thee down with him to hell Then he thou carefull of thy inward mind To fixe it always on thy Saviour kind And then fear not but well assured be He 'll keep it during all eternity For now I find what I have so long sought That th' only cause of my unruly thought Is want of constant setling them on thee On whom they alwayes solely ought to be Since I now know that never sin was seen Which to this wicked thought did not prevene For first 't is hatched in my barren brain Before in heart it can come to remain And thence it spreads it self to every part Because that all the whole man should feel smart For doubtless know that every several sence Shall suffer deeply without penitence For every part of pain participate Of weal or woe of love or else of hate Then keep a good guard of thy outward thought Lest ought may enter in it whâ—ch is nought For there will Satans battry first begin To bring thy body into deadly sin Then look thy guard be watchful good strong That it may always walk with thee along To give thee warning of thy enemy That thou mayst ay be ready from him sly For few that strive do obtain victory And to some strong force do thou thee betake Ev'n him alone who dy'd for thy sins sake And will safe keep thee unto thy lives end But then must thou thy life on earth amend Else little hope that he will keep thee free From this deceitfull watchfull enemy Then give thy heart unto thy God alone For he 'l have that or else he will have none Nay give him all ev'n all whats'ere thou hast For what he wants be sure thou dost but wast And more then so for that which he hath not Shall surely fall to Satans only lot Seeing he is watchfull ever ready prest To thrust himself into thy bony breast If that thy Saviour be not biding there And therefore see that thou my soul do nere Depart from out Christs blessed company For if thou dost assure thy self to dy Since Satan he is always at the dore To enter there if that thy Saviour Be out of th' way and therefore have a care That Satan nere have power to enter there For if he do then sure thou art but gone Seeing Christ will all or else he will have none Then giv 't him giv 't him give thy Saviour all And never lin but to him heart'ly call That he will please this all of thine accept Which he alone with his right hand hath kept Out Satans power who hath so long led thee Untill this time from thy very infancy So now full time from this foul Fiend to flie Or else nere look to live but look to die For death 's the best that he is able give To any of them who in their sins do live So if thou purpose now to prevent death It must be done whilst thou on earth hast breath For when thy life upon this earth is done Then doth that dreadfull day of judgment come And 't is decreed that all must undergo Their latest doom which is or Come or Go And that pronounc'd thou mayst of this be sure Or weal or wo shall then for ay endure And after that decree is done and past There is no hope it can be ere reverst Then pray that this may be thy finall doom Bless'd of the Lord do thou unto
fear Because he saw his Master was so neer And then his want of faith when as he sawe His body like to sink with a little wawe And then his prayer to that blessed Lord Who did preserve him by his onely word Observe my soul this passage seriously There 's in it great and deep divinity The Apostles being in a Ship aboard Upon the Sea they did espy their Lord But not discerning that it should be he They said it is some spirit which we do see But he well knowing this their cause of fear He cryed to them and said t is I is h re And then when Peter did his Master know He did intreat that he might to him go Desirous greatly to be him more nye Whom at some distance he did then espie And so by that it did right well appear His faith had then abandoned all fear For when his Master cryed and bid him come He did not then delay his time as some Do use to do but suddenly he leaped down Into the deep sea and yet did not drown But on the same did stand aloft upright For then his Saviour was within his sight His faith well knowing that there is none can Sink where there is that blessed Son of man And now his faith here hoist him up aloft So as it bore him on the water soft As if it had bin on the Sea dry shâ—aâ—e Because had faith his body then upboare And so presuming still that he had faith Which was sufficient for to keep him safe He went on boldly untill that he sawe A puft of wind did raise a little wawe And then his faith begun within him fail For faith in flesh is oftentimes but fraile And being let but even a little down Wiâ—hin the Sea which now begun to frown His faith was then turn'd into white pale fear Although his Saviour was hard by then neer And then did Peter with himself thus think Without some help I shall be sure to sink And knowing well where help did onely ly He to his Saviour did addresse his cry So he ne're sought for help at th'wooden boat Although she were hard by on Sea a float But on his Saviour solely set his eye And cryed help Lord help Lord or else I dye And then his Lord did reach to him his hand And bid him boldly on the water stand But yet reproved him and thus to him saith O wretched thou can'st have so little faith Why did thou doubt for surely thou dost know My power doth reach unto the deeps below And out of them I 'm able thee to fetch If 't be my pleasure O thou faithlesse wretch Who hast so long been in thy Master school And yet dost show thy self to be a fool Canst thou forget to think what Jonas did When in the Whales wide belly he was hid Or when the Sea did make it self a wall To save all them who on my name did call Or Jordan deep was made like to a sand To bring mine over as on hard dry land Then set thy self to go to school again And do thou learn where all help doth remain That thou mayest not be likened unto them Who never seek for Christ but onely then When they have need and then aloud they cry Help Lord help Lord or I am sure to dye Stay here my soule a while and meditate And with thy self a little thus debate Can it be possible that Peter saw His own good Master yet did not him knaw His thoughts sure then were not with him at home When he did not remember him on whom His heart was alwayes bent to think upon Which was on Christ and onely him alone To serve with zeal untill his dying day Which as he did good Lord grant that I may But when at last he did his Master know His humble heart did then begin to bow And prayed that he might safely come to him To whom before he had vow'd every lim Whom God accepted and strait bid him come Sweet Jesus grant that it may be my doom Then he neglected all that brittle hope Of help might rise out of the wooden Boat Or yet by active laboring of the lim Tho he were skilfull on the water swim Or any other help from earth may rise For by such earthly helps there 's many dies But putting all his trust upon the Lord Who to him now had only said the word Without all fear of greatest danger he Did boldly leap into the raging Sea Which stood as tho 't had been a rock of stone For God himself and onely he alone VVas able and the sea did so command And then did Peter light as on a Sand And walk'd along from imminent danger free As on safe ground untill that proudly he Presuming faith in his own power too much For this presumption overthrows all such As on their own strength onely do relye If that their Saviour please not to be nye For when the winde begun a little blow And force the sea to rise and make a show As if it ment to swallow Peter in Then Peters faith begun to fail with him And he in lieu of faith had then some fear When as the Sea forbore him up to bear And he begun on it a little sink He then himself did of some help bethink To save himself for death was surely there But that his Saviour did even then appear To whom with zeal he did himself addresse And prai'd him pleas he wold vouchsafe to bles Him with some help or else without it he Might surely sink into the raging Sea Now God well knowing th'sorrow was in 's heart VV ch did it self to his Saviour Christ impart He did with speed stretch forth to him his hand And bid him boldly on the water stand O blessed Lord that thou should alwayes be So ne're to them that put their trust in thee Although their sins do prove be ne're so great If they from them do but in heart retreat And turn again and to their Saviour go VVho is onely able and saith no man no. And then had Peter strength of faith again So long as he in Jesus did remain And safely stood on th' wavering sea upright Because he then was in his Saviours sight Now do thou think what joy was Peter in VVhen he repented of his faithlesse sin For God did hear him then most willingly At the very first when he did on him cry O blessed Lord be pleas'd vouchsafe to be On all occasions so ne're unto me As that this Legion thou may'st please to rout which my weak strength O Lord cannot keep out For he hath hereto had on me such power As he still haunts me every day and houre Yea when my heart is set resolved to serve My God and king even then I do observe He 's bustling hard within my bony breast And will not let my silly soule take rest O thou blind soul which art not able see VVhere God is not no good
do seem to serve their God in show Their works set forth that God they do not know So now full time to turn our joyful singing Into a tune of sorrow sadly weeping O weep O weep let all this Isle now weep VVhen few or none are set the Lord to seek Though a world of people daily do encrease Yet Gods true service daily doth decrease VVhen many sins are smooth'd with seeming show Of godly actions all the world doth know For now dissembling most of men do use Whereby Gods honour they do much abuse So many think that they are free from sin When God doth know they are filthy foul within And such do show Christ came not them to call Seeing he was sent solely for sinners all O blessed Lord I do confess my sin Ope thou the gate that I may enter in For through thee onely and through thee alone I must have entrance or I must have none Now help Lord help good Lord help me with speed VVithout thy help sweet Saviour I am dead For with the world good God I am gone astray From thee my help my comfort and my stay Since conscience saith that heaven hath justly left me Also it may that hell hath justly gain'd me And so conclude there 's no injustice done Though God refuse accept me for his son How do I use to make a formal lye Not thinking how did Ananias dye And yet 't is held to be a slight offence Although for such Sapphira carried hence But now we are come to such a woful time As lying's thought of some to be no crime Because t is guilded with another name And yet in substance 't is the very same VVe call 't dissembling when we lying use And yet dissembling doth the truth abuse So th' nature is not altered with the name For this and that are both the very same And now 't is grown to such a common sin As if for lying death had never been Seeing he that knows not how a lye to give He knows not how in this vile world to live So as it seemes who wants the art of lying He wants the art in this vile world of living But though this art may help a livelihood here Assure thy self it will not help thee there Where nought but truth can come to ' th' Saviours ear 'Fore whom no shadows substance will appear He seeth the secrets of each hollow heart And will not swerye from truth in any part Then love this truth and loath this art of lying Least thou repent it when thou art a dying For then thou 'lt see no difference will appear When either of these come to thy Saviours ear Presume not then 't is lawful to dissemble Lest flesh blood too late will shake tremble For though thy Saviour prove to thee so kinde As let thee live to see if thou wilt minde To amend the fault so long by thee been used Though conscience tell thee God's therein abused Conceive thy heart is hardned in its sin And will not hear thy conscience speak within Who tells thee plainly that thou hast offended And oftentimes for it been reprehended Yet thou dost still run on in thy old course And in thy sin grow each day worse and worse But lay to heart how Ananias dyed And how thy self ere long must come be tryed Before a Judge admits of no dissembling But best of men will fall with fear and trembling Retain this fear and from it ne'er depart For this in time may mollifie thy heart Or if it do not think then 't is hardned so As 't may expect this fatall word of Go VVithout so much as any warning given But for thy sin thou art depriv'd of heaven For be assur'd when Ananias dyed He had no time to think he might be tryed But struck to death before he answer made For this just Judge will not be disobayed And though his mercy greatly doth abound Yet Ananias he was struck to ground When he had parted with a fair estate Intending it to help the poor mans fate So as it seems to th' poor his charity 's such In our esteem as might have helpt him much Yet here observe that man can do no good How great soere though 't be his livlihood Which may withstand the justice of this God If he resolve to beat us with his rod For when thou hast done all the good thou can Thou maist conclude thy self a sinful man Then help Lord help good Lord help me with speed Without thy help sweet Saviour I am dead For nought in me but hearty penitence Can gaine me pardon for my great offence Sweet Jesus teach my heart to fear and tremble And ne'er forget Sapphira did dissemble And for that sin did suffer suddaine death Let me retaine this thought whiles I have breath And teach me Lord for all my sins to weep And from tentation good Lord do me keep For my weak minde forgetful is of good But what is ill of me is ne'er withstood For it O Lord I freely do embrace So as I see in me 't is want of grace Supply this want in me good Lord I pray That in thy service I may every stay But sin is so ingrafted in my heart As it is loth from least of sin depart But rather smooth it with some seeming shew Although 't be sin apparently we know So as it seemes we are apt to foster ill But what is good nor with good heart nor will Sweet Jesus help this frailty is in me And heal me Lord of this infirmitie For my weak flesh to ill saith seldome No Sweet Jesus free me from this word of Go And grant me strength for to restraine my will That henceforth I be ne'er o'recome with ill But aye be lifting up my heart to thee And to thy name sing praise continually And with my tears wash off the guilt of sin Which my hard heart hath hereto lived in And henceforth weep in heart without dissembling To work salvation with my fear and trembling And teach my eys good God that they may weep And my weak flesh from sin it self to keep O weep O weep let all this Isle now weep If it expect from God's just judgement keep Let Britain weep whose brackish sea doth round it Lest God in justice in that sea do drown it Take notice now of his most heavy hand In justice stretched o're this woful land O weep O weep begin to weep in time Lest seas of tears will not wash off thy crime O weep O weep that all the world may see How God in mercy hath deliver'd thee O weep O weep to wash away thy guilt Hangs o're this Isle for blood is therein spilt VVhich like to rivers on the land do run Lord stay it now for Jesus sake thy Son That we may all with joyful noise accord To sing the praises of the heavenly Lord For that his mercy great on us now shown When our desert is to the