Come ye blessed c. Go ye cursed c. THE SOVLES Alarum-bell WHEREIN THE sicke Soule through the horror of conscience being awakened from security by the sight of sinne hath recourse to GOD by MEDITATION and PRAYER By H. Thompson Watch pray lest ye fal into temptation Mat. 26. At London printed by Io. Beale 1618. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Sir Ivlivs Caesar Knight one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuie Counsell Henry Thompson wisheth increase of grace and all spirituall gifts by Iesus Christ our Lord. THe chiefe and principal thing Right Honourable appertaining to euerie worthy personage which thing it is good to see that your Honour doth well consider is to walke in the Garden of humility whereto the â—igh 〈◊〉 direct way is to passe by 〈◊〉 of Vertue whose 〈◊〉 is anchored and lincked to the feare and loue of GOD. For as by the one 〈◊〉 couered the multitude of sinnes so by the other is obtained blessednesse wisedome and knowledge Dauid that noble King and Prophet after hee had long trauelled and passed through the Gate of Vertue entred the faire and pleasant Garden of Humilitie and his walking and continuance therein so much pleased God that hee saide of him by the mouth of his Prophet I will set vp thy seede after thee which shall proceede out of thy bodie And now knowing most Honourable Knight the great loue and affection which your Honor euer hath and doth beare to vertue and godlinesse I was thereby moued the more boldlie after I had gathered together this small-handfull of flowers named The Soules Alarum-Bel to dedicate the same to your Honour as the fruite of my labours nothing doubting but that they shall bee acceptable vnto you and shelter themselues vnder your fauourable sure protection And I thought good to set forth a Treatise of this nature the rather because meditation is the key that openeth to vertue and all godlines for the encrease of vertue and godly liuing leading all them that follow it to tread in the right and true pathe which our Sauiur Christ hath prescribed vnto vs in his holy Gospell I most humbly beseeche your Honour to accept it as my good will towards you a shew of thankefulnesse but no satisfaction for the great fauours and kindnesses which my friends and I haue receiued from your Honour So crauing your honourable patience pardon herein if any thing haue escaped me for want of knowledge or learning I shall according to my bounden dutte call dailie with my most humble and heartie prayers to Almighty GOD that hee will finish that good which hee hath begunne in you praying also for the prosperous preseruation of your health and posteritie long to liue in honour ioy and felicitie in this World and to send you in the World to come a ioyfull Resurrection Amen Your Honors to commande in all duty and seruice Henry Thompson The Preface to the Reader REligious Reader amongst other there bee two seuerall causes which haue instigated me to enterprise and publish this worke of Meditation partly because of mine owne exercise and commodity for the health of my soule in the World to come and the good ordering of my body here in this present troublesome Pilgrimage and partly for the vtility and profit of my natiue Countrey the aduancement and benefit whereof euery Man is bound both by nature and conscience to studie by all meanes possible to the vttermost of his power for the true leading of the soule into the right path of righteousnesse And for that purpose euery Man is bound to distribute according to the greatnes or smalnesse of the Talent ministred and lent vnto him bee it neuer so little if it may any way profit and see it doe not remaine in him as dead and frustrate but rather that it bee bestowed forth to encrease and fructifie But gentle Reader the manifold miseries and calamities of this our wretched life which are incident to our fraile flesh being duly considered doe enforce vs to seeke out the right way of Meditation for the comfort of our weake and oppressed soules ouer growne with the deluge of sinne Now if we did rightly know the aboundance of benefits which true Meditation being poured forth to GOD in zeale of heart doth bring wee would bee farre more industrious to find it and being once found and surely lodged in the secret chamber of our hearts we would be farre more desâ—rous to keepe it the thoghts of our hearts are as so many spectacles to demonstrate and make apparant vnto vs the benefit necessity force and vse of holy â—editation inciting vs both to frequency and feruency therein without which besides many other benefits which thereby wee either obtaine or lose neither can Sathan be resisted nor our faith manifested nor GOD daily honoured There be many considerations likewise therunto mouing aâ— the shortnesse of our life which is but a span and the vanity thereof the suddennesse of Christs comming in a moment the strict and fearefull account that must bee â—â—dered at the day of his appearance for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vngodly vncharitable and vnchristian liuing and behauiour And because holy Meditation is a mourning and desire of the Spirit to God for that which is lacking euen as the sicke man sorroweth for his health whereby being reconciled to God by faith he may enioy the thing he doth expect and craue or hath need of In what a desperate danger may wee bee thought to bee in if wee shall shew our selues slacke or carelesse in this so auailable a dutie Let vs therefore meditate in all places and at all times calling to mind the largenesse of Gods gracious loue and his louing kindnesse in Christ Iesus our Sauiour who biddeth vs aske and it shall be giuen knocke and it shall be opened And whensoeuer thou art burthened or oppressed with thy sinnes or any other misery or calamity in the World vse godly and holy meditation and be thou then fully assured the Lord will offer himselfe to be reconciled to thee if thou thy selfe be readie and faithfull to call for the same at his hands To the furthering whereof and as it were the tracing a path thereto consider that life it selfe is but the harbenger of death and we liue to die GOD that numbred the haires of our head hath unmbered our yeeres also which we cannot passe whether in middle age or in old age or in Infancy when and where and how we know not for the issue of death is in the hands of God Our end and finall dissolution is therefore concealed from vs because we should be alwayes meditating and prepared for our end and thinke euery moment vpon death which is the ende of all flesh Dauid teacheth vs to looke backe into our liues by holy meditation whereby wee may learne to redeeme the time by timely repentance Psal 90. As a Bird guideth her â—light with her traine so the life of man is best directed by a continuall meditating recourse
vs complaint to him that is the great Shepheard of soules as hee is a Physition he will cure thee as hee is a Shepâ—eard hee will number thee with his flocke sinnes-saluing plaster is to reueale our wickednesse Well may wee confesse our offences but hide them wee cannot by such our confession the Diuell is preuented of his seuere accusation which ancient malice would coÌ„mence against vs. To anatomize exenterate sinne to poure it forth vpon the Altar of repentance before God will not onely take away the occasion of plea from the accuser but also reconcile vs to the whole fauour of that High Commission Beleeuing Niniâ—iâ— wrapt and confounded in sorrow was soone turned out of her mourning gowne of sackecloth and ashes and was girded about with a faire sindon of Gods eternall sauor but harde-hearted Sodome swelling in the pride of her strength is stript of all her beautifull attire and nakedly left in the base ashes of â—er owne destruction Therefore I will confesse with Dauid against my selfe my wicâ—ednesse Psal 32. vnto the Lord. It is â—ot an vsurpation to turne â—udge to cal an Assise to exâ—mine mine owne soule to â—roduce my thoughts as acâ—users of my conscience as 〈◊〉 thousand witnesses to aâ—erre and confound the gilt â—f sinne but these shall preâ—ent that latter and fearefull examination how wee haue spent our time how we haue imployed our wealth how we haue ruled our appetites how we haue mortified our desires how wee haue vsed and bestowed all good gifts and graces of the holy Spirit Nay we shall neuer haue cause to feare that dolefull distaste which Abraham cast in Diues teeth Sonne remember Lu. 16. how thou in thy life time receiuedst pleasure disporting thy time in wanton dalliance solacing thy selfe in pleasing pastimes braue in apparell glittering in gold high in honour delicate in fare defending pride to bee but a point of gentry gluttony a part of good fellowship wantonnesse a tricke of youth because thou hast inclosed and taken in all pleasures to thy selfe vpon earth thou shalt now take vp thy â—ents and reape a plentifull haruest in Hell Meete with â—he day of Iudgement saith Augustine before it come â—ooke about before hand â—repare thy selfe to enter an â—ction against thy selfe for â—o presumption will serue â—e that seeth his house run 〈◊〉 ruine and will not at the â—â—rst or second breach seeke 〈◊〉 reparations striues to â—ake rubbish of a good â—â—ilding And he that traâ—â—ls in a leaking shippe and â—ill not in the beginning â—oke to empty it sayles for â—ught but to drowne himâ—â—fe To morrow to morrow 〈◊〉 the voice of presumption 〈◊〉 who can tell whether he 〈◊〉 liue till to morrow God saith Augustine hath sealed a pardon to him that truly repents but none to him that deferres and saies he will repent And hee that is not fit for his conuersion to day will bee lesse ready to morrow for on the morrow he will bee the same man againe and sing the same song againe languishing still in delay trifling out the time till God in whose hands only are the moments of times shut and barre him out from all time and leaue him to paines without time for so abusing the precious date of time To morrow to morrow is an vncertaine time though the times bee certaine in themselues yeâ— are they most vncertaine vnto man as he knew not hiâ— beginning so he is ignorant of his ending much like to little birds who on their â—earch looke about to flie this way or that way yet before they take their flight they are preuented by the shaft Death is a common â—tate-searcher both of old and young striking as well Dauids young sonne before he was seauen dayes old as 2 Sam. 22. that ancient of dayes Methusalem that liued nine hundred sixtie nine yeeres Lest the Kingdome of Sathan should bee established in vs by frequency of sinning therefore let vs breake off delay putting no trust in old age but as Saint Paul saith Heb. 3. â—uen in this very instant while it is named to day let us repentantly crie to God and call to him to forgiue vs our leude and mispent time and let vs giue our sinnes leaue to die before vs it is good riddance of a painefull pardon for it is little better then desperatioÌ„ to giue free liberty to thy youthfull wil to range abroade vpon confidence of repentance in thy last and least part of thy life For alas what can helpelesse old age helpe when all the strength of the body all the faculties of the mind all the parts and passions are not onely daunted and out-dared with sickenesse but also worne out with a multitude of yeeres as age-spent Dauid is not able to retaine heate of himselfe but Abishai the Shunamite must cherish him An old man is halfe deathes man destitute of all good meanes to conuersion vnfit to fast vnable to pray vnapt to watch or to any other exercise What voice is there more lamentable theâ— that of Milo when seeing the young Champions striuing each with other to obtaine the Conquest he cried out with teares looking on his withered armes My bloud is dead my veines wrinckled my sinewes shrunke to nothing The counsell of the Wise-man may be a present Memorandum to euery man Let vs remember Eccles 12. our Creator in the dayes of our youth while the euill dayes come not That is in our prosperity of streÌ„gth in our hopefull youth in the vigor and lustinesse of our yeeres before forgetfull old age ouertake vs. Let vs betake our selues to him that tooke vs out of the dust and created vs after his own likenesse otherwise it were an euerlasting blemish of ingratitude and a most infamous stampe of iniustice to hope for the receite of eternall glory to receiue at one instance an Angels inheritance to enioy for nothing a place with Christ and not to tender the best of thy selfe to God his Father If it were polâ—ution to the Altar to offer the lame and sicke with what face then canst thou present that little short and maimed peece of seruice which limping old age will affoord Hee which is the Childe of many yeeres is no doubt the Father of many sinnes for life the longer it is the more sinfull it is If in the oblation of burnt offerings and peace offerings the young Lambes without Leuit. 1. blemish were elected for the sacrifice if the chiefe fat of the Ramme made the Exod. 29. sweetest sauour vnto the Lord then stands it against the rule of decencie and good manners to serue in Leuit. 3. Gods messe with the bare leane and rotten bones of sinnes that haue lien rotting in the pit of corruption as many sâ—â—re yeeres as did Lazarus dayes in the graue If no man were admitted to stand before Nabuchadnezzar but children that were Dan. 1. 4. most beautifull how dare any man shuffle himselfe into Gods presence disiointed crooked old aged
O let vs call to God that hee out of the riches of his mercie would inspire into our hearts the due and diligent consideration of the vncertaintie shortnes frailtie and other grieuous calamities of mans life All humane pride and the whole glory aboundance of the world hauing mans life for a stay and foundation can certainly no longer endure then the same life abideth so that riches dignities honors offices and such like which men here in earth haue a great regard of they doe many times forsake a man he being yet and doe neuer continue longer with them then to the graue This is a vaine slipperie delightfull pleasure for then when the foundatioÌ„ faileth the whole building must needs fall Iob saith these clay Tabernacles Iob. 4. doe daily faile Dauid compareth our life to the fat of Lambes which wasteth away Psal 69. in the roasting and to a new coate which soon waxeth olde and is eaten with Moathes and further compareth man to grasse and to the flowr of the field which to day flourisheth and to morrow is cut downe and withered Iob compares man to the burning of a Candle which in the end annoyeth Iob. 18. and then euery man crieth Put it out What thing else is mans life but a bubble vp with the water and downe with the wind what is then to bee thought of humane pompe and glory which is more transitory and fraile then life it selfe O that man would know himselfe wherby he may know God Iob further saith Man that is borne of a woman is of a short continuance and full of miseries hee shooteth forth as a flower and is cut downe hee vanisheth also as a shadow and continueth not This consideration might open our blindnesse to see into our selues and to know our selues and then know God in this description of humane calamities to the end wee might want no knowledge thereof It seemeth Iobs purpose was to beginne with the very matter it selfe of which man was made that he might expresse the basenesse of the matter of which this most proud creature was made He was created and made of the Earth but not of the best of the earth but of the slime of the earth as the Scripture testifieth being the most filthy and abiect part of the Earth among all bodies the most vile element and among all the Elements the basest Among all the parts of the Earth none is more filthy and abiect then the slime of the Earth whereof man was made of that matter then the which there is nothing more vile and base And whereas hee saith that hee was borne of a woman he hath in few words comprehended many miseries of humane condition Our very fashioning and originall is so impure and vncleane that it is not for chaste eares to heare but to be passed ouer in silence as a thing most filthy and horrible to be told Mans conception is so foule that our most mercifull and louing Lord taking vpon him all our sorrowes and calamities for our redemption would in no wise beare this although hee vouchsafed to take vpon him our humane nature and to suffer many reproaches of his enemies as to be mocked blasphemed spit vpon bound whipped and in the end most shamefully crucified yet hee thought it vnseeming his Maiestie to be conceiued in the wombe of the blessed Virgin Mary after the same sinfull manner that other men be After man is once conceiued doth he not endure great calamities in his mothers wombe as it were in a filthy and vncleane prison where euery moment he is in perill of his life And at the last hee is borne naked weake ignorant destitute of all helpe and counsell not able to goe to speake or to helpe himselfe all that hee can doe is to cry and that is to set forth his miseries for he is borne to labour a banished man from his Countrey the enemy of God in possibility to liue but a few dayes and the same few daies full of misery deuoide of all quietnesse and rest O let vs know our selues and then know God The very beginning from whence man hath his first originall is sinne the vanity whereof makes him thinke himselfe borne to an inbâ—ed pride which pride mingleth and confoundeth all things ouerturneth troubleth and subdueth Kingdomes There is another calamity incident to mans body the building is scarcely finished but it is ready to totter and fall and sure it is ere long to fall Man is scarce entred into the world but he is admonished to remember his departure The dayes of Man saith Dauid are threescore yeeres Psal 90. and ten and though some be so strong that they come to fourescore yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow The summe of our yeeres wherevnto all doe not attaine is threescore yeeres and ten â—he strongest bodies someâ—imes continue till fourescore from which yeeres if wee deduct those yeeres which infancie and childehood spendeth for all that â—ime wee liue not like men â—either are gouerned with â—eason and counsell but are â—arried with a certaine vioâ—ent motion liâ—e vnto brute â—easts which are deuoide of â—eason and vnderstanding 〈◊〉 also wee take away that â—ime which passeth away â—hen wee sleepe for sleeâ—ing wee liue not the life of â—easts when they wake â—â—ch lesse of men and that â—â—me will rather seeme a liâ—ing death theÌ„ a liuely life If we deduct all the time of childhood and sleepe that which remaineth wil scarcely amount to forty yeeres and of these forty yeeres weâ— haue not one moment oâ— time in our power that wee can assuredly say that wee shal not die therein for whether wee eate drinke or sleepe whether we be in labour or in rest wee are in danger of perils It is not without cause our Sauiour Christ crieth in his Gospell Watch because yet know 〈◊〉 the day nor the houre which Mar. â—3 is as much as if he had more plainely said Because yee know not that day watch euery day and because yee know not the moneth and the yeere watch therefore euery moneth and yeere 〈◊〉 thou shouldest be inuited to 〈◊〉 Feast and being set at the Table seeing before thee many and sundry meates of â—ll sorts a friend secretly â—omes admonisheth thee â—hat among so many dainty â—ishes there is one poysoâ—ed what in this cause woulâ—est thou do which of them â—arest thou touch or taste 〈◊〉 wouldest not thou susâ—ect them all I think thogh â—ou wert extreamely hunâ—y thou wouldest refraine â—om all for feare of that one â—here the poyson is It is â—ade manifest vnto thee alâ—eady that in one of thy forâ—e yeeres thy death lieth â—idden from thee and thou â—rt vtterly ignorant which â—at yeere shall be how then â—n it be but that thou must suspect and feare them all O let vs first know our selues and then know God whereby we shall know to vnderstand the shortnesse of our life O what a great profit and commodity should