prophane and vilde And for Gods word too bad and base a place To dwell in yet most sure t' is vndefilde Nor can it dimne the lustre of it's grace 'T is farre vnfit indeed becaue so pure In such foule filthy vessels to indure So ne'rethelesse their doctrine may be sound Though they two maisters God and Bacchus serue But this in sacred Writ is certaine found Who serues two Maisters needs from one must swerue Then where in such foule hearts such vices breeds Respect their doctrine but reiect their deeds But by the way before I further goe Though I affirme the Cleargy to be nought In gen rall yet I doe not taxe them so Oh God forbid I should haue such a thought No there be some most sacred and diuine Whose light aright like glorious starres doe shine These cherish vertues vices doe suppresse These are vnfaigned haters of foule sinne These sharpely doe reproue vile drunkennesse And other wickednesse that men liue in Yea these be they which onely do endeauour To cure sicke soules that they may liue for euer God graunt their doctrine I may right imbrace And imitate the liues which they doe lead Then shall I gaine an euer-blessed place VVhich is deuoid of sorrow griefe and dread God graunt I say I such may imitate Vntill my latest dayes doe end their date I onely this and nothing more desire For the Worlds follyes I haue knowne too long And doe repent recant and quite retire From those vaine wayes in which I haue gone wrong A better taske I now will vndergoe With hearty sorrow for my erring so And as I did begin I heere conclude To vaine delights I now doe bid farewell And to the rascall drunken multitude Whose portions for them are reseru'd in Hell For these God hath ordained endlesse terrours If that they soone doe not repent their errors Vertue is she which aboue all I loue Vertue that leads vnto eternall blisse Vertue my faith and loyalty shall proue For her I doe adore imbrace and kisse She is my comfort and my onely pleasure My Loue my Doue inestimable treasure She is my solace and my sweet delight She is my ioy euen in my great extreames With her I will conuerse both day and night Shee 'l banish all vaine thoughs and idle dreames Quite from my heart for vertue is most pure And can no filthy wickednesse indure Thus with this resolution I doe end No more to be by folly so misled The remnant of my dayes I le better spend To Vertue onely I am truely wed Shee is my Spouse I le haue no other wife Till death doth come and take away my life A MEDITATION OF the FLESH and SPIRIT OH what strong oppositions doe arise Within my fraile weake and vnstable brest My Flesh and Spirit are mortall enemies Excluding peace procuring my vnrest I like dislike I hate and yet I loue Those sins which to me doe salse Traytors proue Which doe betray my Soule to endlesse woe With all deceitfull pleasures vilde and vaine I faine would leaue this sin yet on I goe Surcease a while and then returne againe My Spirit 's willing often for to leaue it But then my Flesh againe bids her receiue it My Spirit freely longeth after grace And doth by grace in Heauen desire to dwell Yet stubborne Flesh would intercept the place Of my Soules rest to cast it downe to Hell Thus they within me striue like those two twins Iacob and Esau yet cannot be friends Rebellious Flesh doth sore it selfe oppose Against my Spirit fraught with fearefulnesse And enters armes with sinnes insulting foes Weake nature downe by violence to presse Feare of Gods wrath doth make me cease from sin Then that forgot a new I doe begin Three mighty Gyants doe my soule assaile Great ods my poore weake spirit to resist The World the Flesh the Diuell all these preuaile And by their force doe conquer as they list To kill and rob me of each vertuous thought Plots of false pleasure they haue howerly wrought When as good motions enter in my brest And I bethinke me of the state of Man How farre through sin I am from being blest And that my life is short and but a span The Diuell he then doth to false doctrine fall And sayth Sin on thy sinnes are Veniall The World it 's fraught with execrable sin And doth stirre vp my Appetite to lust Vnto alluring baites it doth me win Seducing vnto vanities vniust And carelesse saith let Melancholly flye Eate drinke and sleepe to morrow thoushalt dye The Flesh to pleasures doth it selfe betake And steales good motions from my heart away So Grace and Goodnesse it doth quite forsake Vaine Pride and Luxury for to obay Accounting sin no sin and deeming hell To be a tale which some old wiue doe tell It saith that Pride is but a decent thing And Auarice is good frugality It saith that Swearing doth from valour spring Which doth declare mans Magnanimity It saith to quaffe is fellowship right good To maintaine friendship and to nourish blood It tels me bounty argues a braue mind And Venus sport is but a youthfull tricke Whilst penury comes posting fast behind And with wants spurs doth touch me to the quick Thus still the flesh doth make my sinnes seeme small By false opinion for to worke my fall Fond flesh why dost thou thus thy selfe abuse Which art the onely Mansion of thy Soule All gratious proffers dayly to refuse By rash repulse and rigorous controule Yeeld sinfull Flesh yeeld for thy after good And liue in peace in loue in brother-hood Resist not still for feare of future smart Delayes breed danger as experience proue One time the Spirit from the Flesh shall part How loth wilt thou be then it should remoue And such a deare companion to forsake When as Death comes away thy soule to take For Soule and Body cannot euer hold Together but must needs a parting make Th' one to the Earth to be inclos'd in mold Tho'other to rest or vnrest doth betake Vntill the last and dreadfull day of doome When quick and dead shall vnto iudgement come Each Soule her body then shall repossesse And they that haue done well shall Heauen inherit But they which still Gods sacred Lawes transgresse They shall haue Hell iust stipend for their merit For God doth all mens secret sinnes behold Which are in 's Booke of great accompts inrold Then how shall I poore wormes meat wretched Man Be able for to stand before his sight Who me like Chaffe will winnow with his Fanne From the pure Wheat his chosen and delight Is no hope left me from despaire to keepe Yes sure for Christ is Shepheard of his Sheepe Oh there 's a Iewell for my Soules content Since it is so I neuer will distrust My Sauiour puts Despayre to banishment Hee dy'd for mee a sinner and vniust And by his Death and Passion I belieue That vnto mercy he will me receiue Although my sinnes were
of my name I beare my shame My name is spotted with my sinnes offence But true repentance yet will cleare the same And make for it I hope a recompence Then farewell all the follyes of my youth Which haue beene Traytors for too worke my ruth Most vaine delights haue hurt me all they can In doing to me vild and great disgrace I now will mortifie a sinfull man Repentance doth thrust folly out of place Folly therefore for euer fare thee well For true Repentance in my heart doth dwell Bacchus thou God of all ebriety Which dost obtuce and blunt the edge of wit Thou enemy vnto sobriety Which mak'st some rage as in a franticke fit Who so frequents thy Court shall not bee wise To thee therefore no more I le sacrifice Thou which dost cause the liquid iuyce of Grape The diuersity and contrariety of pretty drunken trickes and qualities That is dance like Alexanders great horse For to possesse mens seuerall heads with rage Some for to dance the Anticke like an ape And some to sing as t were a Bird in Cage Some Maudlin-drunke doe straight distill downe teares And some like great Bucephalus carreares Some fall to sweare blaspheme to cogge and lye And some will rattle pots against the wall Some in Pot valour will his man-hood trye And some to other pretty feats will fall Some then will run through fire and water deepe And some be silent and fall fast asleepe Some arm'd in Ale will stoutly prate of Warres And some will in an Ale-house draw his dagger Some will ore looke the Moone and all the starres And some will in a beastly humor swagger And some will offer to no Creature wrong Because the Crampe is in his legges and tongue Some like an Ape will featly mumpe and mow When Drinke hath much deformd his formall face And some will reele when as hee cannot goe And some will run and ride the wild-goose chase And some will shout and hallow like madmen And some will roare like Lyons in a Den. Some valiant Hercules will imitate Drinke makes Cowards valiant To fetch the triple-headed Dog from Hell And some of great atchiuements then will prate As if their deeds should Hercules excell And some will fight vp to the knees in blood For his friends sake if it will doe him good Some like an Adiectiue doe props require For to support their ill distemperd bodies And some like Swine doe wallow in the mire And some goe gazing heere and there like noddies Some hath the ach so grieuous in his head That hee wants helpe to carry him to bed Some disobedient rake-hell voyd of grace When Drinke hath got the maistery of his wit Will call his father foole before his face And cheeke by iole by him will boldly sit And some in drinke will giue a desperate stab And some not stick to call his mother Drab Some hath his face most curiously bedeckt Most admirable rich faces With Carbuncles and buttry buttons fine And some will haue his face most strangely sleckt Like Creame and strawberies or Claret wine And some will haue his nose most rich bespred With Pearles and Crinkoms mixt with crimson red Some to maintaine his huge red bottle nose Least that the fire should bee extinct and dye Ere hee want cash to drinke hee le paune his cloaths So make his back out of his belly crye And bitterly the same to ban and curse That by his paunch his back should fare the worse Some ere he want his quenchlesse thirst to slake Will Conicatch and cheat so liue by 's wit And some nere greatly care a purse to take If opportunity their purpose fit Thus may wee see this sin Ebriety Doth linke together much impiety All these are Bacchus prentises free made Of that foule trade of filthy Drunkennesse His Liuery is on their fronts displaid And true deuotion they to him expresse At 's Altars they Tobacco sacrifice And honor him in all due quaffing wise He traines them vp and frames them makes them fit For death destruction and eternall woe Their finnes will sinke them to th' infernall pit Where Drunkards all without Repentance goe Besides all earthly blessings quite forsake them And shame and Beggery doe ouertake them Who euer knew but that some fearefull end At vnawares these Malt-wormes did surprize In which God doth his Iustice right extend As hee is all-vpright all-iust all-wise His menaces they neuer feare at all Vntill his iudgements on their heads doe fall But first being loath for euer they should dye He warnes them faire as warned folkes may liue And with delayes he likewise them doth trye Deferring still due punishment to giue But when he sees they will not turne to grace His Iudgement straight doth mercy quite displace Then grim-facd Death comes with his Mace in 's fist And at Gods suit doth suddaine them arrest There is not resisting against Death When t is in vaine to rescue or resist His conquering hand doth euer get the best He is Gods Sargeant and no kind of baile Can any whit in all the world preuaile Not all the costly rich Arabian gold Can ransome them from Deaths strong Prison place Nor all the treasure that our eyes behold No bonds no baile can helpe them in this case No strength of men no pollicies no lawes Can once redeeme them out of deaths strong clawes Thus on these lawlesse liuers hee makes seasure Not by one way but by a sundry kind Which is at Gods appointment will and pleasure By his decree their liues are so resign'd As by examples often doe appeare Which is enough to strike our hearts with feare One in the midst of quaffing ends his dayes Euen by a suddaine stab which he receiues Such Accidents doe happen many wayes Another in a ditch lies drunke and leaues His liuelesse Corpes there grieuous to bee found To witnesse he was drunke ere hee was drownd Another doth receiue a wofull check His braines round whirling with distempering drinke Downe from his horse doth fall and breake his neck All these are heauy Iudgements we may thinke Another surfetting in great excesse Dyes suddaine in the midst of Drunkennesse Another hauing spent his onely meanes In a most drunken loose lasciuious vaine Vpon base Panders filthy Whores and Queanes Which wealth might well him else in age sustaine Hauing thus vainely spent a good estate By a sad swing his dayes doe end their date He departeth out of this World in a halter Oh are not these faire warnings to take heed And yet alas men cannot warned bee For still they doe in drunkennesse exceed Wee are so blind our faults wee cannot see Drunkards each where doe swarme as thick at least As flyes on some dead putrified beast Sodome did not in greater sin abound Then doth this wicked world wee now enioy Whereas ten righteous men could not be found For which the Lord with fire did it destroy That in so much we now
euen as Scarlet red And with vaine thoughts my heart was filled full Though in corruption I was borne and bred By Christ I yet am made as white as wooll So dearely hee hath all the world esteem'd That by his death the faithfull hee redeem'd Christ is the onely Shepheard of renowne Who loue 's his sheepe so truely and so deare That for their sakes his life he did lay downe That they by him might Crownes of Glory weare In that celestiall place prepar'd for those Which true Repentance from their hearts disclose Sweet Iesus I haue often gone astray And erred both in thought in word and deed O lead me now into the perfect way Though great my sinnes thy mercies great exceed With mercy Lord me straying sheepe behold And bring me backe againe into thy Fold Grant gracious Father I thy Lawes may keepe And that thy Statutes I may right obey That when the Goates are seuer'd from the Sheepe At thy right hand I may with comfort stay Where I shall heare that blessed voyce Venite So neuer feare that cursed sentence Ite In Iustice Lord doe not behold my sinne To take thereof a strict and strait accompt Nor in iust iudgement doe not once begin To punish mee because my sinnes surmount All other sinners whatsoere they be In Mercy not in Iustice looke on mee Lord keepe mee euer from presumptuous sinne So guide direct and order all my wayes That I regenerate may a new begin To serue thee right and giue thee perfect prayse For who can magnifie thee in the pit Or giue thee praise which doe in darknesse sit O Lord to thee I sue I beg intreat Not for my merits but thy mercies sake To grant me mercy from thy mercy seate For my deseruings me accursed make Which if thou shouldst no better me regard Death and Hell-fire would be my iust reward With Sinne and Shame I am inuiron'd round Sinne at my right hand Shame stands at my left And vice and folly in me so abound That of thy graces I am quite bereft I sinne still shame at sinne I leese and win Thus daily walke I circuler in sinne I leese heauens blessed and all-glorious place In running head-long into sinne and errour I winne Prince Plutoes Court of blacke disgrace All fraught with dread with torment and with terrour This is my iust desert my due my meede If thou O Lord in Iustice should'st proceede Since then I am so wicked and so vaine So vilde so wretched in thy gracious fight My impure heart which filthy sinne doth staine Make pure O Lord and so reforme aright The inward man that being dead to sinne I may to righteousnesse anew begin And so to liue and liuing so to dye That dying so I so may liue againe And so to liue to all eternitie Amongst thy glorious Saints in heauen to raigne A sinners death thou Lord dost not desire If he repent and from his sinnes retyre Repentance then shall be the onely course To bring me into fauour with my God From Folly quite I will my selfe deuorce To which I haue beene wed twelue yeares and odde Twelue yeares and odde I haue beene vainely led More oft then there be hayres vpon my head I will begin my nunquam sera now And spend the remnant of my dayes in grace I haue confirm'd it with a solemne vow A life more godly euer to imbrace For God hath said from 's word he will not flee Who true repents shall truely pardon'd bee To this by word be firme himselfe hath tide Which stronger is then couenant bond or bill Yea better farre then all the world beside For hee all-faithfull is and euer will Then sinke Despayre into the depth of hell I le trust in God with whom I hope to dwell A PRAYER AGAINST TEMPTATION I Now haue vow'd from vanitie to flee To dedicate my life and loue to thee O gracious God grant I my vow may keepe Till Death close vp mine eyes with his dead sleepe For vnlesse thou be an assistant to it I of my selfe vnable am to doe it My nature is so sinfull weake and fraile That when that Sathan doth my thoughts assayle Hee oft of me the Victory doth winne So beares me head-long into grieuous sinne With Sathans boystrous and contagious blast Of great temptations here and there I 'me cast Vpon the Rockes of Feare Distresse and Woe Hope and Despayre doe oft to warring goe Sometimes I say that I will cease from sinne And yet through weaknesse I againe begin Sometimes this sinne I doe and then abhorre it And sometimes that then straight craue pardon for it I sinne and for my sinnes doe begge remission As if to sinne still I would haue commission Thus Sathan doth against my soule conspire In making of mee to my sinnes retyre Thy gracious aide I therefore doe deplore Good God that I may euer thee adore With feruent zeale and with an vpright heart Laying foule vice and vanity apart Infuse into my minde thy holy grace Make it for thee a sacred mansion place With holy weapons arme my brest within That I of Sathan may the conquest winne With Faith in thee with Hope and Confidence Let all these weapons Lord be my defence For what am I without thy gracious aide But euen a filthy loathsome sinner made What strength haue I the Diuell to withstand If thou be wanting with thy powerfull hand For that same great old enemy to man Goes still about to murther whom he can Defend mee Lord from his deuouring iawes And make me truely to obserue thy Lawes And as thy selfe mine onely maker art So frame my minde and so direct my heart That alway still may harbour in my brest Vnfained hate of that I now detest FINIS