pretious spiritual soule Which flies aâ—â—y when body goes to ground Let conscience say where then it must be found Which it wel knows and wil not then dissemble When flesh blood with fear shal shak tremble Then let thy bed be made to thee a grave If thou expect a room in heaven to have Prepare for grave when dost pâ—epare for bed So idle thoughts wil vanish out thy head Think thou art dying when thou gost to sleep 'T wil be a means thy soul from sin to keep Or else take notice that thy heart is hard When thought of death with it 's of no regard And that thy God hath suffer'd it be so Lest it might melt and to its Saviour go O fearful fearful is thy God then gone And thought of him in thee remaineth none Are neither hope nor fear of any power But thou wilt stil forsake thy Sâ—viour O cruel cruel cruel stony heart Art so resolv'd that Christ shal have no part Can fear of hell not melt that heart of thine Nor hope of heaven with Christ in it to shine Dost live to follow Judas in his sin That thou canst find no time to repent in O wretched heart are grown so obdurate As joy nor fear are able penetrate Is this the nature of that flesh and bloood As 't wil retain nought that may tend to good Art grown so sullen in thy own esteem As th'blood of Christ thou wilt not thee redeem O let that blood wash off beloved sin Or be assur'd thy Saviour comes not in O do not shut the gate gainst that sweet guest In whom alone thou shalt be ever blest For by him only and by him alone Thou must have help or else thou must have none Then beat thy heart and beat it under ground Or be assur'd that Christ will not be found For that which makes thy heart so hard is pride A sin sufficient though nought else beside Then strive to gain humility in'ts room For humble hearts are they will win the crown Then strive and strive and strive and watch pray To him is able put that pride away Without great suit be sure he will not doe it Then pray with zeal and he'â—l be willing to it And bend thou heart and hands and knees all And on thy Saviour never lin to call Till he shall please to cleanse that hollow place From pride and then to fill it up with grace Grant gracious God to free it from this sin And many more which I have lived in Sweet Jesus help help me good Lord with speed For without thee sweet Saviour I am dead For my hard heart good God is hardned so As 't never fears this fatal word of Go. Sweet Jesus grant repentance to me Lord As thou hast promis'd by thy sacred word To heâ—r all them that on thy name do call Then hear me Lord or I am sure to fall Grant me good God I thee most humbly pray That I from henceforth never fall away But still be lifting up my heart to thee And to thy name sing praise continually But how can I sing praises to the Lord When I have not observ'd his holy word Noâ— him regarded as indeed I ought Who with his blood hath me so dearly bought But his my sin deprives me of that good To be obtain'd by Christ his precious blood For my hard heart in truth cannot deny I 've turn'd back when I heard my Saviour cry What hope have I then that he will hear mee Though I come to him on my bended knee Then bend and beat and break that wicked heart Whose sin is cause of all my woful smart And on thy knees lift up thy heart in pray'r No way to heaven but by this only stair Then strive t' ascend this stair on bended knees Or nere expect thy Saviours wrath â—'appease And wash it likewise with thy briny tears For no unclean thing comes to th' Saviours ears Or if it do he 'll turn his back and frown And in his rage from heaven hâ—'â—l throw it down Then cleanse thy heart eject all idle thought Let no unclean thing 'fore the King be brought Search every corner in that hollow cave For Satan's cunning and a hole will have Where he may lurk and lie to th' eye unseen Still waiting on thee when thou dost not ween Be careful then he do not there remain For if he do he 'll leave behind a stain Which will not out no water will it cleanse But only th'oyl of hearty penitence Use then this oyl and mix it with thy tears And wash the stair ascends up to the ears Of great Jehovah sitting in his throne Who accepts all clean things despiseth none Then cleanse thy heart from that foul stain of sin Or nere expect that it can enter in Jehovahs sight where nothing can appear But such as are from stain of sin made clear Then strive to cleanse thee from all sinful thought The only means which have thy body brought To be cast down from out thy Saviours sight Where Saints and Angels in continual light Conjoyn themselves with those the Cherubims Th'Archangels and those blessed Seraphims And all the rest of that most glorious quire Who joys enjoy beyond all hearts desire The glorious presence of our Saviour sweet The very essence of all joy compleat To sing the praise of that most Holy one Who 's God of gods and other there is none Then sing my soul and strive to apprehend Those heavenly joyes which never shall have end Use all the helps may bring thee to that place Let none pass by without some use of grace And so in time thou mayst thy Saviour win By earnest prayer for to remit thy sin Then without ceasing pray continually For such in time may gain eternity It is the counsel of that Preacher Paul Whose pains exceeded after that his call To come to Christ but first he fell to ground Before his Saviour could by him be found Then fall and fall and fall upon thy face And cry to Christ that he may grant thee grace To make good use of all occasions offer'd And so avert all are by Satan proffer'd For godly minds make godly use of all Where sinful hearts make such as tend their fall By their submission to black Satans wiles Whereby poor man of goodness he beguiles For man by nature's apt to what is ill Though soul and body both thereby he kill For man doth aim to please this flesh and blood But sees not th' end if it do tend to good For fleshly mâ—n sees nought but 'fore his face Without respect to that the spiritual grace The soul aims at and so this worldly man Thinks worldly things but heavenly none he can For earthly substance earthly matter minds When heavenly substance heavenly matter finds And so by th'sequel man may easily know When life is done where then his soul shâ—ll go But few look further then this life alone And so for th'
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
with madness may be overtaken For want of reason makes man be mistaken But thy case differs from this mad mans much For thy mad senses they cannot be such Seeing they their reason with them do retaine And commit sin in hope to get some gaine As pleasure profit or some private end Or somewhat else may unto pleasure tend Which to the senses plainly do appear Although in that they surely sensless are And thereby they of selves and souls make sale To gaine a thing being got's of no availe And yet by it they lose eternal bliss The onely end of perfect happiness O fondling fondling do not fool away Thy soul as thou hast done this present day For want of good and due consideration Which is a maine step to confusion Do but consider what is th' end of all And then there 's hope that thou shalt never fall Except thou be as hereto thou hast been Most wilfully bent to be loved sin And then there is not any hope of thee But for thy sin thou shalt be sure to dye And thou shalt reap the wages therefore due For pleasing sins ill pleasing death accrue Are there no threats can mollifie this heart Is' t hardned so in every several part As threats nor treats have power to enter there Till death do come and with his dart appear And then wilt thou begin with sorrow finde How Satan he hath made all of thee blinde And gull'd the so as thou shalt then well see Thy very soul within hell gates to be And then O then with sorrow thou 'lt begin To weep and grieve for this thy deadly sin When time is past and dayes one earth are done Then 't is too late for thee thy sins to shun And then thou 'lt see that thou thy self wast mad To sin so long and that without all dread And never look nor aime at that thy end For which thy God did to this earth thee send Or if sometimes thou didst yet presently Thou felst to sin and from thy Maker fly And though thy Saviour called on thee againe Yet still didst thou in that thy sin remaine And turn thy back when God himself did call And wouldst not turn thy self to God at all So as thou canst not now of right repine If he should smite this wicked heart of thine And in his anger from heaven throw it down From out his presence with an angry frown And further say unto thee Cursed go To hell which is prepared for thy wo. O wo beyond all other kinde of woes To him that runs from heaven to hell that goes O wretched wretched wretched miscreant thou To leave thy God and to his enemy bow For both of these do admit of no mean Since God and Mammon they do differ clean Then leave thy madness and do now become A new man 'fore that dreadful day of doome There 's yet some hope if thou hast any grace By help of Christ for thee to gaine a place Within that City new Jerusalem Which is prepar'd for every each one of them That to him come with humble heart and voice And in his service do live and rejoyce And do repent them of their former sin And wicked life which they have lived in Then do repent if thou hast any grace Although for it there 's but a little space The lesser time the sorrow 's so much more Then fill this short time now with sorrow store And weep and grieve for all thy sins and groan And to thy Saviour make thy sorrowful moan It may be he will please to lend his ear If that thy sorrow from heart roots appear But if thy sorrows should not come from thence Ne'er think that he will pardon thine offence Then search each hollow in thy sinful heart And look that Satan have not any part For if that feind shall have but the least share Be sure thy Saviour he will not come there For he will have thy heart himself alone And partners in it he 'll admit of none Then bend thy knees and lift to heaven thy heart That God on high may hear by whom thou art In some hope yet of gaining heavenly bliss If he 'l but say that thou art onely his VVhich he hath promised faithfully perform To all of them that to him heartily turn Then turn my soul with heart and minde and all To this good God who thee doth often call And is desirous for to receive thee If heart and minde do thereto but agree To leave thy sin and of it to repent And really with good and true intent Resolve for ever to continue free From Satan's subtil slightful gullerie And further make good restitution Of all the wrongs to any thou hast done Then willingly be sure he will thee hear And to thy suite he will apply his ear And yield thee comfort from the heavens above Thy Saviour sweet who 's God of peace and love And is desirous to have sinners all To come to him and doth them often call Then to him to him do thou freely run For he doth no man's prayers use to shun Are made in zeal but willingly will them hear And to them then most lovingly will appear And grant them all their hearts petition And of their sins a full remission But this remission thou thy self must gain VVith grief and sorrow and some bod'ly pain For all thy members must of pain partake As well thy aged limes as that thy heart Then teach thy knees that they may bow bend To God on high who did them to thee lend Not for to serve his cruel enemy But rather 't was to eschew his company Then flie him flie him and do him forsake That he be never able thee o'retake For he is alwayes waiting oportunity To wind himself into thy company And there he seemes a faithful friend to be When he 's profest thy deadliest enemy And fawnes and flatters and doth love to lye For fear that falshood thou in him might spy For he is cunning in each one of these And doth desire thy senses for to please That he with slight might so to them winde in As he may keep them still in their own sin By offering some faire goodly guilded pills Who 's golden outside 's stuft with inward ills Beware of such for such he often useth And with such shifts fond man he thee abuseth O trust him not for he 's at best a thief And seeks his own ends but in fine thy grief For he delights himself in nothing more Then to see a man who is to sin given o're And such a one he likes and loveth well And to him will he pleasing stories tell Of great contentment he shall surely have But ne'er a word as yet he 'l speak of grave Or if he do there 's time enough he 'l say Thou maist do that upon some other day But take time now whenas the time doth serve If thou intend thy soul for to preserve For time will
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
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
Saviour But Pilate he b'ing stung continued still To try if he by means might win their will For to accept of that just man Jesus In stead of that most unjust Barabbas But they still cry'd that they might crucifie Him whom they rather ought to Deifie And then did Pilate cause to chasten him And order'd he should be delivered them And o're his head he then did write this thing This is the man who is of Jews the King And it was writ in divers sev'ral Tongues That al who list might read see their wrongs But they requir'd he would be pleas'd to add To this inscription onely so he said But he did answer them What I have writ I am resolv'd I will not alter it Then they with joy began to lead away Towards the place is called Golgotha And forc'd our Saviours tender back to bear His heavy Cross which he could hardly rear And there were multitudes did follow him Some crying and some other pitying And many women were the crowd among Who wept so high for all that mighty throng That Jesus heard and he cry'd unto them Weep for your selves and for your own children And for Jerusalem For th' time shall come and now doth draw fasâ—â— on That there shall not be left one little stone Upon another in that stately Towne Although it be now of such great renown But most of them to him no credit gave But still they do themselves so mis-behave As they had done untill he had got his grave And when they came unto that bloody place Assign'd as they thought for a great disgrace They then began that heavy tree to rear And eke his sweetest tender skin to tear Between two theeves a horrid shameful thing Though good enough to crucifie our King The one of which theeves in most sconrful wise Our Sovereigne thus did jeeringly despise If thou be God or the Son of God Jesus Go down from the tree and save both thee and us But the other he in zeal reproving him Said We are punish't justly for our sin But this man he hath done at all none ill Yet suffers onely cause the Jews so will Against all law and then with heart said he Vouchsafe good Lord be pleas'd remember me When thou do'st come in thy glorious Majestie Who answered him in milde and humble wise This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise O happy theefe that was inspir'd with grace To come to heaven within so short a space When all sorts scoff'd our blessed Saviour Aswell the Priest as did the souldier Who cast their Dice upon his seamless coat And his it was to whom it fell by lot All this that milde man took most patiently To teach us sinners how that we should dy And yielded up his dearest humane breath To free thee sinner from eternal death Now let us all with joy due praises sing To God our Saviour and our heavenly King For th' thorny crown which he good man did bear Was due by right for wretched thee to wear Then do thou suffer freely for his sake And to him thou do thou thy self betake The drops that trickled down his tender cheek Would force the hardest stony heart to weep For without sorrow for thy deadly sin Thou mayst be sure thy heart is hard within His armes he stretched out upon the tree By sweet embracements calling unto thee Then do not flie as father Adam did For Adams sin by flight could not be hid But lovingly do thou his love embrace Who 's all only giver of heavenly grace His hands were rent with cruel iron pins To gaine thee pardon for thy cruel sins O then for pardon do thou humbly pray Or look to have none at another day The watry blood that issued out his side Will wash off sins if it be well apply'd Apply it then if thou hast any grace Or ne'er expect in heaven to have a place The nailes which fastn'd down his tender feet Will work in the hard'st flinty heart regreet Then beat thy heart and strive to break it oft If thou intend by grace to make it soft For broken hearts are they will onely win And gaine us pardon for out grievous sin His cruel paines endur'd in every part Will mollifie the hardest flinty heart Then search thine own and soundly do thou try it If these his pains with grief do mollifie it Examine strictly even every each hollow part For many such be sure is in thy heart And thus must thou and thou thy self alone Or else thou know'st within it can come none Then do it daily if so thou do mean These hollow places in it to keep clean For there the tempter loves to lurke and lye If he can compass any harborie Who 'll promise faire if thou wilt in him trust But fairest words are often found unjust Then do thou fear and from the tempter fly For few that strive do obtaine victory But to thy Saviour do thou boldly go For he doth use put no man off with no He neither sin'd in thought nor word nor deed And yet for thee his heavy heard did bleed And yielded up his blessed heavenly Ghost Which was conveyed by glorious Angels host Up to the heavens from whence at first it came And where it shall for evermore remaine And then the earth did quake for very fear And stony Rocks themselves in sunder tear The famous Temple rent it self in twaine And so ere since it doth and shall remaine The heavens forsook their spangled wonted light And eke the Sun which then did shine so bright For grief and sorrow did it self close hide And underneath a thick cloud did abide Whereat the watchmen were so sore aston'd And struck with fear as they fell all to ground And when they wak't then each of them did swear 'T was th' Son of God whom they had hanged there O praise sing praise to him that sits on high Who thought no scorn for wretched thee to dye O that he should be cruelly crucified Who did deserve be mightily magnified Him serve him fear him let us still obey On whom depends our onely hope and stay O praise sing praise to his most holy name Who was is now and ever shall be the same Sing praise to him who lovingly dy'd for thee Yet still doth live and shall eternallie Let all the earth conjoyn with one accord To sing the praises of that heavenly Lord Who made the heavens the earth the sea and all That in them is come at his only call He spake the word and they were all made then The word was this Let it so be amen These creatures all of him do stand in awe To them his word is for a binding law They never do use oppose his sacred will But all obey their heavenly maker still Save onely man this sinful wretched man For whose sole use all these good creatures came Who was at first created good and free From thought of sin or any malady
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
it will freely tell thee When death comes what it is that shal befall thee For though thy conscience now securely sleep ' Gainst th'day of death it will thee waking keep Then be not thou like to the Libertine Who guls himself with saying All is mine Come eat and drink and now let 's merry be When morrow comes then we shall surely die But yet when death doth to him come indeed Then this mans fear a deep despair doth breed And he to death as that King Ahab did Unto Elias thinking he was hid Hast found me out O fearful than O than Comes death most dreadful to the dying man But thou my soul thou know'st tâ—'assured way To make this death thy only happiest day If that thy porters be not lulâ—'d asleep Whilst they these outer gates of thine should keep And suffer thieves at them to enter in who 'll steal thy good and leave behind thy sin Then watch and pray and do thou waking keep And fast and pray and so prevent thou sleep And then let death come whenas God shal please Can do no hurt but do to thee great ease For then shalt thou from earthly labours rest And live with whom thou shalt be ever blest Live there my soul and then thou needst not care Come life come death to thee both equal are The fool would fain he might do that at last Which the wise-man thinks fit be done at first For that thinks time is ever in his will But this doth know that time is going still Seeing if man sleep this time it doth not rest But still keeps pace and flieth on full fast For though that all men are ordain'd to die Yet none know when or where 't is they must lie Man stands in need prepare for death and will not But death wil com to this man when he would not And such may well be likened to a beast Who 's feeding fat like this man at a feast Till th'slaughter-axe give him his fatal blow And then his stubborn heart begins to bow Yet struggles hard this death-stroke to resist But now too late he mourns out had I wist For all of life we very careful are But for this death we not at all prepare So many come this death-stroke to abide Before they do themselves for death provide And then are they to go to learn to die When death appeareth palpably in th' eye Then willingly doe thou perform that part Which needs thou must tho 't be against thy heart And thou my soul do thou in thy youth-dayes Remember death for so the Wise-man sayes Before that those thy ill dayes come along For then thou 'lt sing another sorrowful song When age and sickness both of them appear Thou hast no power good councel then to hear But heart and mind are both so hurried hence With age and sickness they are void of sense Is this a time then to prepare for death When 't is a burthen heavy to have breath When Doctor physick for thee doth prescribe And Lawyer he is going with his bribe And Parish-Parson for thy soul doth pray And friends neighbours round about thee stay And wife and children sadly weeping are Content of death to take from thee a share If so they might to ease thee of thy pain Which all the earth unable is to gain But thou art left unto thy self alone To make an answer for thy sins each one When powerful death hath entred on thy eyes And into all parts of the body pryes And stayes the organ of the nimble tongue Lest it might utter ought may tend to wrong And by chill cold doth fall upon the feet And takes from them their blood and nat'ral heat And so ascends to every other part And then at last it seizeth on the heart Who now with sobs and sighs somes out its breath Which by and by is staid by powerful death And at his entrance on this flesh and bone Gives Conscience leave to lord it all alone Who nere till now had audience of a word By help of death is made a puissant Lord And then that heart was stony-hard before Is now made soft lamenting more and more But nere till death had struck him with his dart Gave any way for Conscience play his part Who hath recorded all what heart hath done And lays them ope that it may see the sum And cast it up before the day of doom Which grant good God it may to me be Come Being hard at hand as plainly doth appear When heart and hands and feet are all in fear Who nere till now did ever think of death That he would come to fetch away its breath For who by flesh was highly monarchised By Conscience now is basely vassalised And so doth yield to what the conscience saith That till death came he had not any faith For health and wealth so pufft it up with pride Save only pleasure it minded nought beside And now intreats to have a little time With full resolve for to amend its crime But Conscience saith whom now it doth believe That death is sent it of its life bereave And so no hope of pardon to be got But like its life so death fals to its lot Which conscience tels it then it is dejected And doth confess it justly is rejected Without all hope of any pardon sending For that this life is now at point of ending Then this proud heart with terror conscience pricks And it to hell with horror down he kicks And tels him plainly that the poorest swain Whom in his pride with scorn he did disdain Being naked begging at this proud hearts dore In Abrahams bosom him shall sit before And in requital of this hard proud heart Was loth to yield to Lazarus any part Of his vast store wherewith he did abound Is now by Lazar trodden under ground And lets it see whom it did scorn before He would be glad he might beg at his dore But conscience tels him he is now debaâ—'d ' Cause pride in wealth did poverty not regard So this proud heart who poverty held in scorn Doth beg of death a while to be forborn But conscience tels him 't is not in deaths power For that he cannot spare him now one houre Because his time is limited by God Whom he nere knew so did not fear his rod Which now he feels by conscience information That he must hence into some other nation Where soul must suffer for the bodies sin And horrid life which it hath lived in Without so much as any care for th' soul But all for th' self although in substance moul Which then by conscience is in heart confessed And better life if time is now professed When time is past to it a period's put And ' gainst this soul the gates of heaven are shut So then in lieu of hope comes in despaire And tels it now it must for hell prepare Because it did not think of this in time So soul must
suffer for the bodies crime Which conscience offer'd often to inform But pride of heart held conscience aye in scorn And would not hear when it made suit to speak For worldly affairs such suits do always break And so the soul is now depriv'd of bliss Or sight of heaven where its sweet Saviour is And that proud flesh of earth at first was made Must to the earth and there a while be staid For crawlers meat till that loud trump shall blow When soul and body both must undergo That final doom by God himself pronounced Because in life this God they have renounced And that most justly doth the conscience tell Depriv'd of heaven and doom'd to th' deepest hel Where they must live but wishing still for death Which they did fear at parting with their breath So what in heart in life was always loathed Will after death in heart he ever loved But not obtain'd as Diver doth thee tell Decreed for ever now to live in hell O eloquent death hath done more in one day Then Moses did with all that he could say Or yet the Prophets by their crying out These eighty years or now neer thereabout Yet all unheard or not in heart believed Till this hard heart of life is like bereaved O powrful death whose presence without speaking Hath done what Prophets could not by their preaching This conscience knows doth at large relate What th' heart hath done and what shall be its fate But out of time because it would not hear That it should come be laid on th' fatal bear Which now stands ready waiting at the dore To carry away who did it scorn before Is this a time then now for thee begin To think in what state thou at death art in For now thy conscience guilty of sin will say That th' weight of it to Topher doth thee sway Without all hope of thee for ere returning Whâ—n th'souls before and in that Tophet burning So all thy helps are surely now but weak If thou didst not in former times bespeak Them at his hands who always willing is And able also to bring thee to bliss If thou hast made the way for it before Or else there 's danger of it at deaths dore Thou foolish man observe the harmless Bee Who summer-time doth fill her downy thie And in her storehouse hoards up plenty of meat Against the time when there is none to get Look likewise on that little creature Ant Who being careful how to prevent want Foreseeing winter to be coming on In time of summer makes provision These little creatures teach thee time well spent In its due time and that with good intent May gain unto thee blessings happily Which shall continue for eternity But th' old man he is blind and cannot see And th'young man he is stout and will not be Correct with death this death which only can As all things else unmake this creature man And that being done then all this massie earth Unable is for to regain him breath And therefore now be sure whilsâ— thou hast power For to remember death comes at an hour When 't is not look'd foâ— like unto the thief When man 's in health and is of full belief That he shall live and so he still expects The length of daâ—eâ— but th'day of death neglects And yet doth know that he 'fore all the rest Who dyeth well thus only shall be blest For if a man were able spend his time Dâ—void of sin or any sinful crime And prove an Atheist but for one half hour And therein comes his blessed Saviour And doth demand what only is his own And roâ—peth there where he hath never sown O what a case may this man now be in Who long liv'd well yet dy'd in deadly sin Since th'tree as 't grows that way it surely fals And as the thief doth come so God he cals For th'foolish Virgins had their final doom For want of oyl shut out of th'marriage room O what a fearful horrid case is this For one houres pleasure lose eternal bliss Then watch my soul and do thou always say Good Lord give us our daily bread this day For after one day filthy worms did eat That precious Manna which was heavenly meat Because that they who every day would have Should every day for daily blessings crave And knew those worms did food of Angels eat Within a while will of the flesh make meat And though thy soul it cannot then be there Yet soul and body are decreed to beare Their share alike at the last reckning day Then do not thou this reck'ning now delay For wretched man this time doth draw fast on Neer unto death by computation And every day thy sins they do increase Time for repentance daily doth decrease And if repentance by grace be obtained There 's satisfaction also must be gained Or else I doubt repentance very much Without repayment cannot prove be such As it should be and then I greatly feare There will no dayes be longer granted there For death is strong and will not be orecome By threats nor treats whenas the day doth come Then thou fond man who seeing thy sick friend Wilt not say to him he is neer his end Till he be likely to yield up his breath And then thou wills him he should think of death Lest that the name of death should fearful be To him that is now at the point to die Then fear this death before he so neer come For 't is too late to do 't at th'day of doom Seeing if deaths warrant shall but once be sealed There is no wealth can cause it be repealed And therefore now have care prevent the worst Lest thou doe hold thy day of birth accurst When hils nor mountains are not able hide But this thy life must then be justly tride By thine own conscience 'fore that dreadful King Who knows and sees even every secret thing And sendeth this his servant powrful death To take away from thee thy dearest breath O then have care thou do thy dayes spend well If thou intend to keep thy soul from hell And be thou often thinking of this death How 't is his office to take away thy breath And do it daily since each day thou may Even lose thy life in that one dayes delay And so by this accustom'd daily count Thou 'lt see thy sins how they decrease or mount And if th' hast wealth thy care is so much more To leave'â— then he that is esteemed poor O living look thou stare upon deaths face That dying thou maist know his comely grace For familiarity will only bring A loving liking of a loathed thing Then thou my soul acquaint thee with this death Before he come to fetch away thy breath For tho his physnomie be pale and grim If daily seen thou 'lt stand no fear of him Then do thou look upon him every day As he were coming to call thee away By so much oftner that thou
taught thee how thou ought to live In serving God and to him praises give Praise him praise him praise him continually Who was so pleas'd for sinfull man to dy Forget not then when canst not see the sun To think how Christ down to this earth did come To gain thee to him and with him to live Then yield him thanks and to him praises give Who did endure the torments due to thee A wretch a wretch a wretch most unworthy Follow his example then thou needst not fear Tho th' Prince of darkness do to thee appear For if he shall he hath no power to hurt thee If thou hast faith fear not Christ will defend thee And grant thee strength for to withstand his powr Tho he assault thee every day and hour But thou must strive and ne'r be drawn to yield For if thou dost be sure to lose the field Expect this Fiend to have him fall upon thee Since he spar'd not thy Saviour who did make thee But carried him into the wilderness Making expression of great holiness For when he fasted had full forty dayes Being hungry then the tempter to him sayes If thou be Christ the Son of God indeed Comand these stones that they may be made bread But he replied Life 's not by bread alone But by the words which come from God each one And yet the tempter did not leave him thus No marvel then if he do so with us But set him on the Temples highest stone And will'd him thence to throw his body down Seeing it is writ his Angels shall protect thee Lest dash of stone at any time may hurt thee But answering he replied this holy word 'T is writ thou shalt not tempt thy God the Lord. Yet still the tempter did not give him over But set him higher where he might discover Even all th' earths kingdoms then within his eyes And th'glory of them did to him descrie And said if he would fall and worship him He freely would bestow them all on him But Jesus then bid Satan to be gone Saying thou shalt worship only God alone And only him none other shalt thou serve Doe so my soul 't will thee from death preserve So Satan left him and the Angels came And fed him then in great Jehovah's name Observe my soul the subtlety of this Spirit Alleadging Scripture ' gainst the meaning of it To private ends his fancy for to please Without respect how it did God displease Then fear the spirit make trial if 't be of God Or else be sure he 'll send his heavy rod To punish such as aim to wrest the truth But cleave to it as did to Naomi Ruth Take th' sacred sense beware of any wresting With holy things be sure there be no jesting Apply not places to thy private sence Lest pleasing thee may give thy God offence Read with great rev'rence when thou readest such An humble heart helps understanding much Make use of this and here observe with care How by ill spirits the Scaiptures wrested are And uses made unto some wicked end The Lord of life me from such spirits defend For these Expositors Scriptures do expound ' Gainst ancient writers men much more profound Who spent their lives in following that profession which is now gain'd by some few mouths possession They studied hard before they could obtain it But some new teachers think but light to gain it And when they purpose to the people preach They think it Gospel whatsoere they teach Without respect what our forefathers told Or what hath been in those the dayes of old As though by nature Learning now were gain'd When God doth know it is by some profan'd But thou my soul such shallow places read As thou maist wade them without any dread And leave the deeps for such have art to swim Whatsoever seas of deeps they do come in Learn no such art but leave 't to them that think No sea so deep wherein they cannot sink The Lord of host deliver me from such thought For his sweet sake hath me so dearly bought And keep me safe from this presumptuous sin And many more which I have lived in For ' spiring minds are seldom satisfied Although their wisdom be but folly tried But thou my soul let others folly teach Thee be content with that 's within thy reach Make godly use of what thy God hath given And by such use thou l't keep the way to heaven Keep that way still let nothing turn thee out Then God will prosper all thou goest about Though for the present he may please to try Lest in affliction thou wilt him deny As that just Job whom Satan could not touch Although the Serpents power did tempt him much But he us'd all temptations to good ends Observe his strength for to withstand his friends Take his example when thou tempted art And have a care thou do perform his part Observe his carriage let his patience move thee To serve thy Maker who entirely loves thee Although he teach thee with his heavy hand He will in th' end give thee thy hearts demand But then thou must not curse thy God and die For if thou dost 't is death eternallie And such a death as cannot be redeemd With all th' earths wealth how much soer esteemd Respect no pleasure nor no cruel pain Whatsoere thou suffer so that heaven thou gain Let no affliction alter thy resolve Altho't be such as life on earth dissolve For that this life on earth cannot be long And then there 's hope thou l't sing a heavenly song Among the Saints where glory doth abound Beyond the reach of th' best on earth are found For earthly minds unable are conceive What heavenly comfort Saints in heaven receive By th' glorious presence of that King of Kings Who doth abhor the sight of sinful things But casts them down to that infernal lake Where all must live that do of sin prrtake Then fear to sin and always it eschew Like death it self lest thou may come to rut And fall to curse the time of thy birth-day And to thy self thou thus lament and say Have I spent full out seventy years in sin Have I this while in them uncareful bin What shall befall me after I am dead What is it I have oft had in my head Have I esteemd this life as if immortal And after death of life to be but mortal Have I so much this wicked world esteemd As of this death I have but only dreamd Have I felt limbs how they grow stiffe and weak And cannot see how fast my life doth break Have I observed that my eyes grow blind And cannot know that even so doth my mind Have I discernd my memory to fail And cannot find my vital parts to quail Have I seen wrinkles in my withered skin And cannot see my life is weak within Have I observd my hair to fall away Yet cannot feel my life is in decay Doth not the baldness of my
hoary head Discover how my inward parts are dead Can I feel stitches in my hollow side And cannot feel my life away to glide Have I a shortness in my inward breath And will not know it tendeth towards death Hath not my head endur'd excessive pain Not taking notice death hath seiz'd my brain Do I feel stomack grown exceeding weak And cannot feel how fast my life doth break Do I perceive my ears grow thick of hearing And such my eyes will not see death appearing Shall I not taste this pill of bitter gall Though I discern that death doth daily call Will nothing draw me th'scent of death to smell Till he have thrown me down to th' deepest hell Are not my senses sensless grown even all Yet not discern 't is death that doth them call Will nothing make these sensless creatures fear Till they be thrown upon the fatal bear Are they all agreed to struggle with this death Tho with that strugling they do lose their breath Hath not death taken my right eye away And I not think my left eye shall decay Do I know thousands thousands slain in field And can forget that I to death must yield Can I think how my dearest friends are dead Yet my own death not once to trouble my head Are there not some my children gone before And I not think my self shall make them more Do I discern my bony teeth decay And cannot see my life 's in the same way Have I felt weakness in my body all And cannot feel how God doth on me call Are not my ears grown very slow to hear And such my eyes will not see death appear Have I been sick and stood no fear of death But still in hope I should retain my breath Have I liv'd full out seventy years and three And still expect that I shall live till eighty Have I escaped dangers great and many And therefore think death will not come with any Hath not my heart took much more great delight In doing wrong then doing that is right O wretched beast art so to sin given ore As thou l't comply with Satan more and more Will nothing draw thee for to serve thy God Till thou be beaten with his heavy rod Am I so taken with beloved sin As my amendment I will nere begin Wilt not be frighted with the sight of hell Till thou be thrown into it there to dwell Will my stiff heart for sickness sigh and groan And for its sin will not so much as moan Can I observe my marrowless bones grow drie And cannot see that now my death is nie Have I run out all this my life in pleasure And for repentance never could find leasure Hath not my conscience often me reproved And have not I therewith been nothing moved Have not my senses all of them offended And have not I been often reprehended Heth not my heart been pleased even much more In serving Satan then my Saviour Hath not my heart delighted in delay And have not I wisht in my sin to stay Have I not dearly lov'd this fleshly lust And still forgot my self to be but dust Have I not watched opportunity That I might sin with much more delecacie Have I such horrid wickedness committed And have I many such good deeds omitted Have I sought time that I might commit sin And none could find that I might repent in Have I had care for gaining worldly wealth And nere respected any spiritual health Have I been going Babels way tâ—ll now And shall I still my knees to Baal bow Have not my members always sin obeyed And spiritual motions have they not denyed Hath not my heart been ever hardned so As thought of death could breed in it no wo Hath not my heart so hard and stony been As judgments moved not though by me seen Have I seen some were suddenly struck dead And yet it bred no scruple in my head Have I heard sin reprov'd with greatest zeal And it from s n me nought at all repeal Have I heard hell to be at full described Yet I thereby was nothing terrified O wretched heart thy conscience can thee tell That thou hast wisht there was nor heavn nor hell For if not so it surely would appear That thou didst stand of this great God in fear Say couldst thou take it for a friendly deed If friend with beâ—ting make thy body bleed Wilt thou imagine it a friendly part For to endeavour stab thy friend to th' heart Canst thou presume retain a faithful friend By abusing him for gaining thy own end Canst thou conceive that flesh and blood should suffer Such vile abuse as thou to Christ dost offer Canst thou ere think to gain thy fathers blessing When thou turn'â—t back with thy heel dost kick him Canst see thy father come unto thee kneeling And yet it work in thy hard heart no feeling Canst see thy father in thy quarrel suffer Yet no assistance thou wilt to him offer Canst see thy father slain in thy defence And yet it work in thee no penitence Canst see thy father only for thy sake All bloody gasping and no help wilt make Canst see thy father by thy enemy slain And yet that enemy thou'lt in love retain Canst see thy father kneeling fore thy face Yet thou 'lt revile him with all soul disgrace Canst see thy father kneel unto thee weeping Yet thou to slight him with a countnance laughing Hath any man a heart is hardned so Will not relent to see his fathers wo Are these affronts unto an earthly father And yet are none unto thy heavnly Saviour Canst think no d fference 'twixt an injury done Unto thy Saviour and to thine own son Canst thou presume that God will pardon such Wherewith an earthly father would think much When father friend nor son nor self nor all Are with thy Saviour worthy of name equal O wretched wretched wretched heart that sees Th' art fild with such some far worse then these And yet canst think thy conscience may dissemble Because all these cannot make th' heart to tremble Have I them all and many more such seen And yet my heart thereby no better been Have I esteem'd more of an earthly father Then I have done of that my heavenly Saviour Have I more dreaded father to offend Then him who did my life unto me lend Have I beheld him bleeding for my sake And yet that blood my heart could nothing shake Do I delight in gulping up sweet wine And yet forget Christ shed his blood for mine Am I as joyful to Jehovah pray As with my friend to trifle time away Hath not my heart been joyd in jesting more Then pouring prayers to my sweet Saviour Have I not joyd with friend to jest and talk More then with Jesus sadly for to walk Have I in me a heart is made of steel â—o hard as it no good at all can feel Can I retain a fear lest man should see And care not though
my God beholdeth me Shall I fear more that brings a mortal shame Then that which doth bring me eternal blame Doth th' eye of man deter me from my sin And th' eye of God have no power me within Have I discern'd this weakness in my mind And cannot see 't is Sathan makes me blind Examine conscience see what it now saith For it well knows thou hast not any faith Not yet dost think that there is any good Although he beat thee with his heavy rod Yet thou perchance wilt say thou dost believe But that even then the serpent did bereave The thought of heaven out of thy faint weak heart And would not suffer conscience play his part Who knoweth well that though thy tongue say so Thy stony heart within thee will say no For it doth use and love with God dissemble Or els no doubt w th fear 't would shake tremble Seeing neither hope of heaven nor fear of hell Can win this heart as conscience can thee tell O hypocrite leave off with God dissembling And pray him please to smite this heart with trembling This stony heart who thinks God doth not see Because even then he 's not in heart with thee But when thou comes unto thy God again And he so please with thee a while remain Thy tongue will then confess thou hast offended And for thy sin most justly reprehended But conscience knows thy heart is broken nought But still the same and aye doth yield to ought The Serpent offers to the fickle mind Rejecting Christ thy God and Saviour kind So as thy tongue may seem to praise his name Yet is thy heart even still the very same Involv'd in sin and therein takes delight Although thy conscience tell thee 't is not right And then perchance thou wilt presume that he Although thou sin yet still will pardon thee And so thou spends this time of grace in sin As if for sinning death had never been But think not so but think thy Saviour stands Before thy face two tables in his hands Wherein are writ our duty there commanded And its observance now by him demanded Canst thou reply thou sin'd in hope of grace Fie sin not so let such hope have no place Within thy heart but then think death is come With thy desert O fearful fatal doom Consider wretch and think what this may be Thou 'lt find it prove a fatal doom to thee When neither hils nor mountains can thee hide But still before that just Judge thou must bide Till thou do hear this sentence there pronounced That for thy sin thou art of God renounced Canst thou now sin and then not think of this Thou must be cast from out eternal bliss Where 's then that hope wherein thou hast presumed When death is come and all thy dayes consumed And then no hope of any longer stay But doom'd by death to Satan for a pray Canst thou now sin and not lay this to heart O lay 't betime lest soul and body part O sinful soul take notice of thy sin Lest death do come before thou dost begin O now begin and that without delay Lest death arrest thee'fore to morrow day When soul must suffer for the bodies sin And careless life which it hath lived in Without so much as any one dayes accompt To what a height thy sins that day will mount Begin this day and so go on to th' end And by that course thou 'lt see how life doth mend Neglect not this but use it constantly Lest thou be taken unprovided dy Be watchful then and alwayes be provided ' Gainst soul and body come to be divided Provide for this can no way be eschewed And let this course by all meanes be ensewed And so in time there may be hope of gaine Or else expect in heaven to have no place Strive for that place and strive and strive again For without Christ thy labour 's all in vaine And fast and pray upon thy bended knees To him who thee and all thy actions sees And ne'r forget thou canst not void his sight Who doth discerne thy heart in darkest night And now my soul do thou observe with care What over-weenings in thy judgement are If thou didst know it be an others fact Couldst thou approve on 't for a lawful act Wouldst thou allow that in thy onely son Which thou thy self hast now but newly done Art not ashamed that thou shouldst do a thing Which were not lawful though done by a King Can'st thou espie thy brothers mote unknown Yet canst not see the beam is in thy own VVilt thou be mindful of anothers ill Yet careless how thou bringst thy self to hell VVere eyes given thee to look into another And thy own sins in thy own brest to smother Can'st thou have feeling of thy friends offence And canst not see thy self is void of sense Can'st thou see faults within thy brother shine Yet canst not think that he againe seeth thine VVilt thou allow thy senses alwayes rome And ne'er attend to ought that 's done at home VVere senses sent to shew thy brothers faile VVithout respect what tends to thine availe A wise man may make use of others ill And by their faults observe his own to kill VVilt thou it be foul if 't be anothers fact And yet be faire if it be but thy own act Is there such difference in a brothers blood VVhat 's ill in th' one is in the other good If any such it is of their own making And not of judgement but of meer mistaking Art thou resolved to dye as thou dost live And canst expect that God will thee forgive But though thy sins be to this world unknown Assure thy self that hell will have its own And though thy Saviour still do suffer thee In thy own sins which he makes known to thee By his holy Spirit who daily doth attend Upon thy heart to see if thou wilt mend Yet do not think he 'll do as he hath done In often calling that thou'lt to him come But rather think that he hath given thee over Unto thy self without hope to recover So as thou'lt see that thy sad and weak estate As Judas-like become be reprobate O woe 's my heart neer ' yet could harbour wo Though often threatned with this word of Go Thou cursed cursed into th' hell of fire Where thou must burn without hope to retire O cry O cry cry to thy Saviour sweet And never cease till he shall please to meet Thy humble heart and grant it some remorse Which daily's grown each day be worse worse Sweet Jesus come good Lord I humbly pray And drive that Satan far from me away For he hath drawn me from my God and King Who 's worthy praise I am ever bound to sing Sweet Jesus hear me hear me Lord I pray And hear me so as I may ever stay And never more so fall as I have done But aye expect this blessed word of Come But I
am still as I have ever been O'ercome with mine own best beloved sin And have no strength for to withstand his power Doth thus torment me every day and hour O woe 's my heart that erst it should be born To live so long and now to dye forlorne O wo's my heart that Christ should weep for me And it not draw one tear from out mine eye O wo's my heart that Christ should dye for me Yet wretched I by 's death no better be O wo's my heart he calls me to embrace Yet I decline him by my want of grace O wo's my heart that erst it should be born To make my Saviour wear a crown of thorn O wo's my heart his tender hands should feel These rents for me and onely for my wee l O wo's my heart his side was pierc'd for me And yet my heart from feeling thereof free O wo's my heart his feet were nail'd to th' tree And yet that nailing nothing trouble me O wo's my heart that cannot feel his stripes Were able fill a stony heart with gripes O wo's my heart 't is not in sunder torn To see my Saviour bide for me such scorne O wo's my heart he endur'd this for my wee l And I want grace his grievous torments feel O wo's my heart he gave his life for me Yet wretched I in him nor live nor dye O wo's my heart he should for me be sent Yet want of grace will not let me repent O wo's my heart it should so hardned be As that his sufferings have not softned me O wo's my heart it is on sin so set As all his torments it doth quite forget O wo's my heart it will not bleed for wo To think that Satan hath now made it so O wo's my heart that nothing can it bring To serve my Saviour and my heavenly King O wo's my heart he should me thus respect Yet want of grace to make me him neglect O wo's my heart that he should shed his blood For me and yet it work in me no good O wo's my heart can nothing thee remove From love of hell to look at heaven above O wo's my heart so taken with thy sin And horrid life which thou hast lived in O wo's my heart thou wilt not sin forsake And to thy Saviours service thee betake O wo's my heart neglects Gods service so As breach of Sabbath breeds in me no wo. O wo's my heart will not spend Sabbath day In serving God and in his service stay O wo's my heart not one day in a week Shall I serve God and his true honour seek O wo's my heart I have delighted more In serving Satan then my Saviour O wo's my heart that 's drawn with such delight To follow th' wrong and forsake that is right O wo's my heart that 's from thy Saviour straying Whenas thy tongue is for thy pardon praying O wo's my heart I have less lov'd and us'd The Church then th'Alehouse where God is abus'd O wo's my heart that dost haunt Taverns more Then dost the Church to serve thy Saviour O wo's my heart thou shouldst so graceless be To neglect him who thus respecteth thee O wo's my heart it should so love its will As what is good it calls by name of ill O wo's my heart as fill'd with such ill blood As what is ill it gives it name of good O wo's my heart it should so stupid be As follow Mammon though thou dost him see O wo's my heart that seest thy way is broad And yet wilt not forsake that common road O wo's my heart that sees hell 'fore thy face And yet goes on for want of better grace O wo's my heart will not be drawn return Although thou seest black hell before thee burn O wo's my heart shall neither hell nor heaven Remove away from thee this wicked leaven O wo's my heart that thou shouldst be resolv'd Forsake thy Saviour till thou be dissolv'd O wo's my heart shall nothing thee remove To leave this hell and aime at heaven above O wo's my heart it is not fill'd with woes To leave heavens path and take that to hell goes O wo's my heart it will not burst to think What I am writing with this pen of ink O wo's my heart that it should guide my hand And yet it self the way of God withstand O wo's my heart my hand should point the path And yet my heart should follow th' way to wrath O wo's my heart it should this hell-hound love And so forsake this gracious God above O wo's my heart it should so stupid be As 't will go on although it Satan see O wo's my heart that Christ came me to call And yet towards him I will not go at all O wo's my heart it is so idly given As that ' gainst idleness I have never striven O wo's my heart so taken with delight Of what is wrong but seldome what is right O wo's my heart with more delight wilt look On news though toyes then on a pious book O wo's my heart spends time in earthly toyes Neglecting that which tends to heavenly joyes O wo's my heart that nothing will delight thee But things indeed which rather ought to fright thee O wo's my heart will break thy sleep for sin Yet wilt not wake to let thy Saviour in O wo's my my heart that will to Satan yield When they must fight intend to win the field O wo's my heart that 's hollowed so within As t will retaine nought but beloved sin O wo's my heart how great hath been thy care From time to time thy rent for to prepare Lest that thy Landlord might for it distraine Or turn thee out though Tearm by Lease remain O wo's my heart how little thy regard To serve thy Christ who with his blood prepar'd A farme for thee in heaven whose worth is such As there 's no brest that can conceive how much O wo's my heart what difference there hath been Twixt this on earth and that thy Farme in heaven How great thy care to pay thy Landlords rent How light regard for th' Saviours discontent O wo's my heart that strives to pass away What without pastime will not with thee stay O wo's my heart that thy care should be more To serve this Satan then they Saviour O wo's my heart lov'st better Satan serve Then him who doth indeed thy life preserve O wo's my heart that hastens time to run But when th' end comes I fear thou wilt it shun O wo's my heart still striv'st set that away Which tends to nothing but to thy decay O wo's my heart that 's careful for thy sleep Yet careless how thy self from sin to keep O wo's my heart more curious of thy taste Then of thy time which hourly thou dost waste O wo's my heart so carefull keep a watch How worldly toyes thou mayst in time dispatch Yet careless how thou triflest time away Which tends to nothing but to
thy decay O wo's my heart will not observe that end For which thy God did time unto thee lend Thou art careful know by th' clock what 's time of day Yet careless how thou setst this time away O wo's my heart thinks time well spent in toyes And cannot relish ought tends heavenly joyes O wo's my heart will spend thy time in play Which conscience knows thou'lt rue another day O wo's my heart is ever apt to ill Though soul and body both of them it kill O wo's my heart that conscience can me tell How I ' gainst conscience often did rebel O wo's my heart shall conscience me accuse My conscience knoweth my Saviour I refuse Must my own conscience make my sins accompt It knoweth that they do many millions mount O wretched heart thy conscience can now say That thou thy conscience never wouldst obey O wretched heart conscience blames thee for all Thou wouldst not hear though God himself did cal O wretched heart thy conscience doth now show How all thy life thou didst to Baal bow O wretched heart that is bewitched so With that which brings both soul and body wo. O wretched heart so taken with that 's ill As to that 's good thou 'lt not restraine thy will O wretched heart thus to be drawn away With that which onely tends to thy decay O wretched heart that hast been hardned so As 't never stood in fear of this word Go. O wretched heart 't is thee and thee alone Who beareth blame for senses every each one For they say plainly they were bound to obey To what the heart said they did ne'er say nay Thy ey seeth nothing but what th' heart approves Yet oftner ill then any good it loves The hands feel nothing but what th' heart commands And sometimes that which th' law of God withstands The ears are deaf unless the heart give way But to that 's ill they seldome do say nay The palat's pleased with nought if th' heart say no Yet oftentimes with that brings th' body wo. The nose is stopt except the heart comply But what doth please it seldome doth deny The will mongst these doth seem to carry a stroke Yet heart at pleasure can the will revoke All other members of the corps give way Unto the heart and it they all obey So as the heart guides all by its own will And is the root of all the bodies ill O wretched wretched wretched heart to see That all what 's ill proceeds alone from thee Which conscience knows and will at large relate What thy sins are and what shall be thy fate And then thou 'lt see that Apple Adam eat Did prove to him and his a poisoned meat For thy desires are for the most part such As do partake of Adams sin in much And are indeed even so insatiate As reason is not able moderate Say 't were in thee for to obtaine thy will 'T is to be thought 't would have less good then ill If thou mightst do whatsoere thou dost desire Canst think 't would free thee from th' infernal fire Hast thou not been even often overtaken Desiring things though Christ thereby forsaken Have thy desires at best been ever such As they were free from wicked sinful touch Let conscience say what thy desires have been 'T is but too true they 'll be condemn'd for sin Thou cursed heart wilt ne're be able see how subtle Satan hath deluded thee Shall th' Serpent dwell within thy hollow heart And wilt thou ne're admit him to depart Thou canst not chuse but know that he is there And yet thou wilt not will him to forbear It seemes thou dost approve on 's company well Although thou know'st it doth conduce to hell Or else would'st thou refuse to harbour him Who doth indeavour invite all to sin O wicked heart wilt ne're amend thy course But still continue each day worse and worse Lay but thy hand upon thy hollow heart And feel if heaven or hell have better part But it doth use and love for to dissemble And hazard all before 't will turn or tremble And yet confess it follows needful things But hear thy Saviour who is king of Kings And he will tell thy double fleshly heart That Mary she hath chose the better part Then take this better and forsake that worse Lest thou incur that fearful doleful curse Of Go thou cursed Go receive thy hire A just reward even hell eternal fire O turn O turn O turn thou wicked heart Or ne're expect in Christ have any part Now hear thy Saviour hear him he doth call Thou 'lt be but so as Agrippa said to Paul Thou hast almost turn'd me O do thou turn Except thou mean in hell for ever burn Though 't be but little yet it may in time By helpe of Christ wash off thy sinful crime Pray for his help laid down his life for thee For he desires that thou maist live not dye Sweet Jesus further my desire of turning That it may free me from this fearful burning Examine th' conscience it will not dissemble But tell the truth if thy hard heart do tremble Be often rubbing it to keep 't from sleep At death be sure it will thee waking keep Guide all thy actions by thy conscience square And it will help thy way to heaven prepare O sweep thy house and let thy Saviour come 'T is he alone must free thee from that doome Of Go thou cursed into fiery hell And there do thou with Satan ever dwell In that dark fire which Dives knoweth is hot Although nor soul nor body there do rot But still continue fuel without wasting And so shall be without end everlasting O horrid horrid wilt thou not return But still resolve in that black fire to burn Will nothing fear thee from this future wo As if thy heart did love this word of Go Art yet the same which thou hast ever been Will nothing fright thee from beloved sin Canst thou conceive 't will equalize thy paine From whence be sure shalt n'ere return againe Bewaile thy case and now observe cock-crow And call to minde how Peter he did so When he heard cock he went out streight to weep I hear him crow yet keep my bed and sleep When he heard cock he went out at first crow I hear him often yet will not do so Peters denials they were onely three But mine if counted more then millions be He saw his sin and then he did refraine it I see my sin but yet I still retain it He lov'd his Master and did follow him nigh But I lov'd sin and from my Saviour flie He heard the cock and then he saw his sin But though I see it I still retain 't within Peter was sent that he to me might preach Yet have his words no power my heart to reach His words and life are both I see even such I know they are but not respect them much He heard the cock and then