My dayes thou hast made like vnto a span Mine age is nothing in respect of thee We must returne to dust doe what we can Euery one liuing is but vanity Like to a shadow time doth passe away Without controulement no man can him stay 142 Each day our life doth hasten to an end For wee are neerer vnto death this day Then yesterday who can with time contend Nor bostingly no man ought thus to say I certaine am to liue till to morrow The smallest moment of time who can borrow 143 Man is by Iob compared vnto grasse Which now doe flourish yet cut downe ere night Or to a shadow which apace doth passe Swifter then Eagles hastning in their flight Death still pursues men wheresoere they goe Friend to the Godly but the wickeds foe 144 Life is compar'd to things of short continuance To smoke to flowers which doe vanish soone Vnto things which are of no persistance And changeth oftner then the changing Moone Vnto a dreame or likewise vnto stubble Which fire doth burne or to a water-bubble 145 Seing mans life is so vncertaine then We need not wish long liuers for to be Being certaine death will come wee know not when And longest liuers greatest sinners be Although we liue long yet death comes at last And then amongst dead men we must be plast 146 What man is he that listeth long to liue Vnto the vtmost as Long as may be His minde to viciousnesse he must not giue If that he doe intend good dayes to see His heart vprightly he must keepe the while His tongue and lips that they do speak no guile 147 Our life 's compos'd of nought but misery In Youth in Manhood and Decrepit age Nothing attends on these but vanity Which doth the shortnesse of mans life presage Which is Compar'd to glasse that is so brittle And flyeth faster then a weauers Shittle 148 For in this life is nought but vexation Our minds and bodies are alwayes troubled Repleat with sorrow and contemplation Christs death these sorrowes all hath comforted And buried them in his deare precious blood Which is the salue that should do our soules good 149 God grant it may that we may raigne in heauen And with Jehoua sing continuall praise Of care and sorrowes wee shall be bereâ—aen If we take care to serue the Lord alwayes Which for to doe we must our selues indeauour From doing good we neuer must perseuer 150 For of wel-doing we should not be weary As wee haue sowne so wee shall reape likewise Yea in due time we shall reape and be merry If that we faint not nor Gods lawes despise We need not feare the fatall dint of death Come when it will it can but take our breath 151 Our bodies for a while may be dissolu'd And turn'd to dust and earth from whence t was tane Our soules shall liue w' are certainly resolu'd To raigne with Christ with whom they did remaine When we were in our Mothers wombe conceiued Before we were into the world receiued 152 As our soule is the vnion of life So is â—he Spirit of God the soule of ours Which cannot be diuided with deaths knife If God his Spirit into our soules once power In the Celestiall heauen we shall raigne And neuer feele the force of death againe 153 The thought of death in some will terror breed And like Belshazzar make them trembling stand At the rememberance of each thought and deed When all our enemies themselues doe band Against vs and the diuell will imploy His best indeauors our soules to destroy 154 Death to the Godly is a welcome guest And such a one as they doe long to see It being come their troubles shall haue rest And they Gods glory face to face shall see Blessed are those that in the Lord doe die From their labours they rest eternally 155 Certaine vncertaine death we must expect And at all times we must stand on our Guard No time nor moment we must once neglect Vnto our selues we must haue more regard That death at no time vnprouided catch vs And vnexpected to the graue do snatch vs. 156 In dying well God doth two things require Of euery Christian man that he should saue At these two things I greatly doe admire To see that men no greater wisedome haue But to neglect a thing of greatest good In time to come if they it vnderstood 157 The first is on death to premeditate Come whâ—n it will we may be ready for it And not deferre it till it be too late So that wee need not feare it nor abhorre it To bid death welcome we should ready be And think 't the ioyful'st day we ere shall see 158 The second thing God doth of vs require At time of death well our selues to behaue Whereby we may escape Hels burning fire And flye to Christ that he our soules may saue This wee should doe deaths vigor to preuent ' Gainst God doth come and call vs to iudgement 159 VVhilst we are liuing yet we may relent And turne from vs Gods wrath and indignation But being dead its too late to repent There is no sacrifice nor satisfaction For after death there is no change at all The tree doth lie as is at first his fall 160 And as men die they must to indgement rise To answer for those sinnes they haue committed Euen as they dyed and no otherwise They can adde nought nor ought can be omitted To think on death each man somtime should spend If that hee 'l make a sanctified end 161 As death doth leaue them so God will them finde And as hee finds them so they iudg'd shall be If to doe well they haue themselues inclin'd From all eternall woe they shall be free Certaine all must die by Gods appointment And after death all must come to iudgement 162 Nam scriptum est that we account must giue Of euery idle word we peake that 's bad In what state of condition we did liue A Redde rationem must be had Of all our sinnes we must cast vp the summe When we before Gods Iudgement seat doe come 163 The Booke laid open our offences read Before Gods face all must trembling stand Both small and great yea all that haue been dead Being summoned by Trumpets Command Blessed are they thrice blessed in their heart That in the first Reâ—urrection had part 164 Whether one talent be hid or destroy'd Vnder ground account shall be demanded To what good vse or bad it be imployed Doing Gods Seruice as we are commanded That we may goe into our Mosters ioy And vtterly be freed from all annoy 165 The Sun in that day shall be darkened quite The Firmaments of light shall be bereauâ—n The changing Moone shall not renew her light The Starres likewise shall fall downe from Heauen All mortalls hearts with feare must needs be taken When as the powers of Heauen shall be shaken
Iustification And after death we hope glorification 90 My Muse to the last enemy is come With much adoe the other two are past My scantling glasse of time is almost runne Time is soone gone yet comes againe as fast Lord I beseech thee guide my heart and hand This cunning Aduersary to withstand 91 Sathan did tempt our Parents first of all And the forbidden fruite caus'd them to eate Eating this fruit it brought 's all into thrall Our misery no tongue can halfe repeate Deceiuer-like hee said yee shall not dye To which they condiscended willingly 92 And eate the fruit forbidden of the Lord Hee first vnto the woman did it giue Shee to her Husband thus with one accord Both sure of death though promised to liue By his inticements hee them both allured By which he their eternall woe procured 93 Against the feebler Sexe his Rage is showne The woman he did first of all attempt Thus his deceit was at the first made knowne Yet from seducing he would not exempt Nor free himselfe but like an old deceiuer Of Soule and Bodies good hee 's a bereauer 94 Hee 's alwayes ready for to lay his baites To catch all silly Soules and to insnare Them in his subtile and deceiuing slights For to withstand him then we must prepare We cannot him resist doe what we can Helpe us Lord for vaine is the helpe of Man 95 Our Sauiours presence he did not refraine With proffer'd shew of worldly wealth and pleasure This worldly pleasure hee did cleane disdaine Hauing Gods word farre better then all treasure Sathan did tempt yea reattempt againe And thrice deui'de before hee would refraine 96 In thousand shapes hee will to vs appeare What wee command him he will that fulfill Inuisible we ca'nt him see nor heare Yet soone will bee obedient to our will Of our desire we shall not faile or misse On the condition that wee will be his 97 To any thing hee 'l tempt vs that is ill Each motion that is good hee 'l from vs put With idlenesse allure vs he will still Our thoughts in ignorance he close will shut And blind vs from the loue of God the highest Hee 's a Deceiuer and an Antichrist 98 Hee often will insinuate into Our heads our thoughts our hearts for to offend God King and Countrey all for to vndoe In whose defence our deare blood we should spend Against our selues he our owne selues will set For to destroy vs if wee haue no let 99 Hee will attempt vs for to hang our selues Whereby Gods heauy wrath we doe procure To die in such a case like desperate clues A curse denounced against all its sure Yea against all that doe this sinne commit God grant we may haue grace to witstand it 100 Sometime he tempts vs when we are asleepe With false deluding and deceitfuil dreames To drench our selues in some vast Ocean deepe And lose our liues in one of Neptunes streames God did it giue it 's hee that must it take A Sathans sacrifice we must not make 101 Of our owne bodies or of any other If Sathan doe intice vs for to murther Our dearest friends our Sister or our brother To doe wicked deeds he will vs further With hearty prayers we must it preuent Thinke not on future time but on th' euent 102 And what will follow after shedding blood Especially of those whom God doth loue That we nere had beene borne it had beene good Then to prouoke the holy one aboue And grieue his holy Spirit which did seale Vs to saluation if wee haue true zeale 103 A murtherer from the Originall Belzebub is the truth hee doth abhorre Also of lies he is the principall And is to be of vs abhord therefore Because that in the truth we should reioyce And laud the Lord both with our hearts and voice 104 He can transforme himselfe to any shape His cunning purposes for to obtaine Vnto the likenesse of a Beare or Ape And then that likenesse can againe regaine And change himselfe perchance to some Creature Hee is of such a variable nature 105 Like a Camelion quickly he can change His darke and obscure forme both cleare and bright Throughout the spacious Orbe he still doth range And turnes himselfe to an Angels shape of light Prince of the Ayer he is cald likewise Which workes in those that doe the Lord despise 106 To malice pride and anger hee 'l prouoke Vs vnto drunkennesse and letcherie All Godly thoughts in vs he sure will choake And stirre vs vp to wrath and trechery To play the Prodigall and the vnthrift To win our soules to him is all his drift 107 Each baite for vice is hidden vnder pleasure Which greedily wee follow and pursue And wickednesse we worke beyond measure We nere regard nor thinke what will ensue So that of pleasure we may haue our fill Wee doe not care although our soules it spill 108 Vnder the honest shew of cleanlinesse Pride walketh mask't yet all men may it see Old griping carking raking couetousnes Is cald of euery cloth good Husbandrie In the superlatiue degree they sweare As if the Diuell should them rent and teare 109 My brethren saith Saint Iames sweare not at all Nether by Heauen nor yet by the Earth Nor any Oth that may our soules inthrall When euer Mors doth come to stop our breath Yea yea nay nay are the oathes wee should call Least into condemnation we fall 110 Thus Swearing is the Diuels instrument On of the lowdst alarums he can found Likewise the Diuell Pride did first inuent The first Author of any sinne that 's found Hee 's the first founder of iniquity And the Originall of all antiquity 111 We must assault this seauen headed beast Hauing ten hornes yet not with dint of sword Ne Lance nor Speare deceiuing hee 'l nere rest Hee must be conquered by Gods holy word A Christians Armour then we must put on And take a Christians courage vs vpon 112 Our Loynes with truth they must be girded well Of Righteousnes wee must haue the brest-plate With preparation of the Gospell Our feet must be shod eschewing all hate The shield of Faith laying aside all euill To quench the fiery Darts of the Diuell 113 Also the Helmet of Saluation The spirituall sword the Word of God Still praying with Prayer and Suppplication That God would turne away his scoerging Rod And all our misdeeds vtterly deface Blot out our sinnes they nere may come in place 114 Neither in this world vs for to accuse Nor in the world to come vs to condemne The death of Christ will all our sinnes excuse And his Bowels burie all and some And being then from seruile sinne made free True seruants of righteousnesse we might be 115 This old deceiuer will vs not yet leaue So long as there is any sparke of life In our bodies he will our Soules deceiue Till death
doth cut it with his fatall knife Ofttimes in sicknesse he will some molest With terrors which are not to be exprest 116 This is the Dragon which would vs deuoure This is the Serpent which did Eue beguile This is the roring Lion which each hower This he that seekes t' insnare vs with his wile This is the father of falshood and lies The worker of our woes and miseries 117 Peter commands vs to be vigillant This deadly Aduersary to withstand Him to resist with force and to bee valiant Our soules and bodies against him to band And reunite our forces altogether Yea to defie him still we must perseuer 118 If these vngodly sinnes wee follow still And the inticers of them doe obay And follow it in Folio wee shall fill A Volume great compil'd against that day In which one good deed done will profit more Then thousands of Gold hoorded vp in store 119 And hauing seru'd these Maisters whilst we liue Farre worse then slaues by them wee are kept vnder Yet vnto them by no meanes we shall giue One inch of leaue for they are nere asunder To worke our bodies or our soules annoy They doe incite themselues both to destroy 120 Our worldly pleasures little will auaile Our fleshly lusts will nothing helpe at all Our hoorded wealth will naught at all preuaile When we are summon'd by deaths fatall call Who vncertaine yet certaine will meet vs And with Sir I arrest you it will greet vs. 121 Like a bold Sergeant with his Mase in 's fist Not to be danted for death no man feares Who can resist him then not he that list The rich mans threats nor yet the widdowes teares Hee 's vnrelenting for he neuer respects Rich poore faire foule hee all to graue deiects 122 Hee 's so impartiall that he none will spare Both young and old yea all death will surprize For fatherlesse nor Orphants he doth care Weepe whilst they will he nere regards their cryes Death is the wages that is due for sinne Which all our life time wee haue liued in 123 Certaine death will come we must expect it The time and place God hath from vs conceal'd Is 't fit for vs therefore for to neglect it Because our day of death is not reueal'd Wee should thinke on it and premeditate Before it come and our selues consolate 124 Against the time that death will vs depriue Of all this worldly pleasure wee inioy It is in vaine to withstand him or striue Against him for hee soone can vs destroy And change vs as is Gods decree we must Be turned into ashes and to dust 125 Death is the depriuation of Life Ordaind by God imposd on man for sinne A punishment which endeth all our strift Due vnto vs since Life did first begin And by the disobedience of one man Sinne entred first and death by him began 126 To seize on all the time of Adams Kace Vpon each Creature there 's not one that 's free Or can escape each one must it imbrace Yea all are subiect to Mortality Be it Emperour King Potentate or Prince Death stands not with him for to dispence 127 Two kinds of death the Scripture saies there are The first whereof is called corporall Of which each Mothers Sonne must haue a share The last and second is spirituall Ordain'd by God to be a punishment For all hard hardned hearts that don't repent 128 Of corporall death each Creature must tast Birds Fishes Beasts as well as mortall men Therefore before spirituall death it 's past As it in order first proceedeth when Corporall death of life doth vs depriue Gainst which all humane creatures still do striue 129 Betwixt Mans death and Beasts the difference After they are of vitall life bereauen The spirit of Man hath his perfect essence With the immortall God that reignes in Heauen And though mans body be dissolu'd to dust At day of Iudgement rise againe we must 130 And hauing finished death corporall Which is the depriuation of breath So that our soules may become immortall So that wee need not feare the second death That through Christ who hath bruiz'd the Serpents head Our soules may liue although our Bodies dead 131 Yet dead we are not but in Christ we sleepe Though in the ground our bodies buried be We hope thâ—ogh Christ that God our soules doth keep Who hath redeem'd vs with his blood and freed Vs from the bondage both of death and Hell That his elected might in glory dwell 132 The death of a beast now is otherwise Hee being dead his body is resolued To the first maker his soule doth arise From the temperature and is dissolued To nothing which was nothing first of all There is the end of breath and life finall 133 Spirituall dâ—ath's the totall separation Of Soule and body from the loue of Christ And from that blessed Congregation Which doe remaine aboue with God the highest Triumphantly reioyce and singing praise Lauding and blesse Gods holy name alwaies 134 Who would not then spend well in this little time That is bestowed on vs and vs lent We should haue a care to commit no crime To serue the Lord our chiefe care should be bent In prime of youth we ought to thinke on death Seeing you know not when hee 'le stop our breath 135 Perhaps it may be at this present hower When least of all wee thinke vpon our end Man withereth saith Job as doth a flower So doth Man perish and come to an end Christ which our sins did beare this salue did giue Being dead through sinne to righteousnesse to liue 136 Our youthfull dayes of iollity and pleasure Those dayes wee sacrifice vnto the diuell For Gods seruice seldome we find leasure Our lips is â—o composed of all euill That sinâ—e we doe commit whilst we haue power And nere desist from sinning day nor hower 137 But to doe euill still we doe insue All wickednesse we worke with greedinesse Each motion that is good we doe eschew Wee giue our minds vnto lasciuiousnesse With wanton pleasures we our selues deceiue And nere leaue sinning till sinne doth vs leaue 138 Death in his nature fearefull is and grim Christ by his death that feare hath rane away And with his powerfull death vanquished him That we to death triumphantly may say Death where 's thy sting and likewise to the graue No victory of vs thou now canst haue 139 Moses describes our yeares threescore and ten But few doe liue to that fewer to more So short then are the dayes of mortall men Not one to twenty liues to be foure score That godly Moses to the Lord still prayes Teach me saith he for to number my dayes 140 That holy Dauid likewise doth intreat That he the number of his dayes might know Yea earnestly these words he doth repeate As is apparant wherein he doth show To know his frailty he doth it require Which was the totall somme of his desire 141