¶ The King With rulers kinges I end all thinges As Emperors and kings we did raigne But now the earth doth vs detayne ¶ The Duke Duke Prince I do conuince ¶ The Marques Marques or state I am thy mate Lordes and rulers haue bene But what we are is to be sene ¶ The Baron Baron lord To me must accord ¶ The Vicount High low with me must go Tyme to lyue and tyme to dye God graunt vs life eternally ¶ The Lord. Galaunt or gay Then must away ¶ The Knight Stout and braue I must thee haue Behold me here as in a glasse For as thou art so I was ¶ The Esquire For all thy lust Thou shalt to dust ¶ The Gentleman Graue or sad Thou must be had As the houres of the day So our lyues passe away ¶ The Capitaine In peace and warre I make and marre ¶ The Souldier Of foe frend I make an end As we were so are ye And as we are so shall ye be ¶ The Dromme Cease thy dromme For all is done ¶ The Fife Cease thy play And come away Tymes do passe and tyme it is To vse well tyme least tyme do misse ¶ The Iudge Come on iudge With me to trudge ¶ The Iustice. Justice I say Come on thy way From earth to earth so must it be From lyfe to death as thou doost see ¶ Sergeant at law Leaue the lawes heare my cause ¶ The Attorney Plead as thou lust With me thou must Christ for thy bitter passion Graunt vs a ioyfull resurrection ¶ The Mayor Though Mayor thou be Come go with me ¶ The Shirife Sir Shirife stand and geue me thy hand From earth to earth so must it be From lyfe to death as thou doost see ¶ The Bailife Thou Baily also With me shalt go ¶ The Constable Constable be prest For I thee arest Behold me here as in a glasse For as thou art so I was ¶ The Phisician Let Phisike alone And go with me home The Astronomer Looke not so hie I am thee by Tyme to lyue and tyme to dye God graunt vs life eternally ¶ The Marchant Neither craft nor trade Can me perswade ¶ The Citizen Of toune nor citie I haue no pitie Behold me here as in a glasse For as thou art so I was ¶ The Riche man Siluer nor golde cannot thee holde ¶ The aged man Youth and age Must be my page As the houres of the day So our lyues passe away ¶ The Atrificer Leaue thine arte And take my parte The Husbandman Labour no more For I haue store As we were so are ye And as we are so shall ye be ¶ The Beggar Begging is done For I am come ¶ The Roge. Thinke I am best For I bring rest From earth to earth so must it be From lyfe to death as thou doost see ¶ The Shepeheard Leaue thy shepe And with me crepe ¶ The Foole. Of foolish and fonde I breake the bonde Christ for thy bitter passion Graunt vs a ioyfull resurrection ¶ Of Youth Young olde Come to my folde ¶ Of Infancy Feare not me though I grisly be Tyme to lyue and tyme to dye God graunt vs life eternally ¶ The Emperour Emperour or king I must thee bring ¶ The King With rulers kinges I ende all thinges As Emperors and kings we did raigne But now the earth doth vs detayne ¶ The Duke Duke Prince I do conuince ¶ The Marques Marques or state I am thy mate Lordes and rulers we haueÌ„ bene But what we are is to be sene ¶ The baron Baron lord To me must accord ¶ The Vicount High low with me must go Tymes do passe and tyme it is To vse well tyme least tyme do misse ¶ The Lord. Galaunt or gay Thou must away ¶ The Knight Stout and braue I must thee haue As the houres of the day So our lyues passe away ¶ The Esquire For all thy lust Thou shalt to dust ¶ The Gentleman Graue or sad Thou must be had Behold me here as in a glasse For as thou art so I was ¶ The Capitaine In peace and warre I make and marre ¶ The Souldior Of foe frend I make an end From earth to earth so must it be From lyfe to death as thou doost see ¶ The Dromme Cease thy dromme For all is done ¶ The Fife Cease thy play And come away As we were so are ye And as we are so shall ye be ¶ The Iudge Come on iudge With me to trudge ¶ The Iustice. Justice I say Come on thy way As the houres of the day So our lyues passe away ¶ Sergeant at law Leaue the lawes heare my cause ¶ The Attorney Plead as thou lust With me thou must Behold me here as in a glasse For as thou art so I was ¶ The Mayor Thogh Mayor thou be Come with me ¶ The Shirife Sir Shirife stand and geue me thy hand Tyme to lyue and tyme to dye God graunt vs life eternally ¶ The Bailife Thou Baily also With me shalt go ¶ The Constable Constable be prest For I thee arest From earth to earth so must it be From lyfe to death as thou doost see ¶ The Phisician Let Phisike alone And go with me home The Astronomer Looke not so hie I am thee by Tymes do passe and tyme it is To vse well tyme least tyme do misse ¶ The Marchant Neither craft nor trade Can me perswade ¶ The Citizen Of toune nor citie I haue no pitie Christ for thy bitter passion Graunt vs a ioyfull resurrection ¶ The Riche man Siluer nor golde Cannot thee holde ¶ The aged man Youth and age Must be my page Christ for thy bitter passion Graunt vs a ioyfull resurrection ¶ The Atrificer Leaue thine arte And take my parte The Husbandman Labour no more For I haue store As we were so are ye And as we are so shall ye be ¶ The Beggar Begging is done For I am come ¶ The Roge. Thinke I am best For I bring rest Tymes do passe and tyme it is To vse well tyme least tyme do misse ¶ The Shepeheard Leaue thy shepe And with me â—â—epe ¶ The Foole. Of foolish and fonde I breake the bonde From earth to earth so must it be From lyfe to death as thou doost see ¶ Of Youth Young olde Come to my folde ¶ Of Infancy Feare not me though I grisly be Tyme to lyue and tyme to dye God graunt vs life eternally ¶ The Empresse Empresse thogh thou be Thou must away with me ¶ The Queene Queene also thou doost see As I am so shalt thou be We that were of highest degree Lye dead here now as ye do see ¶ The Princes Princes of hie estate coÌ„teÌ„t you I am your mate ¶ The Duchesse Duches princes Death daily conuinces We that sate in the highest seate Are layd here now for wormes meate ¶ The Countesse Countesse or what thou art I strike thee with my dart ¶ The Vicountesse Vicountes I do not spare For of them I haue no care Beauty honour and riches auayle no whit For death when he commeth spoyleth it ¶ The Baronnesse Baronnesse braue and hie Prepare thy selfe to dye ¶ The Lady Ladies gay faire To you I do repaire No state no might neither yong nor olde To resist death dare be bolde ¶ The Iudges wife Madame or iustice wife I am come to ende thy life The Lawyers wife Beware thy husbands gain Reward thee not with paine Death by his might doth conuince Expresse Queene Duches and Prince The Gentlewomaâ— Gentles braue fine Daunce after my line Aldermans wife Thou art clothed in skarlet And yet art but my varlet Behold vs here that sometyme were gay How now we lye here all lapped in clay Merchantes wife Braue neuer so nice Daunce after my deuice ¶ Citizens wife Tricke trim put of your hood I am come to do you good Riches nor treasure auayle nothing For death to earth all doth bring Riche mans wiâ—â— Though thou haue silâ—â—â— and golde Yet art thou within my holde ¶ Yong woman Fine prety in the wast Come with me in hast From earth we came and to earth we shall For sinne by death hath made vs thrall ¶ The Mayde Fresh galant gay All must with me away ¶ The Damosell Fine proper neate And all is but wormes meate O death how bitter is thy sting That poore and riche to earth doth bring ¶ Farmers wife Cease thy labour and paine For I am thy riches and gaine HusbandmaÌ„s wife Toyle no more I say For heÌ„ce I must away The wise the simple and euery degree Are by force compelled to obey vnto thee Countreywoman Away with butter chese For thy life thou must now leese The Nurse Geue sucke no more For I am at the dore Learne by vs that here do lye For to liue well and learne to die Shepeheardes wife Be thou young or olde Thou must enter into my folde ¶ Aged woman Be the day neuer so long At last commeth Euensong As death to the iust bringeth aduantage So he to the wicked doth great dammage The Creeple Be thou poore or disesed Thou must with me be pleased The poore woman Be thou neuer so poore Thou must enter at my dore As death in this world hath the victory So by death we hope to enter Gods glory Come ye blessed of my father inherite the kingdome prepared for you Math. 25. Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for c. Math. 21.
into thee that second Adam sinne infidelitie and the whole tiranny of Sathan beyng vanquished and ouercome Bring to passe O Lord that by thy crosse and painefull sufferyng thy yoke may be to me made light and thy burden easy that willingly and gladly following thee I may come whether thou art gone that is to thy father most blessed and immortall from whom nothing shall afterwardes be able to seperate vs. * God forbid that I should reioyce in any thing but in the crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the world ⧠A prayer to Christ ascended and reigning in glory OH good Christ our first begotten brother and tender harted Joseph oh naturall sonne of that Father to whome we are made children of adoption through thee oh our head reigning on high in glory forget not vs thy poore members here on earth wherinto abasyng thy selfe thou camest downe and sufferedst for vs most cruell death Out of this thy throne of maiestie and glory thou put test vs in assured hope confidence that we also shall attain to that blessed place whether thou art gone before to take possession for vs. Oh our strong tower of defence and succor what can hurt vs now trusting in thee Most vnhappy are they which are ignorant of thee Most happy are they which alwayes beholde thee Blessed are they which haue knowen thee here in the dayes of their mortalitie but more blessed are they which see thee in the heauens and shall see thee raigning with thy father in ioyes incomparable Oh Lord the onely ioy and comfort of our soules shew vs thy louing countenance embrace vs with the armes of thy mercy receiue vs O good Joseph thy younger brethern with the kisse of comfort poure into our hartes thy holy spirit plucke vs vp from the earth earthly things open our eies and lift them vp vnto thee open thy mouth and call vs vnto thee open our eares that we may heare thee so that whatsoeuer we do speake or thinke it may be directed vnto thee alone our redemer mediatour and aduocate ¶ If ye be risen agayne with Christ seke the thinges which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right haud of God set your affection on thinges that are aboue and not on things which are on the earth ⧠A prayer for the auoyding of Gods deserued wrath and vengeaunce for our sinne WHen we looke backe behold our sinfull lyfe past what a dungeon of errors vice and wickednes openeth it selfe vnto vs so that there is no man but he must needes be ashamed of himself when he calleth to mind what he hath bene and tremble when he considereth the wickednes and sinfull course of hys life to come For who shal vndertake that the rest of our lyfe shall be any better then that is past How can we then sufficiently magnifie prayse thy great mercy which hast differred thy punishment so long Beholding therfore this our daungerous and miserable state we come vnto thee O thou great and mighty iudge in trembling feare humbly beseching thee not to heape vppon vs thy deserued vengeance but let thy tender kindenes and loue thou bearest to Jesus Christ thy deare sonne our gracious Lord and redemer couer our iniquities for whose sake though we deserue all extremity thou doost pardon vs. ¶ If thou Lord shalt straitly marke our iniquities O Lord who shall be able to abide it ¶ A prayer to God for his helpe and protection against the obstinate enemies of the truth MOst righteous iudge God of all mercy and comfort which by thy secret iudgement and wisdom doost suffer the wicked to triumph and increase for a tyme for trial of the faith of thy welbeloued little flocke and the mortifying of their lustes but at length to the vtter confuliō of the enemies and ioyfull deliuerance of thy people looke down we besech thee on thy dispersed sheepe out of thy holy habitation in heauen and strengthen our weakenes against their furious rages abate their pryde asswage their malice confound their deuises wherwith they lift vp thēselues agaynst Christ Jesus thy sonne our Lord and Sauiour to deface his glory and set vp Antichrist We be not able of our selues to thynke a good thought much lesse to stand against their assaultes except thy vndeserued grace and mighty arme defend and deliuer vs. Performe thy promises made to Jacob and stop the mouthes of the cursed Edomites Call them to repentance whom thou hast appoin-to saluation bring home them that runne astray lighten the blynde and teache the ignoraunt forgeue all those that wilfully and obstinately rebel not against thy holy will let thy feareful threatnings pierce our stony hartes and make vs tremble at thy iudgemēts Make the examples of them whom thou hast ouerthrowne in their own deuises as Cain Cham Nemrod Esau Pharao Saule Achitophell Judas such other to be a warning for vs that we set not vp our selues agaynst thy holy will Graunt free passage to thy holy worde that it may worke effectually in vs the worke of lyfe and blessed hope of our saluation to the eternal praise of thy maiestie through our mediatour Christ Jesus to whome with thee and the holy ghost three persons and one God be prayse thanksgeuyng in all congregations world without end So be it ¶ A Prayer for the afflicted and persecuted vnder the tyranny of Antichrist O Mercifull father who neuer dost forsake such as put their trust in thee stretch forth thy mighty arme to the defence of our brethren by the rage of enemies persecuted and greuously tormented in sundry places for the true profes1ion of thy holy Gospell who in theyr extreme necessitie cry for comfort vnto thee Let not thy long suffering O Lorde be an occasion eyther to encrease the tyranny of thy enemies or to discourage thy children but with speede O Lorde consider their great miseries and afflictions Preuent the cruell deuise of Aman stay the rage of Holophernes breake of the counsell of Achitophell Let not the wicked say Where is now their God Let thy afflicted flocke feele present ayde and reliefe from thee O Lord looke downe vpon them with thy pitifull eye from thy holy habitation send terrour and trembling among their enemies make an end of their outragious tyrāny beate backe their boldnes in suppressing thy truth in destroying thy true seruantes in defacing thy glory in setting vp Antichrist Let them not thus proudly aduaunce them selues agaynst thee and thy Christ but let them vnderstand and feele that agaynst thee they fight Preserue and defend the vine which thy right hād hath planted and let all nations see the glory of thine annointed Amen ¶ A Prayer to be sayd before the receauing of the Communion O Father of mercy and God of all consolation seing all creatures do knowledge and cōfesse thee to be their gouernour Lord it becōmeth vs the workmanship of thine owne handes at all times
also inwardly so reforme and renew her that she may be accōpted worthy of thee her spouse through Iesus Christ our lord Amē ¶ A prayer taken out of the same Psalme WE acknowledge O Almighty God wyth how daungerous spotte of sinnes we haue defiled our soules which beyng most greuous and sorrowfull vnto vs and we not able with our owne power nor by any kinde of good workes to washe away the same spottes this onely refuge is left vs to flie vnto thee the fountaine of mercy that it may please thee to haue pitie vpon vs to washe away our iniquities to blot out our sinnes and cleanse the corruptions wherunto we are from our birth and conception subiect For when thou shalt haue freely liberally pardoned the offences and misdoinges wher with we are loden then shalt thou appeare most true faithful constant in thy promises Vouchsaue to sprinckle vs with the bloude of of thine onely sonne by which alone our body and soule may be restored to perfect and healthfull gladnes We craue to haue a new hart created in our bodies and to haue a principall spirite geuen vs wherby not as by constraint but earnestly hartily and willingly we may offer to thee the sacrifice of an afflicted and abased courage which thou art wont neuer to despise Finally that so beyng made cleane and purified by thy fauour and mercy we may alway offer to thee sacrifices of prayse through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen ⧠Domine exaudi PSALME CII I It seemeth that this prayer was appoynted to the faithfull to pray in the captiuitie of Babilon A consolation for the buildyng of the churche whereof followeth the prayse of God to be published vnto all posterities The conuersion of the Gentiles and the stabilitie of the church HEare my prayer O Lord and let my cry come in vnto thee Hide not thy face from me in the tyme of trouble encline thyne eares vnto me when I call O heare me and that right soone For my dayes are consumed away like smoke my bones are brent vp as with a firebrand My hart is smitten downe and withered like grasse so that I forget to eat my bread For the voice of my groning my bones will scant cleaue to my flesh I am become lyke a Pellicane in the wildernes lyke an Owle that is in the desert I haue watched and am euen as a sparrow that sitteth alone vpon the house top Mine enemies reuile me all the day long and they that are mad vpon me are sworne together against me For I haue eaten ashes as it were breade and mingled my teares with weping And that because of thyne indignation and wrath for thou hast taken me vp and cast me downe My dayes are gone lyke a shadow and I am withered like grasse But thou O Lorde shalt endure for euer and thy remembraunce throughout all generations Thou shalt arise and haue mercy vppon Sion for it is tyme that thou haue mercy vpon her yea the tyme is come And why thy seruauntes thinke vppon her stones and it pitieth them to see her in the dust The heathen shall feare thy name O Lorde and all the kinges of the earth thy maiestie When the Lord shall build vp Sion and when his glory shall appeare When he turneth him vnto the prayer of the poore destitute and despiseth not theyr desire This shall be written for those that come after and the people whiche shall be borne shall prayse the Lord. For he hath looked downe from his sanctuary out of the heauen did the Lord beholde the earth That he might heare the mourninges of suche as be in captiuitie and deliuer the children appointed vnto death That they may declare the name of the lord in Sion and his worship at Jerusalem When the people are gathered together and the kyngdomes also to serue the Lord. He broughte downe my strength to my iourney and shortned my dayes But I said O my God take me not away in the middest of myne age as for thy yeares they endure throughout all generations Thou Lord in the beginning hast layde the foundations of the earth and the heauens are the workes of thy handes They shall perish but thou shalt endure they shal all wax olde as doth a garment And as a vesture shalt thou chaunge them and they shall be chaunged but thou art the same and thy yeares shall not faile The children of thy seruants shall continue and their seede shall stand fast in thy sight A prayer taken out of the CII Psalme OF our selues O almighty God we are vnwoorthy that our prayers shoulde haue accesse vnto thee forasmuch as we haue daily broken thy law and commaundemēts and haue liued not accordyng to thy gospell and our vocation But thou of thy mercifulnes hide not away thy face from our prayers supplications For we are greuously vexed and assaulted with great perils Wherfore bow down thine eare vnto vs and spedily graunt fauour to vs that call vppon thee First we craue to be releued of our sinnes and offences that our feble hart may be strengthened in thy way and that thou do moisten the consumed strength of our soule with thy holy spirite that we may liue to thee and being restored renewed we may make thy name and thy gospell to be well reported Then we pray thee to turne thy force and power against those that slaunder and blaspheme the name of thy sonne and his holy doctrine Haue mercy now we beseche thee on Zion that is thy churche for now it seemes to be tyme that thou shew her thy fauour Looke downe we pray thee from thy hie habitation and behold our calamities Heare the groning of those that be bound beaten and in maruelous wise tormēted for thy names sake Saue thy sheepe out of so great daungers which are not onely put to death but also cursedly threatened with extreme damnation by Antichrist that yet at length thy childrē may liue with rest and quietnes in thy presence through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ An other out of the same Psalme OAlmighty father the company of the faithfull craueth thy helpe which is cruelly oppressed wyth the tiranny of sinne so as the oily moisture of godlines is almost dried vp in them their mouth is stopped that it cannot syng thy prayses and there is in a maner in the whole body no one member that doth his duetie to relieue an other Wherfore thou that art alwayes one rise vp to succour vs for now we thinke it tyme for thee to helpe thy afflicted church This if we shall obtaine we doubt not that the feare of thy name true godlines shall be largely spread abroad For if thou shalt rescue the people from so greuous miseries thou shalt make men know that thy truth endureth alway cōstant and vnremoued which euer remaneth one toward thine elect how so euer heauen and earth be tossed with chaunges and shaken til they perishe By this thy truth not of
in Christ and by Christ O father of glory geue vnto vs the spirite of wisdom and bryng vs into the true knowledge of this thy beloued sonne Jesus Christ and the knowledge of thy selfe Open and lighten the eyes of our myndes and vnderstandyng that we may know what the hope is whereunto thou hast called vs and how riche the glory of thine enheritance is vpon thy saintes and the excedyng greatnes of thy power towards vs that by true faith by vnderstanding and knowledge of thine eternal wisdom which is Jesus Christ we may be in dede as we are called true christians and vnfeyned professoures of thy holy name to worship thee in spirite and truth and to set forth the glory of thy grace geuen vnto vs in Christ Jesus our Lord Amen O deare Father wryte in our hartes loue of thy law hate to all sinne thankfulnes of hart and continuall heat of thy holy spirite for thy sonne Jesus christes sake To whom with thee and thy holy spirit be all honour maiestie glory thankes rule empire and dominion for euermore ⧠A forme of thanks-geuing for our redemption and prayer for strength and encrease of faith ETernal praise thanks bee geuen vnto thee deare God father of our Lord Jesus Christ which hast blessed vs with all spirituall blessinges in heauenly thinges by Christ in that thou hast chosen vs in hym before the foundation of the worlde was layd that we should be wythout blame before thee through him by whome we haue redemption through hys bloud euen the forgeuenes of our sinnes In whom after we heard the worde of truth the Gospell of our saluation wherein we beleued we were sealed with the holy spirite of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance which spirite hath and doth beare witnes vnto our spirites that we are thy children and therefore cryeth in our hartes Abba Father And thus most gracious father when thou hast once geuen the earnest peny of our saluatiō into our hartes thou doost not repent of thy gift calling neither wilt thou at any time breake thy couenant of grace and mercy in Christ thy sonnes merites confirmed in vs by that seale and loue token For what though we be weake in our beliefe shall our vnbeliefe make thy promise of no effect No thou wilt alwayes be found true but all men be liers And yet Lorde thou doost most graciously behold and accept be it neuer so little a sparke of fayth We say therefore cry vnto thee with one that wept and said I beleue Lord helpe my vnbeliefe Yea that little be it neuer so little is thy mere gift also The which as thou hast begon so most merciful Lord encrease the same more and more to the peace and comfort of our conscience and the glory of thy name through Jesus Christ Amen ⧠A meditation for the exercise of true mortification HE that wil be ready in waighty matters to deny hys owne will and to be obedient to the will of God the same had neede to accustome himselfe to deny his desires in matters of lesse waight and to exercise the mortificatiō of his owne wil in trifles For if that our affections by this daily custome be not as it were halfe slaine surely surely whē the plunge shall come we shall finde the more to do If we cannot watch with Christ one houre as he sayth to Peter we vndoutedly can much lesse go to death with him Wherfore that in great temptatiōs we may be ready to say wyth Christ Not my wyll but thyne be done in that this commonly commeth not to passe but where the rootes of our lustes by thy grace deare father are almost rotten and rooted out by a daily deniall of that they desire I humbly beseche thee for Christes sake to helpe meherein First pardon me my cherishing and as it were watering of mine affectiōs obeying them in their deuises and superfluous desires wherethrough in that they haue taken deepe roote and are to liuely in me I secondly do beseche thee to pull them vp by the rootes out of my hart and so henceforthe to order me that I may continually accustome my self to weaken the principall roote that they by rootes and braunches may loose all their power Graunt me I beseche thee that thy grace may daily mortify my concupiscence of pleasure in thinges that is of wealth riches glory liberty fauour of mē meates drinkes apparel ease yea and life it selfe that the horror and impaciency of more greuous things may be weakened and I made more pacient in aduersitie Wherunto I further desire and pray thy goodnes dere father that thou wilt adde this namely that I may for euer become obedient and ready to do thy good will in all things hartely and willingly to serue thee and do whatsoeuer may pleà se thee For doubtles although we accustome our selues in the pleasaunt thinges of this life to a mortification and deniall of our selues yet we shal finde enough to do when more bitter and weighty crosses come For if thy sonne our Sauiour euer wont to obey thy good will prayed so hartely and often Not my will but thy will be done wherby he declareth him selfe to be very man how can it be but we whose nature is corrupt not only in natiuitie but in the rest of our whole life also shal find both our handes full in great and greuous temtations wholy to resigne our selues vnto thee Graunt therfore deare father for thy christes sake I most hartely beseche thee thy grace and holy spirite to be effectuall in me that daily I may accustome my selfe to deny my will in more easy and pleasant things of this lyfe that when neede shal be I may come vnto thee with a resigned will alwayes stedfastly expecting thy mercy and in the meane season cōtinually obeying thee with readines and willïngnes doing whatsoeuer may most please thee through Christ our lord which liueth with thee c ¶ A meditation of the comming of Christ to iudgement and of the rewarde both of the faithful vnfaithful OH Lord Jesus Christ the sonne of the euerliuing God by whō all thinges were made are ruled and gouerned as of thy loue for our redemption thou didst not disdaine to be our mediatour and to take vppon thee our nature in the wombe of a virgine purely and without sinne by the operation of the holy spirite that both thou mightest in thine owne person wōderfully beautifie and exalte our nature and worke the same in vs also first abolishing the giltines of sinne by remission then sinne it selfe by death and last of all death by raysing vp againe these our bodies that they may be like vnto thyne owne glorious and immortall body according to the power wherewith thou art able to subiect all thinges vnto thee as I say of thy loue for our redemption thou becamest man and that most poore and afflicted vpon earth by the space of xxxiii yeres at the least in most
humilitie and payedst the price of our raunsome by thy most bitter death and passion for the which I most hartely geue thankes to thee so of the same thy loue towardes vs in thy good time thou wilt come againe in the cloudes of heauen with power and great glory with flaming fire with thousandes of saintes with angels of thy power with a mighty cry shoute of an Archangell and blast of a trumpe sodenly as a lightning which shineth from the East c. when men thinke least euen as a thiefe in the night when mē be a slepe thou wilt so come I say thus sodainly in the twincklyng of an eie all men that euer haue bene be and shall be with women and children appearyng before thy tribunall iudgemēt seat to render an accompt of all thinges which they haue thought spoken and done against thy law openly and before all Aungels saintes and Deuils and so to receiue the iust reward of thy vengeaunce if that they haue not repented obeyed the gospell and so depart from thee to the Deuill his angels and all the wicked which euer haue bene be or shall be into hell fire which is vnquencheable and of paynes intolerable easeles endeles hopeles euen from the feare of thy glorious mighty power But if they haue repented and beleued thy gospel if they be found watching with their lampes oyle in their handes if they be found ready appareled with the wedding garmēt of innocency if they haue not hardened their hartes hourded vp the treasure of thy vengeaunce in the day of wrath to be reuealed but haue vsed the tyme of grace the acceptable tyme the time of saluatiō that is the time of this lyfe in the which thou stretchest out thy hande and spreadest thine armes calling and crying vnto vs to come vnto thee which art meeke in hart and lowly for thou wilt ease all that labour and are heauy loden if they haue visited the sicke and prisoners comforted the comfortlesse fedde the hungry clothed the naked lodged the harbourles if they haue not loden their hartes with glotony and surfeting and carefulnes of this life if they haue not digged and hid their talent in the ground doing no good therwith but haue bene faithfull to occupy thy gifts to thy glory and here washed their garmentes in thy bloud by harty repentance then shal thy aungels gather them together not as the wicked which shall be collected as fagots cast into the fire but as the good wheate that is gathered into thy barne then shall they be caught vp to meete thee in the clouds then shall their corruptible body put on incorruption then shall they be indued with immortality and glory then shall they be with thee and goe whether thou goest then shal they heare Come blessed of my Father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning c. then shall they be set on seates of maiestie iudging the whole worlde then shall they raigne with thee for euer then shall God be all in all with them and to them thē shal they enter and enherite the heauenly Jerusalem and the glorious restfull land of Canaan where is alwayes day and neuer night where is no maner of weping teares infirmitie hunger colde sickenes enuy malice nor sinne but alwayes ioy wtout sorow mirth without measure pleasure wtout paine heauenly harmony most pleasant melody saying and singing holy holy Lorde God of hostes c. Finally the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the harte of man that they shall then enherite and most surely enioy althogh here they be tormented prisoned burned sollicited of Sathan tempted of the flesh and entangled with the worlde wherethrough they are enforced to cry Thy kingdome come Come Lord Iesu c. How amiable are thy tabernacles Lyke as the harte desireth the water brookes c. Now let thy seruaunt departe in peace I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ We mourne in our selues wayting for the deliueraunce of our bodies c. Oh gracious Lord when shall I find such mercy with thee that I may repent beleue hope and looke for these thinges with the full fruition of those heauenly ioyes which thou hast prepared for all thē that feare thee and so rest with thee for euermore ⧠A meditation concerning the lyfe euerlastyng the place where it is and the incomparable ioyes therof THat there is an enerlasting life none wil deny but such as wil deny God For if he be true iust which he must needes be or els he is not God then can there not be but an eternall life That he hath both spoken it and promised it in Math. 25. 1. Cor. 16. Hebr. 4. 11. 13. 1. Petr. 1. it plainly appeareth and els where in very many places So that to deny an euerlasting lyfe is to deny God to deny Christ and all that euer he did also to deny all pietie religion to condemne of foolishnes all good men martyrs confessors Euangelistes Prophetes Patriarckes Finally the deniall of eternal life is no thing els but a deniall of the immortalitie of the soule and so a plaine making of man no thing better then beastes If it be so let vs then eate and drinke for to morow we shall die Lord preserue vs frō this Saduceal and Epicureall impietie and graunt vs for thy mercies sake deare God that we may be assuredly perswaded that there is in deede an eternall life and blisse wyth thee for them that put their trust in thee amongst whome accompt me for thy mercies sake Agayne this eternall lyfe and the place appoynted for them that be thy seruauntes all men do graunt to be wyth thee Albeit they do not think that because thou art euery where therfore eternall life is euery where For they by thy worde do know that in as much as no man can see thee and liue this eternall lyfe and thy blessed presence is most pleasant and had in fruition after in an other world wher unto by corporall death they do depart and are translated to a place aboue them where thou dwellest in a light whervnto no man can approche Abrahams bosome they read was aboue as the place for the wicked was a lowe and beneath Helias was caught vp into heauen and thy sonne our deare sauiour prayed that where he is those also might be which thou hadst geuē him and might se his glory Now he deare father we learne by thy spirite was ascended and taken vp in his very body into heauen whether Steuen loked vp and sawe thy Christ standing on thy right hand to whom he prayed Oh Lorde Iesu receiue my spirite Graunt I beseche thee gracious god and father that I may haue a cleane hart more more to see thee and so in spirite to see and loke often vpō this place whether bring me at the length in body also I humbly pray thee Now what a thyng this