Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A03688
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The scourge of drunkennes. By William Hornby Gent
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Hornby, William.
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1618
(1618)
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STC 13815; ESTC S106238
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12,067
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32
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prophane and vilde And for Gods word too bad and base a place To dwell in yet most sure t' is vndefilde Nor can it dimne the lustre of it's grace 'T is farre vnfit indeed becaue so pure In such foule filthy vessels to indure So ne'rethelesse their doctrine may be sound Though they two maisters God and Bacchus serue But this in sacred Writ is certaine found Who serues two Maisters needs from one must swerue Then where in such foule hearts such vices breeds Respect their doctrine but reiect their deeds But by the way before I further goe Though I affirme the Cleargy to be nought In gen rall yet I doe not taxe them so Oh God forbid I should haue such a thought No there be some most sacred and diuine Whose light aright like glorious starres doe shine These cherish vertues vices doe suppresse These are vnfaigned haters of foule sinne These sharpely doe reproue vile drunkennesse And other wickednesse that men liue in Yea these be they which onely do endeauour To cure sicke soules that they may liue for euer God graunt their doctrine I may right imbrace And imitate the liues which they doe lead Then shall I gaine an euer-blessed place VVhich is deuoid of sorrow griefe and dread God graunt I say I such may imitate Vntill my latest dayes doe end their date I onely this and nothing more desire For the Worlds follyes I haue knowne too long And doe repent recant and quite retire From those vaine wayes in which I haue gone wrong A better taske I now will vndergoe With hearty sorrow for my erring so And as I did begin I heere conclude To vaine delights I now doe bid farewell And to the rascall drunken multitude Whose portions for them are reseru'd in Hell For these God hath ordained endlesse terrours If that they soone doe not repent their errors Vertue is she which aboue all I loue Vertue that leads vnto eternall blisse Vertue my faith and loyalty shall proue For her I doe adore imbrace and kisse She is my comfort and my onely pleasure My Loue my Doue inestimable treasure She is my solace and my sweet delight She is my ioy euen in my great extreames With her I will conuerse both day and night Shee 'l banish all vaine thoughs and idle dreames Quite from my heart for vertue is most pure And can no filthy wickednesse indure Thus with this resolution I doe end No more to be by folly so misled The remnant of my dayes I le better spend To Vertue onely I am truely wed Shee is my Spouse I le haue no other wife Till death doth come and take away my life A MEDITATION OF the FLESH and SPIRIT OH what strong oppositions doe arise Within my fraile weake and vnstable brest My Flesh and Spirit are mortall enemies Excluding peace procuring my vnrest I like dislike I hate and yet I loue Those sins which to me doe salse Traytors proue Which doe betray my Soule to endlesse woe With all deceitfull pleasures vilde and vaine I faine would leaue this sin yet on I goe Surcease a while and then returne againe My Spirit 's willing often for to leaue it But then my Flesh againe bids her receiue it My Spirit freely longeth after grace And doth by grace in Heauen desire to dwell Yet stubborne Flesh would intercept the place Of my Soules rest to cast it downe to Hell Thus they within me striue like those two twins Iacob and Esau yet cannot be friends Rebellious Flesh doth sore it selfe oppose Against my Spirit fraught with fearefulnesse And enters armes with sinnes insulting foes Weake nature downe by violence to presse Feare of Gods wrath doth make me cease from sin Then that forgot a new I doe begin Three mighty Gyants doe my soule assaile Great ods my poore weake spirit to resist The World the Flesh the Diuell all these preuaile And by their force doe conquer as they list To kill and rob me of each vertuous thought Plots of false pleasure they haue howerly wrought When as good motions enter in my brest And I bethinke me of the state of Man How farre through sin I am from being blest And that my life is short and but a span The Diuell he then doth to false doctrine fall And sayth Sin on thy sinnes are Veniall The World it 's fraught with execrable sin And doth stirre vp my Appetite to lust Vnto alluring baites it doth me win Seducing vnto vanities vniust And carelesse saith let Melancholly flye Eate drinke and sleepe to morrow thoushalt dye The Flesh to pleasures doth it selfe betake And steales good motions from my heart away So Grace and Goodnesse it doth quite forsake Vaine Pride and Luxury for to obay Accounting sin no sin and deeming hell To be a tale which some old wiue doe tell It saith that Pride is but a decent thing And Auarice is good frugality It saith that Swearing doth from valour spring Which doth declare mans Magnanimity It saith to quaffe is fellowship right good To maintaine friendship and to nourish blood It tels me bounty argues a braue mind And Venus sport is but a youthfull tricke Whilst penury comes posting fast behind And with wants spurs doth touch me to the quick Thus still the flesh doth make my sinnes seeme small By false opinion for to worke my fall Fond flesh why dost thou thus thy selfe abuse Which art the onely Mansion of thy Soule All gratious proffers dayly to refuse By rash repulse and rigorous controule Yeeld sinfull Flesh yeeld for thy after good And liue in peace in loue in brother-hood Resist not still for feare of future smart Delayes breed danger as experience proue One time the Spirit from the Flesh shall part How loth wilt thou be then it should remoue And such a deare companion to forsake When as Death comes away thy soule to take For Soule and Body cannot euer hold Together but must needs a parting make Th' one to the Earth to be inclos'd in mold Tho'other to rest or vnrest doth betake Vntill the last and dreadfull day of doome When quick and dead shall vnto iudgement come Each Soule her body then shall repossesse And they that haue done well shall Heauen inherit But they which still Gods sacred Lawes transgresse They shall haue Hell iust stipend for their merit For God doth all mens secret sinnes behold Which are in 's Booke of great accompts inrold Then how shall I poore wormes meat wretched Man Be able for to stand before his sight Who me like Chaffe will winnow with his Fanne From the pure Wheat his chosen and delight Is no hope left me from despaire to keepe Yes sure for Christ is Shepheard of his Sheepe Oh there 's a Iewell for my Soules content Since it is so I neuer will distrust My Sauiour puts Despayre to banishment Hee dy'd for mee a sinner and vniust And by his Death and Passion I belieue That vnto mercy he will me receiue Although my sinnes were
euen as Scarlet red And with vaine thoughts my heart was filled full Though in corruption I was borne and bred By Christ I yet am made as white as wooll So dearely hee hath all the world esteem'd That by his death the faithfull hee redeem'd Christ is the onely Shepheard of renowne Who loue 's his sheepe so truely and so deare That for their sakes his life he did lay downe That they by him might Crownes of Glory weare In that celestiall place prepar'd for those Which true Repentance from their hearts disclose Sweet Iesus I haue often gone astray And erred both in thought in word and deed O lead me now into the perfect way Though great my sinnes thy mercies great exceed With mercy Lord me straying sheepe behold And bring me backe againe into thy Fold Grant gracious Father I thy Lawes may keepe And that thy Statutes I may right obey That when the Goates are seuer'd from the Sheepe At thy right hand I may with comfort stay Where I shall heare that blessed voyce Venite So neuer feare that cursed sentence Ite In Iustice Lord doe not behold my sinne To take thereof a strict and strait accompt Nor in iust iudgement doe not once begin To punish mee because my sinnes surmount All other sinners whatsoere they be In Mercy not in Iustice looke on mee Lord keepe mee euer from presumptuous sinne So guide direct and order all my wayes That I regenerate may a new begin To serue thee right and giue thee perfect prayse For who can magnifie thee in the pit Or giue thee praise which doe in darknesse sit O Lord to thee I sue I beg intreat Not for my merits but thy mercies sake To grant me mercy from thy mercy seate For my deseruings me accursed make Which if thou shouldst no better me regard Death and Hell-fire would be my iust reward With Sinne and Shame I am inuiron'd round Sinne at my right hand Shame stands at my left And vice and folly in me so abound That of thy graces I am quite bereft I sinne still shame at sinne I leese and win Thus daily walke I circuler in sinne I leese heauens blessed and all-glorious place In running head-long into sinne and errour I winne Prince Plutoes Court of blacke disgrace All fraught with dread with torment and with terrour This is my iust desert my due my meede If thou O Lord in Iustice should'st proceede Since then I am so wicked and so vaine So vilde so wretched in thy gracious fight My impure heart which filthy sinne doth staine Make pure O Lord and so reforme aright The inward man that being dead to sinne I may to righteousnesse anew begin And so to liue and liuing so to dye That dying so I so may liue againe And so to liue to all eternitie Amongst thy glorious Saints in heauen to raigne A sinners death thou Lord dost not desire If he repent and from his sinnes retyre Repentance then shall be the onely course To bring me into fauour with my God From Folly quite I will my selfe deuorce To which I haue beene wed twelue yeares and odde Twelue yeares and odde I haue beene vainely led More oft then there be hayres vpon my head I will begin my nunquam sera now And spend the remnant of my dayes in grace I haue confirm'd it with a solemne vow A life more godly euer to imbrace For God hath said from 's word he will not flee Who true repents shall truely pardon'd bee To this by word be firme himselfe hath tide Which stronger is then couenant bond or bill Yea better farre then all the world beside For hee all-faithfull is and euer will Then sinke Despayre into the depth of hell I le trust in God with whom I hope to dwell A PRAYER AGAINST TEMPTATION I Now haue vow'd from vanitie to flee To dedicate my life and loue to thee O gracious God grant I my vow may keepe Till Death close vp mine eyes with his dead sleepe For vnlesse thou be an assistant to it I of my selfe vnable am to doe it My nature is so sinfull weake and fraile That when that Sathan doth my thoughts assayle Hee oft of me the Victory doth winne So beares me head-long into grieuous sinne With Sathans boystrous and contagious blast Of great temptations here and there I 'me cast Vpon the Rockes of Feare Distresse and Woe Hope and Despayre doe oft to warring goe Sometimes I say that I will cease from sinne And yet through weaknesse I againe begin Sometimes this sinne I doe and then abhorre it And sometimes that then straight craue pardon for it I sinne and for my sinnes doe begge remission As if to sinne still I would haue commission Thus Sathan doth against my soule conspire In making of mee to my sinnes retyre Thy gracious aide I therefore doe deplore Good God that I may euer thee adore With feruent zeale and with an vpright heart Laying foule vice and vanity apart Infuse into my minde thy holy grace Make it for thee a sacred mansion place With holy weapons arme my brest within That I of Sathan may the conquest winne With Faith in thee with Hope and Confidence Let all these weapons Lord be my defence For what am I without thy gracious aide But euen a filthy loathsome sinner made What strength haue I the Diuell to withstand If thou be wanting with thy powerfull hand For that same great old enemy to man Goes still about to murther whom he can Defend mee Lord from his deuouring iawes And make me truely to obserue thy Lawes And as thy selfe mine onely maker art So frame my minde and so direct my heart That alway still may harbour in my brest Vnfained hate of that I now detest FINIS