only only cunning in deniall In whose deniall vertue was so scant As when they not deni'd they most will graunt Wordes wit and fayrnesse or the smiling ginnes Wherewith they catch insnard men where to heauen Bestow'd for blessings are but bands to sinnes Abus'd whom God made straight those make euen Of whom the most are worst the fewer good The good not free for all he sweated bloud No sex was vncorrupt but all in all In euery fashion and in each degree Drew comfort from the sower-bitter Gall Of his afflictions therein to set free That soules from bondage and to coole that heate of iust damnation in his bloudy sweate The tide of killing Sinnes was swollen high And could not be abated to an ebb Before the blessed Son of God must dye Vndoing by his death the painefull webb The web of endlesse paynes that Sathan lay'd In which the Soules of sinners were betray'd Euen as a man that treades a wearie pace In laborinthes continually in doubt To find the center of the curious trace Once entred still vncertaine to get out Before some skillfull maister by a twist Doth guide him in or out or as he list Or as some Christian Marchant by a Turke Surprisd and chayn'd is made a gally-slaue Whipt euery day and forc't to toyle and worke Consum'd with griefe still liuing in a graue Vntill some one more strong doth free his payne And set's him in his wonted state agayne So men that in a maze of deathfull errour Did treade the pathes of miseries and woe Bound by that Turke the Deuill slau'd to that terror Of condemnation labour'd to and fro Till Christ by death did lead them out of sinne And free'd them from the bondage they were in The Deuill could not with his actiue might Preuaile against the Lord but he abates His policy and strength and skil'd in fight Conquer's the sting of Death cast downe hell gates Triumphes on sinne kept darke confusion vnder Breaking the cursed Dragons head a sunder Captiuitie led Captiue doth vn-maske The hideous visor of his dismall smiles And all the world shakes off the irkesome taske It had sustayn'd and see 's the deadly guiles The sugred bane the draught it had suck't vp Of spiced pleasures in a damned cup. A damned cup a cup of Gods fierce wrath Of fornications of consuming wine A cup such as restoratiues none hath But meere consumptions no way to refine New bloud as Cordialls but to ouer-cloy The Dyet of the Soule and Soule destroy All those hath Christes deere bloudy sweat layd openâ— For euen his death was but a sweate in bloud Offring to all in heart contrite and broken The benefit of life and liuing foode Not fooâ—e not Manna that shall perish waste Or stincke but bread that shall for euer last For euer last O who would spend his dayes In transitory follyes of delight Such as passe soone away and soone decayes Vanish assoone as thought forgotten quite When they beyond all tearme of time or date might raigne as Kings but in a happier state This did the Leacher sleeping in the sheetes Which reeke with lust but thinke on he would weepe This did the Drunkard reeling in the streetes Then only wise when hee doth onlie sleepe Consider he might sigh and not incline To vomit out his soule in streames of wine This did the Miscreants Gallant 's cald who boldly Teare Godes eternall name with liberall oathes Remember they would pray and not so coldly Quench zeale by warning pride in costly clothes For zeale doth last wheÌ„ clothes are worne rotten Men great once seen in rags are soone forgotten This did the gamsters spending nightes and dayes In loosing what they gaine such gaine is losse For-cast they would repent and haue such playes Reputing mony as it is but drosse They whiles other cheate in hope of slime Ill-gotten thrift doe cheate their selues of time This did the loâ—-sicke musicke-straining wanton Who leades his life in sonnetting some Ay-mâ—es Ponder he 'd cease and then there would be scant one En-amourd on so many lisping Shces But changing better notes they would take pittie On their owne soules and sing a sweeter dittie This did the bloody-minded butcher mildly Conceiue he would not be so flesht in strife He would not ouer-giuen be so wildly To stabbe to fight to scorne the weight of life Who seekes a name by murther and doth prize it Being termd a true braue Spirit hardly buyes it This did the mockers of th'elect and holy Whom God hath set on earth to do his will Regard they could not be so curst in folly As to perseuer in their miscniefe still Despising Preachers and nicke naming those With malice whom the holy ghost chose This did the women of much shame and badnesse Who prostitute their bodies do disgrace In penance and a feeling tuch of sadnesse But looke into they would not be so base To gaine diseases but with hearts all rent Redeeme the vnchast houres they haue mispent He that doth most addict himselfe to sin Did he but bathe his thoughts and once a day Wash through his earnest meditations in The bloody sweat of Christ and truely pray To be made cleane by sorrowes strongly vrged Soone should he hate his faults soone be purged But this to flesh and frailty is so strange So hard to thinke so difficult to doe As t is almost impossible to change From bad to good though God in mercy woe Mortality to tast of mercies treasure Yet O t is hard to leaue the baites of pleasure O thou that dalliest in secure content And dost not feele the sinnes that ouer-presse thee Thinke on his bloodie sweate and straight repent Before a heauier Iudgement do distresse thee And then alas in that vn-hopefull state The time is past thou wilt repent too late Christs bloody sweate was that distilling riuer The comfortable Iordan whose faire streames Did cleanse the Syrian Naaman and deliuer His bodie from the leprosies extreames We all are Naamans leprous but more foule Till in his bloody sweate he purge our soule Christs bloody sweate that precious poole is truely Bethesda cald where he that was dis-easd For eight and thirty yeares did waite most duly To be put in thereby to be releasd We all are sicke and languishingly houer Till in his bloody sweat we health recouerâ— Christs bloody sweat that Siloam is where he Must striue to wash his eyes who was borne blind In which pure lauer he attaind to see With eyes of body and with eyes of mind So must we wash our blinduesse is so great In the fresh fountaine of his bloody sweat These are the waters of eternall life And he that drinkes them shall not thirst againe Not springs of Meribath or floods of strife To moue contentions or produce disdaine For such as tast this licour shall possesse Sure peace of conscience perfect happinesse
defend vs As he fore-thinks the means that must coÌ„mend vs. When Christ prepar'd himselfe to die and beare The wrath of God that we in him might liue The time of his sowre passion drawing neare In which he was his life for vs to giue Retird alone his father to intreat His agonies brought forth a bloody sweat So when vpon the crosse he had indur'd The bitter pangs of hell and breathd the last Confounding death that had his death procur'd When all the tide of cruell griefes was past A souldier with a speare did pierce his side When blood with water gushing was espide Water and blood what could it else intend Or wher-unto so likened could it be But to the bloody sweat his soule did send Before his death opprest in agonie That as the first before his death diminisht Death of the soule this in his death that finisht He di'd indeed not as an actor dies To die to day and liue againe to morrow In shew to please the audience or disguise The idle habit of inforced sorrow The Crosse his stage was and he plaid the part Of one that for his friend did pawne his heart His heart he pawnd and yet not for his friend For who was friend to him or who did loue him But to his deadly foe he did extend His dearest blood to them that did reproue him For such as tooke his life from him he gaue Such life as by his life they could not haue Great miracle of loue redemptions wonder Where he that should be su'd to sues to those Who would not sue to him but still kept vnder That better part which he in mercy chose Rare president of value which discouers How loue is scant where plenty is of louers If we but looke into the little home The home of our owne selues we may espie How many pyrates still make haste to come To wrecke our soules whom whiles we do defie We entertaine and freely but vnsought Make marchandize of what we neuer bought The pearle and the treasures which the Lord Did witnesse were of an vnualued price Iesus did purchase of his owne accord To free vs from our death deseruing vice And left vs for an heritage the gaine Of life immortall euer to remaine Hels gaping wombe which euery minute sunke Millions of soules and would not be content With streams of blood which greedily it drunke But still cryde more his mercy did preuent For he shut vp the lawes and did acquit The rau'nous gorge of that deuouring pit The euer empty swallow of the graue And bottomlesse confusion of the deepe His blood hath made in vaine and this doth saue From dangers such as dangers dayly keepe Deaths sting it hath rebated and vn-edg'd Such soules as were in sorrowes bondage pledg'd What should a sinner doe or whither flie To hide him from his shame that euer wakes Poore man lesse then a man who cannot die Nor cannot liue so much his Care mistakes And still he drawes destruction with his breath As t' is all one to suffer life or death Sad thoughts like burning furies still pursue him And seeke his life who them aliue doth cherrish Fond thoughts whose inward eyes nosooner view him But kill that Maister who once dead they perish His thoughts do tell his conscience of his thrall His conscience makes him thinke that he must fall What shall he crie to mountaines to conceale him Or shall he beg the seas to ouer-drench him The mountaines are remou'd and cannot heale him The Seas are dry and they cannot entrench him But euer as he hopes the light to shun In groping for the night he findes the sunne A Sonne whose glory doth disclose abroade The secrets of his hearts and layes all open Lines out the sundry paths that he hath trode Vnfolds the seuerall treasons he hath spoken The inside of his bosome is apparant And he hath none excuse to pleade his warrant What can he now resolue but to retire Vnto the sweat of Christ and cleft in mind Humbled in meeke astonishment desire Comfort in this his bloody Bath to find Which bloody sweat when euery helpe doth faile To cure the soule that onely doth auaile Pure distillations are but vaine receits Curious to draine but comfortlesse in tast Compounded Cordials are vnwise deceits Whose vertue doth but with the present last Christs body is the Limbecke that must yeeld Distilled blood our soules from death to shield If pleasures honors money gifts promotion Phisicke restoratiues repasted diet Ease cost delights cold heate prophane deuotion Drinkes purges obseruation courtly quiet Or one or all the soules spots could expell Great Kings had neuer ran so fast to hell The Princes of the Sodomites the chiefes Of Aegypt Achab Eserod and the rest Had neuer felt the terrours of their griefes If art could haue a remedy exprest But therefore di'd they cause they know no good To purge them in the streame of Christ his blood The womans painting Iesabel the whore Of th' Israelitish monarch could not hide Her sins from God but as her selfe was poore In virtue so she dy'd in naked pride O had she feâ—ne Christs bloody sweat contâ—iâ—'d In his Eliahs griefe she might haue liâ—'d But they whom worldly pleasures wrap in woe Esteemd this sweat a fancie or a fable Which one day they will find was nothing so When to recall againe they are not able And their this blood which hath procurda crowne Shal be a flood not to refresh but drowne What is a man but dust made vp in forme Fraile weake corrupted keeping tiâ—e in motion A ship at sea â—re-turnd with euery storme Eates sleeps and dies vnsetled in deuotion In health vnbridled in his yeares a span A sading bloome and such a thing is man Mans beautie but a frame made vp in snow Immixt with waxe which melts with euery Sun Euen so experience teacheth men to know How soone this worke of frailtie is vndone A winters frost or summers parching heate Doth soone this pictures ornament defeate Yet as a cunning fire-worke lighted glowes Spits and with hissing wonders dares the skies Till being wasted downe it fal and showes No more his matter spent it weakely dies And vanisheth to aire and smoke so men In health are strong but dying vanish then Man as a cunning fire-worke in his power Dares God and heauen and kicks against the Lord Till all his force be spent then in an hower Abates decaies fals of his owne accord Being indeed as nothing in dcspaire Of doing ill fumes into smoke and aire But here is not the end of all his ilsâ— His greater soules vexation is behindâ— A death which both the soule and body kils To which the miserable are confind And then too late they wish to coâ—â—e the heate Of flames and brimstone in Christs bloody sweate If one condemnd for some notorious fact Labour his pardon and doth surely thinke His life is safe
fruition His Spirit my Confessor Faith the gift Which must absolue mee and his Loue my shrift Whiles on the Alter of his Innocence I le lay the poore oblation of my heart His Death shall be the Pardon to dispence With all my sins set free in euery part My teares the holy water and the fires To burne this sacrifice my chaste desires And now my God no day shall ouerslip mee But I will meditate on thy great passion My selfe accusing conscience shall so whip mee As I will neede no other condemnation Bee thou but pleas'd to pittie those my feares And eu'ry day I le wet thy tombe with teares This if a man can picke out time to doe His conscience may assure him that he is A sanctifi'd creature and cald to 〈◊〉 The happie tydings of eternall blisse And thus he may be sure that for Christs sake Chists bloodie sweat he doth indeed pertake So is he purg'd with water fed with blood Regenerate in Baptisme and made whole By eating the Lords Supper tasting good In the repasted diet of his soule Where by those bloodie streames of sweat did staine The cheekes of Christ were not all spent in vaine God will not thinke the heauineâ—â—e he â—eâ—â— Euen to the death when he was man with vs Paynes cast-away but as in loue he dealt With soule-endangered men by suffâ—â—ng thus Yet will he not repent when he shall know What thankfulnesse in heart we doe bestow The crimson dye of his carnation red Hath washt the soule in puritie of white The conduit of the water that he bled Hath dy'd the soule in graine of wishâ— delightâ— Water hath dy'd and blood hath washt 't is strange But true his vertue hath procur'd this change Nor is it strange since the most curious eye That saw him lead his solâ—ary life Whiles he was man on earth could not espiâ— One blemish in his actions prone to strife Buâ—all he spoke or did was wonders theame For euen the coate he wore was without sâ—ame For euen the coâ—â— he wore was without seame Implying his sinceritie and truth Vnmou'd in ioy vndaâ—â—â—â—d in extreame Nor fearing age nor â—ainly spending youth Louing where he was hated ayming still To saue from death such as were bent to kill To saue from death such as were bent to kill Men bloodiâ—â—â— in the fâ—stâ—s of cruell hate Of hatefull crueltie and to fulfill The wrath and measure of a wofull state Yet those with gentle sighes and teares his ayme Stroue from the day of vengeance to reclaime Stroue from the day of vengeance to re claime A day of vengeance when they shall behold His wounds to whom they gaue a deadly maime Crying Reâ—enge and they theâ— selues be fold Vnto an heauie doome yet Christ who saw it With 〈◊〉 perswasions labour'd to withdraw it With meeke perswasions labour'd to withdraw it And taught them by example how to shun Death whiles they liu'd who would not ouer awe it But headlong to their owne destruction run Yet He when no inuitement could intreat Wept for their errors in his bloodie sweat Wept for their errors in his bloodie sweat His bloodie sweat that crucifi'd delight Delight which all was smoother'd in a heat An heat of passion an vnsollac't sight Vnâ—ollac't sight when hee with griefes repleat Wept for sins error in his bloodie sweat Eyes were the Instruments ordayn'd to weepe But eyes in such a case must not suffice For his whole bodie did due order keepe It vndertooke the office of his eyes That as his eyes his precious teares did waste So did his heart bleede teares of blood as fast Wherein his sorrowes sadly did abound Not measur'd by compulsion but free will That as his eyes so might his heart be drown'd Surcharg'd with burthens of amazing ill And if his shedding teares his blood did paine His drops of blood pai'd back his teares againe His eye was but an echo to his heart Which answer'd euery accent of his woe While both his eye and heart did beare a part As said the one the other echo'd so Was euer man as I am quoth his eyes I am alas his heauie heart replyes His Eyes cry out in teares O cruell paine O cruell paine his Heart saies quoth his Eyes And must I then be flaire I must be slaine Answeres his Heart his eyes Ah let me die Me die his Heart his Eyes dye dye content I die content his Heart thus both consent Not like the fawning of some subtile queane Some Dalilah that flatters and beguiles Knowing Arts rule how to abuse the meane To laugh in teares and both to weepe in smilesâ— Christ could not doe so he wept teares in deed Such teares as 't was all one to weepe or bleed He wept not to deceiue but to reuiue He bleeded not in show but bled in proofe Not like the Crocadile life to deptiue But gaue such life as nere was not aloofeâ— He wept he bled he bled he wept a flood Blood in his teares and water in his blood Weeping and bleeding for offending men His bloodie sweat in agonies so fitted As for his enemies he groued then So for his owne and sins by both committed His enemies conceiu'd a fatall loathing His owne perceiuing all conceiued nothing Those few Apostles who had heard him teach And knew him to be Gods begotten sonne They 'mongst whom he euery day did preach Seeing the miracles that he had done Were weake in faith in vnderstanding dull Poore in their plentie steru'd with being full Blindnesse so farre their ignorance did tempt With weaknesse of beliefe ambitions feast As knowing Christ was come yet still they dreamt Of pettie Kings or being Dukes at least Supposing Christ's spirituall Kingdomes mirth Contain'd a goodly Kingdome here on earth And as the Anti-christian throne is now Propt vp with scarlet robes and triple crownes To vassailâ— Princes rights and to allow All as it likes or hates with smiles or frownes Commanding forcing with his proud decree Such did they hope the throne of Christ should bee For when the Lord had finisht now his errant Returning to his Father that had sent himâ— Sealing his power with his deaths strict warrantâ— When neither Hell nor Sathan could preuent him Yet dreamt they on and said Lord as before Wilt thou thy Kingdom now to vs restore Could this but breed his griefe when he foresaw Peters deniall his Apostles scatter'd His owne to feele the rigour of the Law Zeale cold Faith dead Hope lost frailtie batter'dâ— Deuisions breeding Kings aspiring great All these and such like brought his bloodie sweat For shortly he beheld the comming curse Vpon the sacred Scriptures Commentaries How though the Iewes were nought a people worse Whose studies are the Deuâ—ls Seminaries Should make the name of Iesus the diguise Of countenancing impudence and lyes Such like a nose of waxe doe wrest the word To colour sinne and hellishlyâ— peruert Christs sacred Gospell whiles with
one accord They boast the glorie of their owne desert Damning the sâ—mpe and the poore in minde As serues their lusts Blinde guides to lead the blinde All those the Lord foresaw and gron'd in Spirit Sweated in blood was heauie to the death That so his precious passion blamelesse merit Should be abus'd that he had giu'n his breath His life his ghost his soule yet could not win Such wretched creatures from inchanting sin Inchanting sinne that with it's cunning charmes Luls men in death-full sleepes and slily makes Impostum'd vlcers of vnsenced harmes Rockes them in Lethargies and neuer wakes Reason to feele the bane-impotion'd wrath Which by such dead securitie it hath This was the cause that from our Sauiour drew A bloodie sweat so grieuous to be borne As did the eyes of cruell men but view How with this bloodie tempest he was worne Humane compassion could not choose but melt To thinke vpon the sorrowes which he felt No measure did his payned soule acquaint With case or respite no Arithmeticke Cast vp the summe of his vnheard complaint No heart conceiue the dolours that did pricke With fiery stings his manhood and appall His face with streames which burst in twain his gall For as a Riuer running in a round Hauing no vent or sluce to slide away Will make by force eruptions in the ground Drowne all the neighbour-land and neuer stay Till with a violent course and headlong rage It slacke his strength and of it selfe asswage Euen so the tide of many griefes abounding Sweld in the bosome of the Sonne of God Still growing to a head and still confounding His fraile mortalitie deepe horrors rod Till bursting foorth with might and furie great It drown'd his bodie in a bloodie sweat Who euer saw as often hath beene seene A shoure of blood but thought it did portend Some doome of Iudgement or some angry teene Of heauens-incensed King So heere the end Of this strange bloodie raine doth shew in briefe How shortly Christ was to be wrapt in griefe The pangs of death th'ntollerable paines Which wofull creatures were to vndergoe The man Christ Iesus in this sweat sustaines Consuming wrath and soule-deuouring woe He felt that he vs men might timely free From Gods vnchanging and diuine Decree Not that his death could abrogate the will Of his great Father for he aym'd not to it But that in death he wholly might fulfill The eternall Iustice as hee came to doe it Who as hee death from men for sin required Had in his Sons death more than death desired Yet neither did the Death or Bloodie sweat Of Christ extend to soules ordain'd to Hell But to the chosen and elect beget A double life although the Scriptures tell How this meeke Lambe of God did chiefly come To call the lost sheepe and the strayers home Looke how the blessed doe pertake the good Sweete pledge of bountie precious Seale of Ioyes Which issues from his Water and his Blood So both alike the Reprobate destroyes Gods mercies to the Righteous to his foes Are Iustice to augment their enlesse woes When Isack's seede fled from th' Egyptian force And through the Red Sea tooke the readie way The waters stood on heapes and slaid their course Both waues and windes the passage did obey And in those waters safely paston ground In which whiles Pharaoh follow'd he was drown'd Whereby as water sau'd the Lords Elect And led them through the terrors of the deepe So water to them of a deulish sect Prou'd sod ine death and neuer-waking sleepe Christs blooâ—ie sweat is that Red Sea whose power Secures the good and doth the bad deuoure The Cloude and fierie â—illeâ— that gaue lightâ— Vnto the children in the desert plainesâ— The one by day the other shin'd by night Guiding their iourneis comforting their paines Were to the Hoast of Egypt mistes obscure To blind their eyes and certaine death procure Which burning Pillar and which shining Cloud Is Christ vnto whose blood such are baptiz'd As by the Holy Spirit are allow'd When otherwise all such as are despis'd Are darkned in the comforts of their sight And loose the glorie of this holy light A greater ligh more holy and Diuine Surpâ—ssing all the splendour of the Sun Could neuer to the eyes of mortals shine Then this most sacred Blood which hath vndon And laid to publick view the Mount of Euill Which both was fram'd and colourd by the Deuill In after-times when in the winters cold Folkes vse to warme them by their nightly fires Such Parents as the time of life termes old Wasting the season as the night requires In stead of tales may to their children tell What to the Lord of glorie once befell Once may they say my childe a time there was When men were beasts so cruelly they liu'd As they did nights and dayes in pleasure passe Like some of Reason and of Sence depriu'd Not fearing God or louing man giu'n ore To Lust and Will as beasts could doe no more The naughtie Deuill slylie did intice By sensuall sports and pittilesse deceits Our weake fore-fathers to insnaring vice Masking his tyrannie with wanton baites And wee in them did euery thing he wil'd vs Till the foule feind my childe had almost kild vs. But straight when our good God almightie saw How neere vnto the Pit-hole wee were brought For being not obedient to his Law He forthwith of a remedie bethought And hee to saue vs from this wicked Feind His onely Sonne into the world did send A louely Sonne my childe a daintie boy Who had a cheeke as red as any cherie Sweete babie was his mothers only ioy And made her â—eauie heart full often merie Who though he were Gods Son yet like a stranger Hee in a Stable borne was in a Manger And poore God knowes he was my childe not fine Or like a gentleman in gay attyre But simple clothes hee had which was a signe How little to be proud hee did desire Yet if hee would haue sought for worldly grace Hee might haue gone in silke and golden lace When he was twelue yeeres old marke this my child Hee was a perfect Scholer and did pose Great learned clarkes and Doctors but so milde As hee would neuer chide but rather chose To teach then anger and one might perswade him To doe whats'uer any bodie bad him Thirtie good yeeres and odde this blessed man Liu'd on the earth in all which time he seem'd So comfortlesse with lookes so pale and wan As if he had not bin by men esteem'd Full many an hungry meale he made and lay Bare leg'd and bare-foote many a day Hee neuer laugh'd but he did euermore Weepe weepe continually and O my child Hee neuer did none harme he holpt the poore Cur'd tht diseas'd and such as were beguild With witches and with wicked things God blesse vs He droue them from vs when they would oppres vs. And hee made much of