serve thee faithfully both in the duties of piety and in other businesse of my place and calling that I may be a comfort to my husband aâ— example to my neighbours â— grace to my profession and â— meanes of glory to thy Name through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour Amen FINIS THE COMMON CALLES CRIES and Sounds of the BEL-MAN OR Divers verses to put us in minde of our mortality Which serve as warnings to be prepared at all times for the day of death LONDON Printed by G. M. for M. S. Junior at the Blew Bible in Green-Arbour 1639. THE BEL-MANS SOVNDS For Christmas day REmember all that on this Morne Our blesseds aviour Christ was borne Who issued from a Virgin pure Our soules from Satan to secure And patronise our feeble spirit That we through him may heaven inherit For Saint Stephens day THis blessed time beare in your mind How that blest Martyr Stephen died In whom was all that good confinde That might with flesh and blood abide In Doctrine and example he Taught what to doe and what to flee Full of the Spirit he would preach Against opinions false and naught Confute them to and bouldly teach What Christ himselfe to him had taught For which at last he lost his breath Ston'd by the stonie hearts to death Let us then learne by this blest Martyrs end To see our follies and our lives amend For Saint Iohns day THis man the Word did bouldly teach Saw Christ transform'd and did preach The glory in that Mount he saw And by that glory strove to draw The soule of man from sinfull thrall To heaven to which God send us all For Innocents day THe swords of Herods servants tooke Such sweet yong things as with a look Might make a heart of Marble melt But they no grace nor pittie felt Some from the cradle some awake Some sweetly sleeping some they take Dandled upon their mothers lap Some from their armes some from the pap For New-yeares day ALL you that doe the Bell-man heere The first day of this hopefull yeare â—oe in love admonish you So bid your old sins all adue And walk as Gods just Law requires In holy deeds and good desires Which if to doe you le doe your best God will in Christ forgive the rest For Saint Davids day I Am no Welchman but yet to show The love I to the Countrey owe I call this morning and be seeke Each man prepare him for his Leeke For as I heare some men say The first of March is Saint Davids day That worthy Britaine valiant wise Withstood his countries enemies And caused his Souldiers there to choose Leekes for to know them from his foes Who bravely fought and conquest wone And so the custome first begun Then weare your Lecks and doe not shame To memorize your worthies name So noble Britaines all adew Love stil King Charles for he loves you For the 5. of Novemb. AWake Britaines subjects with one accord Extoll and praise and magnifie the Lord Humble your hearts and with devotion sing Praises of thanks to God for our most gratious King This was the night when in a darkesome Cell Treason was found in earth it hatcht in hell And had it tooke effect what would avail'd our sorrow The traine being laid to have blowne us up o' th' morrow Yet God our guide reveal'd the damned plot And they themselves destroy'd and we were not Then let us not forget him thanks to render That hath preserv'd and kept our faiths Defender For Good Friday ALL you that now in bed do lie Know Iesus Christ this night did die â—â—r soules most sinfull for to save That we eternall life might have His whips his grones his crown of thorns Would make us weep lament and mourn For Sunday LEt labour passe let prayer be This day the chiefest worke for thee Thy selfe and servants more and lesse This day must let all labour passe ALL hale to you that sleepe and rest Repent awake your sins detest Call to your mind the day of doome For then our Saviour Christ will come Accompt to have he hath decreed Of every thought word worke and deed And as we have our times here past So shall our judgements be at last AS darke some night unto thy thoughts present What 't is to want the daies bright Element So let thy soule descend through contemplation Where utter darknesse keepes her habitation Where endlesse easelesse paines remedilesse Attend to torture sins curst wilfulnesse O then remember whilst thou yet hast time To call for mercy for each forepast crime And with good David wash thy bed with teares That so repentance may subdue hels feares Then shall thy sovle more purer then the Sunne Ioy as a Gyant her best race to run And in unspotted robes her selfe addresse To meet her Lord that Sonne of righteousnesse To whom with God the Father and the Spirit Be all due praise where all true joyes inherit THe Belman like tho wakefull morning Cocke Doth warne you to be vigilant and wise Looke to your fire your candle and your locke Prevent what may through negligence arise So may you sleepe with peace and wake with joy And no mischances shall your state annoy YOur beds compare unto the grave Then think what sepulcher you have For though you lay you downe to sleepe The Bell-man wakes your peace to keepe Andnightly walks the round about To see if fire and light be out But when the morne daies light appeares Be you as ready for your prayers So shall your labours thrive each day That you the Bel-man well may pay LIke to the Seaman is our life Tost by the waves of sinfull strife Finding no ground whereon to stand Vncertaine death is still at hand If that our lives so vainelesse be Then all the world is vanitie THose that live in wrathfull ire And goe to rest in any sinne They are worse unto their house then fire Or violent theeves that would breake in Then seek to shun with all your might That Hidras head that monstrous sin That God may blesse your goods abroad And eke also your selves within SLeepe on in peace yet waking be And dread his powerfull Majestie Who can translate the irkesome night rom darknesse to that glorious light Whose radient beames when once they rise With winged speed the darkenesse flies THou God that art our helpe at hand Preserve and keep our King and land â—rom forraigne and domesticke foes â—uch as the word and truth depose And ever prosper those of pittie That love the peace of this our Citie AWake from sleepe awake from sin With voice and heart to call on him VVho from above pleas'd to descend From Sathans malice to defend Our forfeit soules to that rich grace Where we may still behold his face LEt us repare and God implore That henceforth we transgres no more And that our joy be at this tide That we in him be satisfide Then shall we all for his deare sake
sorrowes of hell have compassed me round about and the snares of death have besieged me For on which side soever they looke or turne their eyes they doe continually behold occasions of sorrow and griefe and none at all of any ease or comfort The wise Virgins saith the Evangelist that stood ready prepared at the gate of the Bridegroome entred in and the gate was forthwith locked fast O locking everlasting O enclosure immortall O gate of all goodnesse which shal never any more be opened againe As if he had said more plainely the gate of pardon of mercy of comfort of grace of intercession of hope and of all other goodnesse is shut up for ever and ever Six daies and no more was Manna to be gathered but the seventh day which was the Sabbath day was there none to bee found and therefore shall he fast for ever that hath not in due time made his provision aforehand The sluggard saith the Wise man will not till his ground for feare of cold and therefore shall he beg his bread in summer and no man shall give him to eat And in another place he saith He that gathereth in summer is a wise sonne but hee that giveth himselfe to sleeping at that season is the sonne of confusion For what confusion can be greater then that which that miserable covetous rich man suffereth who with a few crums of bread that fell from his table might have purchased to himselfe abundance of everlasting felicity and glory in the kingdome of Heaven But because he would not give so small a thing he came to such an extreame necessity that he begged yea and shall for ever beg in vaine onely one drop of water and shall never obtaine it Who is not moved with that request of that unfortunate damned person who cried O father Abraham have compassion on me and send downe Lazarus unto me that hee may dip the tip of his finger in water and touch my tongue for these horrible flames doe torment me exceedingly What smaller request could there be desired than this He durst not request so much as one cup of water neither that Lazarus should put his whole hand into the water nor yet which is more to be wondered at did he request so much as the whole finger but onely the tip of it that it might but touch his tongue and yet even this alone would not be granted unto him Whereby thou maiest perceive how fast the gate of all consolation is shut up and how universall that interdict and excommunication is that is there laid upon the damned sith this rich Glutton could not obtaine so much as this small request So that wheresoever the damned persons doe turne their eyes and on which side soever they stretch their hands they shall not finde any manner of comfort be it never so small And as he that is in the Sea choaked and almost drowned under the water not finding any stay whereupon to set his foot stretcheth forth his hands oftentimes on every side in vaine because all that he graspeth after is thin and liquid water which deceives him even so shall it fare with the damned persons when they shall be drowned in that deepe Sea of so many miseries where they shall strive and struggle alwaies with death without finding any succour or place of stay whereupon they may rest themselves Now this is one of the greatest paines wherewith they be tormented in that cursed place for if these torments should have their continuance limited but for a certaine time though it were for a thousand yea a hundred thousand millions of yeares yet even this would be some little comfort unto them for nothing is perfectly great in case it have an end But alas they have not so much as this poore and miserable comfort but contrariwise their paines are equall in continuance with the eternity of Almighty God and the lasting of their misery with the eternity of Gods glory As long as Almighty God shall live so long shall they die and when Almighty God shall cease to be God then shall they also cease to be as they are O deadly life O immortall death I know not whether I may truely tearme thee either life or death for if thou be life why dost thou kill And if thou be death why doest thou endure Wherefore I will call thee neither the one nor the other for so much as in both of them there is contained something that is good as in life there is rest and in death there is an end which is a great comfort to the afflicted but thou hast neither rest nor end What art thou then Marry thou art the worst of life and the worst of death for of death thou hast the torment without any end and of life thou hast the continuance without any rest O bitter composition O unsavory purgation of our Lords cup of the which all the sinners of the earth shall drinke their part Now in this continuance in this eternity I would wish that thou my deare Christian brother wouldst fixe the eyes of thy consideration a little while and that as the cleane beast cheweth the cud even so thou wouldest weigh this point within thy selfe with great deliberation And to the intent thou maiest doe it the better consider a little the paines that a sicke man abideth in one evill night especially if he be vexed with any vehement griefe or sharpe disease Marke how oft he tumbleth and tosseth in his bed what disquietnesse he hath how long and tedious one night seemeth unto him how duely he counteth all the houres of the clocke and how long hee deemeth each houre of them to be how he passeth the time in wishing for the dawning of the day which notwithstanding is like to helpe him little towards the curing of his disease If this then be accounted so great a torment what torment shall that be thinke you in that everlasting night in hell which hath no morning nor so much as any hope of any dawning of the day O darknesse most obscure O night everlasting O night accursed even by the mouth of Almighty God and all his Saints That one shall wish for light and shall never see it neither shall the brightnesse of the morning arise any more Consider then what a kinde of torment shall that bee to live everlastingly in such a night as this is lying not in a soft bed as the sicke man doth but in a hot burning furnace foming out such terrible raging flames What shoulders shall be able to abide those horrible heats If it seeme to us as a thing intollerable to have onely some part of our feet standing upon a pan of burning coales for the space of repeating the Lords prayer What shall it be thinke you to stand body and soule burning in the midst of those everlasting hot raging fires in hell in comparison of which the fires of this world are but painted fires Is there any wit or judgement in this
Be blest a sleepe be blest awake SIth neither men nor Angels know When as the dreadful trump shal blow Nor when our Saviour Christ shall come To give the world a wofull doome Thinke then but what a case you 're in That sleepe in unrepented sinne O wake O wake O watch and pray And think upon this dreadfull day SLeepe not so sound rest not secure Marke well my words of this be sure The waking Virgins past the gate When those that slept came al too late Wherefore be watchfull in your center That you may with the bridegroome enter IF wicked impes wake day and night And keep their candle alwayes light And all their skill and practise bend To bring their damned plots to end Let us not sleepe but laud his skill That frustrates all their projects still THe night well spent the day drawes night Awake from sleep and sin defie All sluggish sloath expell away Have still in mind the judgement day When dead shall rise at trumpets call The graves shall open wide with all ARise from sin awake from sleepe The earth doth mourne The Heavens weepe The winds and Seas distempered bin And all by reason of mans sin Wherefore arise lay sleepe aside And call on God to be your guide From raging sword and arrowes flight And from the terrours of the night From fires flame from sin and sorrow God blesse you all and so good morrow ALL you which in your beds doe lie Vnto the Lord ye ought to cry â—hat he would pardon all your sins And thus the Belâ—mans prayer begins Lord give us grace our sinful life to mend And at the last to send a joyfull end â—aving put out your fire and your light â—or to conclude I bid you all good night MAns life is like a warfare on the earth Whose time is spent with troubles toyles and cares Subject to all temptations from his birth In woe he lives and dies at unnawares The surest signe true fortitude to show Is in his life all vice to overthrow O Harke O harke my Masters all To your poore servants cry and call And know all you that lie at ease That our great God may if he please Deprive you of your vitall breath Then sleeping thinke your sleepe is death LEt true repentance cleanse your sin And then your soules coÌ„mend to him That by his death hath rais'd and cur'd The dead the blind and them assured To give to them eternall rest To live in Heaven among the blest Confesse thy sins to God on hie Who pardons sinners when they cry Bewray thy faults to him in time Who will in Christ forgive thy crime HE that on the Crosse hath died And for our sins was crucified Be you ever blest in him And cleane remitted from your sin Be it granted as I have praid And so the Bel-man resteth paid ALL you that in bed doe lye Harken well to what I cry Leave off your sins repentance crave It is the onely way your soules to save REpent in time while ye have breath RepentaÌ„ce commeth not after death He therefore that will live for aye Must leave his sins and to God pray O Gratious God and blessed Preserve all ye that be in bed So that your quiet rest may take Vntill the morning that ye wake Then may ye all with praises sing To thee O God our heavenly King REmember man thou art but dust There is none alive but dye he must To day a man to morrow none So soone our life is past and gone Mans life is like a withered flower Alive and dead all in an houre Leave of thy sins therefore in time And Christ will rid thee from thy crime O Mortall man that is made of dust In worldly riches put not thy trust Remember how thy time doth passe Even like the sand that from the Glasse â—ath spent the time and there remaines â—ever canst thou call that time againe SIcke men complaine they cannot sleepe The Bel-man such a noise doth keepe Others that doe win at play Sayes he too soone proclaimes the day Yet to the sicke that drawes short breath It puts them in the mind of death And saies the gamster makes good stake If he for Heaven so long would wake And all this while like silly worme He doth his office but performe Then if his duty breed disease Hee le goe to bed and none displease FINIS Psal 2. 2 3. Nequities vitae non siniâ— esse senem Rom. 6. 12. * * Conventum terrarioÌ„ orbis Justin l. 2. Dan. 5. Dan. 4. 2 King 25. Eccl. â— Eccl 1. 2. Ps 102 26. 1 Pet. 1 19. Ps 26. 10. In 〈◊〉 iâ—ctibâ—â— tacet in maâ—â— rides in utrisque Philosophatur 2 Sam. 3. Numb 25. 8. Isa 37. ult Dan. â— ult Lut. 12 Cyprian ser 5. de Laps Thus Franciâ— Spira cried out after hee had renounced the profession of true pietie for the possession of earths vanity Rev. 2â—