present or of the time to come or of any other meanes The damned soules thinke that all men are shooting darts at them and that all creatures haue conspired against them that euen they themselues are cruell against themselues This is that distresse whereof the sinners doe lament by the Prophet saying The sorrowes of hell haue compassed me round about and the snares of death haue besieged me For on which side so â—uâ—r 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 Euange list that stood ready prepared at the gate of the Bridegrome entred in and the gate was forthwith locked fast O locking euerlasting O enclosure immortal O gate of all goodnesse which shal neuer anâ— more be opened againe As if he had said more plainly the gate of pardon of mercy of comfort of grace oâ— intercession of hope and of all other goodnesse is shut vp for euer and euer Six dayes and no more was Manna to be gathered but the seuenth day which was the Saâ—â—bath day was there none to be found and therefore shall he fast for euer that hath not in due â—â—me made his prouision aforehand The sluggâ—rd saith he wise man will not till his ground for feare of cold and therefore shall he beg his bread in summer and no man shall giue him to eat And in another place he saith He that gathereth in summer is a wise sonne but he that giueth himselfe to sleeping at that season is the sonne of confusion For what confusion can be greater then that which that miserable couetous rich man suffereth who with a few crâ—ms of bread that fell from his table might haue purchased to himselfe abundance of euerlasting felicitie and glory in the kingdome of heauen But because he would not giue so small a thing he came to such an extreame necessity that he begged yea and shall for euer beg in vaine onely one drop of water and shall neuer obtaine it Who is not moued with that request of that vnfortunate damned person who cried O father Abraham haue compassion on me and send downe Lazarus vnto me that he 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 euen this alone would not be granted vnto him Whereby thou maiest perceiue how fast the gate of all consolation is shut vp and how vniuersall that interdict â—d excommunication is that iâ— there laid vpon the damned siâ—h this rich Glutton could not obtaine so much as this small request So that wheresoeuer the damned persons doe turne their eyes and on which sid soeuer they stretch their hands they shall nor finde any manner of comfort â—e it neuer so small And as he that is in the Sâ—a choaked and almost drowned vnder the water not finding any stâ—y whereupon to â—â—t his foâ—t stretcheth forth his hands oftentimes on euery side in vain because all that he graspeth after is thin and liquid water which deceiues him euen so shall it fare with the damned persons when they shall be drowned in that deepe Sea of so many miseries where they shall striue and struggle alwaies with death without finding any succour or place of stay whereupon they may rest themselues Now this is one of the greatest paines wherewith they be tormented in that cursed place for if thâ—se torments should haue their continuance limited but for a certaine time though it were for a thousand yea a hundred thousand millions of yeares yet euen this would be some little comfort vnto them for nothing is perfectly great in case it haue an end But alas they haue 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 lâ—sting of their misery with the eternity of Gods glory As long as almighty God shall liue so long shall they dye 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 kil 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 vnsauory 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 euen 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 euill night especially if he be vexed with any vehement griefe or sharpe disease Marke how oft he tumbleth and tossâ—th in his bed what disquietnesse he hath how long tedious one night seemeth vnto him how duâ—ly he counteth all the houres of the clocke and how long he 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 euerlasting 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 euerlasting O night accuâ—sed euen by the mouth of almighty God and all his Saints That one shall wish for light and shall neuer see it neither shall the brightnesse of the morning arise any more Consider then what a kinde of torment shall that be to liue euerlastingly in such a night as this is lying not in a soft bed as the sicke man doth but in a hot burning furnace feming out such terrible raging flames What shoulders shall be able to abide those horrible heats If it seeme to vs as a thing intollerable to haue onely some part of our feet
thou hast Were it not a point of wisedome after so long time and so many great iniuries to feare the most terrible iustice of Almighty God who the more patiently he suffereth sinners the more hee doth afterwards punish them with seueritie iustice Were it not meet for thee to â—eare thy long continuance so many yeares in sinne and in the â—ispleasure of Almighty God procuring there by against thee such a mighty aduersary as he is and prouoking him of a mercifull louing father to become thy seuere terrible iudge and enemy Were ir not meet to feare least that the force of euill custome may in continuance of time be turned into nature and that thy long vicious vsuall manner of committing sinne may make of a vice a necessity or little lesse Why art thou not afraid least by little and little thou maiest cast thy selfe downe head long into the deep pit of a reprobate sence whereinto after that a man is once falne hee neuer maketh account of any sinne be it neuer so great The Patriarke Iacob said vnto Laban his father in law These foureteene yeares haue I serued thee and looking to thine affaires now it is time that I should looke to mine owne and begin to attend vnto the affaires of mine owne houshold Wherefore if thou hast likewise bestowed so many yeares in the seruice of this world and of this fraile transitory life were it not good reason that thou shouldest now begin to make some prouision for the saluation of thy soule and for the euerlasting life to come There is nothing more short nor more transitory then the life of man and therefore prouiding so carefully as thou doest for all such things as be necessarie for this life which is so short why doest thou not prouide likewise somewhat for the life that is to come which life shall endure for euer and euer A Sigh HEnce lazie sleepe tbou sonne of sullen night That with soft-breathing Spels keeps sorrowes vnder Thy charmes cheares vp the spirits with delight And laps the Sences in Lethaean stumber Packe and â—e gone for my sad soule knowes well Care best accordeth with a gloomie Cell And what more darke then my sin-clouded Soule Where yet the Sunne of Sapience neuer shone But still in Errors vgly câ—ue did roule Where nought keepes concord but discordant mone Leaue me I say and giue me leaue to tell That to my Soule my selfe ha's not done well Good man if good there liues one Thou that art So farre thrust from the worlds imperiouseyes Helpe me to act this penitentiall part I meane No coyner of new Niceties Nor wodden Worshipper Giue me him than That 's a God-louing and good-liuing man To be my partner in this Tragedie Whose scenes run bleeding through the wounded Acts Heart-strucke by Sinne and Satans fallacie And poyson'd by my selfe-dcommitted facts Send me thy prayers if not thy presence found To stop the Ore-face of this streaming wound Steere me sweet Sauiour while I safe haue past The stormie Euroclydons of Despaire Till happily I haue arriu'd at last To touch at Thee my Soules sole-sauing stayre Tow vp my sin-frought Soule sunke downe below And long lien weltring midst the waues of wo. New rig me vp lest wallowing I orewhelme Thy Mercy be my Main-mast And for Sayles My Sighs thy Truth my tackling Faith my Helme My ballast Loue Hope Anchor that ne're failes Then in Heau'ns hauen calme Peace me arriue Where once enharbor'd I shall richly thrine Woes me how long ha's Pride besotted me Proposing to â—im Reason my good parts My nimble Wit my quicke procliuitie To Apprehension and in high desarts How many stood beneath me I vaine foole Thus fob'd by Satans steights ore-slipt my Soule Who in darke Error downe embodied lies Blacke as the Star-lesse Night and hideously Impuritie with rustie wings crosse flies Betwixt the Sunne of Righteousnesse and me Whil'st Bat-like beats my Soule her leather sayles Gainst the soft Ayre and rising fals and failes Must I for each vnsyllabled close Thought Render account O wit fi'lde Conference Cal'd in is thy protection then deare bought How was my brow o'rehatcht with Impudence To let whole worlds of words my cheekes vp-swell The least of whom would ding me downe to Hell O wretched Impes then of mans impious race who 'l breath out Blasphemies to make a Iest And call wit flashing the sole punctuall grace Of genuine knowledge But amongst the rest Iudge in what case are those wit-hucksters in That hourely practise this soule sinking sinne O may my tongue be euer riuetted Fast to my roofe but when it speakes Gods praise May not one vocall sound by breath be fed But when it carols out celestiall Layes Let not one tone through my tongues hatches flye But what beares with 't heau'ns glories harmonie Helpe Lord of power my feeble-ioynted praiers To clamber th' azure Mountaines throwne aboue me And keepe a seat for me there mongst thâ—se haires Apportion'd out to such as truely loue thee Admit them in thine eares a resting roome Vntill to thee and them my soule shall come Meane while moyst ey'd Repentance here below Shall Inmate wise be Tenant to my minde For Prayers without true Penitence doe show Like meats vnseason'd or like Bils vnsign'd Or corne on tops of Cottages that growes Which vselesse no man either reapes or sowes O how my Soule 's surpriz'd with shallow feares When thinking to leane on Lifes broken staffe And counting to mine age large summes of yeares I heare the sweet and sacred Psalmograph Compare Life to a Flowre a Puffe a Span Who 's Monarch now next minute 's not a Man Must I needs dye why surfet â—on Pleasure Must Ineeds dye why swim I in Delight Must I needs dye why squint I after Treasure Must I needs dye why liue I not aright Must I needs dye why liue I then in sin Thrice better for me I had neuer bin Fountaine of breathing Dust such grace me giue That I in life prepare in dust to lye Let me be dying still whiles I doe liue That I may blisfull liue when I shall dye For in Christs Schoole this Paradox learne I Who dies before he dies shall neuer die If I must die then after must begin The life of Ioy or Torment without end The life of Torment purchas'd is by sinne The life of Ioy by life that learnes t' amend Why should I then prophane sweare curse lust lie If I but thinke on this That I must die Why should I quaffe to more then Nature can Sith more drinke I gaine more losse is mine For may I not be tearm'd a bestiall man To drowne my Reason in a cup of wine Yea tenfold worse Thus monster made at least God made me Man I make my selfe a Beast How swelt I with hard trauell through the Dale That leads to Prophanations irkesome cell But freeze by softly pacing vp the skale Where burning zeale and her bright sisters dwell Thus sweat I in the
deere Son that my desire may manifestly appeare to be set for the encrease of thy Kingdome Vouchsafe so to order my affections to bring them in obedience vnto thee that if it shold be thy pleasure either now or hereafter to take this Infant froÌ„ me I may as willingly part with it as thou freely gane it me And now O God perfect in mee that strength which thou hast begun make me to grow in care to serue thee faithfully both in the duties of pietie and in other businesse of my place and calling that I may be a comfort to my husband and example to my neighbours a grace to my profession and a meanes of glorie to thy Name through Iesus Christ my Lord and Sauiour Amen FINIS THE Common Cals Cryes and Sounds of the Bell-man OR Diuers Verses to put vs in minde of our mortalitie Which may serue as warnings to be prepared at all times for the day of our death Printed at London for M. S. 1628. For Christmas day REmember all that on this morne Our blessed Sauior Christ was borne Who issued from a Virgin pure Our soules from Sathan to secure And patronise our feeble spirit That we through him may heauen inherit For Saint Stephens night THis blessed time beare in your minde How that blest Martyr Stephen dyed In whom was all that good confinde That might with flesh and bloud 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 too and boldly teach What Christ himselfe to him had taught For which at last he lost his breath Ston'd by the stony hearts to death Let vs then learn by this blest Martyrs end To see our â—oliies and our liues amend For Saint Johns day THis man the word did boldly teach Saw Christ transformed and did preach The glory in that Mount he saw And by that glory stroue to draw The soule of man to sinne a thrall To heauen to which God send vs all For Innocents day THe swords of Herods seruants tooke Such sweet yong things as with a look Might make a heart of Marble melt But they nor grace nor pittie felt Some from the cradle some awake Some sweetly sleeping some they take Dandled vpon their mothers lap Some from their armes some from the pap For New-yeares day ALL you that doe the Bell-man heare The first day of this hopefull yeare I doe in loue admonish you To bid your old sins all adue And walke as Gods iust Law requires In holy deeds and good desires Which if to doe you le doe your best God will in Christ forgiue the rest For Saint Dauids day I Am no Welchman but yet to show The loue 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 Dauids 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 Wâ—o brauely fought and conquest won And so the custome first begun Then weare your Leeks and doe not shame To memorize your worthies name So noble Britaines all adew Loue still King Charles for he loues you For the 5. of Nouemb. Awake Britaines subiects with one accord Extoll and praise and magnifie the Lord Humble your hearts and with deuotion sing Praises of thanks to God for our most gracious King This was the night when in a dark some Cell Treason was found in earth it hatcht in hell And had it tooke effect what would auail'd our sorrow The traine being laid to haue blowne vs vp o th' morrow Yet God our guide reueal'd the damned plot And they themselues destroy'd and we were not Then let vs not forget him thankes to render That hath preseru'd and kept our saiths desender For Good Fryday ALL you that now in bed doe lye Know Iesus Christ this night did dye Our soules most sinfull for to saue That we eternall life might haue His whips his grones his crown of thornes Would make vs weepe lament and mourn For Sunday LEt labour passe let prayer be This day the chiefest worke for thee Thy selfe and seruants more and lesse This day must let all labour passe All hale to you that sleepe and rest Repent awake your sinnes detest Call to your minde the day of doome For then our Sauiour Christ will come Accompt to haue be hath decreed Of euery thought word worke and deede And as we haue our times here past So shall our Iudgements be at last AS darke some night vnto thy thoughts present What 't is to want the dayes bright Element So let thy soule descend through contemplation Where vtter darknesse keepes her habitation Where endlesse easelesse pines remedilesse Attend to torture sinnes curst wilfulnesse O then remember whilst thou yet hast time To call for mercy for each forepast crime And with good Dauid wash thy bed with teares That so repentance may subdue hels feares Then shall thy soule more purer then the Sunne Ioy as a Gyant her best race to runne And in vnspotted 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 ioyes inherit THe Belman like the wakefull morning Cocke Doth warne you to be vigilant and wise Looke to your fire your candle and your locke Preuent what may through negligence arise So may you sleepe with peace and wake with ioy And no mischances shall your state annoy YOur beds compare vnto the graue Then thinke what sepulcher you haue For though you lay you downe to sleepe The Belman wakes your peace to keepe And nightly walkes the round about To see if fire and light be out But when the morne dayes light appeares Be you as ready for your prayers So shall your labours thriue each day That you the Belman well may pay Like to the Seaman is our life Tost by the waues of sinfull strife Finding no ground whereon to stand Vncertaine death is still at hand If that our liues so vainlesse be Then all the world is vanitie THose that liue in wrath and ire And goe to rest in any sinne They are worse vnto their house the fire Or violent theeues that would breake in Then seeke to shun with all your might That Hidr as head that monstrous sin That God may blesse your goods abroad And eke also your selues within SLeepe on in peace yet waking be And dread his powerfull Maiestie Who can translate the irkesome night From darknesse to that glorious light Whose radient beames when once they rise With winged speed the darknesse flyes THou God that art our helpe at hand Preserue and keepe our King land Frem forraigne and domesticke foes Such as the word and truth depose And euer prosper those of pittie That loue the peace of this our Citie
after perill eternall rest after their paines and trauels for then are the warres at an end then need they no more to goe all armed both on the right side and on the left The children of Israel went forth armed towards the land of Promise but after that the land was conquered they laid downe their speares and cast away their armour and forgetting all feare aud turmoile of warre each one vnder the shaddow of his pavillion harbour enioyed the fruit of their sweet peace Now may the watching Prophet come downe from his standing that did watch and fix his feete vpon the place of the Sentinell There is no more feare of inuasion by the terrible armies of the bloody enemies there is no place for the subtill crafts of the lurking viper there cannot ariue the deadly sight of the venomous Baseliske nor yet shall the hissing of the ancient Serpent be heard there but onely the soft breathing ayre of the holy Ghost wherein is beholden the glory of Almighty God This is the region of all peace the place of security situated aboue all the Elements whether the cloudes and stormie winds of the darke ayre cannot come O what glorious things haue beene spoken of thee O Citie of God Blessed are they saith holy Tobias that loue thee and enioy thy peace O my soule praise our Lord for he hath deliuered Ierusalem his Citie from all her troubles Happy shall I be if the remnant of my posterity might come to see the clearenesse of Ierusalem her gates shall be wrought with Zaphirs and Emeraulds and all the circuit of her wals shall bee built with precious stones her streets shall bee paued with white and polished marble and in all parts of her territories shal bee sung Halleluia O ioyfull countrey O sweete glory O blessed companie who shall be those so fortunate and happy that are elected for thee It seemeth a presumption to desire thee and yet I will not liue without the desire of thee O ye sonnes of Adam a race of mâ—n miserably blinded and deceiued O ye scattered sheepe wandring out of your right way if this be your sheep-coat whether goe you backeward What meane you Why suffer you such an excellent benefit to be wilfully lost for not taking so little paines What wise man would not desire that all labour paine of the world were imposed vnto him that all sorrowes afflictions and diseases were euen poured vpon him as thicke as haile that persecutions tribulations and griefes with one to molest him another to disquiet him yea that all creatures in the world did conspire against him being scorned and made a laughing stocke of all men and that his whole life were conuerted into weepings and lamentations so that in the next life hee might finde repose in the heauenly harbor of eternall consolation and bee thought meet to haue a place among that blessed people which are adorned and beautified with such inestimable glory And thou O foolish louer of this miserable world go thy way seek as long as thou wilt for honors promotions build sumptuons houses pallaces purchase lands possessions inlarge thy territories dominions yeaÌ„ coÌ„mand if thou wilt the whole world yet shalt thou neuer bee so great as the least of all the seruants of Almighty God who shall receiue that treasure which this world cannot giue and shall enioy that felicity which shall endure for euermore when thou with thy pompe and riches shall beare the rich glutton company whose buriall is in the deepe vault of hell but the deuout spirituall man shall bee carried by the holy Angels with poore Lazarus into Abrahams bosome a place of perpetuall rest ioy sollace and eternall happinesse Of the benefits which our Lord promiseth to giue in this present life to such as liue a iust and godly life PEradventure thou wilt now say that all these things before rehearsed be rewards punishments onely for the life to come and that thou desirest to see something in this present life because our minds are wont to be moued very much with the sight of things present To satisfie thee herein I will also explaine vnto thee what may answere thy desire For although our Lord do reserue the best wine and the delicate dishes of most delight vntill the end of the banket yet he suffereth not his friends to bee vtterly destitute of meate and drinke in this tedious voyage for hee knoweth very well that they could not otherwise hold out in their iourney And therefore when he said vnto Abraham Feare not Abraham for I am thy defender and thy reward shall be exceeding great By these words he promised two things the one for the time present that was to bee his safegard and defence in all such things as may happen in this life and the other for the time to come and that is the reward of glory which is reserued for the next life But how great the first promise is and how many kinds of benefits and fauours are therein included no man is able to vnderstand but onely he that hath with great diligence read the holy Scriptures wherein no one thing is more often repeated and set forth than the greatnesse of the fauours benefits and priuiledges which Almighty God promiseth vnto his friends in this life Hearken what Salomon saith in the third chapter of his Prouerbs as touching this matter Blessed is that man that findeth wisdome for it is better to haue it than all the treasures of Siluer and Gold be they neuer so excellent and precious and it is more worth than all the riches of the world and whatsoeuer mans heart is able to desire is not comparable vnto it The length of daies are at her right hand and riches and glorie at her left Her waies be pleasant and all her passages he quiet she is a tree of life to all those that haue obtained her and hee that shall haue her in continuall possession shall be blessed Keepe therefore O my sonne the lawes of Almightie God and his counsell for they shall he as life to thy soâ—le and sweetnesse to thy taste â—hen shaâ—â— thou walke safely in 〈…〉 sies and thy â—eet shall not finde any stumbling blockes If thou sleep thou shalt haue no cause to feare and if thou take thy rest thy sleepe shall be quiet This is the sweetnesse and quietnesse of the way of the godly but the wayes of the wicked are farre different as the holy Scripture doth declare vnto vs. The paths and wayes of the wicked saith Ecclesiasticus are full of brambles and at the end of their iourney are prepared for them hell darknesse and pains Doest thou thinke it then a good exchange to forsake the wayes of Almighty God for the waies of the world sith there is so great difference betweene the one and the other not onely in the end of the way but also in all the steps of the same What madnesse can be greater than to choose one
torment to gaine another by rather than with one rest to gaine another rest And that thou maist more clearely perceiue the excellency of this rest and what a number of benefits are presently incident thereunto I beseech thee harken attentiuely euen what Almighty God himselfe hath promised by his Prophet Esay to the obseruers of his law in a manner with these words as diuers interpreters doe expound them When thou shalt doe saith hee such and such things which I haue commanded thee to doe there shall forthwith appeare vnto thee the dawning of the cleare day that is the sonne of iustice which shall driue away all the darkenesse of thy errours and miseries and then shalt thou begin to enioy true and perfit saluation Now these are the benefits which Almighty God hath promised to his seruants And albeit some of them be for the time to come yet are some of them to be presently receiued in this life as that new light and shining from heauen that safety and abundance of all good things that assured confidence and trust in the almighty God that diuine assistance in all our Prayers and Petitions made vnto him that peace and tranquility of conscience that protection and prouidence of Almighty God All these are the gracious gifts and fauours which Almighty God hath promised to his seruants in this life They all are the works of his mercy effects of his grace testimonies of his loue and blessings which he of his fatherly prouidence extendeth To be short all these benefits doe the godly inioy both in this present life and in the life to come and of all these are the vngodly depriued both in the one life and in the other Whereby thou maist easily perceiue what difference there is betweene the one sort and the other seeing the one is so rich in graces and the other so poore and needy For if thou ponder well Gods promised blessings and consider the state and condition of the good and the wicked thou shalt find that the one sort is highly in the fauour of Almighty God and the other deepely in his displeasure the one be his friends and the other his enemies the one be in light and the other in darkenesse the one doe enioy the company of Angels and the other the filthy pleasures and delights of Swine the one are truely free and Lords ouer themselues and the other are become bondslaues vnto Sathan and vnto their owne lusts and appetites The one are ioyfull with the witnesse of a good conscience and the other except they bee vtterly blinded are continually bitten with the worme of conscience euermore gnawing on them the one in tribulation stand stedfastly in their proper place and the other like light chaffe are carried vp and downe with euery blast of winde the one stand secure and firme with the anker of hope and the other are vnstable evermore yeelding vnto the assaults of fortune the prayers of the one are acceptable liking vnto God and the praiers of the other are abhorred and accursed the death of the one is quiet peaceable and precious in the sight of God and the death of the other is vnquiet painefull and troubled with a thousand frights and terrours To conclude the one liue like children vnder the protection and defence of Almighty God and sleepe sweetly vnder the shaddow of his pastorall prouidence and the other being excluded from this kinde of prouidence wander abroad as straied sheepe without their sheepheard and Master lying wide open to all the perils dangers and assaults of the world Seeing then that a vertuous life is accompanied with all these benefits what is the cause that should withdraw thee and perswade thee not to embrace such a precious treasure what art thou able to alledge for excuse of thy great negligence To say that this is not true it cannot be admitted for so much as Gods word doth aâ—ouch the certaintie hereof To say that these are but small benefits thou canst not for so much as they doe exceede all that mans heart can desire To say that thou art an enemy vnto thy selfe and that thou doest not desire these benefits cannot be considering that a man is euen naturally a friend to himselfe the will of man hath euer an eye to his owne benefit which is the very obiect or mark that his desire shooteth at To say that thou hast no vnderstanding nor taste of these benefits it wil not serue to discharge thine offence for somuch as thou hast the faith and beleefe thereof though thou hast not the taste for the taste is lost through sinne but not the faith and the faith is a witnesse more certaine moresecure and better to be trusted than all other experiences and witnesses in the world Why doest thou not then discredit all other witnesses with this one assured testimony Why doest thou not rather giue credit vnto faith than to thine owne opinion and iudgement O that thou wouldest make a resolute determination to submit thy selfe into the hands of Almighty God and to put thy whole trust assuredly in him How soone shouldest thou then see all these Prophesies fulfilled in thee then shouldest thou see the excellency of these diuine treasures then shouldest thou see how starke blinde the louers of this world are that seeke not after this high treasure then shouldest thou see vpon what good ground our Sauiour inuiteth vs to this kinde of life saying Come vnto me all yee that trauell and are loaden and I will refresh you take my yoake vpon you and you shall finde rest for your soules for my yoake is sweet and my burden is light Almightie God is no deceiuer nor false promiser neither yet is he a great boaster of such things as he promiseth Why dost thou then shrinke backe why dost thou refuse peace and true quietnesse why dost thou refuse the gentle offers and sweet callings of thy Pastor how darest thou despise and banish away vertue from thee which hath such prerogatiues and priuiledges as these be and withall confirmed and signed euen with the hand of Almighty God The Queene of Saba heard far lesse things than these of Salomon and yet she trauelled from the vttermost parts of the world to try the truth of those things that she had heard And why doest not thou then hearing such notable yea and so certaine news of vertue aduenture to take a little paines to try the truth and sequell thereof O deare Christian brother put thy trust in Almighty God and in his word and commit thy selfe most boldly without all feare into his armes and vnloose from thy hands those trifling knots that haue hitherto deceiued thee and thou shalt finde that theâ— merits of vertue doe farre excell her fame and that all which is spoken in praise of her is nothing in comparison of that which she is indeede That a man ought not to deferre his Repentance and Conuersion vnto God from day to day considering he hath so