which hath bin cut downe with the sithe withereth in a moment euen so in a moment shall the magnificeÌ„ce of the wicked lose that glorious shew wax pale wan as if they were tainted The herbs flowers in the gardeÌ„s are not so quickly withered as thou shalt see the ritches of the wicked decay and come to naught hast thou not considered the Emerocall a very beautifull flower truly for one day which in the morning hath a fresh ruddy colour and keepeth his fine ruddinesse all day long and at euening becommeth so drie withered as that a man would thinke it had beene tainted by the Isie teeth of the winter Euen so the prosperitie of the wicked if their prosperitie may be so called is but a laughing or smiling deceiuer of an outward apparant felicity and may be most properly likened vnto this flowre for it withereth so suddenly altereth in so short a time is transformed into such a fashioÌ„ as is wonderful to behold 3 Put thy trust therefore in God beleeue verily that the insolencie of the wicked shal neuer be firme so long as the iustice of God shal rule reign and beleeue also that the iust shall neuer be forsaken in what affliction so euer they be And therefore be not discouraged but continue in well doing for he that shal perseuer shal be saued Dwell in the land which the Lord hath giuen thee and content thy selfe with the graces which he hath bestowed vpon thee neither enter thou into iudgment with him for thou shalt find in th' end that the riches of the wicked are but in the keeping of their own haÌ„ds 4 But reioice thou in the hope which thou hast in thy God put away the greeuous care which possesseth thine heart which as rust consumeth the same For when thou shalt haue once powred out thy spirit and lifted vp thy thoughts vnto the Lord he wil accomplish all thy desires and make thee enioy whatsoeuer thou wouldest wish 5 Neither come thou before him as it were waueringly nor mistrustingly ne hide thou thy thoughts from him but lay open vnto him the very bottom of thine heart and discouer vnto him all thy waies and cogitations For it is impossible for thee to deceiue him and a dangerous thing to trie him For he seeth and marketh all things especially a double and vnbeleeuing heart which he abhorreth of all the rest but receiueth and embraceth the poore and humble spirited man heareth his praiers and graunteth him before hand that which he is determined to craue 6 For he that standeth in his grace and fauour shall neuer want either wealth or honour if thou please him once he will make the glory of thy righteousnesse shine as a cleare light and cause the equitie of thy iudgements shine as bright as the sunne at noone daies For euery man shall see in each place the people following thee blessing thine house as a temple of iustice commending thy speech as an oracle and reuerencing thee as the very cause of their tranquillitie and libertie All men shall exalt thine integrity as the Tutrix of all good men sure defence of the afflicted And yet thou shalt haue more than all this for thou shalt receiue both honor and glorie and therefore humble thy selfe the more vnder the hand of thy God and acknowledge this benefit to come from him so yeeld him homage Now the homage which he requireth of thee is nothing else but thy mouth hands Thy mouth to offer him praise and thanks and thy hands to serue him according to his commaundements Heere yee see what the spirit of God as me thought sayd vnto me by word of mouth which I will communicate with you my friends and make ye partakers of these holie aduertisemeÌ„ts to the end that if ye shall see any man hereafter prosper in his affayres and blaspheme in his life ye be not offended threat neyther be ye angrie and grieued in your selues if ye see a man that dealeth vniustly abound in all kind of wealth 8 Be still therefore and qualifie that bitter humor which pricketh and hammereth so in your heads and then no doubt ye will neuer haue the hart to do him any hurt for all this For the requitall of good men is not only to do good for good but to require also good for euill 9 And all such as are carried away with an impatient heat to the procuring of anothers hurt and all they who in stead of leauing vnto God the reuenge which he reserueth vnto himselfe will vsurp the same shall be rooted out for euer and as insolent and saucie seruants which take vpon them the authoritie of their maister shall be shamefully and hardly punished But hee that possesseth his soule in patience and constantly attendeth the iudgement of God he will commend and blesse his obedience and after that he hath punished the wicked for their vnmercifulnesse he will also confiske their goods and possessions and make himselfe maister and possessor of them all 10 Wait but awhile and yee shall see the time come that hee whome yee haue seene to be so mightie and great and benefited himselfe so greatly by his sinnes and by his wicked and crafrie deuises stored vp an infinite number of goods and as hee him-selfe thought was in the hye way to heauen shall passe away like a running brooke where the water fleeteth away in great billowes where nothing shall bee seene saue mire and dirt and there shall not remayne onely so much as any marke of the place where hee had beene nor no more remembrance of him then of the winde that blew the sommer past 11 But contrarywise humble and mercifull men shall enioy his place be the successors of his wealth and reigne most assuredly in the land leauing his goods in succession to his children and peace shall be with his as an inheritance A ritch peace and a plentifull inheritance which â—auoureth all the rest of the goods without the which all the remayndeâ— is naught else but torment and affliction A peace that is sweeter then oyle and the honie that is most sweet which hatcheth in thy bosome all maner of pleasures and delightes which maketh vertue sprout out flower and nourisheth and ripeneth his holie fruites 12 Now this peace is the gift of God and none can geue it vs but his goodnesse and nothing can moue his goodnes to do it saue the reformation of our wicked liues For so long as there is warre within vs and sinne which is the seed of discord shall lodge with vs we can not hope or yet looke for either peace or rest But coÌ„trariwise if we can be at peace with God we shall be sure to be forthwith at peace with men and be in firme and most assured rest 13 I right well know that there will be alwayes some wicked men whose abhominable wills will go euen to the graue with them And I right well know that
wherof is able to keepe him backe froÌ„ comming to the point of his felicitie When man saw himselfe thus defaced he was displeased with himselfe cursed his life as a gulfe of miserie where he saw nothing before his eyes but coÌ„fusion and darkenesse And all his animaduersions were nothing but of euils and all his hope of nothing but of calamities For God being nothing but righteous and man nothing else but sinne what measure or end could there be of his punishment Howbeit the eternall wisedome who wrought with God in the creation of man hauing compassion of the losse destruction of such a worke came as Tertullian sayth to lay a steepe the poison of death in his own blood to wash cleanse vs besides to turne away the iust wrath of his Father that he might haue mercy vpon vs and so turne vnto vs againe Thus we see how we are entred againe into grace with our God purified by his mercie called againe vnto the knowledge of his truth and the beholding of his glorie Howbeit we are so peruerse obstinate in our cursednesse so great enemies to our owne felicitie as that so soone as this eternall light would begin to appeare and shine vppon the clearenesse of our consciences there to expresse and reimprint the face of his Deitie and relieue and recharge the lineaments of this deuine wisedome which are so shamefully defiled and as it were vtterly defaced as that we make a thousand foule blemishes rebound vpon our selues which blind and defile vs and thrust them selues betweene vs and the grace which should enlighten vs. We must therefore as often as we defile our selues so often also lay too our hands to wipe away our foule and filthie staines for the cleansing and clearing of our soules so that we thereby being polished the beames of our principall bountie and goodnesse may cause the clearenesse of vertue and truth most clearely shine and brightly burne vpon vs. Here then we see the meanes which we herein must hold and keepe let vs now looke what the cause of this euill is and then let vs also wisely consider of the remedie for the same In very deede our peruerse and corrupt iudgement is the very fountaine of all our offences and the spring-head of that pestilent humor which so infecteth and spoyleth vs. The things which spoyle and trouble vs are the delightes and pleasures which on euery side alure vs and make vs drunke before we are fully awake This licour then being mixed amongst our tender senses by reason of the infirmitie of our age so delicately seasoneth vs as that we can neuer after lose and forget the sauour thereof We content not our selues with moderatly drinking but we will be ouer head and eares also tarrying still by it as if we would haue the tide ouerflowe vs leauing our selues drowned as it were vpon the swallowing quicksand of miserable old age Now these sweet licours wherewith we so fill and glut our selues turne by and by into bitternes and fill our harts and minds with a venemous humor which infecteth and corrupteth vs. For the affection which we beare vnto the beauty of these created things being entertained and flattered by vs changeth it selfe into a furious and mad lust which peruerteth and ouerthroweth our sentes for the flattering and dissembling desire which we haue vnto these worldly riches turneth it selfe into a blinde and senslesse passion and are none otherwise to be esteemed in this world but as the ordure and excrement of the earth and the loue of false honor conuerteth it selfe into a foolish desire to be farre more then the rest of the world and chalengeth vnto it selfe the reuerence and seruice that is due vnto God himselfe The pleasure which we take in our feeding is turned into beastly and shamelesse gluttony The care that we take in preseruing our bodies delicately groweth into beastly vncleannesse and filthy lust and the worthinesse that we beleeue too too much of our own courage and valure turneth it selfe into outragious choler and rashnesse And surely our minds being stopped and oppressed with so foule and slimie humors can neuer breathe forth any thing that is pure and cleane Now for the purging of all these subtile and mortall passions and poysons of the minde we must see what remedie we can finde out for them and it may be it will be to good purpose to vse the counsell which a good auncient Father gaue vnto a religious nouice of his house Like as wise nurses sayd he when they will weane their children will rub the neble of their teate with wormewood and other bitter druggs euen so must we be dealt withall for the making of vs lose the taste of our delightes and pleasures for wee must set downe vnto our selues a certaine punishment for our lusts and change the houres of our pleasures into rigorous and austere exercises and at that time we are wonted to take our foolish and dissolute recreations let vs examine with all humilitie what paynes and torments our sinfull and detestable life deserueth I cannot tell whether this good old Father in speaking this thought vpon the custome which the Hebrewes vsed who made a solemne feast vpon that day that they began to weane any of their children or whether they reioyced in that their children left their weaker foode and fell to more strong and marâ—owye meates either else to stirre them vp by their example vnto a new kinde of dyer For we may verie fitlie applie this example vnto the instruction of our minâ—es if 〈◊〉 we will weane our selues from the milke of our delights and sweare an irreconciliable diuorce betweene vs and our sinnes inuiting our selues vnto the like feast as he amongâ—… those â—olie religious men of whome Phylo in the booke of a contemplatiue life maketh mention did They met together at this banquet and the first principall and most delicate and sweet dishes were the most beautifull and best tasting fruites of true wisedome which were presented vnto them by a most elegant preaching of the Prophets and commaundements of God as pure and vndefiled vessels Their reioycing was consolation their pastime austeritie their delicate dishes abstinence Their mindes being satisfied with such marrowy meate they were in a maruelous great and firme tranquillitie to be at leysure to follow their most happie contemplation And surely this exercise would become vs all very well neuerthelesse we had need euery one of vs particularly to accomplish this our purging of the soule which we call repentance by meanes whereof our soule returning into her selfe shall be able to wipe out spot by spot the blots that there most filthely do sauour Seeing then that this repentance should be vnto vs as it were the entrance and preface of a good and perfect life which should make vs cleane we should therein exercise our selues both carefully and ordinarily For seeing we are determined to erect a Temple in our soule wherein to lodge the
vpon the outcries and clapping of the hands of the people which fauour the course that we take in hand no more then a valiant Champion readie prepared in the lists to fight the combat doth but let it rather hasten vs to run the swiftlier vnto the goale garland of prize which attendeth our victorie and lift vp our soules with such a cogitation as that all our actions being referred to this end may be full of that ioy contentmeÌ„t wherein consisteth our whole blessednes Niether may we ne yet can we coÌ„tinually tie our selues vnto the affaires and businesse of this world for after labor ensueth rest which is in very deed the true operatioÌ„ of the soule and that is Meditation And in very truth most blessed are they whose vocation is wonderfully far â—hest off from the care of these worldly affaires and whom God hath withdrawn from the tempests and stormes of the world and placed them as it were in a calme peaceable hauen to behold a farre off the ship wrack of others And this me ditation consisteth only of the knowledge of the truth and glory of God which we must seeke after as wel by the contemplation and exact consideratioÌ„ of his works our of which shineth forth euery where his power incomparable goodnes as by the ordinary reading of his word by which he openeth vnto vs the treasure of his wisedome and draweth the curtaines of heauen to make vs see his maiestieâ— face to face as much as our infirmitieâ— is able to beare And the works of Goâ— vndoubtedly are as scaling ladders seâ— vp for vs euery where to climb vp vnto him For let vs turne our selues which way soeuer we will and we shall finde here in the world wonderfull things for if we looke downe into the deph of the bowels of the earth we shall see there such a number of veines of gold and siluer such a sort of pertious minerals and such spring heads of liuely waters as is wonderfull Again if we looke vpon the face of the earth we shal finâ— such varietie of hearbs floures fruits trees beasts of the fields and in then such vertues and secret properties 〈◊〉 that it would make vs altogether astonished And are the seas lesse admirable by reason of their ebbing flowing the multitude of fishes and the diuersitie of monsters which they feeâ— bring forth And will not the ayreâ— replenished with foules clouds raineâ— snowes hayles lightnings thundeâ— make vs wonder And when as we liâ—… vp our eyes far higher and behold the curtaines of heauen spread vpon the face of the earth behold the brightnesse of the Sunne the clearnesse of the Moone and the ruling of their course obserue marke the goodly beautifull order of the Starres their course effects influeÌ„ces must it not needs altogether amaze vs And yet al this geare together coÌ„sidered in grosse is nothing in respect of the matters which we haue now in hand wheÌ„ as we shall haue examined theÌ„ a part and by peecemeale for wheÌ„ as we shall haue seene that the very least things in the world haue in their constitution such a maruelous prudence wisedome we must of necessitie find out the author creator of them in heauen Let man but looke into himself consider with himselfe what maner a things he is and how so litle a moyst humor could make him grow vnto such a fashion to be framed a body of so many sundry parts with such proportion And let him not content himselfe to see himselfe stand vpright vppon his feete with his face vpward his eyes open and remouing all his members but let him a litle vncouer his skin and ghesse how the flesh and the bones are so workemanlike set together and vnderstand how many sinewes and muskleâ— are drawne downe euen from the neck vnto the most base outermoâ— parts of the body to bind loose and remoue to all the parts vnto all sort of mouings and let him behold hoâ—… so many veines are spread throughouâ— the body to carry the bloud and nourishing iuice vnto euery member Leâ— him also see what a number of arteries are guided from the heart and deuided to accompanie all the sineweâ— and veynes to hold in the vitall spirits in euery part as the messengers of his will to the end to commaund the siâ—newes to moue or not to moue Leâ— him then if he will lay open his stomacke and see how his life is mainteâ—ned how the meates sent downe into the stomacke are transformed by a secret and incomprehensible power how by laboring and stirring in the stomack they runne into the paunch how the good iuice floweth through the small vaines into the liuer whiâ—… is the shop of the bloud how the liue dischargeth her super fluities into the gall splene and kidneys how it distributeth the bloud into the veynes and how it is sent into the heart to be there made thin and subtilized euen vnto the confection of the vitall spirites If he behold the moouing and breathing of the lights which refresheth and moderateth the heat of the heart if he see the artificiall â—urnings and wreathings of the guts let him not thinke the same to be fallen out of the clouds neither yet that he seeth any other things within then he seeth without Howbeit when as he shall come to consider of the head which is the treasure of the sences and seat of reason let him dreame amongst other things what an especiall woâ—ke the eye is and with how many filmes and thin skinnes this lightsome spirit is garnished and defended which in very truth is the pleasure of the life he shall remaine as it were astonished and amazed but yet not so much as when he commeth to pierce the braine where he shall perceâ—ue the manner whereon the portracture and images of things are borne by the sences as faithfull messengers and interpreters to be receiued and exercised therein by the common sence and afterward to be ordered and placed within the custodie of the celles of the memorie But the thing that most astonisheth vs is this when as we desire to vnderstand what our soule is which manageth gouerneth all this whole workemanship what a power it is of that thus strangely moueth and worketh which awaketh when we sleepe comprehendeth so easily all things reacheth into the deepest matters and by discourse findeth out the cause and reason of the most secret things And we see and feele these effects in our selues and yet we can neither see not yet conceiue them Certainly when we in the contemplation of these things are lifted vp by faith we feele our selues forthwith led vnto the author of these workes And to say truly when as we see so many maruelous things dispersed throughout the whole face of the earth for what other purpose serue they but to be as a booke left wide open for vs to read out thereof the greatnesse and almightie power of God who
before him his own pure and cleane image and to vow vâ—to his goodnesse so many fauourâ— wherewith he hath pleased to graâ—… me And he hath not onely heard me before all the rest of his creatures granting vnto me the vse of diuine reason but also hath lifted me vp amongst men into an honourable and magnificent throne so as there remaineth nothing vnto my felic it iâ— but to learne to know and after that I had forgot my selfe he enlightened me by his holy light and gaue me time and will to bewaile my sinfull life past and to amend it also for the time to come 11 And therefore my good friends do as I haue done and recouer his fauour in good time for he himselfe â—alleth you vnto the way of saluation and do not as the melancholike and froward Moyle dooth who kicketh at him that pricketh him to go eight foorth because he wanteth both sence knowledge and iudgement 12 And so thereby he hath a bitte â—ut into his mouth and is continually spurred about the flankes After the same sort The Lord at the first summons that he setteth you in his wayes if yee submit not your selues vnto his will he will poâ—… downe vpon you an huge heape 〈◊〉 calamities which will make you 〈◊〉 wretched and miserable then miseâ—… it selfe 13 Yee right well see how cleeâ—… lie the starres shine in the heaueâ—… and the sand which rolleth on these shore howbeit there is not so muâ—… sand in the sea nor so many starre in the skies as the obstinate shaâ—… endure plagues and punishment Their cursednesse hangeth ouer their heads their miseries follow them aâ— their heeles euen vntill such timâ— as that they are cast downe headloâ—… into that gulfe the thinking whereâ—… dooth terrifie whom soeuer remenbreth it and whose pleasantest resting places are full of weeping crying howling and groaning where the paine is without end the dolour without remedie and the repeatance without mercie where dead is immortall the body liueth but 〈◊〉 die and the soule but to suffer where the soule feeleth nothing bâ—… her sinne and the body nothing 〈◊〉 his paine But contrariwise they thâ—… couer themselues vnder the grace and fauour of the Lord Iesus which make his mercy their shield and buckler hope in nothing but in his grarious goodnesse follow his commaundements and precepts and are iealious of his will what felicitie and happinesse is there which they shall not attaine vnto Nay what is there in heauen neuer so good and pretious that is not opened vnto them They shall sit cheeke by cheeke with their God and being all encompassed with glory shall be filled and heaped vp with so many blessings as that the heart of man can no way possiblie be able to conceiue the least part of them so farre of is it then as that my babbling tongue cannot possiblie expresse the wonderfulnesse of them 14 I will therefore reioyce my God in carefully waiting and looking for the manifold benefits which thou reseruest in heauen to crowne the righteous withall Vnto this cheerfulnesse do I inuite al those whom thou hast sworne in the word of Sauiour which louest the law of his righteousnesse This is it that attendeth the recompence of your trauels This is it wherein you shall be placed in honour and glorie This is it that shall change the sharpe thornes of the world into the flourishing and beautifull Lillie of all eternitie Oh then shall the dropping and painfull sweating of your afflictions finde most gratious rest The golde commeth not out of the fierie furnace more pure nor brighter to be cast to make the image of some great Prince and afterward to be set vp as an ornament in some rich closet then the heart of him that loueth his God he will draw him pure and cleane out of the miseries of the world and compasse him with brightnesse and glorie What iâ— there now in the world that I shall like of What shall staie and let me from entring into the house of the Lord to liue to serue him What day of my life shall I cease to bewaile my sinnes which haue so farre estranged me from his grace And therefore I humblie beseech thee my God to reconcile these two contrary passions in me repentance and ioye to the end that as the poore traueller wandring in the deserts our of his way is glad when he seeth the dawning of the day peepe and yet cannot forget the great darkenesse out of which he is but newly gotten ne yet cast of the feare which he had of so tedious a night Euen so also haue I a continuuall horror of my sinnes past and yet a sure and ioyfull hope of enioying that euerlasting blessednesse which thou hast purchased for vs with the bloud of thy dearely beloued sonne Christ Iesus O Lorde what a loue is that when as a maister dooth not spare the life of his owne onely sonne to redeeme his slaue Wherefore O most louing Sauiour seeing that I being formed with thine owne hands bought with thy bloud and purified by thy mercie I do here offer my selfe an obedient sacrifice vnto thee my God and Sauiour and therefore reiect me not Lord in thy wrath reprooue me not Psalm 37. I Must O Lord returne vnto thee and beginne againe to call vpon thee and to beseech thee of thy mercy For it seemeth to me that thine anger is rekindled against me Alas my God wilt thou chastise me in thine anger and make me feele the violence of thy iust furie which my sinnes haue prouoked thee to do The flame being consumed by the fire falleth into ashes and I being deuoured with the heate of thine anger do so vanishaway as that there remaineth not so much as the smoake 2 For I see my God that thou hast discharged the sharpest arrowes of â—…y vengeance against me thou hast touched me with thine hand and neuer takest away the same from me I feele the gnawing and terror of my conscience which astonish and bruse me eueÌ„ as it were thunder and lightning my miseries came vpon me one after another and one mischiefe presseth another warre is no sooner finished but that the plague assaulteth me and in the end death bereaueth me of the dearest pawnes I haue in this world Wherein then shall I take comfort my God shall it be in my selfe 3 Out alas my good God I haue neuer an whole member in me for my misery is entred euen into the marrow neither is there any part of me that reprocheth me not with my sinne and for the which I am not pained I languish in griefe and there is none to comfort me mine eyes serue me for none other purpose but to looke vpon my miserie and my soule for nothing else but to acknowledge my cursednesse 4 I looke round about me and so farre as the eyes of my body and eyes of my soule can discerne what is past I see nothing either aboue me or below me or yet on any
against themselues for lying cannot be hid she is full of crackes on euery side truth pierceth it on euery part For she is made of many odde peeces which fall away one from another assoone as they are touched and in opposing her selfe vnto innocencie she melteth away as snowe against the Sunne 19 But although they had me euen as themselues would wish oppressed with slaunders quelled vnder the burthen of their iniuries yet would I not for all that be discouraged I haue not O Lord put my trust in the benefits and honours of this world for that is almost alwaies the portion of the wicked and are as it were the rewards of their vnfaithfulnesse dissimulations and wicked dealings this is the marchandise which most commonly is not bought but with this money My hope O Lord is altogether in thee the world is not capable to be able to containe it the fruite of my labours groweth not in the land of the dying but that which I looke to gather together O Lord is in the land of the liuing there is that I hope to see my felicitie nay rather thine my God Others looke for the fruite after the budding and blooming time but I O Lord looke for it after the fall of the leafe For after the leafe of the body shal be fallen I hope and trust that my soule shall bud in new fruit be clothed againe with the euerlasting verdure of immortalitie for euer 20 And therefore my soule haue patience and carry thy selfe man-like redouble thy courage valiantly and attend vntill my God commeth vnto thee Be not astonied or affeard to see the prosperitie of the wicked neither be thou amazed to see them oppresse the godly but stand to it to the end And when thou seest O Lord that I am not of my self strong inough assist me and lend me thy shoulders for feare the afflictions of the wicked cause mee to depart from my stand where thou hast placed me second my feruentnesse and zeale that hauing couragiously fought at the place where mine enemies assaulted me I may be found at the gate when thou openest it to enter with thee in triumph sitting at thy feet when as thou shalt iudge both the quick the dead Then shall we see what a great change there is betweene our life and theirs and what paiment tarrieth for them they haue had their felicitie in this world therefore then shall it be said vnto them Stand aside for yee owe the rest and consider that yee shall render an accoumpt of those benefits which were giuen you to keepe and be amerced for your abusing of them Your habitation prepared for you as you deserue depart into euerlasting paines and torments yee haue beene many times told of the rigour thereof yet haue you not so much as a very little turned away from your cursed liues therfore shall ye now feele it seeing you would not as then any whit feare it And as for those ô Lord which haue bene pacient for thy names sake and suffered for thine honor the rage of the wicked thou shalt say vnto thē Come yee blessed children of my father enter into the Tabernacle of glorie that yee may iudge with him both the quick and the dead Comfort thy selfe now therefore my soule with this expectation and hope trust in God euen in the almightie and most merciful God who neuer forsooke the iust in aduersitie nor stopped his eare against the oppressed innocent I will at all times blesse the Lord c. Psalme 34. 1 BLessed be thy name ô Lord which hast cōforted me in misery blessed be he for euer that hath holpen me in mine affliction All things haue their time and all mens actions are distributed by times and seasons change serueth for rest and rest for the refreshing of the ordinary labour of the liuing neither can any thing continue without rest in any occupation and trade Neuerthelesse here in this rule faileth that is I do blesse and for euer will blesse thy name O Lord at the sunne rising I wil praise thy name and at his going downe I will praise the same at that will I begin both moneths and yeares and at that also will I end them O eternitie I haue no feeling of thee in this world but in this my will to praise and glorifie my God for euer My body melteth away with age and my forces vanish and decay but my soule which stoutly standeth against humaine corruption dooth not onely continue but also dayly encreaseth in this holy affection For if I thinke to take my rest mine heart stirreth my thought And if I thinke to stop my mouth my soule is ready to breake out betweene my lippes and forceably frameth my voice to set foorth the glorie and praise of my God My soule who maketh thee so eager to praise thy God Thou knowest right well and I also see it very well that thou hast had thy being from him and lookest by him to be glorified what vsurie makest thou with him Thou giuest vnto him a parcell of his praises and by this meanes thou lookest that he should associate thee with the riches of his glory For from him alone thou must hope to haue some honor The heauens shall passe and weare away like an old garment and be changed as men change a couering But God shall continue still triumphing ouer the destruction of the world The peaceable and meeke people shall sit by him and heare the triumphant hymnes which shall be song in his victorie and conquests and all full of melodie and reioicing shall ioyne their voices vnto the trumpets of the angels 2 Let vs begin therefore betime to learne to sing the praises of his glorie magnifie him and exalt his name as high as our voices will serue vs let vs straine out our cries to the end they may ascend as high at the least as we are able to see so as the ayre being filled with our songs it may cary them vpon the wings of the winds vnto the vttermost parts of the earth to the end that euery one may be awakened with the sound of our notes and reioyce in hearing the name of the Lord of heauen and earth thus sounded out who is the most faithfull and most assured helper of all those which call vpon him 3 I haue fought after him and he forthwith hath vnderstood me I knew not my selfe whither to go and after I had turned mine eyes on euery side and being forsaken of the world could see nothing which was able to helpe me I returned into my selfe and pitifully beheld my selfe bewailing my calamitie and all at once he gaue me courage and strength making mine heart to leape our of the gulfe of heauinesse and tribulation which had swallowed me vp said vnto me trust in me for loe here I am Then cried I out and said O Lord where art thou make hast to helpe me quickly And I had no sooner spoken but
haue appeased the wrath of my Father through the satisfaction of my Redeemer I come because thou thy selfe hast called me vnto thee and holdest forth thine armes Receyue me therefore my God not after the austeritie of a iust Iudge but according to the compassion of a pitifull father and accept this mine earnest prayer which being conceyued in the bottome of mine hart hath disclosed it selfe by my lips and flyeth with my voyce vnto the fauourable care of mine heauenly Father seeing it hath pleased thee ô Lord to suffer me so to call thee Cause it ô Lord my God to pierce the heauens where thou thy selfe art I know right well that thy Throne is aboue and that thou keepest vnder thy feet both the Sunne and the Starres and the earth to be but a very tittle and my selfe being the least part thereof am a great deale lesse then nothing Who then shall dare to make me so saucy as to lift vp mine eyes vnto thee It is euen thou my God who sittest on hye to behold at once all the works of thine hands the better to vnderstand our wants and dayly to poure vpon vs thy grace as a most â—…eet showre Euen thou who hast thy selfe sayd Aske and yee shall be heard But thou wilt be prayed vnto with a constant faith cause it therefore to be borne and growe in my soule for it is a gift that cannot come but from the Treasuâ—e of thy grace and as at other times thou hast addressed the lips of infants to glorifye thee gouerne now the infancie and infirmitie of mine hart that it may deliuer vnto my mouth â—…ch a prayer as may very well like and please thee And because thou â—ayest know my God that my prayer is sooner conceyued in my soule â—en in my lips and that although the burden of my flesh greeueth and â—eâ—eth my spirit yet breatheth it our as much as it can thine honor and prayse And the first petition that I â—ake vnto thee is this Hallowed be thy name or rather let thy â—…me hallow and sanctifie me that I may â—e after able to blesse glorifie thee â—ut which of thy names shall I blesse â—…at wherwith thou hast confouÌ„ded â—ast down the enemies of thy people or else that wherewith thou hast blesseâ— all the nations of the earth Wilt thoâ— be praysed as the God of hosts ô Lorâ— God of all battailes or as the Sauiour and Redeemer of the world Shalâ— I tell abroad how thou hast made aâ—… things of nothing how thou hast soweâ— the heauens with starres couered thâ— earth with flowres fruites riuers and with all liuing creatures and Man like vnto thy selfe Or shall I speake but of that incredible loue by which thou hast deliuered thine owne only Sonne vnto death to purchase for vs life euerlasting I haue not breath inough ô Lord for such an enterprise but let it content thee that I sanctifie thy name with an humble and chaâ—… thought and that my meditation be alwayes fixed vppon all the benefits wherwith it pleaseth thee continually to fauour me so as both my selfe and as many as thou hast placed here in this world as in the middest of a ritch Temple for the beholding and admiring on euery side the excellency of thy Deitie we neuer turne our vnderstandings vnto any other thing but to the comprehending and learning o◠〈◊〉 will to the end that we being reâ—…ed in one and the selfe same deâ—…e â—o serue thee Thy kingdome may 〈◊〉 and that after we shall haue cast 〈◊〉 the yoke of sinne which so long â—…e hath thralled and captiued vs 〈◊〉 loue alone may reigne in our conâ—…ences A most blessed and prospeâ—…s reigne for to obey thee is to â—…maund our vnruly appetites and 〈◊〉 command them is for a man to be â—aster of his owne selfe and for a man 〈◊〉 be master of his selfe is the most â—…ereigne principalitie It is an easy â—…tter my God to obey thee thy yoâ—e â—gratious and the tribute which thou â—…ctest on vs is nothing else but to â—…ue vs to be blessed Confirme vs â—…erefore ô Lord in this thy will and â—…ist the zeale of thy good seruanâ—s â—pressing the insolencie of all such as â—…spheme against thy Maiestie beâ—…se that thy lawe and thy truth do â—…gne throughout the world O King 〈◊〉 kings which hast the dominion of 〈◊〉 hearts who by our humilitie and â—edience hast established thine Emâ—…e bend our wills vnder thy law â—o â—…end that we looking all to one end aspire not but to the aduancing of thy glory and that our good actions may testifie the good discipline of the King of heauen vnto whome we do homage and who alloweth vs for his subiects of whome we hold so many benefits and graces as that we can not possibly come any thing neere the number of them Now what obedience is it that we should yeeld vnto thee how should we ghesse to do that which might please thee who is able to sound the bottome of thy thoughts and who shall be able to vnderstand that which thou wouldest haue I therefore beseech thee only that thy will be done For sith thou art altogether good thou willest nothing but good things and for thee both to do and to will is all one and in making this prayer vnto thee we wholy submit our selues vnto thee who neuer faylest to will vs well and to performe the same also For whatsoeuer ô Lord thou hast willed was done and from this thy will as from a liuely and pleasant spring head are deriued all the benefits wherewith the whole face of the earth is couered and wherewith all â—he heauens are beautified Continue thou the same towards vs and seeing 〈◊〉 loue is as a fire that encreaseth acâ—…ding as it findeth matter to burne 〈◊〉 it encrease and enlarge it selfe in â—…ing good vnto vs vnto vs I say â—oore miserable wretches in whose â—eakenesse miserie and infirmitie 〈◊〉 shall finde it selfe matter enough â—o exercise and worke vpon When 〈◊〉 pray thee ô Lord That thy will be 〈◊〉 my meaning is to beseech thee that thou wouldest eft soones root out â—f mine heart all these worldly desires and willes which being borne 〈◊〉 the corruption of the flesh cannot â—aue any fellow-feeling and agreeâ—ent with the law of the spirit neyther geue thou me the bridle to liue as I lust and seeing that I am thy child â—…d honorest me with this title let me â—euer be bondslaue vnto my affectioÌ„s but keepe me vnder the rod of thy law 〈◊〉 â—nder the tutoâ—ship of thy commandemeÌ„ts to the end that my self and as â—any as haue sworne to thy word beâ—…g framed to serue and obey thee â—oâ—thely may also be ready cheerâ—…ll in the ministerie of thy seruice so long as we shall abide here below in this mortall world as thine Angels and other most blessed soules are in that heauenly habitation and so Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen And seeing it is
about O how wonderfull great is thy mercy which blindfoldeth the eyes of thy Deitie which hideth from thee that euery one seeth and maketh thee forget that which thou knewest before such time as it was done 13 From whence ô Lord commeth this great change and alteration in thee whence commeth it that to do me fauour thou puttest so farre from thee thy iustice which is naturally in thee I wonder but yet cannot I tell from whence this thy so great clemency and louing kindnesse proceedeth It is yea it is ô Lord because thou wilt saue vs whether we wil or no and to draw vs as it were by force out of that condemnation which we most iustly haue deserued For thou art the God of glory iealous of honour and praise for thou art alone worthy therof Thou knowest right well that very hell shall praise thee and thou knowest also ô Lord that death it selfe shall set forth thy praise Seeing that thou hast created all things to testifie thine infinite goodnesse and power shall death which is one of thy works make an end of thy praise Yea and seeing thou hast here placed man to lift vp his eyes vnto heauen and to behold thy glory and to sing both with the heart and mouth a continually hymne therof and if thou take away his life is not that a breache of one of the organes of thine honour And if thou send him to hell is not that to defame thy workmanship Thou hast ô Lord sowne by the mouthes of thy Prophets the truth of thy promises Shall they that are pent vp in the earth gather together the fruite thereof shall they whome the death of the body hath closed vp the eye liddes and whome the death of the soule engendred through their impenitence hath sealed vp the eyes of the spirit making them go groping to hell wandring and stumbling from paine to paine and from torment to torment No no it shall be the liuing man that shall publish and set forth thy praise the man I say that liueth and that liuing life which is maintained by those blessings which thou bestowest vpon vs here on the earth and that life which is nourished by the beholding of thy Deitie and by the blessings which thou hast laide vppe in heauen Euen so O Lorde do I at this day with them seeing it hath pleased thee to conuert my miseries into grace and blessing and to turne away from me death and dolors which brought them vnto mee Mine infirmitie is at this day seeing it so pleaseth thee an argument of thy glory thou workest such miracles in me as are able to astonish an whole world To the end ô Lord that the fathers may tell vnto their children what the effects of thy mercies are how sure the effect of thy promises and how vndoubted the truth of thy word And so wâ—…soeuer the lasâ— and hindermost posteritie shall vnderstand what hath be fallen vnto my person it will praise and blesse thy holy name 15 Seeing then my God that â—hou hast assured me this life I meane this earthly and corporall life graunt me also assurance of this heauenly and diuine life to the end that I being most full of all hope and strength may passe the rest of my daies in praising and seruing of thee continually Mine aboade ô Lorde shall be alwaies at the feete of thine aulâ—eâ—s mine action shall â—ee a song of thy praise and goodnesse and so will goe day and night into thy church lifâ—ing vp mine eyes vnto thee and hauing my thoughts fixed on thee I will openmine heart and thou shalt fill it with thy grace that it may sanctifie all mine affections and so I thereby may set forth nothing more then thy glory FINIS