come and such in truth as our thoughts cannot apprehend For it is very true which Esdras sayth That man that liueth here in this world can comprehend nothing but earthly things And it is sayd in Ecclesiast That wee must not search into things aboue our reach but thinke vpon that which God hath commaunded vs for it is not fit for vs to looke vnto that which God keepeth secret vnto himselfe from vs. Now the blesseddest and chiefest pleasure of our soule consisteth in conforming addressing all her doings to that end wherunto she is created which is done by action prayer and meditation For God hauing caused vs to be borne to be members here of this vile world euery part of vs obseruing the duty motion whereunto he hath ordeined the same serue for his glory testimony of his power It standeth vs therfore vpon so long as we liue here to keepe well our part and beware that in our particular discording we breake not the vniuersall right note and harmony wherein the beauty of his workemanship subsisteth for he hath called euery of vs vnto a certaine ministery and office whereof he hath made some Kings some Princes some Magistrates some priuate men or to say as the Apostle sayth he hath ordeyned Some to be Prophets some Euangelists some Preachers and some Doctors And therefore let vs take heed that we fulfill the ministerie which is layd vpon vs. For if so be we deale lamely and haltingly in the charge which is geuen vnto vs we fayle not onely in our owne duties but we also bring a generall confusion vpon the whole people and so become culpable of the sinnes of all the multitude Where contrariwise if so be we deale iustly and truly in our office we shall be like vnto good and skilfull musitians who ouer and besides the great pleasure of the excelleÌ„t and sweet sounding of their voices they feele a maruelous and incredible delight by the euen meeting of one anothers voice which falleth into theirs with an agreemeÌ„t accord full of sweet melodie And therefore it is surely a great pleasure to do well neyther is there any pleasure so great as the contentmeÌ„t which we feele in our consciences when we performe any godly commendable action Neither is there any thing that more gladly tickleth the spirit then the glory which it offreth promiseth vnto that man or woman who vertuously behaue theÌ„ selues in their liues conuersations I meane not such glory as is fed either with winde or smoke which pleaseth men only but such glory as maketh vs see a far off the crowne which is prepared for vs. Neither must we stand 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 Neither may we ne yet can we coÌ„tinually tie our selues vnto the affaires and busâ—nesse 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 farthest 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 shipwrack of others And this meditation 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 out of which shineth forth euerywhere 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 maiestie face to face as much as our infirmitie is able to beare And the works of God vndoubtedly are as scaling ladders set 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 depth of the bowels of the earth we shall see there such a number of veines of gold and siluer such a sort of pretious minerals and such spring heads of liuely waters as is wonderfull Again if we looke vpon the face of the earth we shal find such varietie of hearbs floures fruits trees beasts of the fields and in them such vertues and secret properties as 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 feed bring sorth And will not the ayres replenished with foules clouds raines snowes hayles lightnings thunders make vs wonder And when as we lift 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 clearenesse 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 peece meale 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 thing 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 muskles are drawne downe euen from the neck vnto the most base outermost parts of the body to bind loose and remoue to all the parts vnto all sorts of mouings and let him behold how so many veines are spread throughout the body to carry the bloud and nourishing iuice vnto euery member Let him also see what a number of arteries are guided from the heart and deuided to accompanie all the sinewes and veynes to hold in the vitall spirits in euery part as the messengers of his will to the
end to commaund the sinnewes to moue or not to moue Let him then if he will lay open his stomacke and see how his life is mainteined 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 which is the shop of the bloud how the liuer dischargeth her superfluities 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 turnings 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 thing 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 worke 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 perceiue 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 and 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 nor 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 is heereby so gloriously expressed The onely beholding whereof is able to stay our sences and spirits and furnish them with an aboundant and sufficient contentment whereon hangeth our felicitie This is it whereon we should studie day and night and not content our selues with the bare looking of the couer onely but diligently to way the periodes yea euen to pluck out the sillabes and meanest points which containe excellent and holy secrets And this was a very good answer in my opinion which the good Heremite S. Anthonie as Socrates writeth made vnto a Philosopher who asked him how he could possiblie dwell in a solitarie place without hauing of bookes about him Surely quoth he I lacke no bookes for the world is my booke and my studie is the contemplation of nature wherein I reade day and night of the glory of my God howbeit I can neuer attaine to the end thereof O happie life voide of such a number of boiling sorrowes and greefes which vndermine and consume our yeares gladding and reioycing in this gratious rest and hauing good leaue to thrust our hands vp to the elbowes into the treasures of the Deitie which feedest the desires of the soule with the knowledge of immortalitie and swondest and diest within the burning flames of eternall wisdome These are the delights and these are the alluring baites which kept Acepsenas a recluse within his cell in the wildernesse full threescore years These are the allurements which stayed that Simeon all his life long vpon the top of a piller What a merueilous desire thinke you had those men who being lifted vp aboue the earth did swim in the ayre communicated with the Angels and beautified themselues before they dyed Without doubt our bloud is wonderfully congealed and grosse about our heaâ—t and we very dull and as it were in a swound if we admire not their blessednesse neither haue we compassion of our owne miseries our spirits are mightely mortified if so be we comprehend not that in this life in this contemplation and in the knowledge of this eternal verity our consolation contentation felicitie lâ—eth consisteth and resteth Now God who loueth vs as his children meaneth not to leaue vs vnto the darknesse of this world and to make vs seeke after gropingly as it were amongst his workes for this his truth But hauing left his spirit with vs he hath also left vnto vs his worde as an interpretor of his will wherein we shall be sure to finde sure and faithfull directions to bring vs vnto this veritie and easily vnderstand his maruelous workes This is that voice which is called the burning worde this is that word which is called the light which as Eusebius saith is like vnto fier because it doth not only heate lighten and make ripe but also melteth softeneth and hardeneth And therefore we should follow those good Egiptian fathers whose liues Philo describeth who loosing their eyes to looke farre aboue the workes of God cast them forthwith into the reading of the Prophets and of the holy books as vpon the commentarie and interpretor of their meditations And these are they that haue most profoundly entred into the diuine wisedome and who for that occasion are in the scriptures called Seers for they are they by whom we haue had the mysteries of eternitie reuealed and not by any humaine industrie but by the inspiration of the spirit of God haue communicated vnto vs the miracles of heauen and opened the entrie into wisdome with the which when as our soule is mixed and from thence hath receiued her forme and perfection she must then bring forth her fruite according as the same Philo hath taught vs That that is the propertie of euery perfect thing The fruite of a meditating soule or rather the infant thereof if we will speake as Eusebius doth is praier which being conceiued in the inward part of our thought discloseth it selfe betwixt our lips euen as the child is conceiued in the mothers wombe For the knowledge of God the effectuall feeling of his goodnesse which are imprinted in vs by an holy cogitation engendreth also in vs this motion of courage which Mercurie the great calleth The inward word which being well fashioned within and aided by the spirit the body thrusteth out it selfe and vttereth this outward word which we call praier
Imagin then with thy selfe that thou seest a flocke of Goats in a faire Garden set full of yong graffes and impes bordered and knotted with beautifull floures and sowen with most excellent seeds of most dayntie herbs and in a moment they are all rauened broused on bitteÌ„ to the stumps and rooted cleane vp Or else imagine thou seest before thee a small houill or shed as we call it built vp with dirt and spittle and Thatched with strawe and as soone as any storme ariseth it carrieth away with it an handfull of it this way and another handfull that way and the place where it stood is that where the least part of the substance thereof remayned Euen so hath Syon bene dealt withall for of all the great Temples and braue buildings thereof can hardly be sound the place whereon they stood that a man might say Here they were once For now there is no more speech of them then if they had neuer bene The feasts and Sabboths which were there celebrated with so great ceremonie and reuerence are vtterly abolished Yea both Kings and Bishops were touched with the â—inger of God as well as the rest Zain It was a strange thing to see God grow to be thus angrie that he abhorred his Aulters had his sacrifices in abhomination to curse that which he him self had once sanctified to leaue his holy Temple his very deere and pretious Sanctuary in the impure and polluted hands of infidels To lodge this vncleane nation within this braue magnificall and religious accent or Tenor as it were within the tents of a Camp To heare the crying and howling of their barbarous voyces in that place where his seruice was wont to be solemnly celebrated and Hymnes song vnto his glory Het It may be very well sayd that God thought long before to destroy this City to see how all things met so iump for seruing to the ouerthrow thereof all at once Thou mightest say that he had taken measure and order of and for all things for it to the end they might ioyne together in this behalfe In so much as there was nothing wanting as if it had bene fatall that whatsoeuer we had bene able to haue done could no way haue turned the hand of God froÌ„ vs neither yet deferre our misery for all felt it yea forefelt it we also saw before the coÌ„ming of our mishap the very walls of our City as it were weepe and all the face of the City fall away and looke sadly and beare on her forehead a cloudy and darke wildernesse for after she had once receyued a strange shock she was straightwayes ouerturned and there was not left one stone vpon another Thet Oye braue honorable Gates of Syon ye haue bene cast downe wide open your books and hengils puld out your locks broken vp and your iron barres beaten in pieces and in vâ—…se deed there was not a gate left for the Citie lay wide open in euery place and men might go in and out at the breaches where they pleased But for thy last vnhappie farewell before thou wert razed thou sawest thy Princes and worshipfull Citizens passe ouer thy thresholds led captiues into a strange land Thou sawest thy law abolished yea euen that law which the Lord thy God had geuen thee as a guage and earnest pennie of his couenant so as thou mightest haue iudged that thou haddest lost his friendship wheÌ„ as he tooke from thee those his pawnes And besides he neuer reuealed him selfe vnto thee for his spirit was neuer in thy Prophets they that came froÌ„ him had no mo visions by which he made them vnderstand his will he hath left vs without both counsell and conduct like strayed sheepe that goe bleating ouer the fields without Shepheard or guide Iod. And therefore the poore gray haired old men which could no way escape finding no more help in their God and seeing him deafe vnto their prayers being altogether out of heart layd themselues downe on the grouÌ„d and leaning vpon their elbowes pitifully lamented their miserie and taking ashes in their hands cast them vpoÌ„ their heads praying from the bottome of their hearts that their poore and miserable bodies might eftsoones be there changed They also were so trussed vp in sackcloth as that there could be nothing seene of them but their feet the place of their graue They carried also their haires on their backs that they might be either familiarly acquainted with the custome of their miserie or else make them not to feele it all And after this manner bewailed they their calamitie The poore and delicate maydens and desolate fatherlesse children followed them casting downe their eyes bedeawing their cheekes holding downe their heads euen as the Lilly doth when it is sore beaten with rayne and wind Caph. And in very truth when I saw this so lamentable a Tragedy mine eyes melted into teares and I had almost lost my sight as it were with extreame weeping and mine heart heaued vp my body as if one had rent my bowels out of my belly when as I saw I say the poore children of Syon in this pitifull estate when I saw them lament so bitterly when I saw the greatest of them fall into swoundâ— with very sorrow and griefe and the sucking children forsaken of their mothers pine away most miserably Lamed Some crying vnto their mothers for the teat and others calling vppon them for bread But they had neyther milke not bread to geue them and this was the greatest comfort that the poore mothers had euen to go as farre as they could from theyr poore children and turne away theyr faces from them vntill such time as the famine had consumed them and they themselues lay screeking out in other places dying of very faintnes as if they had bin wounded to death And some of them were of that stomacke as that they could abide to see their children dye between their armes and by little and little prolong their owne poore life dying soonâ— after with very sorrow and griefe O what wounds felt these poore harts and how deepe did these blows pierse verely euen into the place of motherly pitie which is euen the very bottome of the heart And it is no maruell that they died so suddainly wheÌ„ as they were at once so piersed throughout all the vitall parts yea to the very wounding of the soule and the casting of it perforce out of the body Mem. O poore and miserable Ierusalem how shall I depaint and set foorth this thy so great misery what tearmes shall I deuise liuely to expresse so strange and suddaine a calamitie Whereunto shal I compare the greatnes of thine affliction The earth is not able to comprehend it and therfore the sea must for it is as large and infinit as the sea is a tormentrous field like to the sea a bottomlesse gulfe and a receptacle for great hidious monsters as the sea is one mischiefe driueth on another as the waus of
the same dayly vnto thee for an offering vnder the holie vayle of thy most holie word 9 For seeing ô Lord thou hast mortrized mee within thy holie Tabernacle shewing me the holie mysteries of thy diuinitie that in the hardest time of mine aduersitie thou hast gathered hid and drawne me vnder thine Aulter and yet not coâ—tent with that hast made me to enter into the holie of holiest and bottomes of thy Sanctuarie where thou wast wâ—… to reueale the greatest secrets of thy will graunt that I may so well conceiue them as that I may cause thy faithfull seruants faithfully to vnderstand them 10 For sith thou hast aduaâ—…ced mee into so eminent and high a place as one set vpon an â—ye rocke to be seene of the whole world and honored aboue all mine enemies let the foundation of my faith be as firme as any stone and the grace which thou shalt bestow vpon me to be a testimonie of thy righteousnesse making me worthie and capable of the benefits which it shall please thee to vouchsafe me 11 As for my selfe O Lord I will take paines reuerentlie to vse the ministerie which thou hast committed vnto mee Thou knowest how I haue carried my selfe therein I haue turned my selfe euery way to reknowledge that which might best like thee I haue most willingly offred vnto thee calues and sheepe in sacrifice I haue willingly hathed thine Aulter with bloud but that was too too small an offring for thee I haue ô Lord sacrificed mine hart consecrated mine affection vowed my thoughts and hauing pluckt them from the verie bottom of mine heart I haue offered them vnto thee with my voyce whereby thou hast vnderstood whatsoeuer my soule hath desired which was nothing else but to please thee in all mine actions My crying out then hath bene my offring which thou diddest gratiously accept opening the heauens to gather them together and to receiue them And therefore ô Lord I will all the dayes of my life sing thy prayse and recite an Hymne of thy glorie 12 Heare ô mercifull God my songs and receiue in good part the voyce which testifieth thy goodnesse and publisheth thy mercies Encrease my strength and courage that I may strayne my cryes and spirits to thee And sith thy mercie is neuer deafe vnto those which sincerely call vppon thee encline the same to me for all sorts of felicities follow her continually Incline the same I say ô Lord for thou hast promised it vnto all those that call vpon thee 13 How often hast thou heard mine heart I say mine heart and not my mouth for I speake not vnto thee but with mine heart which cryeth out saying vnto thee O Lord why haue I sought thee so carefully day and night both in peace and warre in quietnesse and in trouble I haue desired nothing in the world but to see thy face I meane not O Lord thy diuine face wherein is imprinted that fearefull Maiestie which shineth as the lightning which no mans eye is able to abide to behold but that face at the least which is couered and courtayned with thy workes which although no man is able to see but the verie hinder parts thereof and that verie hardly also yet me thinketh it to be most wonderfull and maketh me beside my selfe as it were Sith then O Lord if thou be that increated word which hath created al things which doth part of thy will and thy will a part of thy selfe doth it not represent it selfe vnto me as thy face for me to note marke therein such a great number of beautifull and excellent lineaments of Diuinitie which shine most brightly in euery part thereof O Lord I am in loue with this rare beautie neyther haue I any other care thought but that I may enioy this thy presence which offreth it selfe vnto me in thy word as in a looking glasse of thy Deitie 14 Seeing then that thou seest mine holie and sincere loue depriue me not then of this holie obiect which sanctifieth and blesseth my cogitations and thoughts And although my sinnes which are most foule and filthie make thee to be displeased with me yet I most humbly beseech thee not to be angry with me neither turne thou away this thy faire and wonderfull face from me For thou O Lord art angry with none but with such as glorie in their sinnes and stubburnely persist in their iniquities But I thy seruant my God humble my selfe before thee and do acknowledge most vnworthie sinner that I am not once to dare appeare in thy presence if thy louing kindnesse did not bring me in vnto thee And therfore thou art not to reiect me for if thou shouldest thou must also therewith reiect thy mercie whereunto I am coupled and so fast linked as that as it cannot be seperated from thee so is it also now fast linked vnto my repentance 15 And therefore thou shouldest if it might so please thee dwell and remayne with me and seeing it hath liked thee to allow me for thy seruant and to thrust me into this combat thou art not to leaue and forsake me in it for if thou shouldest my destruction would turne to thy shame where on the other side my victorie will turne to thy glorie And therefore O Lord I beseech thee to help me euermore For as mine infirmitie striueth commonly against me so also haue I need to haue continuall help on euery side of me For if thou keepe thy selfe neuer so little awhile from me my soule will euen vanish away and so will also my bodie if my soule be once gone For thou O Lord art farre away more the soule of my soule then my soule is the soule of my bodie I right well knowe that thy Diuine Maiestie hath a most vnworthie dwelling place in mee but yet I humblie beseech thee disdaine not to come into it for where thou once entrest all magnificence aboundeth and there is alwayes honor sufficient where thou art And besides O Lord thou receyuest no honor by comming to visit me but I thy poore seruant am honored by thy presence Why shouldest thou leaue the glorious bright Heauens and bright shining Starres and to come downe heere belowe to seeke for nothing that can bee sayd to bee honorable But it is as I thinke because thou wouldest haue thine Angelles knowe and vnderstand that they ought not to pride vp themselues in theyr magnificence seeing they are thy creatures and that thou canst make the most vile enhabitant on the earth as honorable as any one of them This is it why thou commest downe from the heauen of heauens to haue mercie vppon vs and hauing the like feeling of our miseries thou commest to reestablish vs in our auncient perfection And because that wee as much as in vs lyeth haue defaced the image of the Deitie which thou haddest imprinted in vs thou commest to recharge and recouer the liniaments of our first nature halfe defaced It is thou then who as thou wast our
honor her began forthwith to disdaine and looke sourely vpoÌ„ her For her shame lay opeÌ„ vnto the eyes of al the world was set before euery man as a laughing stocke some asking her what was become of all her wealth some what was become of all her honor and there was neuer an honest womaÌ„s child which had not a gird at her In so much that she could do nothing else but weepe and being all ashamed and comfortlesse she was driuen to goe hide her selfe Thet. And wheÌ„ she saw her self alone and in what estate she stood she found her self from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot to be most filthie and her garmeÌ„ts to be most beastly berayed with bloud and mire And as the Peacock when he hath spread abroad his tayle in looking at his feet letteth it fall downe agayne abating thereby his pride euen so hath she plucked downe 〈◊〉 heart sorrowed within her selfe and cared no whit for death by reason that all things misliked her but chiefly and aboue all her poore and miserable life She was giuen to be altogether sad without hauing any bodie to comfort her For her friends had forsaken her or if they were neere about her it was to none other end but to afflict her Wherefore when as she found no help here vpon earth she lamentably lifted vp her head vnto heauen with deep sighes froÌ„ the bottome of her hart addressed herselfe vnto God and sayd O Lord hast thou not compassion vppon me in this my great affliction Seest thou not mine extreame miserie Surely there is none can saue me so well as thy selfe Come therefore if thou be the God of mercy and forsake not thine humble and old seruant for mine enemy setteth his foote vpon my throate and causeth me most shamefully to belch Come therefore ô Lord for my continuall iniury is thy shame and the outrage that is done vnto a seruant redoundeth to the mayster And therefore come ô Lord for mine enemy â—…geth me beyond all measure and without all pitie Iod. He hath layd his bloudy hand vpon that which I accompted most deere and spared no whit of that which I made reckning off to be most holy Thou hast seene him enter into thy Sanctuary and into that place which ought to haue receyued none but sanctified persons no none but pure and cleane soules and such as are worthie to be partakers of the beholding of thy diuine maiestie hath seene receyued and touched euen pollution and impietie it selfe and seene his sacrilegious hands steale away the ornaments of thy Temple destroyed the habitation of thy deitie and the abiding place of thy grace as if thy lawes and prohibitions forbidding them not to abide and carry in that place no nor once to enter thereinto had bene but as it were a very song Where wert thou then ô Lord and although thou carest not for the iniuries which we haue receyued why art thou not yet reuenged of the wrongs done vnto thy selfe Caph. Thou hast bene ô Lord very angry against poore Ierusalem and hast sayd that thou haddest no will to come to help it by reason of the great and manifold offences thereof It is now time ô Lord or else neuer for all her miserable inhabitants goe shamefully a begging for their liuing and haue geuen whatsoeuer good thing they haue for a mouth full of bread and bought full dearely the water which they haue dronke Forsake not ô Lord this our earnest prayer and turne a-little thine eyes of mercy vpon vs for if our pride hath heretofore estranged vs fom thee our humilitie shall now reconcile vs vnto thee There can be now nothing ô Lord to be seene so humble vile and abiect as we are nor there is nothing that hath more need of thee then we haue neyther can there be any thing found to be more pitifull then thy selfe Lamed Tell me I beseech ye you that passe by and see my ruines and do consider the remayne of my greatnesse and then tell me if there be any thing in the whole world so miserable as it is and that euer sithence you haue had eyes that euer you sawe any dolor like vnto mine Tell me I pray you if euer ye were able to keepe your eyes from shedding of teares whensoeuer ye beheld my desolation I speake vnto you I say which haue heretofore seene this Citie so wonderfully furnished with welth ritches her greatnes magnificeÌ„ce do now behold her moÌ„strous spoile do ye not thinke that you see a vineyard laid wide open whereinto all sorts of beasts are entred who haue not only spoiled the vintage of the grape but haue also broken downe the hedges pluckt in sunder the very armes of the vines And this ye see is the pleasure of God he is iustly angry with me hath determined to visit me in his fury Mem. His vengeance is come downe from heauen like lightning it is come to thunder and lighten vpon me and is entred into the very marrow of my bones nothing can be seene to be done more suddainely more earnestly or more powerfully For in a moment it is come ouerthrowne all in a moment and all in a minute shaken into fitters pieces For my Temples and my Castles which reached vnto the clowdes lye now euen with the grouÌ„d Our Cities are like vnto plaine heathes wheron you may driue Carts God hath made me right well know to my cost his power and might He hath made me heare an horrible lesson We thought by our wisedomes to haue bene able to withstand the blow of his iustice howbeit there is neither wisedome nor councell against God We haue bene entrapped on euery side For wheÌ„ we thought to come out and to be in safetie we were fast intangled in his nets and the more haste we made to get out the faster were we masshed in the end were cast downe headlong into that punishment which he had prepared for vs like vnto the mariner who thinking to escape a shelf or flat falleth into a gulfe which swalloweth him vp For our misery is in deed a very gulfe where our fight is taken away and we brought back into an inaccessible wildernes where there is none to comfort vs in so much as that our eyes neuer geuing ouer weeping are able inough to drowne vs in our owne teares Nun. I neuer ô Lord looked to escape it for thou hast too too long had an eye vnto my sinnes and hast determined of the punishment which I should suffer it is ouer long ago since thou didst couple my sinnes together and holdest them fast linked within the hand of thy iustice In the end I found my selfe all at once oppressed and felt my sinnes as an hard and insupportable yoke tye me fast to be tormented I yelded my neck vnto the punishment as an oxe vnto the yoke vnder the hand of an vnmercifull master My misery gaue me no rest nor intermission so long