twoe stewes of Sathan wherein hee dayly committed fornication with the sonnes of men Those two Sodom and Gomorrha were as wanton Damosels of this world giuen to all lewdnes and lust they 〈…〉 sed after sinne howsoeuer Satan piped They had renounced al godlie chastitie and to marrie the olde serpente they had broken their obedience vnto the lord But be hold those two wild cities were tamed destroyed yea burnt with fire and brimstone Now O ye children of men come and see the terrible sight of these two citties burning consuming with fire repente and lament your owne liues that you are not behinde Sodom and Gomor in wickednesse but like miserable wretches haue pledged them in the cuppe of spirituall fornication with sinne and Satan Let this fire and birmstone like terrible Trumpetters of Gods iust iudgementes sound so shrill in your eares as to awake you from sleeping anye longer in sinne least a worse thing than this doo happen vnto you yea whensoeuer you see water fire and brimstone thinke vppon the iudgementes of God against sin and sinne not Consider that Sodom and Gomor were destroied for sin and that God when it pleaseth him maye execute his iudgement vppon thee whosoeuer thou be vnlesse thou repent therefore returne from sin and sinne not Consider that where al creatures were made for mans vse yet y e Lord in his wrath against sinne doth vse them as swords of vengeance to cut him off And therefore if wee will not onelie haue the Lord but also his creatures to profite vs so that wee may vse them to the ende they were created then where not onlie the Lord him selfe but also all his creatures doo crie vpon vs Repent and sinne not it standeth vs vpon to amende our faultes to reforme our liues and to frame our selues to all good workes which God hath prepared for vs that we should walk therein But ô the lamentable case of Iesus Christ O the vnspeakable churlishnesse of man for if the churlishnesse of one wicked citie Ierusalem did wring teares out of the glorious eyes of our Sauior Iesus Christ and made him to sigh and sob because shee had dealt so vncurteouslie with him so preposterouslie with hir self as to stone his prophets to refuse his clocking and to serue satan and so to worke her owne destruction then what yeere what daie what houre naye what moment doo wee not all make our Sauior Iesus Christ beholding our iniquities to weepe and to sob sith that our sinnes almost do passe in number the sands of the sea and haires of our heads Yea O the churlishnes of man yet by sinne so to grieue our Sauiour Iesus Christ from the which to redeem vs it cost him bloudye teares euen the effusion of his moste pretious blood But is it not a miserable follie in man by such churlish dealing to offend our Lord Iesus Christe who shal come to iudge the quick and the dead Ye swearers ye cursers and railers ye vsurers theeues and murtherers yee epicures Papists and carnall Gospellers al ye sinners that lie in sinne that knowe sinne and yet forsake it not with what face will you present your selues before this heauenlie iudge out of whom you haue wroonge so manye sobs as you haue commytted sinnes in your life If you haue vsed him so vnthankfullie and wrought him such greefe how can you look but for griefe for your reward But O the mercie of the Lord that yet crieth Come vnto me al ye that labour and are heauie laden and I will refreshe you Behold notwithstanding your infinite offenses notwith standing your infinite sinnes yet if you will acknoweledge them and bee hartilie sorie for them that in coÌ„mitting them you haue greeued the spirit of Iesus Christ he is readie to receiue you yea and as one thirsting to receiue you into fauor again he calleth vnto you Come promising that notwithstanding you bee laden and clogged with sinne that yet he wil ease you if you will come vnto him This is a comfortable retrait grounded vpon the promise of Iesu Christ that if we wil come vnto him he will refresh vs. Now what is Iesus Christe and what are we wee are sinners and therefore our due is death but Iesus Christ is a sauiour yea saluation and life it selfe and therefore to goe to him and to leaue sinne is to passe from death to life from sorow of conscience to peace yea such a peace as passeth all 〈…〉 erstanding Yea Iesus Christ is truth and therefore if wee will sinne no more but in a contrite spirite repaire vnto him then will he receiue vs hee will refresh vs with the deintie comfort of his holie spirite and at length receiue vs into ioy therin to liue with him for euer Therefore if wee haue stopped our eares at so manie retraits sounded against sin yet let this one comfortable spech vttered by our Sauiour Christ serue in stead of manie Come but and if this retrait of Iesus Christ be not able to call thee effectualy to repentance then turn thine eies vnto his crosse and beholdinge the villanie of sinne thy maister and Satan the subtile serpent repent and amend Beholde the lambe of God he that came in the similitude of sinfull flesh to saue thee by his death Behold how the diuel hath handled him behold how his helhoundes haue intreated him and all for sâ—nne Behold his holy bodie racked behold his holie feet handes rent with nails his head crowned with thornes his pretious side launced with a speare Beholde his pretious bloud dropping yea outstreaming behold howe the onelie beloued sonne of God our louing and blessed Sauiour lo how tyrannouslie the ministers of Satan haue vsed him But why are his holie armes outstretched why dooth his holie head bow it selfe down why are his feete and hands so torne with nailes why dooth his pretious blood spinne out why is this holie lamb of God so piteouslie slaughtered vpon the tree Surely O man thou thy selfe haste ministred the cause and thy sinnes haue wrought this crueltie vppon this innocent Lambe Iesus Christe so that if thou either loue Iesus Christ whome thy sinnes haue torne so cruelly or tender thine own case for whom he died so mercifullie beyond thy merit sin no more but repent repent repent and defie the diuel and al his tyrannie Yea and sith his head his armes his hands his feete his side and pretious bloud doo so cleerelie shew the tyrannie of sinne detest abhor and auoid it And whereas his thornie crowne that tore his head and the nailes that rent his handes and feete and the speare that pearsed his glorious side doo all crie out vppon vs that wee haue so rente and torne by our sinnes Iesus Christ our blessed Sauiour let vs for shame bee ashamed of our villanie Let vs lament and repente our iniquities least that the ve rie thornie crowne of his head the verie nailes that fastened him to the tree and the speare that pearsed
that lost that royall stamp of a pure nature to the vtter disgracing of all his progenie Man this loste sheepe thou soughtest O Iesus thou foundest sweet Iesus by death thou foundest her by bleeding paines thou foundest her by nailed hands and bored feete thou foundest her by a sharpe thornie crowne which pear ced thy glorious head by sheding of thine owne bloud by drinking of veneger in thine extreme thirst by suffering the most violent death of y e crosse thou foundest her and so fo undest thy lost sheepe man loste man sinfull man the childe of wrath O Iesus O louing Iesus tender harted Samaritan that of a sicke hast salued of a sore sinner hast saued him of a wicked Creature washed him cleane in the streame of thine inestimable mercie O Iesu O gratious Iesu thou hast sought loste man and founde lost man by condemning sinne by breaking the bands of the diuel by conquering hell sinne death and diuel in the flesh Sith therefore thouhaste O louing Iesu pitiful Iesu of thy mercy shed thy bloud not onlie for my firste father Adam but also for mee euen for the whole worlde that as sinne ouerran al men to condemnation by one man so in thee al the nations of the worlde might bee blessed And sith thou hast not onelie made a ful purgation for my sinnes beeing the slaughtered Lambe that haste taken awaie the sinnes of the worlde but also soong a conquest ouer sinne which hath lost his sting death which was dead hel which had lost the victorie and the dragon which thou ouercammest in heauen by preaching libertie to Captiues and leading captiuitie captiue there is no cause whie I should faint and feare death Arme mee therfore O Lord with this faith that thou hast dashed Death in peeces with the rod of thy merits drowned the diuell in the riuers of thy pretious blood that no torment or biting paine of the fleshe sunder mee from thee most louing Iesu but imprint in my heart thy grace that in greatest anguishe I may be so farre from the feare of it as rather to crie with thy Sayntes Come Lord Iesu Come and desire to bee dissolued with Paule and to be with thee my louing husband than by anie panges of death to refuse thee O Lord doo thy good will Amen Another OVr Father which arte in heauen thou art life how shal I come vnto thee there is no waie O Lord but thy selfe no man commeth vnto thee but by thee There is no remedy but this vessel of earth must bee broken before I shall see thee face to face euen as thou art in fulnes of glorie Dust to duste ashes to ashes claie to claie earth muste returne to earth to pay this borrowed tabernacle to earth where of it came Grasse must wither the flower must fade the vapour vanish I must be dissolued before I shall be ioyned fullie to thee my head and onelie vine wherein I liue Thy purseuant sicknes must visit this body of sinne and death muste rowe me ouer the seas of this world vnto thee in the barke of faith by the anchor of thy couenāts made to the house of Dauid O Lord therefore giue me grace to welcome death by which I must passe to life that dieng in thee I may be blessed and liue in the storehouse of thy ioyes for euer Amen Another O Louing husbande mine onely Iesus sleepe not slumber not but awake my ioye awake my comfort and lose the bandes of my miserie Death death O Lord thou hast nailed to the tree by the pretious passion and drowned Satan the prince of darkenesse in the streamie floud of thy blessed bloud Sweet Iesus louing Lord and husband mine lock vp the faith of this thy merit in my heart and clip mee in the sweete armes of thy woonted comfort Kisse me kisse mee pitious Iesu pittie mee and be not angrie with mee Diuorce me not O mercifull Iesus but marrie me in mercie and call me in thy fauor to the mariage of grace that beeing thine by the testimonie of thy spirite I may singe with a brasen face sinne where is thy sting hel where is thy victorie Mercie O Lorde mercie loue louing God loue is thy nam 〈…〉 mercie is my sute O bottomlesse pitie thy loue I labor and crie for Lord Lord Iesus thou sonn of Dauid haue mercie vpon mee and spread foorth the banners of thy comfort that I may knowe that I am thine and knowing it may neuer distrust thine inestimable mercie Amen Another in forme of a confession IN thy name O Lord Amen I acknowledge to the publishing of God his glorie and the comfort of my soule that I am God his owne childe that he hath created me of nothing redeemed me being lost preserued me from the wombe till this time In him haue I onely trusted neuer shal be confounded Beloued friendes in the Lord for your comfort and mine owne duetie heare my confession which euery christian is boūd to make I acknowledge ther fore in the face of GOD Almightie before you all that whether I liue or die I am his He hath suffered death to saue mee from death he was crowned with thornes to crowne me with glorie he was bored and nailed to the tree to nayle and to crucifie the sinnes of the whole world He was content to be pearced and goared with a speare yea so pearsed that the blood gushed out and for nothing else but to washe me cleane from the sore of sin in the streames of his mercie For this with one consent lett vs crie Our soules doo magnifie the Lord and our spirits rcioise in God our Sauiour Sccondlie I confesse that though Christe in his pretious bloud hath clensed me from the filth of sinne that notwithstanding I doo nothing in this present life but heape sinne vppon sin and hourde vp trespasse vpon trespasse so that this daie is worse alwaies than yesterdaie by increasing as daies so sins and therefore the indignation of God against mee But yet those of hel shal not be able to preuaile against me For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus my Sauiour Thirdlie I confes that as my life is sinful so it is shorte like a smoke like a shaddowe like a warrefare like a flower that fadeth grasse that withereth a word that soon passeth it is like a bubble in the water a weauers shuttle it is a span long and no moe Againe it is not onelie short but also miserable For it is an exile a vale of miserie it is a wildernesse it is stuffed with sorrowes a cage of enimies a sea of myseries a dungeon of gronings greeuous sobbings it is a storme a tempest that wonderfullie trobleth the people of our heauenlie father beleeue me it is no better than a womans trauell and that is extremelie miserable and therefore as not onelie short but also wretched I am willing to forsake it Yea death welcome death sicknes sicknes of
appearance of the sunne in fulnes of comfort He desired to se the day but could not see it which is nowe paste wherin the sonne of God hath opened fully the storehouse of ioy and yet beeing wearie of the burthen of his bodie and willing to forsake it as a most stinking prison house without feare of death he crieth out Oh how long shall I lie in this prison Paule ioineth hands with father Dauid euen Paule that notable Organne of the holie Ghost who saide of himselfe It is not I that liue but Christ that liueth in mee Hee that in body saw the Lorde and knew that as a vapour his life should vanish so he in a small space should suppe with his mayster Christe in heauen after his ascension yet carriyng about himselfe this case of the soule accounteth himself wretched and therefore cryeth out Oh wretch that I am who shal deliuer me from this body of sin As if hee shoulde haue saide I knowe that the time will come when men will faint in faithe and broch infidelitie when this life shall bee more loued than wisely lothed this bodie more esteemed than godlinesse wil suffer I knowe foolish parentes will be so be witched with the immoderate loue of their children that they wil grudge at the will of God when he calleth them and sorrowe and sighe a long time after their departures which is both sinne and follie But I tell them that they ought to reioise bicause they are rested from theyr laboures bicause they are passed from Death to life because they are blessed For wretch O wretche that I am who shal deliuer mee out of this body of sinne The bodie which you haue lost is but a bodie of sinne it is but a prison of the soule as father Dauid speaketh it is but a burthen of the soule so that by Death they are deliuered from sinne to safetie from imprisonment to libertie from a yoke of myserie to endles felicitie and therefore oh wretch that I am who shal deliuer me from this body of sinne Paule indeed knewe that this world was an exile and Heauen his contrey that he was a pilgrim this world but an Inne heauen his home nay at a sight of his owne Countrey when hee was rapt hee saw at his owne home whence by sin hee was banished in Adam such ioyes as eie neuer sawe nor eare heard nor heart euer conceiued These are the ioyes which shal endure for euer for number vnmeasurable for durance perpetual and without end or period And therefore let euerye Christian bee readie and willing in ioy of spirit to welcome death in token thereof learne to crie out with Paule Oh wretch that I am who shal deliuer me from this bodye of sinne Lette vs account our selues wretched as long as we carry this weede of earth aboute vs vntill our soules bee vncased and wee deliuered from this body of sinne But if examples will not bee of force to schoole vs yet let nature speake and preuaile The seconde causes whereof you are made are the foure elements which concur to the constitution of euerye mixt creature and being euer at combat doe also naturally worke the shipwracke of the same according to the common axiome rule of nature The causes of corruption are all one with the causes of gene ration and therefore vnlesse we wil denie nature and be vn thankful to God for our creation we may not in anye case feare death which is mothered vpon nature our common and generall mother But if neyther example nor Nature will or can preuaile yet let the authoritye of our Heauenlie Creatour and his wisedome compell vs to welcome death and to accept willinglye the condition of our bodies Our bodies and soules God created he made them by the power of his almightie hande and hath lente them vnto vs but for a time to vse til mother earth require the bodie and he our soules For as of earth wee came so into earth wee must returne againe therefore vnles we will be vnthankfull to nature and rebellious to God wee must bee willing to paie our debts vnto him least if we doo it not he cast vs into prison til we haue paid the vttermost farthing So much for thy bodie Now consider thy soule As thy bodie is a prison so is thy soule during this pilgrimage a prisoner as it is a body of sin so is thy soule lodged in a most stinking prison as it is of earth earthy so is thy soule an exile from heauen heauenlie ther fore to feare death it is to feare the deliuery of thy soule from prison which is meere follie it is to wish a stinking lodging and a filthie cage to dwell in and euer to carie it about thee which is a very harde and extreame misery it is to wish thy continuall banishmente from the ioyefull realme of heauen thy natural countrey which is extreame madnes So that vnles you wil be counted foolish wretched carelesse and mad who are willed to be as wise as serpents you muste in no case feare death which is the best ghest that euer came to the godlie For now there is not cōdemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus but blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. The second weapon Consider thy life IT is short vncerteine and miserable It is short for man that is borne of a woman hath but a shorte time to liue the daies of man are the dayes of an hyrelinge yea winde and nothing as father Iob telleth vs. A man in his time is but grasse and flourisheth as a flower of the field For as soone as the wind goeth ouer it it is gone and the place thereof knoweth it no more as the prophet Dauid teacheth There is a time to be borne and a time to die And man is like a thing of naught his daies passe away like a shaddowe It is the proclamation of the Lorde vttered by Esay that al flesh is grasse and al the glorie of man as the flower of grasse And it is tolde vs by Paule that heere we haue no continuing cyttie but wee seeke for one to come This is it which is shaddowed vnto vs in sundrie similitudes Saynt Iames sayeth Our life is euen a vapour that appeereth for a little time and then vanisheth away Our daies on the earth also are but as a shadowe there is none abiding They are like a bubble in the water like a weauers shuttle like a smoke they are like a thought soone conceiued and soone ended Dailie experience dooth teache vs thus muche For wee see that by some storme or other the greene apple falleth before the mellowed fruite the lambe is brought to the slaughterhouse as wel as the sheepe the chicken is killed for the broath as wel and sooner than the cock yoong men passe awaie as wel as old our daies are short our life is as the shadowe Now therefore reason with me Shal we feare
death for the losse of a shadow shal wee by sighs and sobs storme againste the Lord for the losse of a vapour nay shall we not rather be glad to forgo the shadowe and by death desire to be knit more fullye to our bodie Iesus whereof wee are members in faith and hope O ye of lyttle faith crie vnto the God of hea uen Lord increase our faith Be content to leaue this vaporous life and welcome death and cry in a ful beleefe Come Lord lesu come shorten these latter daies for thine elect sake and saue vs. Saue vs O Lord saue vs haue mercie vpon vs and helpe vs helpe Lord and by a blessed death cite vs to appeare before thee For one daie in thy court is better than a thousand elsewhere Amen Secondly consider that thy life is vncerteine For death is like a theefe that commeth at vncertaine houres he is like a thundercracke that soundeth on a sudden yea this life is so vncerteine that death may ask his due in the swathcloth and none be able to resist him He is alwaies a prince hee ruleth not only in the haruest but also in the spring time and summer Yoong menne and babes olde men and maydes greene and ripe al are one death excepteth no persons hee neuer regardeth our yeares but with his sharpe syth on a sudden he cutteth al downe So y â— our life is like a ruinous house alwaies readie to fal like a thin thred alwaies readie to rotte like a running cloud wherof we are vncerteine where and when it falleth This cloud sometimes melteth in the cradle somtims in the chaire Death is like the sunne whensoeuer it shineth it melteth our cloudie life bee the cloud thereof neuer so thin or thicke in yeres Our life nowe being as vncerteine as the weathercocke which turneth at euery blast or like the waue which mounteth at euery storme or lyke the reede which boweth at euery whisteling winde whye shoulde we loue it and not rather loath it in comparison of the euerduring life of the heauenlie citizens wherevnto by death we passe in mercie Oh that al Christians woulde ingraue in their harts the wauering dayes of this vncerteine life and consider and looke for in a ful faith the certaintie of that ioyfull life wherevnto death dooth bring vs For then woulde wee that sayle as pilgrimes on the waters of this world and are tossed dangerouslie by diuers pyrates the flesh sinne and the diuell desire with hartie praier craue of the Lorde that in the barke of a liuely faith by his mariner death he woulde carrie vs to the certeine and blessed life of his saints If we were thus godly wise to consider the vncerteintie of this momentanie life or so happie as to ponder the eternall felicitie of Ierusalem and restful Cannaan we would rather ioy and be merrie when sicknes and death shal visit vs than mourne and sorrowe for it For they are the Lords ambassadours which are sent to bring vs tidinges that dynner and supper is readye and the banket of glorie to bee minystred and that we must come without tarrieng to marrie him and to enioy him face to face euen as he is and 〈…〉 fore with willing mind tâ—â—aie our debted bodies to mother earth whereof wee borrowed them and to him our soules that hee may marrie them in the couenant of his Eternall mercies We are borne into this world naked our heritage is sin and myserie our life is labour and sorrowe we our selues are but tenaunts vnder mother earth concerning our bodies and vnder GOD concerning our soules which God our God of ioy and father of comforte by his owne sonne hath bought vs an inheritance immortall and vndefiled for euer vnto the which by sicknes death as the messengers of his wil he calleth vs. Is all this so and shall wee feare death no for shame let vs bid adieu to this shorte and vncertaine lyfe and receyue death in ioy of spirite as an accomplishment of the obligation of his couenant wherewith he bound himselfe of his meere mercie beyond any merite of ours that wee shoulde neuer see death but haue euerlasting life Vnlesse therefore you will mourne against death bicause by it you passe from an vncerteine to a certeine life from these sorrowing and wauering daies to an euerlasting and incorruptible inheritance and so shew your selues rather willing to haue the fleshepots 〈◊〉 Aegypt for euer than to passe to heauen and to eate of comfortable manna not in the wildernes but in new Ierusalem see that ye feare not death but loue it and welcome it whensoeuer the Lorde will sende it vnto you Thirdlye consider thy life is miserable It is not only short but also miserable yea I may well tearme it a kingdome of miserie New borne babes do what they can to persuade vs of the truth of this matter For they beginne not this life with smiling countenance but with weeping eies By their crie what else dooth nature sing or signifie vnto vs but that thorough our sinnes our life is become a continual warfare and the world our enimie euen 〈◊〉 vale of miserie besette with thornes to pricke vs on euerie side Righteous Abell founde in his life time a thorn of his own blood to trouble molest him euen Caine his own brother to bache his blade in his bloud villanouslie to murther him Iohn Baptist the bright dayestar and forerunner of Christ the sunne of righteousnesse he found a thornie Herode to behead him and holie Stephan stonie Iewes to dispatche him Yea what is this life but a fardle of miserie wherein Christ our blessed sauior tasted of nothinge but of the sower grape of persecution For no sooner was this lambe of God come into the world but Herod by the decree of his hellishe conuocation was ready to deuo 〈…〉 him this was a miserie to mother Marie And maruelouslie doth it paint out the mysery of this life that the hony babe Iesus the very lambe of God and light of this world is so welcomen into the world which intended mischiefe And where hee by the prouidence of his heauenly father escaped the snare of the rauenous fowler yet for his sake doo the children and sucklings of Bethleem and the coastes thereof as many as were twoe yeeres old and vnder preache vnto vs the miserie of this our life The voice that was heard in Ramah moorning weping and great lamentation Rachell 〈…〉 eeping for hir children with out all comforte because they were not teacheth vs and crieth out vpon the miserable life of man If al careles Epicures would aske the iudgement of Father Iob in this case he would expounde the mysticall cries of tender sucklinges that man which is borne of a woman hath not onely a short time to liue but also a miserable life to lead that his life is a warfare continual labour and sorrow This iudgement of Iob without all doubte was rooted in him and his brother Ieremie And
by death they are blessed and rest from their labors Why doo you mourne this life is a vapour by death for a vapour they possesse an heauenlie and euer during inheritance Why doo you mourne doo you not thinke that heauen is better than earth that the companie of angels archangels Patriarkes Prophete◠Apostles Martyrs Confessors Virgines and the holy ones of God is better than the felowship of men and the company of beastes Doo you not beleeue that ioye is better than sorrowe that life eternal is better than this short vaine and vile life that it is better to see God face to face to follow the lambe Iesus in heauen in fulnesse of ioy to possesse him at his Heauenlie table to banket with father Abraham Isaac Iacob than to dwel with you all our fare in this worlde is dung in respect of the heauenlie meat which Christ dooth set before them that are passed by death to life and why then doo you mourne Mourne not for them for they are happie happie and thrise happy are they But as I say mourn for your selues that be not so luckie as they to bee taken from this vale of myserie to the storehouse of felicitie as they are For by deathe they are not dead but by death they are passed to life to suche a life as passeth all vnderstanding the ioyes wherof doe surmount the conceipt thoght not onely of man but also angels and Archangels But miserable are you which doo yet carrye about you this earthie Tabernacle yea euen in this one thing you are miserable vnlesse you repent that you mourne for the deathe of your friends or children For in that you denie the will of God to be iuste for that hee hath made man of earth earthy and mortal Mourne for this your vnbeleefe mourne for this your sin weepe for the sinnes of your youth for your secret sinnes and desire God to wipe and to wash your soule from all infection of sinne that being prepared by death to follow your friends and children you may with willing hearts in a liuelie faith giue a farewell vnto this worlde and be readie to marrie Christ Iesus in glorie to whome bee all glorie Amen A battel betweene the Diuel and the Conscience Wherein all true Christians are taught how to oppose and set them selues against the assaults of their Archaduersary Satan made in forme of a dialog by the sayde E. H. Satan THou arte a Sinner and therefore the child of wrath Conscience I am a sinner Satan I confes it that in mee that is in my fleshe dwelleth no good thing which may mooue my Lorde to take pitie vpon me but yet I denie thy consequent For though I bee a sinner yet shall not my sinnes preuaile against me For behold saith Iohn The lambe of God hath taken awaye the sinnes of the worlde hee hath condemned sinne in the flesh so that now there is no condēnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Satan I grant that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ but suche are in Christ which walke not after the flesh as thou dooest continuallie boording vp trespasse vpon trespasse against the daie of iudgement Conscience Thou liest Satan I walke not after the fleshe but with Paule I wil the thing that is good though I bee not able to perfourme it by reason of that combat which is between the flesh and the spirit Indeed at the least I sinne seuen times a daie but notwithstanding auoid Satan for Iohn telleth mee that if anie manne sinne wee haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christe the righteous and he is the propitiation for the sinnes of the world Sat. But how knowest thou that he wil be thine aduocate For hee is a righteous mediatour and therefore he will not deal for thee 〈◊〉 most miserable sinner Con. I knowe it Satan that hee wil be mine aduocate For so his holie worde preacheth vnto me which is the word of Christe the euerlasting truth which I by his grace wil neuer misdoubt And heerein thou shewest what thou hast beene euen from the beginning a lier For Iohn telleth mee that If anie man sinne yet there is an aduocate and a righteous aduocate euen Iesus Christe the righteous Sat. Yea but how darest thou looke vp to heauen and fly to this aduocate thou beeing a vile sinner and hee a righteous God Con. In a ful faith of his mercie Satan I dare goe to him For hee crieth to all laden and labouring Christians Come vnto me And why then shuld I feare to goe vnto him especiallie since he hath promised to refresh mee If I come vnto him Sat. Thou maiest goe vnto him but thou shalt find him a iudge For he wil neuer refresh thee with mercie but punish thee with deserued iudgement and reward thee according to thy deserts Con. Auoid Satan for thou liest I will go to him in assurance of his mercie for hee is truth and cannot faile in his promise Hee will indeede reward me according to my deserts but what deserts Christ his deserts are my deserts hee by his deathe deserued life for mee and al the world not for himselfe but for vs according to the saying of Peter He bare our sinnes in his bodie And therefore sith Christ by his ful obedience hath deserued lyfe my desert in him is life And therefore will I dare to go vnto my Lord and my God for I am sure of mercie Sat. I am the prince of darknesse and al sinners belong to my kingdome For the reward of sinne is death and therefore assure not thy selfe of mercye for that is in vaine Con. Auoid Satan For what though thou bee the prince of darkenesse yet doo I set thee at naught I am a sinner but what of that Satan my sinnes haue lost their stinge and so mayest thou gape for a prey and goe without a reward For in the bloud of Iesus Christ am I purged from my sinnes yea from all my sinnes the sinnes of my childhood my youth my olde age commytted in thought worde or deede whatsoeuer they haue bene are or shal be they are drowned in the bottom of the sea and so couered in mercie that the Lorde will neuer remember them Sat. Thou liest conscience For the Lord is iust and therefore hee will remember them that he may punish them Con. The Lord is righteous thou fowle diuel iust and true are all his waies but yet thou lyest in thy consequent for it standeth not with his iustice to remember our sinnes that hee may punish vs whose sins he hath punished in his sonne Christ. Christe Iesus by his death hath deliuered vs out of debt to the wrath of his heauenlie Father and purchased vs remission of sins And therefore I am sure that as God is iust so he will not remember my sinnes to punishe them in me againe sith his sonne hath paid his debt for mee For it is againste iustice that any debt should be twise
paid or twyse required Sat. Though Christ once died to saue thee from sinne yet haue I thine euill life to laie against thee for the which thou art and shalt be mine Con. Christ indeede died to saue me and by his own death hath he fully bought mee from the wrath of his Father And I confes Satan to my Lord that I haue not liued after his lawe but manie waies transgressed his holye will but what then thou foule spirit am I thine no Satan no. For the Lorde hath mercy in store for euery Publican when he craueth it be he neuer so ill a liuer He is at this point with vs Aske and haue I will therefore aske mercie of God who gaue his owne son by his bloudie Death to saue mee and I am sure that I shall haue my sute For he hath spoken it and can not lie Thou liest therefore for I am not thine But thou sayest that I am and shal be thine Auoyd Satan auoid like a coward For he that is with mee hath broozed thy head euen the mightie Lion of the tribe of Iudah that hath promised to be with his church euen til the end of the worlde he is with me and if he be with mee whoe can be against me doo not therefore crake of this Satan that I am an euill liuer and therefore thine Giue ouer thy combat for if thou doo not I will call vppon my Capteine Michael by the power of his Angelike bande to dashe thee out of countenance whoe did beate thee in Heauen and all thy hellish armie The cal of Conscience in conflict for succour against present danger THe diuel O Lorde like a rauenous lion dooth seeke to teare the lambe of thy Pasture and vnlesse thou helpest there is none other waie but to the slaughterhouse It hath beene a continuall practyse of his euen from the beginning to rob thy childreÌ„ of the riches of their redemption wrought accomplished by the bloud shed of thy beloued sonne He someth like a bore of the desert and seeketh by violence to breake into the vineyard of my soule which thy handes O thou heauenlie husbandman haue planted Vp therefore and arise O gratious god and good shepheard of my soule And as thou hast promised so be thou with mee in time of this my skirmishe that I may giue Satan the foile and sleepe fafelie vnder the wings of thy mercy with whom is store of mercie To thee be al glorie both now and euer Amen The dead mans Schoole Wherein Death teacheth all Estates and degrees from the Prince to the begger many notable lessons most necessarie to be learned made by the sayd E. H. APproche ye sonnes of Adam you that are as I was and shall bee as I am Drawe neere and learne those thinges diligentlie wherein I shal instruct you First I would haue you to learne this lesson that as sinne came in by Adam so by sinne death as a due reward followed And therefore when you looke vppon mee remember whence you are falne in adam from grace into sinne from sin into death and therevpon sorowe for your sinnes and prepare your selues to death For it is the waie of all flesh There is a time to bee borne in sinne and a time to die for the same al flesh is grasse yee muste all wither and fade with the flower This natural death which foloweth the combat of the Elementes and sinne shal creep vpon your mortallims for as the sunne hath an east to rise in so he hath a West to fal in euen â—o you shall all dance with me one day and this day is vncertaine noe man knoweth when it shall come For it shall come at vnawares vpon you and therefore doe good and eschew euil sin not least a woorse thing than this naturall death doe happen vnto you For if you doo still wallowe in sin answer me What if death suddenlye strike you with his dart as hee dooth manie men howe woulde you bee able to stand in y e iudgement of God Therefore leaue off in time and liue lyke Christyans that GOD yet at the least seeing your liues are so wicked may find a good will and purpose in you towardes a godlie conuersation Do we not stil hold the same pace like old carthorses but repent and amend for the kingdome of God is at hand Secondly when you see mee remember the spirituall death of Adam wherein you are all wrapped by nature borne in sin children of wrath Dead you are in Adam starke dead in your sinnes vntill the Lord do regenerate you anew with his holie spirit and water your barren nature with the drops of his grace And herein see that you doo acknowledge your weakenes or rather your miserie that by sinne you are dead euen without life by nature and without anye power to attayne vnto life as I am and shall be vntill the Lorde doo knocke at my bed and raise mee from death to life to liue with him for euer Auoyde sinne therefore as your deadlie enimie whiche would rob you of life and fetter you in bandes of eternall death and crie vnto the Lord for helpe For withoute him against this enimie you can do nothing Crie with the prophet Dauid Create O Lord a new heart and renewe a right spirite within vs that beeing quickened againe by the dew of his blessing and strengthened with the armour of grace you may be able to withstand the furie of Sathan and constantly to endure the battell of a raging conscience Thirdlie when you looke vpon mee remember whereof you are euen of earth no better than duste and ashes to the which I nowe returne And therefore to the loftie minded manne I say Dust and ashes why art thou proud for earth thou art to earth thou shalt and become a prey for knawing wormes Decke thy bodye neuer so gloriouslie tie Iewels aboute thy neck lade thy fingers with ringes sit at thine ouerrunning tables and make merrie despise al men yet I tell thee thou art dust as I am so shalte thou be Thy bodie shal stinke which nowe thou embaulmest thy lofty looke shal bee humbled the wormes shall feede vppon thee Looke vpon me thinke vpon thy selfe be not as thou art but thinke vpon mee and what thou shalt be and folow him that is able of dust to raise thee to life crieth vnto thee Be humble and meeke as I am If thou refuse this exhortation remember that pride shall haue a fall that earth is heauy by nature and falleth that he that exalteth himselfe shall be humbled and hee that humbleth himselfe shal be exalted Acknowledge therefore that earth is thy mother which is the basest of al other elements and folowe Christ thy maister and onlie guide to his father in ioy that out of earth hee may raise thee to heauen and after thy resurrection for thine earthie and stinking bodie giue thee a glorious and immortall bodie that thou mayest shine with him like a starre
in the kingdome of glory Fourthly let all couetous persons looke vpon mee and amend their euill liues For as I came naked into this world so did they and as I carrye nothinge with mee but my winding sheete euen so shall they Their riches the pelfe of this world shall they leaue behind them which they haue gathered in paine and hourded vp with greedie minds Oh you hungrie lions you are alwaies gaping for y e prey you are euer hungrie and neuer satisfied get you neuer so much by hooke or by crook by violent iniurie or biting vsurie But looke you vpon me For an eln of earth now shall serue mee and so must it serue you whom nothing may suffice in this world Sorrowe therefore and amende in time For you were not borne to gather worldelye substance but to serue poore Iesus who of God made himselfe poore to enrich you You were not borne to continue in this world No you haue no continuing citie heere but you must looke for another euen Heauen whence you are nowe exiled and therefore you must seeke the things that be aboue Your conuersation must be in Heauen You must not tie your harts to the earth and hourd vp the pelfe of this world lest the verie moths and rust of your tresure cry for a plague vpon and against you in the daie of vengeance For die you muste one day and be as I am and so rest in the bellye of mother earth vntil the day of accoūts when God shal rewarde euerie man according to his deserts Fifthlie let all enuious persons and euil willers beholde my hart let all bloodshedders looke vpon my feete all backbiters slanderers and curssers marke my toong all robbers and Vsurers view my handes all couetous persons note my winding sheete all selfelouers and proud men gaze vpon my face and hollowe eies let all men looke vpon me amende their liues for as I am euen so shall they be Sixtly let al Christians look vpon me courtiers and countrey men highe and lowe rich and poore yoong and old noble and vnnoble all let them looke vpon mee and remember their end Die they shal al this 〈…〉 l remember that they may neuer sinne Let all swearing belly gods al selfelouers men or women that monstrously disguise chast nature and paint their bodies which are stinking toombes of their seelie soules with intollerable vanities let al that care for beawties hewe looke vpon mee and iudge of theyr owne vanitie and condemne themselues least they be iudged of the Lord. For their broydered hayre their faced and defaced apparell theyr superfluous lasings their sumptuous Veluetes and silks their golden caules their wrought clothes their ringed fingers and their costlie fare in this worlde which Lazarus wanteth they are all vanitie neither shal they redeem them but to earth they shall and vanish with the vapour They shal al sleepe with me and they shall be one daye no better than I am worms meat stinking carcases duste and ashes they shall be whatsoeuer they doo appeare to the foolish world Kinges and princes magistrates and subiects schollers and maisters rich and poore al may looke vpon me For I am able to teache them a lesson which they forget dailie That earth they are and vnto earth they must with mee one daie and noe man knoweth howe soone Disdaine not to learne this at me for I teach you the truth which one day you your selues shal approue to be very true Seuenthly let all mourning mothers sorrowing friends lette them giue ouer weeping and vnchrystian wailinge For that cannot helpe them because it grudgeth and complai neth againste the will of God but rather let them bee merrie and reioise For behold this life is a warfare euen a continual warfare as Iob calleth it and death is a sleepe a sweete sleepe so that by it I rest from my labours I am deliuered from daunger to safetye from labour to ioye from trauel to rest from paine to pleasure and lie in the earth as it were in a bed till I must rise to iudgement This is the lucky estate of them that are dead in the lord And therfore did father Simeon desire to departe in peace and Paule counted hymselfe a wretch because hee was not deliuered from this bodye of sinne So that you haue no cause to mourne for your friends whoe by deathe are passed beyonde death euen to life to liue with GOD and to see him face to face euen as hee is But rather you haue cause to reioyse because by death they are taken into ioye to be where Christe Iesus is The dead man is but a sleepe hee is not dead but for a time and at length he shall awake euen by the sounde of a trumpet and crie of an Archangell to see his redeemer in heauen where he with thee and thou with him and the Heauenlye armie of Angels saints mailiue for euer Looke vpon me and remember this al you that mourne for the death of your friendes For blessed am I and thrise blessed This worlde is an exile Heauen my naturall countrey and so by death I am deliuered frō exile and heerein I am verie happie This present worlde is euill in heauen are ioyes that passe sense and conceit And so by death in the Lorde I am freed from euil and placed in ioye and heerin I am happie This world is no continuing citie but another that is heauen which when I liued in faith I looked for so that by death I am set in a permanent place and heerein am I happy This life is a pilgrimage hea uen my home and so by death of a pilgrim I am made a citizen and heerein I am happy To conclude by death from earth to heauen from men to Angels from warre to peace from paine to pleasure from griefe to euerlasting gladnes from vanitie miserie to perpetuall felicitie I haue passed in peace herin I am happie So that death is not to bee feared nor yet to bee lamented but rather welcome in ioye of spirit whensoeuer it commeth And for this are al Christians bound to render hartie thanks vnto the Lorde that hath turned the cursse into a blessinge and by his pretious death vpon the crosse made death no deth but an entrie to life a passage to ioy a deliuery from miserie For this blessing blessed be the name of the Lorde and let al people say Amen Imprint these few lessons in your memoryes and engraue them in the tables of your harts And thus farwel A Lodge for Lazarus Wherein the poore and friendlesse are exceedinglie comforted in spirit against all kinde of calamities incident to this temporall and miserable life made by the sayd E. H. THere are two sorts of pilgrimes in the worlde some are rich and some are pore Though the earth be the Lordes and the riches thereof his owne possessions though al men be his subiects haue deserued the like condition of life yet to blase his
desperation noe I wil not For the sunne of mercie can disperse the thick myst and great cloude of mine iniquitie the parching beame of thy sunne O Lord is not onlie able to calme but also to drie vp the angrie floud of sinne and so to dash the ship of Satan that diuelish pirat against the sands So that no storme of the Diuel shal ouerturne mee no raging blaste of sinne shall dismaie me no thundercracke of biting conscience shal sinke the little barke of my weake faith which is grounded vpon a rocke and ouercommeth the world Indeed if I were left to my selfe then were there noe waie but sinkinge and shipwracke but thanks be to thee O gratious god for it thou hast not left me to my self to wade in the Gulfe of desperation but thou hast spred foorth the beames of thy mercie and by the heate of thy charitie dryed the gulfe and kept mee from danger to thee therefore bee al glorie Amen The 4. Morning praier THe glorious facc of the sunne which sheweth it selfe casteth his beames ouer the whole world I take it for an argument and earnest penie of thy good wil towarde thy children in the number of whome I account my selfe though cheefe of sinners and not worthie to lose the latchet of thy sonnes shâ—â—e For if we enioye suche a benefite in this strange countrie togither with thine enimies then what ioyous sightes what store of thy goodnes shall wee reape in our natural countrie the blissefull land of Canaan where we shal not behold this worldly sunne and eie of the world but thee euen thee good Lord face to face the sunne of glorye and onelie starre of maiestie Such ioyes O Lord shal we haue in the beholding of thee as neyther eie hath seene nor eare hath heard nor hart euer conceiued Such ioys I say as passe the reach not onelie of man but also of Aungels and archaungels to esteeme of Blessed are the doore keepers of this house of ioye where thou O Lorde the sunne of righteousnes doost most clearely spread foorth the beames of thy diuine maiestie Ah! how long shal I liue in prison how long shall I iournie in this bodie of sinne before I see thee Lord let thy kingdome come Come Lord Iesus come I beseech thee Amen The 1. Euening praier O Lorde it is of mercie without merite that I am a branch of the vyne Iesus that I am thy house and temple of the holie Ghost It is of iustice that thou haste appointed thine house to be a place of praier and of dutie therefore that we should pray vnto thee For thus O Lord I thank thee that thou hast made mee thy childe to lodge thee and I acknowledge that of dutie I am bounde to serue thee But giue me O Lorde the grace of thy spirite to conduct mee in the waie of thy wil clense or create a new hart within me that I may be a fit lodging for thee and yeelde vp the sauourie sacrifice vnto thee which thou requirest of euerye Christian I meane the sacrifice of prayer the sacrifice of the heart which sauoureth sweetelie vnto thee And at this time in hope of the assistance of thy spirit 〈…〉 thee that as thou 〈…〉 cie couered me this day vnder thy winges of safetie so thou wilt defend and keepe me this night from storming Sathan who is woont not onlie by day but also and that especially by nighte to vndermine man when his senses are fettered in bandes of rest But I doo hope good Lorde that as I am then most vnable to withstande the buffets of Satan so thou wilte be most readie to succour me partlye bicause thereby thou shalte vnlocke the rich chest of thine infinite mercie and partlye because thou louest euerye thinge which thy handes haue made I will laye me downe therefore in hope of thy protection to whom be al glorie Amen The 2. Eueuing praier O Moste mightie and wise God powr into me aboundantlie the oile of thy grace vnfetter my stammering toong that I may vtter and vnrippe the strings of my blind want hart that I may sufficrentlie conceiue the infinitenes of thy fauour vnto me But what shoulde I saie of thine infinite goodnesse which thou haste shewed vppon mee where shall I beginne or where shall I ende to discourse of thy mercie I was nothing and what did mooue thee to make â—â—e a manne endued with reason and whie not a tree a frog a beast I am brought to a nonplus O Lorde what shall I saie I did disgrace thy goodnes and doo deface by my dailie sinnes the image of innocencie so that I was not onely borne wrapped in damnable estate but also daily incur the danger of dam nation and yet doost thou vnderprop mee in the promised seede in that blessed seede of Abraham euen thine own and one only beloued sonne Iesus Christ by whom thou hast redeemed mee My bodie and soule were maruelously eclipsed for want of grace and are dailie filthied in the puddle of iniquitie the reward whereof was death But what mooued thee I being a cast a way euen thine vtter enimie to wash and bathe me in the streame of thy sonnes pretious bloud I cannot tell good Lorde it was thy mercy to thee therefore bee the glorie both now and euer Amen The 3. Euening praier O Good GOD the sun is gon downe the web of this day is spun almost and night is at hand After day suc cedeth night after light darknes after faire weather a 〈…〉 die firmament and frowning element There is a myst 〈…〉 locked in this good God for thereby thou doest lesson vs of our mortalitie Our birth and life is like the daie our Death is like the night as the day perisheth so dooth our life vannishe with the vapour and as night succeedeth the daie so death followeth life the tearme and period of these our daies ô sweet Iesus of thy mercie beat this lesson into my head and roote it firmelie into my heart and take away the vaile from my minde that I may not onelie know and acknowledge but hourelye remember that I am mortall For it would bee a bridle to restraine and keepe me from raunging licentiouslie and a spurre to incite mee to liue holilie all the continuance of this my pilgrimage Thy spirit hath spoken it saiyng Remember thine end and thou shalt neuer perish Giue mee therefore thy grace that I may remember faithfully the night of this my bodye when I shall sleepe in the bosome of the earth til y e trumpet shall sound cal me to iudgement Help mee Lorde before this night Lord saue me or else I perishe Amen The 4. Euening praier O Louing Lorde of labouring and laden heartes looke downe with the eâ—e of thy pittie see the altar of the crosse where thy sonne thine onelie 〈…〉 is slaughtered 〈…〉 ther of heauen his 〈…〉 bored his head crowned with thornes his thirst quenched with vineger his side wounded and streaming bloud attend
of thy maiestrates whom thou hast appointed as gods vnder thee to keepe thy garden clene from all noisome and stinking hearbs Clense them O Lord and plant a new spirite within them that aboue all things fauouring thy Gospel they may bend al their endeuours to the dâ—erishing of thy holy Church and maintenance of the truth without the which no maÌ„ shal liue and see thee Giue them grace to labour diligentlye in thy vineyard to mowe downe the haruest of sinne nei 〈…〉 er for feare or flatterie to starte backe from their dutie but without all discouragement to vse thy will as an axe to cutte downe the roote that withereth and beareth nothing but a perished stocke and barrayn branches that the ded boughs of iniquitie beeing broken off the branches of thy sonne Iesus may without let or hinderance spread foorth the sweete leaues of thy sauourie grace and beare in hart the frutes of thankesgiuing which is pleasant acceptable in thy sight Amen A generall confession of sinnes FAther ADAM O Lorde gaue the first onset none of vs his children haue broken the arraie The serpent counselled Eue gaue the apple to Adam so both sinned against thy diuine maiestie As for vs the naturall branches of this rotten stocke one of the same stampe shall speak We are borne in sinne and conceiued in iniquitie so that wee be damned by merit before we be borne But yet ô Lorde wee conâ—eâ—â—e it to our comfort and thy glorie that thou hast concluded all vnder sinne that thou mightest haue mercie on all and al glorie be giuen to thee We confes our selues lost wee are lost grotes and lost sheepe but this is the sole ioy of our hearts that thy sonne came to seeke to saue that was loste So that though we be lost in our selues yet we are founde in thy sonne who came into this worlde to sâ—ue sinners This is thy vnde◠〈…〉 ued goodnes O Lord to loue thine enimies to saue vs that haue euen from the womb rebelled againste thy diuine Maiestie euen before we were borne to saue vs by the death of thine onelie begotten son and to prepare a ioyous kingdome for vs before the beginning of y e world Therefore O Lorde what shall we crie but shame shame vpon vs an axe to the roote and an axe to vs all the withered branches of rotten Adam by desert For glorie and power dominion and Maiestie saluation and mercie is onelie thine and of thee of the which mercie saue vs we beseeth thee Amen Another WE are all publicans O Lorde open the eares of thy fauour vnto our crie and haue mercie vppon vs haue mercie vppon vs. We sinne dailie but yet saue vs of thy pittie saue vs oh saue vs and shewe thy compassion vppon vs. Let vs not die a Iudas death let vs neuer tune the doleful song of Cain but ingraue in our hart a full liuely faith in thee that neuer doubting of thy bountious mercie wee may with a free conscience set Satan at defiance and all his hellyshe bande Pittifull Iesu heare this our crie and fense vs with thy grace against the gaping deuil who roreth of crueltie and lurketh in euerye Corner of malicious subtiltie to trap and to snare to take and to teare vs with the Clawes of his furie and mercilesse enuie Fence vs with faith againste him O Lord laie the plaister of comfort to our wounded consciences couer vs with the wings of thy fauour that we may liue and die in thee and so be blessed Amen A praier for humi 〈…〉 ie IT is thine owne Leslon O Sauiour Iesus Be humble and meek as I am it is thy worde also My sheep heare my voice But Lorde what shall I doo the fleshe is proude I dailie rebell against thy holie wil I enuie my superiours I loue not mine equals I despise mine inferiours This is the frute of the flesh O Lord Death death but thou art loue and life O louing Iesus And therefore I beseech thee of thy tender loue to pitie me to indue me with the spirit of humblenes that being poore in spirit I may with the little ones of thy kingdome be blessed liue for euer O Lorde for the auoidance of pride giue mee thy grace to consider that by it an Angell became a diuel and man was excommunicate from the paradise of pleasure Desire of souereigntie begate the diuell sinne death damnation so that out of it as a moste filthie puddle issued a whole sea of mischeefe and miserie Of this cup of pride father Adam dranke when by his disobedience hee loste thy fauour and by the taste of an apple thought to bee thy comate in knowing of good and euill Giue me thy grace not onlie to consider this but also fully to digest it that detesting it as a venemous viper I may in humblenes of hart serue thee holilie and soundelie without hypocrisie who art a patterne of lowlines and a mirrour of humilitie continuallie to bee looked vpon and trulie to be followed O life and louer of soules giue mee grace alwaies to heare hearing thy words to follow thee Amen Another for charitie O Infinite charitie thou sonne of God to whom the father hath surrendred all power in heauen and earth I haue offended thee most greeuously indaÌ„gered my selfe desperatlie For charitie O charity thou shalt iudge the world in equitie I haue not charity biding within me I loue for gaine I hate mine enimies I pray not for theÌ„ that cursse and speake euil of me I haue enough of thy benefites and yet haue I spared nothing for Lazarus and therein I haue sinned against thee ô eternall charitie incurred the perill of thy iust iudgmentes Is there no remedy O charity but must iudgment be giueÌ„ against me is al thy bloud spent are al thy teares drie hast thou none to wash mee Correct me not O charitie in thy iudgment or furie neither chastise me in thine anger but deale with me acor ding to thy wonted mercie In charity in thy loue vnmerited O blessed Charity haue mercy vpon me quit me from a repliyng conscience the court of the Deuil For else ô charity wil mine own life reclaime against me craue damnation for mine vncharitable conuersation Piteous God therefore I beseech thee for thy bloudie sweat in thy bottomles pittie drown my transgressions adopt me thy brother giue me thy holie spirits testimonie as a gage and earnest of mine adoption that being freed from sinne I may serue thee with a free conscience in hope and an vnwauering faith in thy mercies Amen A praier for the mortification of the flesh O Lorde the kingdome of the flesh is verie strong so strong that I am not able to withstand it For in me that is in my fleshe dwelleth no good thing and so infectious is the palsie of the fraile flesh that vnlesse thou O Lord doe season it there is no waie but to incur
or bubble in the water a verie wretch I am good Lord borne in sinne by nature wrapt in iniquitie and so thine vtter enimie worthie to perishe euerlastinglie But see thine owne goodnes sweete Lord thine hands formed mee beeing nothing thy mercie hath preserued mee till this day beeing nought And euen nowe sweete Iesu thou hast sent thy purseuant sicknes to bid me put off the old man put on the garment of faith that I being readie for the mariage may come and marrie thee in the couenant of thy father wherein al the nations of the world by promise are blessed Amen Another LOuing Iesu pittifull Iesu blessed Trinitie haue mercie vpon mee Beholde I am sicke Lorde iustlie buffeted for sinne the mother of euerie mortal infirmitie Yet Lorde louing Iesu pittie me pittie my case Louing father purge mee with Isop clense me from my secret sinnes drie vp the puddle of iniquity with the beams of thy mercy and clense me in the poole of thy pretious blood that this sicknes and infirmity the iust reward and penalty of sin and iniquity may cease and finish Beat me O God ô gratious God O father of heauen beate me in fauour and not in iudgement kisse me with the couenant of grace and be not angrie with mee O louing Iesu ful of pity and pitious compassion I would be clean and if thou wilt Lorde thou canst make me cleane Behold Lord I am sicke the palsie of sinne shaketh euerie part the leprosie of mine iniquitie hath ouer run al my soule and body but yet good Lorde and gratious Iesus if thou wilte thou canst make me cleane For thou art my father Almightie with whome nothing is impossible Lord I aske thy grace giue it mee I seeke it let me finde it I knocke for mercie open O Lord the chest of thy goodnes and enrich me with the iewels of grace that I may reign with thee in glory Amen A confession for the Sicke MY thoughtes my words my deedes al crie vnto mee Thou art a sinner And this doo I confesse vnto thee O Lord I cannot so much as think a good thought much lesse can I speake muche lesse can I doo wel I confesse that in me that is in my fleshe dwelleth no good thinge euen so vile a Creature so wretched a caitife that Satan might iustlie haue claimed my life in the swathecloth beeing borne the childe of wrath and heire of damnation I am a cankered branch of mother Eue that ancient stock of sinne whose heritage is nothing but iniquitie garded with an infinite sea of miserie For out of sinne as out of a filthie puddle or stayned fountaine issued the riuers of sicknes death and damnation with such a streame that they ouerranne and drowned the whole race of Adams curssed progenie So that as I confesse my selfe a sinner so doo I confesse that I am iustlie visited with this rod of sicknes wherwith thou art woont of thy iustice to beate wanton Adam that old man of sinne when he wil not be ruled Beat me therfore beate me O Lord to better me and sinite me enough so thou saue mee as I doo put my truste in thee Let Satan haue no power to harme mee nor the worlde with the baites of vanitie to snare me but defend me from al euil I beseech thee Amen Another O Bleeding Iesus O slaughtered Lambe O sweete babe of the virgin Marie and onlie beloued darling of God behold heere I lie sicke in bodie and sore in soule whome thou hast bought with thy pretious blood Helpe me saue me from sinne the fountaine of sicknes O fountain of mercie For I am a greeuous sinner by nature fettered with iniquitie wherein I was conceiued and borne O Iesu O Christ thou sonne of Dauid O gratious samaritan and piteous shepherd haue mercie vppon me haue mercie vpon me cal me clense me saue me salue me with the merit of thy passion againste the palsie of sinne and iniquitie O lambe of God thou hast taken awaie the sinnes of the worlde thou hast crucified the diuell confirme this faith in mee louing Lorde I beseech thee I beseech thee encrease my faythe and renew a righte spirit within mee Remember Lorde remember sweet Iesus thy crowne of thornes bruzed head thy boared handes nailed feete and crucified bodie Remember the pearsing speare thy wounded side and thy pretious blood that did spin and gush out Remember thy bloudie teares thy great thirst of my saluation and gall and vineger which thou didst drink to saue me and for thy mercie saue me and crie to thy father Father father forgiue him O Iesu be mine aduocate praie praie sweete Iesus praie for me and bestow some drop of thy bloud to wash me Amen A praier against desperation O Lorde I am a greeuous sinner I haue passed broken the banks of thy cōmandements from the wombe til this daie I haue with the pirat Satan sailed in the shippe of iniquity so that I maye saie with Paule I am cheefe of all sinners This must I needes confesse to thee O god of iustice this worm of conscience biteth me What then good Lord shal y e worme deuoure me shal this snake of conscience sting me to death what good Lord is the stream of thy mercy stopped are the riuers of thy grace dried vppe is there no drop of thy bloud left to washe my seelie soule doest thou not cal me saiyng Come vnto mee Yes good Lord and therefore despaire I wil not It is not thy will that anie sinner should perish and thou hast not onely said it but sworneit that thou willest not the deth of a sinner but rather his conuersion and life Behold therefore deere Father I come vnto thee being a greeuous sinner in hope of pardon in the name of Christe thy sonne who by his own testimonie came into this world to saue sinners Hee was content to blot out that obligation which satan hadde against me by the flood of his pretious bloud which issued out of hys glorious side In this poole he hath washed away the leprosie of sinne were it neuer so desperate And in token that he is ready to receiue a sinner hee stretcheth foorth both his sweete armes as ready to embrace and boweth downe his glorious head as willing to kisse the prodigall childe that craueth pardon for his misse-spent daies O Lord and gratious God I haue wasted my daies in vanitie I haue from time to time troden vnder my feete the pearles of Christyan profession euen frō the womb haue I beene a rebellious traitour to thy maiestie a friend to this world to godlines an enimie but nowe O Lorde I crie vnto thee forgiue me forgiue me Now I come vnto thee as thou hast called me now there fore couer me with the winges of thy mercie and tender mee as the hen dooth her chickens least Satan clawe me and so I perish Good Lord accept the bloud of thy sonne the merits of his manhood for a
vpon the seas of this worlde to hynder and keepe backe the propagation of the Gospel kiling by sword boyling in fire and choking by the darnel of his cocle gospell the babes of thy familie So that now thy Church O Lorde is harrowed little is the flock of thy beloued Steeuen we haue a great derth of preaching Ieremies and a verie small number of crieng Esayes to conduct thy children the tender sucklinges of thy Gospel from danger to safetie out of the rough wildernes of this wicked world O looke vpon thy little flocke let the Foxe no more fleece them but sende shepheards to feed them with the pure milk and sound meat of thy Gospell Send vs no woolues to teare but sende vs doggs to defende the sheepe of thy Pasture against our woluish Pharao that continuallie gapeth to deuoure thy beeloued Israel O Lorde haue mercie vppon vs and let the riuers of thy worde haue free course in euerie chanel let no puddle of filthy doctrine or quagmire of damnable heresie trouble thy little flock sweet babes least they tasting thereof drink their owne destruction But sende downe thine Angels to cleanse the poole of thy word mingled with the water of heresie that wee liyng sicke at the gate of thy mercie maye descend into it and so be healed Grant this for thine infinit mercies sake and for the glory of thine eternall Godhead Amen A praier for the Schoolmayster WHere shall I begin O Lorde to rip the vnseamed coate of thy benefites O that I were al hart to conceiue or al toong to vtter them For where we had not onelie loste the inheritance of paradise but also the integritie of Nature through father Adams follie thou hast set down precepts and elected gouernours ouer youth that being ruled by tutours and liuing well by precepts the childrē of Adam might recouer the disgraced puritie of nature and at length of thy meere fauour be exalted not to an earthly paradise but to an heuenly inheritance to enter and inherit the palace of an heauenlie Ierusalem And whereas O welspring of all goodnes thou hast appointed me to view and ouersee the naturall man not only to train him vp in learning but also in liuing giue me thy grace that I may first of a wilde oliue become a braunch of Iesus that awaking my selfe with the winges of thy mercie I maye crowe the better to stumbling Peter not onely in deliuering precepts but also examples of godlie life and honest conuersation Giue me y e true knowledge of thy word that by it as by a lanterne I may guide my selfe and them the better from wandering in vanitie into the waie of sanctitie Giue me also grace to doo my dutie faithfullie and imprint in my heart the last daie when I shall render an account of my calling so that alwaies remembring it I may the better fulfil it O Lord shew thy mercie Amen Another O Lorde giue me grace to bee faithful in my vocation to bee diligent in my calling to traine vppe youth but before al things to serue thee Schoole me ô gratious God in the waie of thy wil and teache me the waie of thy commandementes that I may not only liue by thee but in thee for euer Plant me like a branch of grace in the gardeyn of thy gratious pleasure that I maye growe in thee and not in the broad way of iniquitie or wide fielde of vanitie Order thou my waies with the rule of thy wil and guide my steps by this lanterne of life that neither for feare or flatterie I swarue from the lessons of thy holie spirite but euer may walke with the warrant of a good conscience in thy lawe and testimonies For this O Lord shal redounde to the profite of thy Churche whereof by Baptisme I am a member as also to the bettering of youth which is better schooled by examples of a godlie life than by precepts of learning Therefore O Lord that thy Church may bee vnspotted and without wrinkle I beseech thee in thy sonnes name to haue mercie vpon me and al my brethren which liue in faith and feare of thee that our good liues maye glorifie thee our father in heauen and spur the babes of thy familye to the perfourmance of their vow by the power of thy spirit Amen Apraier for Schollers O God we are a cursed progenie by nature lapt in the bands of sinne and fettered in the chaine of death the due rewarde of sinne and iniquitie but of thy meere mercie thou hast drawne vs vnto thee out of the iawes of our spirituall Pharao by the death of Christ thine onelye sonne that mightie lion of the tribe of Iudah that being deliuered from the handes of our enimies wee might serue thee in him al the daies of this our life But because we cannot of our selues and by our selues aspire to the end of our redemtion we giue thee thankes O Lord that it hath pleased thee to helpe vs by this meanes to wit by placing vs vnder tutors Thou hast throughlie sifted our nature thou knowest that there is continuall battell betweene the wanton fleshe and the spirit of sanctification and therefore to represse olde Adam and to crucifie the kingdom of the wanton flesh thou hast put this yoke vppon vs to bee vnder tutors and gouernours to crop the crooked boughes off and to mowe downe the ripe haruest of wicked nature that they might by precepts of life with the assistance of thy spirite graffe vs in the true vine Iesus and also printe the stampe of Christian knoweledge in the tables of our harts that beeing no base metal but pure and fine siluer we might and yet of grace be weighed in the balance of thy mercie as currant coyne to be placed in the storehouse of thy ioy for euer To thee as onlie good be al glorie Amen The mothers praier for the good education of hir youth O Gratious God in knowledge that thou louest all thinges which thou hast made of thy goodnes and that thing cannot perish which is committed to thy charge Now I come vnto thee with my ten der children committing them into thine hands and desiring thee to couer them vnder the winges of thy prouident mercie Hew and square the rough table of their hearts of stonie make them fleshie that being softened by the dewe of thy blessinges they may beare the seale of adoption in thy sonne Christ. O Lord guide them in this darke vale of vanitie with the light of thy fauour that escaping the dungeon of sinne they may walke in newnes of life and lodge alwaies in thine holie will Imprint in theyr harts faith hope humility and charitie that following thee they may be humble meeke as thou art In due them with the spirite of feare that they may kisse thee in faith and liue lie obedience thou beeing neuer angrie with them but louing them as the mother dooth her tender sucklings Amen The Fathers praier O Father of all Fathers haue
not swallowed vp in griefe and sorrowe Lorde sweete Lord thou sendest thy seruants to cal me to the marriage thy fatlinges and oxen are killed and Dinner is readie Lorde giue mee grace to come vnto thee that beeing freed from sinne and eased of sorrow the fruit of sinne I may mary thee in the couenant of thy mercie and banquet with thee face to face at the table of ioye in thy heauenlie Ierusalem Lord louing Lorde and gratious God blesse the fruite of my wombe and take it into thy famylie For I beleeue Lorde that thou becamest of God the sonne of man to make it and all other whome thy father hath giuen thee the Children of God thy heauenlie Father According to my faith therefore O Lord be it vnto me Open the doore of thy mercie and lodge my child in the vertue of thy couenant that being my God and the God of my seede I maie glorifie thee both now and euer and offer vp the sacrifice of praise the fruites of a ioyfull spirit vnto thee Lord and Father of heauen it is thy wil that al men should be saued thy wil be doone and saue mee by thy mercie I beseech thee Amen A praier for the prisoner O Liuing GOD and louinge Father of Heauen I haue stood in the waie of sinners and wasted my days in iniquitie for the which I am iustlie tied in bands and shall suffer the shippewrack of this fraile and fading life O Lorde comfort me with thy holy spirit against the terror of death and so roote in mee the hope of saluation that I may looke in stedfast saith after the night of my passion to suppe and to be with thee in heauenly paradise Euill hath beene my life euen from the wombe haue I warred with euill nature against thee and to my power sought to destroy my selfe and to crucify my Iesus again most villanouslie But yet O. Lorde and father of mercie I beleeue verilie that al thy sonnes bloud is not dried vppe I am persua ded that there are some drops of grace reserued for all laden and labouring publicans and therefore comming vnto thee I crie and cal Lorde haue mercie vpon me a sinner Lorde O Iesu thou sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon me Remember thy bloo die passion and with the testimonie of most thy holy spirite seale vp in my heart my saluation that I may die in thee and so liue with thee for euer Amē A praier to be said at the houre of death FAther of heauen into thy handes I doo commend my soule Lorde increase my faith strengthen my weaknes fortifie my soule with the Testimonie of thy fauour against the feare of death which is dreadfull vnto me O gratious God looke not vppon my merits for they are none nor vpon my life for it hath been very naught and abhominable but looke vpon Christ thy deer sonne and my louinge Iesus who beeing slaughtered vpon the altar of the Crosse crieth vnto thee for me and my brethren Father forgiue thē Thy sonne O Lorde died to deliuer vs was bound to lose vs out of hellish Aegypt that being freed by him wee might alwaies and solie serue him But mercie Lorde mercie is all my sute for I haue prophaned his pretious passion by my euill conuersation and done what laie in my power to crucifie him againe but notwithstanding Lord thou art alwaies mercifull and of great pittie and I beleeue verely that thy sonnes mercie is not abated who cried for the butchering Iewes Father forgiue them Louing God therefore burie mine iniquities and accept thy sonnes crie as a satisfaction for my sinne Lord haue mercie vpon me a sinner Amen A praier for the truth HEresie O Lorde is the spurre of dunghil cocks and hirelinges which faint and will not fight in thy quarrell against the wolfe for the sheepe of thy pasture Let not this spur blind the eies of christians let it not shut vppe the windowe of thy will Thy truth defende O Gratious God and with the whippe of thy iudgement scourge al penie gospellers and scowre thy fathers house which must be a house of praier that thy worde may be truly preached which is thy power vnto saluation Grant vnto vs the pure bread of life let it not bee sowred with the leuen of vnseasoned Rabbins least thy truth being eclipsed with euill doctrine be vtterly buried and so thy Lambes for hunger starued The babes of thy familie do hunger gape for meat they dailie crie vnto thee Father of heauen deliuer vs from euil Come Lorde Iesus come for thou art truth and the onely teacher of truth Roote vppe out of thy garden the weedes of heresie and hinder the blaste of slaundering Trumpetters whoe dooe nothing else but barke againste thy truth and bite the good names of others and al to the defacing of thy Gospel Amen A praier for the ploughman IT is thy iuste reward O GOD to man for his trecherie and disobedience against thy maiestie that he should get his liuing by the sweat of his browes I confesse therefore O thou iust God and louing father that I haue merited this bondage that thou maiest be iustified when thou art iudged Giue me thy grace O Lord that I may be diligent and faithful in my vocation to doo my dutie not so much for feare as for conscience Giue me thy grace that I may serue with a willing minde and a free conscience that beeing subiect to a Christian in body yet I may beare rule ouer sinn and Satan in a stedfast fayth and feare of thee Gard defend mee with thy grace and fense me with thy fauour Vphold my feet frō slipping staie mee that I fall not and if I fal raise me vp that I may not lie in the mire of desperation when sinne shall assault mee Plow my hart with the threats of thy pearsing lawe and harrowe it with a greeuous memorial of my omitied duetie but so O Lord that thou in the end doo so we in it the seede of thy Gospell the bread of immortalitie that I may liue in thee and by thee now and for euer Amen A praier for the blessing of his labour SVch was the fall of Adam O gratious God so great was his rebelliō against thy diuine maiestie that of desert thou maiest forsake him and staie the hand of thy boun teous liberalitie Notwithstanding Lorde because that thou hast commanded all men to aske and allured them to craue things necessarie by thy promise that hee that asketh shal haue therefore O Lorde in hope of thy wonted and offered mercie I come vnto thee in the names of Christ thy beloued sonne and my louinge husband desiring thee in the streames of thy bloodie teares to wash me from my sinnes to burie them in the bottome of the sea and to scatter them as chaffe before the winde that I being taken into thy fauour reconciled to thee in the blood of the immaculate lambe may looke in assurance for thy
fatherlie prouidence Blesse O Lord the curssed earth so fructifie the barren earth with the deawe of heauen that we may haue great cause to glorifie thy name and sufficient for nature againste extremitie to releeue vs with thy store in time of necessity Amen A praier for peace AP pease O gratious God the surging waues of this present euill worlde cut downe the angrie make-bates and graunt vnto vs the peace of thy spirit that liuing in one minde and bearing about vs one wil grounded vpon thy gratious pleasure wee maye bee gathered into one sheepefolde and liue in brotherlie loue and vnfained vnitie O louing maker and God of peace it is a pitious thing to see the malice of the world it is a myserie to behold how thy members disioint themselues in ceremonies and beggerlie elements it is a hell to consider how mightie Saule rageth against little Dauid to see the beastlie crueltie and tiger like tyrannie of the Pharaos of this world who not tendring their owne case not regarding the end of thy passion or full and sole redemption do racke and rent the babes of thy Church thy beloued wife Redresse all this gratious God eyther cut off our enimies or else conuert them that wee may together wage battell against the diuell our archaduersarie Season the harts of our brethren that wil for a trifling ceremonie renounce thy veritie and breake the bandes of Christian vnity Continue the weake nouices of thy schoole in the libertie of thy Gospel that all offense being taken away we may serue thee the God of peace euen charitie it selfe in Charitie Amen A praier in time of Warre O Lorde and onelye peacemaker linke vs in vnitie that are deuided ioyne vs in loue that haue sundered our selues and so transgressed thy holie will If our cause bee euill good Lord amend vs and reconcile vs with the peace of thy spirit if it be good defende vs O Lorde and turne vnto vs or else confound our enimies Gratious Iesus thou knotte of peace which hast ioyned God thy father and man not onelie in fauour as friendes but also coupled vs in one brotherhood with thee as his children we beseech thee to sow the seede of concord in vs that we maie liue in thee as fruitful branches now and for euer O Lord giue vs thy grace that wee purchase no enuie nor be the fathers of sedition of warr or any insurrection but imprinte in our hearts thus much that thou art loue who shalt come to iudge the quicke and the dead Charitie shall iudge the world and confound al bruers of tumults Ingraue this lesson O Lord in the tables of our harts and for giue vs al that is past guide vs in that which is to come that we fall not but stande fast in the way of thy will Amen A praier for the Captaine DEfend the righteous cause of thy seruant assist mee with strength against mine enimies with the wisedome of thy spirit against the policie of man that beeing wholie guided by thee I may fight manfullie in thy quarrel to the building of thy Church and vtter rebuke of her aduersaries Without thee ô fountaine of goodnesse and God of mine estate I can doo nothing Arme mee therefore with thy grace with the buckler of thy word that I may bee able not onely to war with but also to ouermatch Satan my deadlye foe and al his hellish band setting themselues against thee and thine annointed Enriche me with thy mercie that I may bee able to put vpon mee the white raiment offaith and being clothed with it may stande sure against the foming minysters of the diuel that no storm may ouerturne or dismay me O Lord kepe me from al wrest ling affections from inordinate motions defende mee O Lord. Let al discord be remooued whereby thy pellican children may be disseuered But nourishe O God of loue thy babes with the spirite of patience that I and they beeing of one minde may doo our endeuoures and bende our whole strength to the reedifieng of mother Sion which traueleth with sorrowes and sinketh in the mist of heresies vnles thou pul hir out by the hande of thy mercie which doo O gratious God I beseech thee Amen A praier for the souldiour THis worlde is nothing else but a sea of trouble heere the diuel stormeth there the worlde frowneth on euerie side the flesh assaulteth vs so that our life may well be tearmed a warrefare and our daies a treasure of dangers O Lorde with the anchor of thy mercie vphold vs that we sink not in the sea of this troublous time but guide vs with thy holie spirit that our liues may please thee and wee in our death praise thee through Iesus Christ our Lord. Plant the tree of peace among vs lette it flourishe to the gladdening of our harts that al dissention cut off wee may be linked in one knot of Christian vnitie gathered into one sheepfold and guided by thee our onelie and one sheepheard Let nothing sunder the members of thy bodie but cherish and nourish them with a full persuasion of brotherhood in the vnitie of our Sauiour and thee our one and onlie father Amen A praier in time of dearth O Mightie God and maker of al things thou art iuste and in iustice hast thou scourged vs we confesse it O Lord. Our liues haue deserued thy whip the excessiue riot of sinne hath merited the famine and want of thy gratious benefites but not withstanding louing Lord burie our iniquities in the multitude of thy wonted goodnes and blesse vs with the store of thy mercie that as wee may nowe declare thy iustice reuealed agaynste sinne so likewise wee maye preach and blase abroad to the worlde the bottomlesse pit of thine infinit pittie O gratious Lord thou gauest thine onely sonne our Iesus to the death euen to the death of the crosse by his bitter passion to purchase our redemption As thou hast giuen him so good Lord giue vs all thy benefites with him that as thou hast by him redeemed vs so wee in him may bee sustained during this transitorie life with fulnesse of thy grace tyll the daie of his great visitation when meting him in the clouds we shall be set on his right hande to liue with him in sulnesse of ioye for euer Desend vs O Lord from extreme needines and correct vs not in thine anger but store vs with sufficient in thy mercie Foode and raiment good Lord wee aske no more Giue vs and grant vs this our petition and giue vs grace therwith to be content Amen A praier against the feare of death THy handes haue ramed me O lord And whereas to the ble 〈…〉 she of all his posteritie father Adam made himselfe thorough follie worse than nothing a curssed caitife euen thine vtter enimie it pleased thee of vnmerited goodnes to leaue the colledge of thy Saints the ninetie nine iust sheepe the bande of thy blessed angels to seeke the straieng sheepe the groate
all messengers welcome art thou Adue vile life farewell life sinneful life adue and welcome death the purseuant of my louing Sauiour for by thee my miserie shall end From war to peace from this stormie worlde into the calme countrie of heauen from gronings and sobbings from this vale of fighings to the pallace of ioy from earth to heauen from sinfull men wild beasts to beloued friendes by death I shall passe to life to haue the companie of holie Patriarkes and blessed Saints to haue the sight of the glorious Trinitie to haue and inherit such ioye as neither eie hath seene nor eare heard nor hart euer conceiued By death I shal haue libertie without imprisonment health without sicknesse ioye without sorrow plesure without paine in such securitie eternitie and perpetuitie as passeth all thoughtes The holie ones of GOD my father the blessed Aungels and Archangels they haue atteined it but neuer can they sufficientlie esteeme of it So that O death thou art welcome welcome sicknes for my Lord Iesus hath new sent thee to fetch me from this prison to his palace from a strange contrie to my home from this place of teares and mourning to the daie of marriage sweet Iesus to marry thee in thy mercies for euer Heare deerely beloued heare and reioyse with me Sicknes is com death is in comming as a purseuant from my louing Iesus to cite me to appeare before him that he may appoint me a man sion in his fathers house to sit with him at the table of ioy for euer O the great ioy and onlie ioy of a Christian Nowe I shall lie noe more in this prison nowe I shall haue Paules wish for I shall bee deliuered from this bodie of sinne now shal I depart in peace with Simeon to haue that peace that passeth all vnderstanding and surmounteth al thought Now now shall I see the amiable tabernacles of my Lorde nowe shall I enter the courtes of my God where one daye is better than a thousande else-where now shal I be a doorekeeper in the house of mine heauenlie father now shal I appeare before the presence of God now doth his kingdome come now Lord Iesus now thou cōmest to carrie my soule into ioy Into thy hands therefore I cōmit my spirite Beloued brethren this is my testamente which I leaue vnto you it offereth great ioye and no matter of Teares Shead therefore no teares for better is the daye of death than the daye of birth I entered my life with a crye it coste my mother payne and teares to beare mee but yet it cost my louing Iesus his bloud to saue mee you and all the world Enuy not therefore my luckines that now I shall passe from you out of this vale of teares vnto him who died that I with him mighte liue in ioye for euer If you will mourne mourne for your owne sinnes mourne for your selues that you shal not so soone sup with God my father as I shall doo mourne not for me for you shall shortly follow me and lose me but for a time when you shall see in heauen for euer For blessed are the dead that die in y e Lord whose name for euer bee glorified Amen A praier for the rich man THou art the Welspring of all good thinges O louinge Lorde thou art the riche store house and cheste of mercie for al naked Adamites O Loue inestimable Wee are born into this Vale of miserie not only wicked in soule but euen also naked in body a deserued entraunce for vs by father Adam through desire of souereigntie but an vndeserued thing it is O good GOD that notwithstanding our merited pouertie deserued nakednesse by rebellion against thy Maiestie thou shouldest thus cloath me with thy benefites with plentie against penurie with friendship against enimitie with health against sickenesse with store against needinesse This O Lord is an vnmerited benefite for the which after my bounden duty I giue thee harty thankes But what shall I say what sufficient thanks shall I render vnto thee for thou hast not onelye armed mee against pouertie 〈◊〉 but also chosen mee as a steward to vnlocke the chest of thy benefites to needye Lazarus that as thou hast loued mee so I should tender thee in him O Lord giue me thy grace that I may bee thy stewarde by clothing the naked by feeding the hungrie lodging the harbourles and defending the fatherles that I may bee able to render a faithfull accoumpt of my stewardshipp vnto thee i 〈…〉 the daie of reuelation Grau 〈…〉 this O Father for Christe his sake Amen Another O Father of Heauen and rich God of mercie Behold thy poore creature in sin riche in grace poore bestowe vppon mee some mite of thy mercie cloath mee with the merits of thy sonne Iesus and bathe my naked bodie in 〈◊〉 pretious bloud satisfie my hungrie soule with a crum of thy gratious blessings that being cloathed with the armour of his meritorious passion I neede not to feare the naked the desperate corruption or rather wages of nature Moisten my heart with the honyedew of thy great rich grace that as thou hast enriched me beyonde my desart beyng by sinne an enimie vnto thee so I maye continue riche in good workes to the profite of my neighbours to the comfort of mine owne soule and to the manifestation of thy glorious maiestie O Lorde thou art a zealous God Such a God as wishest my healthe and the safetie of thy Creatures haue therefore mercy vppon mee blesse me with faith towardes thee with loue towardes my neighbour and a godlie care towards my selfe that thou in thy selfe mayest be magnified my conscience reioise in the testimony of a good life whose reward in thy sonne Christe is life eternal Amen The Beggers praier O Mighty Lord and prouident GOD y e stewardes of thy plentious store-house are not moued to feede the hungrie to cloath the naked and lodge the poore Pylgrime at his piteous crie but notwithstanding all this their tyrannie Father forgiue them and pardon mee as I forgiue them that haue trespassed against me Rake the fire of charitie out of the dead ashes and quicken it O Lord that I may warme mee in thy familie in time of extremitie and they be ready in thy great audit to render a full account of theyr stewardshippe vnto thee But first of all doo I begge grace of thee that I may euer seek thy kingdome and so bee persuaded in hart by thy word that I shal want nothing but that all other things shal be added vnto me This doo I aske of thee O father of Heauen that euer criest Aske haue Giue mee faith to aske in certaintye that I may looke without doubt for this thy craued mercie ô Lord I beseech thee Amen Another LAue mercie vpon mee O Lorde and pardon myne offenses the rich men of this worlde will scarse looke vpon me or vouchsafe to relieue my necessitie with the crummes of
thereof it came without question that they did cursse not onlie the daie of birth but also him that brought the message to their father that a child was borne They had fullie considered the degrees of their miserie Their birth place was but a foule and filthie dungeon they themselues were but a substance of bloud and instruments of their mothers their nourishment little better than venom their birth not without extreme pains of the deere mother and violent offense of their tender bodies They knewe throughlie that they were conceiued in filth and vncleannes born in sinne and care and nourished with paine and labour They dyd knowe themselues to haue bin like cralling wormes and that at their entrie into this worlde they were apparelled with bloud And therefore considering their miserable condition they curssed the daye of their wretched birth Yea this made father Ieremie to wishe that his mothers wombe hadde serued for his tumbe and father Esaie to bewaile his birth and to murmur againste the knees that helde him vppe and also the breasts that gaue him suck They had fully conceiued that man was made of the slime of the earth conceiued in sinne borne in paine and at the laste made a prey for wormes This miserie of mans life had they fullie digested and therefore wished to haue died before they were borne Come hither nowe beloued Christians wee are manie an ace short of Iob Ieremie or Esay in life and in iudgement One after a through sifting of this miserable life wished that his mothers wombe had been his tumbe another murmured at the paps that gaue him suck the third curssed the daie of his birth and not onelie that but him also that firste declared it Did they soe lyttle sette by this myserable life as to cursse it and so little loue the pappes that norished them as to murmur against them yea the verie knees that helde them vp and by reason of this wretched pilgrimage to be so wearie of this life as to wishe they had beene buried in their mothers wombe and shall wee feare death They wished they had neuer liued and shal we for feare of death wishe euer or a longe time to liue they curssed the daie of their birth whoe were holie men and shal we weepe for the daie of death the verie ende of their wishe did they murmur against the paps that gaue them sucke and shall not we welcome death when the Lord sendeth him naye they murmured euen againste the knees that did beare them vp and shal not we bee willing to surrender heade feete handes heart knees and al to mother earth and to salute death in ioy of spirit Fie for shame and out vpon vs if we doo not willinglie and merrilie wishe and crye Thy kingdome come ô father of heauen Come Lord Iesus come Let vs denie the olde man cherish our hope that wee haue in the full merites of Christ that when the Lorde shall call we may come vnto him without anye rebellion And as for death account of it but as a moste blessed ende or period of this wretched life an axe that cutteth off al miseries and therefore feare it not The thirde weapon Consider the commodities of death WE are tossed turmoyled vppon the seas of this world with manie a dangerous tempest euen till wee be we arie or at least should be with holie Paule of our short vncerteine miserable liues and then dooth the Lorde euen of mercie call vs to reste and ioy with his Saints in heauen 〈◊〉 that resting from our labours wee may continuallie pray se him with the band of his holie Angels By death he deliuereth vs from danger and therefore to arme vs against the feare therof it pleased the holie spirit to cal death a sleepe by the which being dispatched of all aduersities wee are brought to our graues therein to lie as it were in a soft featherbed and in a sweet sleep abiding the comming of Christ our lord whe◠hee shall knocke at the bedd◠and cal vs vppe to liue for eue◠with him and his holye Aungels Death therfore doth not swalow vp our bodies thogh for a time they must lie in the bellie of mother earth For death is a sleepe and is vnpossible as it is that a whole man being in a sound sleepe should not wake vp againe euen so vnpossible is it that a Chrystian shoulde continue in Death for euer And as for this sleepe it is but a shorte sleepe for the daye is at hand and the time of iudgmente draweth neere when dead bodies shall arise and the earth shal render them vp that be in her that meeting and appearing together with our beloued friends and set vpon the right hand of his blessing wee may as liuely members be fully knit in our body Christ Iesus So that death is but a sleepe and a shorte sleepe out of the which we and al our brethren sisters and friends that are departed in the Lorde shall rise more fresh than euer we were to leaue this fraile and earthie bodie and to haue it made like to the glorious bodie of Iesus Christ. And who now would feare death or who should grudge at the Lorde for castinge vs asleepe Death is a sleepe the earth is the Christian mannes featherbed where he must lie◠till the trumpet shall sound to awake him and call him vnto iudgement Who wil murmur againste this necessitie or rather againste this mercie for mercie it is that we die but for a time or rather sleepe for a time where of merit we shuld die for euer And therefore vnles by your gronings and sighings you wil exclaime against the mercy of the Lord by the which you are saued doo not feare Death or murmur against him but bles him with father Iob and thank him hartily that he hath granted thee thy daielye petition wherein thou praiest sayeng Our Father which art in heauen thy wil bee doone deliuer vs from euil For as for the first his will is doone whensoeuer any man dieth The verie farthing sparrowe can not fall without his prouidence the heares of our head can not perishe without his will much lesse dieth anie man without his will whoe far surpasseth all farthinge Sparrowes So that to wishe them aliue that are departed in peac it is to wishe that God his wil were not doone and what is that but to wishe that GOD were no God For if God bee God his wil is iust and muste needs be doone But as for many they will acknowledge that the will of God is doone againe that hi◠wil was iust in calling for their children whome hee had but lent them for a time and yet will carrie a biting sorrowe in their hearts and so wil they go neere to bringe death vppon themselues But to such mourning mothers I saye Why doo you mourne this life is a warfare death is asleepe Why do you mourne this life is short by condition and ful of myseries
his side doo testifie a iust condemnatiō against vs that we did so vnthankfully vse them to destroy the sonne of God and yet doo commyt sinne to our power seeking to slaie him againe O yee butchers consider this innocent Lambe how he bleedeth and sheaddeth his pretious bloud to cleanse you from sinne and so to saue you from Satan drinke vp in faith the droppings of his bloud and moisten your soules therwith eate him and chewe him for hee is the bread of life which whosoeuer eateth he shall neuer hunger any more Bid war to old Adam proclaime battell against the subtile serpent and fight like good souldiers of Christ crucified against sinne that death and hel beeing put to the foile by the strength of your valiant capitain ye may at length be registred among the blessed saints of God for euer But if al this will not moue thee O foolish creature to repentance neither the miserable seruice of Satan nor the horrible end of sinne nor the maiestie or mercie of Iesus Christ nor the villanie that sin wrought vnto him which all ought to be forcible motiues and sufficient retentiues from sinne yet consider a while the condition of sinners which of al other is most miserable For first they are Gods enimies euen such rebellious enimies as with open armes in Satans quarrel vnder corrupt nature as their souereigne resist Gods gouernment which thing O sinfull man is of all other most horrible to be Gods enimie to be at war with God to be hated of the most mightie puissant and omnipotente Lord of hosts Neither doo sinners by warring against the honor of God vnder sinne and Satan onelye purchase the anger and hatred of God vpon their heads but also they greeue the courtiers of Ierusalem which is aboue and put the Angels and Saints of God to great greefe and sor row For if that they reioise at the conuersion of a sinner and bee gladde when the loste groat is found and the straieng sheepe brought to the sheepfold then what greefe what sorow what heauinesse do sinners purchase vnto them when being loste they wil not be found and being straieng sheepe they will not be brought to the sheepefold of grace againe And heere it may please all sinners to consider that as repenting wee gladden the Angels and Saintes of God and make the diuell to repine and greeue so when wee commit sinne and decline from the right line of righteousnes then do we keepe wakes for the diuel then dooth he hop for ioy when we defraud the good angels of God of their ioy These irreuocable sinners these the Lorde dooth hate as vtter enimies yea rotten and stinking carion is more sweete before men than is such a soule before God and his Aungels And therefore let all such repent not onelie because they are iniurious to God and offensiue to the good but also bicause they are stinking creatures and such as the Lord neither may nor will abide vnles they returne vnto him in sackcloth and ashes and therefore repent and amend Secondly those sinners that stop their eares against the retrait of these motiues let them consider their woonderous follie For sinne is the dung of the old serpent and he that sinneth for the vilest thing that is forsaketh the most pretious iewel in heauen and earth For what dooth mans soule lose by sinne from whom departeth she from whom doth she separate hir selfe euen frō God her maker her redeemer and Sauiour yea when shee sinneth she forsaketh saluation and her owne safetie she runneth into the stinking lappe of the diuell her desperate aduersarie and hasteneth hirselfe vn to hell Yea by sinne the kingdome of the diuel is inlarged for he that committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne And what if I saye that sinne maketh man like to Satan for whatsoeuer deformitie or filth is in the diuell that is by sinne of the which if the Deuill might bee freed he were a noble and excellent creature Euen so the soule of man by sinne is made filthie and deformed like the Diuel And what an iniurie is this to God that by sinne of his owne image wee shoulde make the image of the diuell Repent therefore and consider thirdlie that it gladdeneth the diuell to see vs sin because thereby we become his dwelling house Now how cursed a thing is sinne which maketh the temple of God the temple of Satan what follie nay what madnes is it to lodge the diuel in our heartes and to driue Christ and his holie spirit out of doores Why shoulde man deale so vnthankefullie with him that being God came from the top of the heauens to this vallie of miserie to take mans flesh vpon him that hee might be his Iesus or why should we sinne and by continual sinning bid adieu to the spirit of holines harbor satan in our harts shall he by whom al creatures were made glorious by sinne bee banished far from vs and he by whome all creatures were deformed bee wholie lodged within vs But tel me O man Christ is saluation life ioy loue and all in al the diuell is the father of death a murderer a manslaier a tyrant a prince of darknesse the worker of woe Now answer doest thou like better of death than of lyfe of paine than of ioye of hatred than loue of damnation than saluation and of hel than of hea uen if thou doo then shalt thou depart curssed into the euerlasting fire But if thou doo prefer Iesus Christ with his inesti mable blessings before Satan then why doost thou wallowe in sinne which is the onelye waie to preferre Satan in this world to establish his kingdome of darknes Wherfore O miserable man repent and amende consider that Iesus Christ like an euangelical henne neuer ceaseth clocking to gather thee vnder his winges like a chicken let him not clock cal in vaine neither be thou like vnto them that stoppe their cares against the charmer charme he neuer so wiselie Consider that God created thee wholie to serue him with al thy hart soule strength and power remember that thou at baptisme diddest vowe and swear obedience to his name remember that before GOD and al the bande of the holye Aungels and Saints thou didst renounce satan al his works and repent vnlesse thou wilte haue God and all his heauenlie Citizens at the great daie of reuelation to giue sentence of condemnation against thy periurie And why O miserable man shouldest thou break thy faith giuen to God in baptisme it is not an oth to bee repented For the seruice of the Lorde is onelie mans safetie as the seruice of Satan is the only cause of mans miserie The gailor that helde vs in a slauishe and spirituall Aegypt was not Pharao but the diuel and that for sinne and therefore if we couet to inhabi◠the land of promise and to liue in libertie free from calamitie it standeth vs vppon to returne vnto the Lorde who is onelie able by