thinges still to ponder It should be sure thy proper kinde vppon these thinges to wonder The Auther of the harte which lyeth in thy brest May not the same thy sinnes conuart as it doth like him best For why thus hath he sayd although thy sinnes do showe As scarlet yet they shal be made as white as any snowe But out alas the time I thinke it ouer past To call vs to repent our crime in sackecloth mourninge fast Behold I view and see Gods wrath is fully bent And if it may possible bee to call vs to repent The Drunked careth not how euer he hath sped And if so be the biblinge pot be setled to his head So that it happen shall as I do thinke no lesse I thinke the same shall surely fall which Ioell did expresse Ye Drunkardes now lament bewaile ye night and day For God is now euen surely bent to take your cup a way The wine so swete in tast which made your senses dull The lord a way shall surely cast and from your lippes it pull And if he did it speake vnto his owne elect What shal we do his lawes which break in much more ill respect If wepinge may preuayle we haue sufficient cause To houle and morne to weepe waile which still do breake his lawes So that I greatly feare if wee do not repent God will not still his wrath forbeare vnlesse our hartes relent I feare the iust shall speed far worse for ill mens sake And God will as I thinke in deede a way his blessinge take For wher the word is tought in most aboundant wise Small goodnes semeth to bee wroght small fructes of many rise Yea euen the greatest vice which Heathens did abuse As though it were of worthy price the Christians daily vse Yet Christ they do professe still boastinge of his name Wheras the truthe for to confesse t is but â—o cloke their shame In coueting for good was neuer more delight Such hastines in sheedinge blood was neuer set in sight Such falsehoode all for gain as was not seene before Such carping care such toyling payne in heapinge worldly store Such care for filthy mucke such toylinge heare and thear I feare me ill wil be the lucke which all this care doth beare And sure I doubt it sore it was not sayd in vaine Which Christ pronounced longe before in Luke his Gospell plaine A certaine man full rich ther was whose grounde gaue much encrease And thus in time it came to passe when as he liued in peace His barnes being well repleat with treasures of his grounde A bounding with all substance great as euer could be founde Vnto his soule thus doth he saye bee glad and take thine ease For thou art blest for many a daye with goodes of great encrease But oh thou foole sayth God the Lord thou knowest not what shall fall The goodes wher with thou now art stord shal be consumed all And in the selfe same night his goodes of so great powre And he him selfe of such a might were parted in an howre This is the end of such as neuer are content Of Gods good giftes which had so much till all was quickly spent Bycause in all their ioye ther maker they forget Therfore he doth them cleane destroye and catch them in his net And are not such in deede apparant at this time WhoÌ„se great vnthankfullnes doth breed a scourge iust for ther crime Yes if it were well knowne wher wealth doth much abounde I feare such seede is depely sowne al most in euery grounde But what or who they bee or how their lyfe they leade I wishe with all my hart to see such vices turnd to dreade For in our fathers time though sinne did somwhat grow Yet neuer was se rite the crime which now a dayes doth flow For why in euery place wheras you lyst to walke Which way so euer you shall passe a bounds such filthy talke Such swearing here and theare a busing God his name Which causeth as I greatly feare his word to beare the blame Yet do his preachers speake rebukinge sharpely still Those which his holy lawes do breake regardinge not his will. But oh mans fickle state oh his corrupted age Oh miserble runnagate who shall thy paines aswage Vnlesse thou do repent and that in litle space Vnlesse thy stubborn hart relent and call to God for grace Leaue of and that with spede thy brother to oppresse And rather helpe him at his nede his sorowes to redresse Turne not a way thine eare when he shall sighe and grone But with a louing countnance heare and listen to his mone But who is fully bent the carefull to consider Such one doth sure a good intent the nedy to remember But out alas the griefe which their poore harte sustain Full litle sure is the reliefe which may appease their pain Right dolefull is the songs which cometh from the poore With empty wombe yea all day longe they crie at euery doore The scripture doth declare that man shall not be harde When as he crieth his brothers care which doth no whit regard Full bitter is the sore which greues the simplâ— hart And when likewise was euer more Such puttinge poore to smart But oh who dare once moue when rich men do not right Or who is he which dare reproue a man so great of might And when he shall appeare before the iudgement seate And eke the iudge shall playnly hearâ— his faultes to be so great Good Lord how in his cause his quarrell to maintaine Shall then be hard intionted lawes to rid him out of paine And shall I say the trothe that his should be the right The iudges many times forsooth for mony make him quite Yea thogh ech man might se his cause was nothinge iuste Yet is he now both franke and fre to serue his wonted luste Yet may ech man be bolde when poore men do amisse Of many men they are controld Yf once they do but hysse Yea and the sely poore though small be his offence He shal be thrust out of his doore to seeke his owne defence And if he moue his lippes his quarrell to maintaine He shall haue many tanting nips And prisone is his gayne And though his goods be small and litle be his store Although it may release his thrall He hath it not therfore Though litle be his fault to come before the iudge Good Lord how great is the assault of those which beare him grudge And that like tigers ferce they should beholde hys bloode And see the sword his harte to perce which all waies did them good Yet Chryst is their defence of whom they beare ther name Wheras it is but a pretence to cloke ther filthy shame For Chryst doth plainly saye those same which be of me They follow my preceptes alway and with my lawes agre Therfore sayth God the Lord I will no sinnes mayntayne And they shall fele my heauy sword which put my sheepe
as their foode they eat Gods plague came on them vnwares as they were eatinge meat Lo this is the reward of those which do offende Which still do take so small regard not lookinge to the ende For if wee would remember the sinnes which wee haue done And with great diligence consider the thinges which are to come It should bee sure our kinde incessantly to pray And all waies haue our sinnes in minde and driue ill thoughtes a way But who doth this fore see but few I thinke in deede Yea euery one will carefull be to shift in time of neede But how is all their shift assuredly for gayne And wher they thoght to finde som thrift alas it is in vayne For ech man hath his will to do his owne intent But few Gods preceptes to fullfill with hart and minde ar bent So that I thinke it sure the flood shall come no more But fiery flames which shall endure alas for euermore And as in Sodâ—ma a wondrous sparke was sent Which kindled fire in Gomorrha and all their cityes brent Bicause they would not heare to Gods most holly word They were constraind as did appeare to fele his fiery sword Thus while they surely thought their hart was set at ease Into their land a plague was brought their stoutnes to appease So when Balthazar kinge did make a sumptuous feast And thought his hart in euery thinge was set in quiet rest The vessels of the Lord they serued to his vse Yet did he the most precious word of God the Lord abuse And in his royall cheare he pray so his Gods of Gold As it in scriptures doth appeare right plainly to beholde But God could not sustaine his blasphemous despite For on the wall was shewed plaine A hand which thes did write Thye kingdome God hath tride and tooke it from thy handes For why thy powre he will deuide amonge the Persian landes And in the selfe same night with in a litle space King Balthazar was sâ—ain in fight Darius takinge place Thus God doth still ordaine great Kinges his flock to feede But when they will not them sustaine he plagueth Kinges in deed So Asshure which did boast him selfe aboue the stars God did subuert his wicked host discomfitinge his wars And many thousandes then were slayne with in the feeld Yea noble and right skillfull men well tried in the sheeld So that as he did pray vnto his blockish Lord Euen his owne children did him slay and smote him with the sword For thus it came to passe and God appoynted so By those his lyfe bereued was which should haue heald his wo. So that wher I did speake of Sodom burnt with fyre By cause Gods precptes they did breake they felt his flaming ire Now do I thinke it sure the same shall vs befall Which Sodomites did then indure by fire which brent them all For such iniquity which then did much abounde I thinke as great impiety in vs may now be founde Wherfore the soules vpright whom wicked men had slaine By cause in God was their delight vnto him did complaine Now longe o lord most highe wilt thou thy wrath for beare Of those which make vs thus to crye and put vs so in feare To whom was said againe a bide a litle space Vntill that those which shal be slaine do come to you in place And now the truth is so some be already past And by the Pope that furious foe to death are dayly cast And sure I thinke the end will now be sone at hande By cause of those which do offend through out both sea and lande All Visions now be past and Prophecies be done And nothing surely long shall last which is or was begone For vnto all mens sight the Scripture sheweth plaine The father with the sonne shall fight the sonne with him againe And so it is in deede with other sins beside That Drunkennes shall dayly brede and eke presumtuous Pride And euery other thinge which makes man to offend When in his fulnes it shall springe then shal be seene aâ— end Then shall the world decrease and ech thinge be prepard And be that spent his time in peace shall haue a iust reward If Godly was his lyfe his recompence is such And if he spent his dayes in stryfe his anguish shal be much And now thoffences all which I before exprest They rather rise then seme to fall out of our mortall brest Wherfore most mighty Lord dyrect vs in thy waye And cause vs all with one accord incessantly to praye For thou hast promised he shal be blest in deede Whom thou shalt finde well occupide thy sely sheepe to feede And now consider well thy Saintes and thine elect And those which on the earth do dwell good Lord do thou protect Bow downe thy listing eare vnto thy Marters crye And with a louing countenance heare and swage their misery And sith our flesh is frayle Lord help vs with thy might That sinne nomore with vs preuayle but still be put to flight That wee may liue in peace if so it be thy will And that likewise wee neuer ceace thy preceptes to fulfill That Christ beeyng our head our captaine and our guide Vnder his power wee may be lead and from him neuer slide And as the branches growe and cleaue vnto the tree Good Lord do graunt that euen so in Christ wee rooted bee And sith wee promise haue that prayer should vs lead To euery thing which wee shall craue of Christ our only head Therfore wee come to thee with prayer mourning sore Requiring of thy Maiestie that sin greeue vs nomore And nowe O England now repent thy former crime And make a stedfast faithfull vowe to mend thy sinnes in time And now my pen shall frame euen heare to make her stay Wishing that all withouten blame may run a Godly way And for our Queene her grace let pray all faithfull men That she may raign Methushelas space let England say Amen Finis George Colclough A Dialoge dronkennes Another The lechourer must forsake hordoÌ„ A thirde example The swearer must leaue sweatinge and honour the holy name of god where learnest thou this In S. Peters epistle the .iii. chapter what saith he Turne from euyll and do good what reward shal thei haue that do so The grace and fauour of God and life euerlasting God graunt vs all to doe so and euer to walke in his truth Amen and thankes to God for the light of his holy word and gospel Amen Ioell 1. Luk. 12 Esdras xvi Esay v. Esay iii. Titus 2. Genesis xxxvii Psal 34. Acts. xii Daniell vi Pro. 2. Pro. â— Sam. 11. 13. Sam. 2. â–ª 11. cha Pro. 7. Sam. 2. 15. chap. Iohn 10. Esâ—câ— 34. Deut. 23 Deut. 25 Lere viii Rom. 6. Deut. 11. Dan. 5. Cro. 2. Chap. 32 Reue. 6.
to payne Wo vnto those which laye one fielde vnto another And house to house ioyne euery daye displacinge still ther brother This same is in mine eare the Lord of hostes hath saide The lamentacions I do heare which innocentes haue made Therfore ther houses faire they shal be desolate And likewyse none shall them repaire ther to in habitate Thes be Eramples lo of thinges which were before But oh the world doth them forgo and vice encreaseth sore Such pryde hath neuer ben in such aboundant wise I thinke the time was neuer sene that pride did so arise And that to good mens grieffe as ech man may well know For litle sure is the reliefe which ther vppon doth growe Some proude be in ther minde and some be proude in harte And sondry kindes you may well finde of pride in euery part Some proude in dainty cheare wher in men do delight Presumtuous many do appeare in boasting of ther might And proud of their misdedes full many maye be founde Thus filthy foule corrupting weedes do grow in euery grounde Some proud of skilfull braines wher with God hath them blest And some be proude if that ther gaines encrease aboue the rest Some proude of hauty lookes and some to worke ther spite And some againe in skilfull bookes haue great and proude delight And though that bookes do yelde some fructes to willinge braines Yet is the Lord the stedfast shielde wherby to bring them gaines Some proude in their attire ordeind to couer shame Yet many haue a great desire and glory in the same And though their landes be base perchance yea none in dede They thinke it is no comly grace gay vestimentes to nede The vesture must be braue though other thinges be scante Though in his purse small good he haue to satisfie his wante That when as he should walke before the peoples sight The ingnorant might say and talke loe ther a man of might But God which made the harte an instrument of praise He seethe when thou dost depart out of his holy wayes Therfore the Lord which saide to Sion longe agoe Thy Daughters heads bald shal be made syth me they do forgoe By cause ther pride is much there neckes in stretchinge out There minsinge in the streat is such when as they walke about Therfore there costly calles and other ornamentes Ther braceletes and perfuming balles with such like instrumentes Ther Tabletes and ther Kinges with other of ther goodes Ther earinges vailes and other thinges And eke ther costly hoodes Ther mufflers with the reste ther crispinges faire in sight Ther launes and all thinges of the best they shall forget them quite And wher the sauoure swete did first so trimly smell The stinke shal be exceding great as Esay doth it tell Ther beauty shal be voyde and burninge be in stead Ther yonge men eke shal be destroid and none shall waile the dead These thinges expreste before may not they now be sene Are not such things still more and more as ryfe as they haue bene No not the lest of all but now is to be founde And that which then was very small Now do they most abounde And though one in degre another do exceed Althought she may maintained be in costly state in deede Thogh she wear rich attire if so it be her will And eke in all thinges her desire may be accomplisht still Yet if another may this woman see so braue Why might not I straight will she say Such costly garmentes haue Wher women still shold bee not giuen vnto stryfe That men might say whē them they see they leade a Godly lyfe And that they be discret not runninge to and fro But that ther chastnes shold be great as doth become them so But now twixt man and wyfe as many do well know What great debate what daily stryfe incessantly doth grow Likewise the yonger sort do run a wantan race Wherby they gain such misreport as may ther name disgrace But who doth liue in peace Reioycing in his rest Or say his hart is well at ease such one I thinke is blest But that he must consider what thinges he did before And carefully hys sinnes remember and sory be therfore The hart it is in deede a member somwhat small Yet hath it surely greatest neede of mendinge first of all For all thy former sin wherwith they dayes are spent Fyrst at the hart thou must begyne thy frailty to repent And if thou could once see the hart with in thy brest Full many thinges there placed be which spoyleth thee of rest But man doth rune hys course to haue his last reward And worldly things do make him worse to take so small regarde I meane by worldly things the sins which therin flowe Which man to such corruption bringes wherby contempt may growe For looke and you shall see such mischieues dayly breede So that the world might called bee the vale of woes in deede Such hatred doth aryse betwixt ech other still The rich man doth the poore despise accordinge to hys will. And if that one exceed his neighbour in degree Contemned is the man of need as commonly wee see But Ioseph did not still within the pit remaine Nor God did not so frame his will to keepe him still in paine And though he bare the smart euen at his brothers handes Though he through their despiteful hart ▪ was sold to forren landes Though Israell wrought him wo and much dispite in deed In Egipt was he loued tho and helped at his need And when the dearth was great and vitayles very scant Hee gaue his brethren foode to eat and satesfied their want Thus God doth still prouide to set his owne at ease Although the world cannot abide to see theyr welth increase For many are the paynes which iust men do indure But God doth loose theyr yrou chaines and wondrous ioyes procure For he which was so kinde ▪ to Peter in his handes So that the chayns which did him binde were shaken from his handes And he which made a way for Daniell in the den Doth guide as it is seene all way the iust from wicked men But very seldome sure the Godly liue at ease Wheras the wicked still procure the cause of their disease For surely such misdedes did neuer so a bounde Such myschiefe as now dayly bredes I thinke was neuer founde Such hatred hear and ther so many worldly wife Such witty braines as neuer were to nourish wicked vice Such Enuy all about such Glottony in feastes And finally the world through out mankinde more like to beastes Such Bacchus belly cheare encreased neuer more Such vices as doth now appeare the Heathens hated sore Yet Christians is our name although not so in deede For knowne we be euen by the same which doth with in vs breede Like as the tre is knowne by fructes yea euery wheare And as the fruct right well is showne by trees which doth