the counsaile of the sage He buildeth breaketh scepters and bringeth wisardes to their wittes end Pharao was by his plagues compelled to let the children of Israell Sacrifice in liberty Cyrus by his aide conquered the Oppressor dissolued by his instinct the long captiuity of Iuda A second Cyrus hath he stirred vp confirming his scepter for the good of his people He shal likewise bring the Infants of Sion from all quarters of their banishment joyfully shall they returne from forraigne landes And those Countries where now they harbour shall finde succour in this Isle to their ovvne necessities Thrise happy are yee who shall see those dayes your hartes shall be replenished with joy There shal not be any more grief misery and tribulation But persecution shal be recoumpted with mirth as persons arriued discourse of shipwracke The arme of the malignant being broaken our LORD shall raigne in mens hartes for euer and euer The tempestuous night being passed a perpetuall day shall be our comfort Which if we liue to see to haue suffered for Christ shall be a joy during life If we die before we rest in assured confidence of a happy resurrection And alwayes an immaculate conscience shall bee a svveete odour to the Almighty and a banquet to our selues By affliction our soules are purged of their drosse and their imperfections consumed By persecution we are tried as by the fanne whether we will be carried away with euery wind They which nowe stand shall be planted afresh as a glorious generation and be as principall stones in restauration of the Temple Aboundantly shall Gods mercies recompence their losses gladnesse shal exceede their sorrowes an hundred-fold All that shall see them shall know and say these are they which would not bowe to Baall Constant Confessors of Christ Iesus the only glory of our nation Iust is God in his judgementes and hath ordayned a time wherein to remember vs. His comming shall be as a sweete showre to the parched ground and as a labourers vvages at the vveekes end Cease shall our bondage and he shall blesse vs vvith an eternall liberty His truth his justice his Priestes his Sacrifice shal no more be taken away For a moment he afflicted vs but for euer shall his consolation endure Nowe therefore shew your selues men yee that endure for justifying your faith Runne forward without wearines atchieue vvithout fainting a happy course A Crowne hangeth ouer your heades vnspeakeable blisse is prepared for you God himselfe shall be your great reward your hope is full of immortality A DEEPE RECOGITATION OF THE FIRST conuersion of the English nation to the faith of Christ and the continuance thereof THE THIRD PSALME MY hart melteth and my bowels tremble while I conferre the times O my God The times of this our miserable age with the golden dayes of our forefathers We haue heard with our eares and thy Scribes haue commended to eternall memory The worke that thou wroughtest one thousand yeares past in conuerting our Auncestors to the faith To a people that sate in darknesse and shadowe of death it pleased thee to shew the light of thy countenance That the reliques of an Heathen nation should be saued that no people should be exempt from knowledge of thy lawe and title to thy glory Thou preparedst thine elect seruant Gregory to gouerne the Apostolike Sea A Pastor like Dauid according to thine owne hart Who vvith great care executing his charge fulfilled perfectly the name and office of a watchman Thou stirredst vp his hart to enterprise the conuersion of the English And enflamedst his minde with zeale of dilating thy name vnto the endes of the world While he was yet priuate thou hadst sent of our youth to be sold at Rome Intending thereby the accomplishment of thy purposed mercy They were brought to the Market-place to be cheapned as beastes price was set vpon them as slaues Endevved yet vvith reasonable soules and such visages as commended the excellency of thy beautifull workmanship Iust neuerthelesse was their present condition vvho vvere bruite beastes by sinne and slaues of the Diuell by infidelity Thy holy seruant sawe them and his hart yearned at their calamity But thou inspiredst him that their saluation was neare and that himselfe should be the instrumēt thereof Thou placedst thy wordes in his lips and hearing that they were called Angles he said To Angels this nation must be vnited whome in countenance they so resemble Vnderstāding their Prouince was called Deira and their King Aëlle He inferred that deliuered from Gods ire indignation they shortly should sing Alleluia After this O Lord thou diddest raise vp Gregory to be supreame Pastor of thy vniuersall flocke Thou gauest him both ability and will to compasse that which he had before thirsted And to finish the worke which thou secretly hadst in hand He sent Augustine thy approoued Priest with a chosen company fit for so great and holy an enterprise A long and weary some way they passed but thou easedst their trauaile with daylie consolation In the midst of their journey their courage languished but thou confirmedst them afresh Through straunge landes and vncouth wayes they passed but thy hand euermore protected them They crossed the Seas and came to an Island whose tongue they vnderstood not Thou didest alwayes assist them and wert a present aide to their necessities Thou art Lord of the Isles no lesse then of the continent neither doth distance of places abridge thy power Thus thou broughtest Monkes from beyond the high insuperable Alpes to kindle in Infidels hartes the fire of thy loue At their entrance they bare before them the triumphant signe of the Crosse the badge of Christians the memory of our Redemption A token that they preached the Sonne of Man crucified a protestation of their faith and profession They sange the sacred Litanies with loude voice inuocating Saints and Angels to their assistance Grace thou gauest them in the sight of Princes and our Country beganne to yeald her fruits The seede vvhich they sovved tooke roote and yealded encrease apace Through many tempestes and stormes it preuailed through contradictions it augmented the more They conquered this land to thy CHRIST and subdued all mens hartes to thy Gospell Possessing the Prouinces not by the sword but in thy word not in their arme but in thy spirit They established the function of thy holy Altar wherein thy Sonne is both Priest and Sacrifice They administred the seauen SACRAMENTES and planted the vvhole Doctrine of the Catholike Church They laide a firme foundation of their forefathers faith with the honourable rites thereunto appertayning And once more this Island flourished afresh recouering her auncient glory Which many yeares before shee had attayned by embracing the Christian faith Vaunting her selfe to be the first Christian Prouince of the world the eldest child of the Church The faithful throughout the earth rejoyced at her Religious example Singing her happy choice and celebrating her with Titles some of
cure her leprosie and to remedy her loathsomenesse She is proued a bastard vine and degenerated to a soure grape A froward bowe which will rather flie in peeces then come to the bent A fruitlesse and barren soile not answerable to the sowers hope Against thee her God she hath lifted vp her hand against the omnipotent she hath vaunted her feathers With a proude gate and lofty countenance she hath stalked against thee as though she would checke thee to thy face She saith I am safe in the midest of waters my shippes are my brasen wall Yet is she flesh and not a spirit a worme and not a God Be it that she soareth as high as an Eagle shee should be reached with thy arrowe but spare her O Lord. Be it she were as stronge as steele shee should bee dashed in peeces by thy fury but mittigate thy wrath She extolleth her selfe in conceipt of prosperity and vannteth her proceedinges in iniquity In a moment canst thou crush her bones and lay her pride in the dust but oh remember thy mercy VVhat-soeuer this people thinketh is meere iniquity all their communication is conspiracy against heauen and treason against thee They haue all made a league with death and concluded a couenant with hell Their feete are svvifte to euill and their handes stronge to doe mischiefe The earth it selfe is infected with wickednesse of the inhabitants and cryeth vnto thee for vengeance And possibly vvould svvallovve them as it did Chore and his company vvere it not for thy elect sake Reuenging fire of Sodome and Gomorrha might be justly feared if the faithfull stayed not thy rodde If any forsake iniquity he is made a pray our chanels flow with bloud Who did euer heare such horrible thinges as this people commit against thee their maker Degenerated is thy vineyarde and turned wilde yealding verjuce for wine Thy darling and vowed Virgin hath giuen ouer her selfe common to all adulteries To Luther and Caluin she hath opened her bosome and to whome so-euer else that would dishonour her She hath sought her louers farre and neere and hired teachers for her itching eares She careth not whome she admit so she admit not thee her first spouse nor whither she runne so she flie from thy face As a woman contemneth her husband so hath she contemned thee and with disdaine turned her backe Defending her iniquity vnder pretext of thy glory she dareth to say I am no adulteresse I am no Apostatrice Her brasen face cannot blush her impudent minde can conceiue no repentance But if she harden her face not to repent harden the face of thy messengers to reprehend If she harden her face to persecute harden thou their face to withstand Confirme the hartes of those thy labourers endue them with strength from aboue and giue successe vnto their endeauours Whose only presence representeth in some sort the state of former times And maintayneth thy holy fire that it goe not out Diminish not their number because of our sinnes and vnworthynesse but encrease it for our better comfort That the daylie foode of our soules we may receiue at their hands and not want their assistance in our extreamities Protect them night and day from their enemies wheresoeuer thy busines detayneth them Embolden our harts with courage from heauen to concurre with them freely in furthering thy seruice Fully thereby to discharge our Christian duty and be partaker of their reward and Crowne So may they build apace the wales of thy Hierusalem and winne innumerable soules to thy Kingdome So may they speedily bring to passe that auncient happinesse may returne So may thy Temples be clensed of their abhominations returning to the vse whereunto they were builded No longer be dennes of Diuels and instruments of thy dishonour Be it so O mighty Patron of thy afflicted be it so And all that loue their Country let this be their daylie teares A CONTEMPLATION OF THE BLESsed state of a Catholike THE FIPT PSALME COME and consider vvith me the sweetnesse of our Lord O all yee that be of his holy congregation Come and consider with me the glory of his Spouse O all yee that dwell in her Tabernacle Come and consider with me the happinesse of your owne soules yee which haue entred into the sanctuary of our God Meditate his goodnes in the night in the day time lift vp your handes vnto his holy Seate Great is he and vvorthy of all prayse thy workes beare witnesse of thee O Lord. Thou hast erected thy Church as thy Kingdome vpon earth her glory shall not depart from the lippes of thy Saintes In thy only Sonne it was founded from the beginning and to the end of the world it shall endure For faithfull art thou in all thy wordes and holy in all thy workes Iust righteous in all thy wayes and perfect in thy determinations As in the sunne-beames thou hast placed this thy Tabernacle that the vertue thereof might comfort the world Vpon an hill thou hast situated thy City whither all people should repaire for lawes and doctrine This is the Queene standing at thy right hand glittering in gold and rich attire Thy Spouse vvhome thou canst not but loue thy turtle which can not but be chast and true The piller of truth whereupon thy faith is builded The rocke against vvhich hell gates shall not preuaile The ship which thou permittest to be tossed but neuer sufferest to be ouerwhelmed The arke ordayned to saue the elect out of which who so is found perisheth euerlastingly The sanctuary of refuge whither to flie from the anger to come The mount of thy sanctification which the right hand hath cōquered The inheritance which thou hast purchased with thy Sonnes bloud A pauilion immoueable vvhose pinnes can neuer bee pulled out whose cordes can neuer be broaken A high and strong Castle vvhose vvalles are Adamant against which no strength can preuaile A massy hard stone vpō whome it lighteth it crusheth him in peeces All benediction thou hast bestowed vpon thy Church vvho hath not her for Mother shall not haue thee for Father In her only thou hast established thy true worship and confirmed it neuer to faile As other people haue Gods none the true God but Christians So may factions adore the also none truly and fruitfully but thy Catholike Church alone Among all trees thou hast chosen one Palme amōg al birds one Doue Among all flowres thou hast preferred one Lilly among all hilles one Sion All nations are thy subjectes and creatures but we thine inheritance Rejoyce and be glad yee inhabitants of Hierusalem among whome is the great and holy one of Israell Yee are all like Gods the true children of the Highest Happy are the eyes vvhich see that yee see and enjoy the presence of him whome yee adore Happy are the eares that heare what yee heare and the harts which are partakers of your instructions No nation vnder heauen hath a God so potent so louing so neere to them which
SEAVEN SPARKES OF THE ENKINDLED SOVLE WITH FOVRE LAMENTATIONS WHICH COMPOSED in the hard times of Queene Elizabeth may be vsed at all times when the Church hapneth to be extreamely persecuted Drawne out of the holy Scriptures after the forme of Psalmes By R. B. P. In my meditation breaketh out fire Psal 38. Is any of you sadde let him pray Is he of a calme minde let him Psalme Iac. 5. v. 13. IHS Printed with licence TO THE VERY WORSHIPFVLL MY EVER-HONOVRED Mother B.B. encrease of all good in him who is the only good TO many wee owe much to sundry their certayne dueties to friends kindred clyents neighbours to instructors gouernors but vnto our parentes we owe all we owe our selues Of which eminent prerogatiue although Christians can not be ignorant through the frequent commendation thereof in the word of God as which beganne in the a Exod. 20 ten Commaundementes was by our b Math 15. Sauiours blessed mouth recommended by c Ephes 6. S. Paul noted to be the first Commaundement hauing a promise thereunto annexed so neither were the Heathens so destitute of natures light but that they alwayes held this as a high principle The great reuerence of d 3. Reg. 3. King Salomon towarde his mother is to be read in the booke of Kings and no lesse rare example had the Gentiles of e Plut. Cleobis Biton who submitted their owne shoulders to the drawing of their Mothers Chariot f 1. Tim. 5. And the Apostle expresly commaunded children to yeald requitall vnto their aged parents saying that it was acceptable commendable in the sight of God so to doe That same by way of Prouerbe drawne from the Storke committed they to an eternall care and memory gladly also at all times reciting that memorable nature of this bird which is Antipelargein that the younger fostreth againe the elder of whome before he was fed and bred vp Let this litle labour of mine be in some sort to play the Storke although in a contrary yet most equiualent sort of foode such surely as in this time of my long absence from you wil be as acceptable I doubt not to receiue as it was gratefull to minister it shal prooue as cordiall in the vse as it was paynefull in the composition Liue you to God who also preserue you Your Sonne with all loue and duty R. B. TO THE DEVOVTLY AFFECTED AND enduring Catholikes THANKES ought vve alvvayes to rēder vnto God for you DEARE BRETHREN as worthy and meete it is 2 The. 1.3 for that your faith highly encreaseth the charity of each of you towardes other aboundeth so that other nations glory in the Church of God for your patience and faith in all the persecutions and tribulations vvhich you sustayne to an example of GODS just judgment that yee may be accounted vvorthy of the Kingdome of GOD for which yee also suffer Persist yee that our joy may be full a Phil. 2.27 And be not in any thing terrified by the aduersaries what to them is cause of perdition is to you of saluation and this from God for asmuch as to you it is giuen for Christ that not only yee beleeue in him but that yee also suffer for his sake b Ephes 12. Yee were in times past without Christ alienated from the conuersatiō of Israel strangers to the testamēt hauing no hope of the promise without a God in this world But nowe are yee who earst were far off in Christ IESVS become neere in the bloud of Christ for he is our peace c Collos 2.13 Dead when yee vvere in sinnes God reuiued you together with him imparting cōdonation of all your offences d Phil. 1.26 Walke yee therfore worthy of the gospel of Christ e Phil. 2 15. without reprehension in the middest of a wicked peruerse people among whome yee shine as lights in the world f 1. Thes 5.11 Be mutually comfortable and edifie one another as also yee doe g 1. Cor. 2.12 Yee haue not receiued the spirit of this world h 1. Thes 5.2.4 The day of our Lord shal come as a theefe in the night But yee BRETHREN are not in darknes whereby that day might as a theefe catch yee vnwarres for all yee are Sonnes of light Sonnes of God We are not of the night neither of darknes therefore let not vs sleep as doe others but let vs watch and be sober Be instant in prayer watchfull therein in thanksegiuing a Ephes ◠18. Be not inebriate with wine wherein is luxury but be filled with spirit speaking vnto your selues in Psalmes and Hymnes spiritual songs singing and Psalming in your hartes vnto our Lord yealding alwayes thankes for all thinges to God the Father in the name of our LORD IESVS CHRIST b Ioh. 14.13 15.16 16.23 Whatsoeuer is asked in his name it is obtayned Yet c Iac. 4.3 some receiue not because they euilly aske And commonly d Rom. 8.26 vve doe not knowe what we pray as behooueth vs. But e 1. Ioh. 5.14 this is the comfort which we haue to Godward in that whatsoeuer we shall request according to his will he heareth vs. Not the Author but sacred Authority AN INVOCATION OF GODS AIDE FOR CEASSING THE AFFLICTION OF his Church THE FIRST PSALME O MY LORD O my God how long wilt thou deferre the deliuery of thy people Arise and free vs O Lord arise O Lord and saue vs. Helpe vs thou in our tribulations for vaine is the aide of man Accomplish gratiously what thou mercifully seemest to beginne shewe forth the amiable light of thy countenance By the hand of thy great seruant IAMES shake off our yoake that we may finde him an honourable comforter Beautifie him with a name more pretious then his Crowne by the true name of a good King Deserue he the resemblance of thy owne Title Prince of peace Least they which vexe vs exalt their hartes for euer and magnifie themselues in their iniquities Thou hast tried vs as the Diamond is tried by hammers or gold in the fornace Thou hast chastised vs throughly for our offences nowe spare vs for thy mercy To thee lift we vp our eyes who dwellest in the heauens and sittest vpon the Cherubins As slaues in their Masters fury or handmaides at their Mistris feete Attend from thy heauenly throne vnto our cry for exceedingly haue we beene oppressed Howe many are the dayes of our afflictions when wilt thou doe vs fauour and bowe our Persecutors vnto pittie Thine we are thy children and thy seruants the scattered and oppressed sheepe of thy pasture Preserue vs for we haue embraced thy wayes and diligently searched thy commaundementes For which cause we sustayne the note of folly and madnes and are a daylie laughing stock to each wicked person Reputed also as vnworthy to liue and enemies to our deare country Our acquaintance haue vvithdrawne themselues from
sanctifieth thee Rejoyce in thy Lord thy God rejoyce in thy King and Captayne He hath delighted in thee and loued thee and exalted thee to saluation Lifted vp thy head and awaked thee from sleepe of death Broaken thy bondes asunder and set thee at liberty that thou shouldst liue acceptably before him in the land of the liuing VVhilst thou walkedst peruerse paths he regarding thy misery determined better of thee then thou didst deserue From thee not ceassing to offend him daylie hee turned avvay his anger and kindled not all his wrath His eye of pitie hee fixed vpon thee when thou wert vtterly vnmindfull of him By secreet and sundry meanes he drewe thee to his seruice Cleane he hath wiped thee from al filth placed thee in a faire way and bid thee walke therein As the potter frameth his vessell or the jueller polisheth his pretious stone so laboured he thee to his holy purpose By open examples by priuie inspirations By threats and allurements by prosperity and aduersity he ceassed not to call thee Aproach therefore O yee which feare our Lord herken what great mercy hee hath performed in my soule I will sing vnto him for his abundant clemency I vvill prayse the name of the Highest He who from a-loft watreth the hilles with sweete showres that the earth may bring forth her encrease Hath refreshed my barraine soule with heauenly dewes of grace that it may waxe fruitfull to righteousnesse Hee who prouideth wherewith the beastes of the desert may quench their thirst Hath not suffered my soule to perish in a desolate lande He which neasteth the birdes in trees and fowles in the rockes hath placed me in the tree of his owne planting and in the rocke of his owne foundation Thou gauest me knowledge O my God to seeke remission of sins and inckling to flie from the wrath to come As the day-starre arising from the East thou shalt chase darknes from my hart I heard thy voyce as a whispering in mine eare and trembled thereat I felt thy knocking as of one desirous to be let in So had I often donne before but still was obstinate exasperating too too much thy long patience Pardon me O Lord that I was so dull to heare thee pardon me and I will redeeme those dayes with great diligence Pardon me for thou knowest we are flesh and bloud prone to euill and slowe to piety At last thou calledst me with an effectuall voice and I answered I am ready For why thou knewest what was fittest to mooue me and gauest me thy hand to helpe me vp I cast off my former damnable sloath and set forward my feete to the pathes of peace I saide to my selfe hie thee O wreatch into the house of God into the lappe of his holy Spouse I resolued to take no repast nor enter into the bed of my repose vntill my soule were made the Temple of the Holy ghost Vntill shee had made her peace with the Almighty and were purged of her iniquities Wherby endued with grace I might securely go to rest sleep in saluatiō I bowed my knees and lifting vp my handes humbly besought thee Author of all goodnesse Happily to accomplish the worke which thou hadst begone in me and to set me in state of grace Thou heardst my prayer and I atchieued the just desire of my hart I sought earnestly to finde one of thine anointed for discharge of my conscience One of those vvhome thou hast chosen and sent to guide people to thy Kingdome To whome Christ bequeathed the exercise of his function as he before had receiued it of his Father To vvhome hee gaue the Holy Ghost promising that in forgiuing or loosing sinners their judgement he would ratifie In vvhome hee hath placed the word of reconciliation and the administration of his holy Testament Sending them as Embassadors to declare his will and commaunding to receiue them as representers of his owne person Hard was it for me to finde such one of thy seruants for the dayes of Elias are returned when the Prophets were hidden in caues Yet thou gauest me fauour in the sight of thy Sunamite I was admitted to speech of the heauenly Physician Embracing his spirituall exhortatiō in solitarynes I began to prepare I sate downe streightly examined my soule as he which is to render account of most weighty matters Our aduersary the Diuel stood on my left side and said wilt thou confesse thy secrets to a sinnefull man I answered auant Satan who hauing made me impudent to sinne suggestest shame of repentance He wished me to differ till a fitter time and said there was no hast But considering howe long I had prouoked thy patience I feared by sodain summos of death to be taught vnprouided He proposed danger of the lawe I replied that God was to be obeyed before Princes He objected that the Lord only forgiueth sinnes I answered that from him only I expected remission but by ministery of man As likewise in thy name O mighty of mightiest Physitions heale and thy Saintes worke miracles thou being the author of both I letted not therefore to disclose my sinnes to thy seruant that I might of him receiue absolution and counsaile I discouered euen my most secret sores as to a skilfull Chirurgion and obtayned with health holsome preseruatiues Recounting my sinnes in the bitternesse of my soule I accused my selfe with my owne lippes I sorrowed for all knowing that thou wilt not be serued by halues and that thou acceptest not him which renounceth not euery sinne I confessed all knowing that cursed is he who lieth to the holy ghost Abhominable is a dissembler in thy Sacraments his fruit as of him who layeth venime to his wound Or thinketh to be eased of his burden vvhen he foolishly addeth a mighty weight to his backe I ouercame shame and endured to blush that in the world to come I might not be confounded But oh howe soone did I receiue the reward of my labour vvho can expresse the sweetnesse that I found in my soule I tasted of thy dainties O Soueraigne sweetnesse vvhich thou hast reserued for them which feare thee The excellency whereof none can imagin but they only which proue it A droppe as it were I felt of the celestiall fountayne wherewith thou blessest thy Saints and Angels A testimony of thy inuisible grace a seale of the remission of my sinnes a pledge of eternall glory When shall the memory of that time be renewed by experiment of like joy Which while I tasted I could hunger nothing else then righteousnes nor thirst any thing but the Kingdome of heauen I said boldly come death nowe when thou wilt I haue vnburdned my soule and am ready Flie Satan I renounce thee for euer thou hast no part in me at all The bloud of our LORD hath washed me and the merit of his Passion hath made me hole Nowe finde I them lyers which slaundered our holy Mother terrifying me from her Paradise Sects haue a shadowe
and name of Religion not like thy lawe O Lord. I found thy faith to be vnspotted without stayne of any folly Conuerting soules from their sinfull wayes and giuing wisdome to the ignorant Pearcing to the very hart and comfortable to a single spirit Quickly was my desolation turned to joy thou claddedst me vvith consolation as with a robe Nowe therefore being redeemed by my Maker from the hands of the enemy I confesse that he is gentle good and exceeding bountifull and his mercy endureth for euer I sate in darknesse and in the shadowe of death and there vvas none to helpe me I cried vnto him he ayded me breaking my fetters in sunder Had he not assisted me the enemy had euen swallowed me quicke Blessed be his holy name vvho gaue me not for a pray to the Dragons jawes As a litle bird I escaped the fowlers net as the silly hare from the pursuing gray-hound By the old aduersary of mankinde I had beene seduced and supplanted by his malice My God streatched out his potent hand deliuering me from the violent streame Who caught me in his armes as if a father should catch his child from the deuouring beare Because he loued me he sought my saluation not suffering the enemy to triumph Prayse him therefore O my soule be not vngratefull for his benefits Forget not what he hath done for thee preuenting thee in his blessinges He hath made thee flourish afresh as in the yeares of thy first regeneration Restoring thy innocency againe and renewing thy youth as an Eagle As farre as heauen is from earth or East from West so farre hath he remooued from thee thine iniquities He hath crowned thee with better then pretious stones all parts and povvers vvithin mee magnifie his mercy I staggered in attempting my saluation the difficulties of the time amazed me Thou girdedst me with vertue vnder thy protection I ouercame those tentations I was slowe and weake thou madest me swift like an Hart that I ran forwardes without impediment Thou hast taught me to fight māfully against the enemy and confirmed my hart to be thy champion Thou hast raised me from vvorse then the dunghill and placed me amōgst thy holy princely people Out of the lake of misery thou hast pulled me and from the dirty dregs of sinne heresie thou hast drawne me forth From Deaths dore thou reuiuedst me from Hel-gates thou broughtest me backe Oft to the barrē thou sendest children to me an orphane thou gauest thy Spouse for a Mother Many vvonderfull thinges thou bring est to passe none more strange doe I knowe then the conuersion of my hard hart Many wayes thy mercy sheweth it selfe but neuer more then in pardoning my offences What should I say O Lord thou hast engraffed thy name in my hart and enroled my name in thy booke of life Thou hast shrowded mee in thy tabernacle against the day of wrath Opening to me the gates where none but the just enter In vaine haue the fiends like foxes sought my soule departing voide of their expectation I will loue thee therefore O my aide and refuge my strength and the foundation of my hope The new tune which thou hast giuen to my mouth I wil alwayes sing I will offer before thy Altar a Sacrifice of prayse in the sight of thy Angels Saints I will giue thankes The cup of thy Crosse I will expect desiring to suffer for thy sake What other way can I be answerable to thy giftes or how can I doe this also except thou giue it Thou needest neither me nor my good deedes thou hast chosen me and not I thee O Redeemer My conuersion vvas thy handy-worke without whose assistance I can not thinke a good thought Who am I O Fountayne of goodnesse that thou thus shouldest manifest thy selfe vnto me That suffering thousandes to wallowe still in wickednesse thou chosest me on whome to shewe mercy Neither tookest me out of this life in time of blindnesse in midest of mine iniquities To thy selfe O Lord to thy selfe bee the glory of this thy mercifull kindnesse Let the heauens prayse thee for it and in earth others be conuerted by my example Let my daylie endeauours be to further thy faith and drawe others to the delectable spring wherewith my selfe haue beene refreshed So shall thy graces in some sort redound to thee againe as floodes returne to the Sea So shall I not perish like an vnfruitfull tree which leaueth not his like behinde Prayse yee meane-space your Creator and mine O yee his Angels who rejoyce at conuersion of euery sinner Who perpetually execute his wil without declining at any time from his hests Prayse yee him O his holy Priests messengers of his will shepherdes of his folde by whose handes he reconcileth sinners Prayse yee him O al yee my Brethren partakers of like saluation Whome of caytiues plunged in like errours he hath justified and made righteous Prayse yee him O all his seruants neuer yet entangled with like misery Prayse him O my soule whilst thou quicknest my body when thou partest by death ceasse not to doe the same And when thou receiuest the body againe prayse him perfectly without end AN IMPLORATION OF DIVINE GRACE against temptations of Religion THE SEAVENTH PSALME THOV taughtest me perfect wisdome in my first conuersion O Lord and I verily trusted neuer more to be shaken In the day of her reconciliation thou saidst vnto my soule nowe art thou my faire Spouse this day haue I assumed thee Why then doth the tempter whisper in my eare and say hovve long vvilt thou serue thy GOD in vaine Why doe the speeches of those mooue my minde who saying they loue me well vpbraide me to my face of follie Objecting that I spend my age in wilfull calamity neither reape the pleasure of my life Remember O Lord the comfortable word that thou spakest to my hart Preserue me still among the generation which seeketh thee which alone enjoyeth thy presence protection Which with vndefiled lippes and cleane hart offer vp day lie sacrifices and magnifie thy holy name Among whome only is saluation to be hoped for and thy true honour to be found Let mee alwayes put my trust in thee and neuer be ashamed of the God of my forefathers Nor deny my selfe to be of his holy chosen company Keepe me O my maker that neuer in thought word or deede I consent to rites of a straunge Religion or partake in their actions Neither openly nor priuily in speech nor silence by action nor omission or any signe whatsoeuer Least I bee enwrapped in their plagues because of their company and drinke the cup of their damnation Let neither friendship nor hatred profit nor losse Payne nor pleasure life nor death separate me from thy Church Suffer not that my brethren and fellowe seruants stumble by my example to their ruine Or say of me see howe he hath lost his part in Israell his inheritance aboue the starres Loe howe he was not