THE PRODIGALS TEARES WITH A HEAVENLY New yeeres Gift sent to the Soule Contayning many most zealous and comfortable Prayers with deuout Meditations Both worthie the acceptance of all Christians and their expence of time to peruse By H. G. Preacher of the most sacred Word of God Psal 118. We wish you good lucke ye that be of the House of the Lord. Ouid. Flectitur iratus voce rogante Deus August Oratio Coelum penetrat nubes transit Dei aures attingit LONDON Printed by B. A. for Iohn Browne and are to be sold at his shop in Little Brittaine neere Duck Lane end or else at Bernard Alsop his House at S. Annes Church neere Aldersgate 1620. TO THE RIGHT Honourable Sir William Cokayne Knight Lord Maior of the Honourable Citie of London the Right Worshipfull the Aldermen his Brethren and Sherifes of the same Together with those two splendent Ornaments therein M. Robert Heath Esquire Recorder and M. Thomas Iones Esquire Common Serieant The God of their Fathers guide prosper and defend them in this life and indue them with that vnexpressible Blessednesse of the life of Glory hereafter RIght Honourable and right Worshipfull Theologie Nature Moralitie and Heathen Philosophers do all condemne and brand Ingratitude and disciplines Man gratefull Retribution Whence Benefits receiued and conferred in the seuenteenth Chapter of S. Luke verse 18. ten Lepers were by Iesus Christ cleansed and but One returned for to giue God prayse the Nine are recorded for their Ingratitude and that One stranger for his thankefulnesse commended by Christ for the same and in holy Scriptures recorded of all good Christians to be imitated In the seuenth Chapter of S. Luke verse 37. is likewise publikely noted with the brand of Ecce that all might obserue and take notice what strange newes should ensue Behold a Woman in the Citie which was a sinner As her sinne did defame her likewise her teares and penitent behauiour did wash away and blot out her crime and infamie for Christ Iesus her most mercifull Sauiour to whom shee sued and wholly applyed pittied her vnfained Teares cleansed and remitted her Soule of all her Sinnes commended her Faith and recorded her Zeale and Charitie That wheresoeuer that Gospel should be read or preached that which was done by her vnto him should likewise be spoken of and be remembred Nature instructeth and thankfull Dauid blusheth at Man in the 49. Psalme verse 10. Man being in honour hath no vnderstanding but is compared to the Beasts that perish How farre the Beasts in whom there is but instinct of Nature excells many men in gratefulnesse to their Benefactors the first Chapter of Isaiah verse 3. expresseth The Oxe knoweth his Owner and the Asse his Masters Cribbe but Israel hath not knowne my people hath not vnderstood The Horse neigheth when his Owner commeth to Prouender him the Oxe and Cow loweth when their Owner foddereth them the Sheepe know the Voyce and Whistle of their Shepheard for at the Eccho thereof they looke vp and flocke together and then bleat as an acknowledgement of him Aesope in his Fables maketh mention of a Lion out of whose Paw a Shepheard tooke a Thorne and gratefully the Lion requited the Shepheard for such his former kindnesse for when the Shepheard for a notorious Crime was adiudged to be put among Lions of them to be deuoured it happened this Lion was one of them and knew the Shepheard and came and fawned on him and saued him from the others and so his life was thus strangely preserued Aesope in his 22. Fable thereupon insculped this Motto Accepti memores nos decet esse boni It behooueth vs to be thankefull and alwayes mindfull of them that doe good vnto vs. Moralitie iustly exacteth where kindnesse and courtesies haue been performed Men to be Reciprocall in some measure and not to burie them in obliuion no sooner done but forgotten and written in the Dust These kind of People are Sordidum genus hommum the basest and respectlesse Generation not worthie to be accounted as a People Heathens not Christians for they scorne it and I would that Christians did not too much affect and disgrace Religion by it Bias sayth That two Heads in one Bodie is a monstrous sight but one vnthankfull Heart in one Bosome is more odious to behold Nay Cui beneficia excidunt haerent iniuriae Some are such Pagans and Iudas-like to their friends that they who haue fed them at their Table cloathed their Nakednesse harboured them in their Houses succoured them at all times in all their Distresses and supplyed their Wants and Necessities these with Iudas for base Gold and Siluer will sell and betray an invaluable trustie and louing friend The Heathen Philosopher Simonides beeing demaunded What would quickly grow out of date or bee soone forgotten and waxe old thus answered Beneficium a good Turne or Benefite Seneca sayth Memoria Beneficiorum labilis iniuriarum vero tenax Good Turnes done are soone forgotten and slide suddenly out of Mens minds but reuenge for Iniuries done vnto them they will hold that in memorie and for a thousand good Turnes that you haue done to them requite and repay you with mischiefe for a small iniurie or trespasse vnwillingly or not wittingly committed by you against them Diogenes sayth the same Plato sayth All humane things grow old and come to the end of their time except Ingratitude for the greater the encrease of mortall man is the more doth Ingratitude augment That Heauenly Propheticke Dauid would not be guiltie of this monstrous sinne but in his 116. Psalme verse 11. inquireth Quid retribuam Domino What shall I render vnto the Lord for all the benefites that he hath done vnto me And so proceedeth in others of his Psalmes zealously stirring vp his Soule to a recapitulation and remembrance of Gods great Goodnesse towards her Prayse the Lord O my Soule and forget not all his Benefits Lucian compareth an vnthankefull Man to a Vessell bored full of holes which is neyther apt to contayne nor receiue any thing Aurelius sayth It behooueth a Man in receiuing of Benefits to be thankfull though hee want power to requite them And Seneca 38. Epist Beneficia bene soluere interdum solutio est ipsa confessio To repay and well requite whence a Benefite was bestowed sometimes the acknowledgement and confession thereof is an accepted Solution and an acknowledged Satisfaction Which willingly and humbly I pay at this present to your Honor and Worships and come with the poore Cottager and Tenant at Will to present with him as this Time it is vsuall a few Lemons Oranges or Dish of Pippins shewing with him therein my Loue and the meanenesse of my Estate who am not able to present Gifts of better value but therein expressing my duty and a poore Beads-mans heartie praysing and praying to God for your Honor and Worships health and prosperitie by whose kind permission and mutuall generall consents in the Maioraltie of the late deceased graue
Senatour Sir Iohn Swinnerton which is seuen yeeres and a halfe since I was admitted Preacher to the Gaole of Ludgate and by your Honour and Worships Predecessors hitherto successiuely therein haue bin continued And most willingly long since your Honour and Worships in Court did generally condiscend the Stipend thereunto belonging to augment In acknowledgement heartie thankefulnesse in some lieu thereof vouchsafe to receiue the first Fruits of my poore Haruest a Bunch of Grapes of my first Vintage a Flower from a Slip of the first growth I do vnfainedly acknowledge I owe my self and mine by your Hon. and Wor. all to be commanded who haue been so good and beneuolent lately to me mine Continue fauorable still in receiuing of this my small grown Wheat leaue the Chaffe my Wine leaue the Dregges my sweete Flower leaue the vnpleasant sented Earth nay I hope a little Treasure though in a base Earthen Vessell presented to your view I am the miserable Sonne of Man that is subiect vnto Mutabilitie but poore meane and therefore the more respectlesse and least regarded in these dayes wherein Money is so loued and Mammonists adored respected and of all capped and crouched vnto with low-bended knee I am a Vine whose Branch is weake young and tender and stands in need of supporting Will your Honour and Worships vouchsafe with your powerfull hands to support mee I am a new gathered fresh flourishing Flower which soone fadeth I am in the Bud and Bloome soone blasted Vouchsafe your carefull Ouersights and Protections that the Critikes of this our Age wherein we liue may not breake into your Fields Orchards or Gardens which like a wild Boare will extirpate me wholly and I will by Gods grace as by dutie bound for euer heartily and dayly pray and supplicate vnto the Almightie for continuance of his great goodnesse and mercie towards your Honour and Worships Now the Lord Almightie who of his infinite goodnesse feeds you all with the finest Wheat and cloatheth you with the purest Wooll continue Peace Plentie Prosperitie Safetie and Health within the walls of that most famous and Honourable Citie whereunto God hath elected and made you the prime Gouernour and eminent Magistrat next vnder our most gracious Soueraign and dread Lord the K. Maiestie a place conspicuous to the whole World and admired at the state and ciuill gouernment thereof May it still so flourish in Plentie Honour and with discreet vnderstanding Magistrates The Lord God grant that all your successors may be such vigilant Watchmen for the preseruation maintenance thereof as now it is may that good care be continued still from generation to generation from predecessors vnto all successors and from this your Lo. time wherein all things quietly are gouerned and safely rest And when ye shal surcease to liue amōg men your names may liue for euer and be remembred for the good you haue done that as now men do reioyce to heare of your names whilst you are liuing they may lament for the losse of you when you are gone May this be an Inheritance bestowed by the Almighty to cōtinue vnto all your Ho. and Wor. successors to the Worlds end Amen Now that Blessednesse the Lord vouchsafe your Ho. Wor. which is mentioned in Psal 128. To feare him walke in his wayes quietly to eat the fruit of your endeuours the fatted Oxe in your Stalls the Sheepe of your Fould and the Doue that flyeth about the Courts of your owne Houses The Lord make your Wiues like Dauids Vine fruitfull make your Children like Oliue Branches decking and standing round about your Tables and may they drop sweetnesse and goodnesse to the Church and Common-wealth wherein they are borne bred and brought vp O Lord let them vestigiate the steppes of their Fathers to be an honour vnto their Posteritie Linage a godly President vnto successiue Posterities and Generations that many hundred yeeres hereafter it may be spoken both of you and your Children Loe these are the Men that feared the Lord and therefore God did so blesse them that they did see their Childrens children vnto the third and fourth generation to flourish prosper graciously and vertuously to liue and in Magistracie doing good their Parents to succeede Furthermore the Lord Iesus giue vnto your Honour and Worships from the first day of this New yeere at the expiration of your dayes the New Heauens and the New Man Christ Iesus in the immortalitie of your Soules and of his infinite mercie graunt that as here on Earth yee feast like Princes yee may be partakers of that most Royall Feast and Banquet of Iesus Christ the Prince of Glorie and Light of the whole World who came a Light at this time into the World to light all thither And this blessednesse I will dayly and heartily pray vnto Almightie God to bestow on you all at the end of this your mortall liues The Lord Iesus with that blessed Life of Glory indow you and all your Posterities for euermore Amen Your Honor and Worships much bounden and in the seruice of my Lord and Master Iesus Christ at all times to be commanded Henry Goodcole TO ALL GODLY zealous religious sanctified and Christian-minded People who expect and vnfainedly desire the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ fruition thereof to the euerlasting ioy of their Soules PEruse mee Will you please Then finde helpe for each Disease Soule and Body I apply And cure both their Maladie Such good meanes not disdaine When to thee so friendly sent Lest in sicknesse thou remaine And thy folly doe repent Had I wist breedes much woe Gentle Patient be no foe To the health and happie states Of such peerelesse louing Mates Farewell good Soule till wee meet In Heauens Blisse each to greet Expect wee doe and dayly pray Lord graunt to vs that happie day CHristian and conscionable Reader thou mayest now iustly with Apelles reprooue and deride me who thus haue presumed to diuulge and diue into the height of all Learning Arts Sciences Knowledge Wit and Skill whose vnskilfulnesse in all of them recommands me to the lowest degree that may be to be abased I know it is but lost labour to cast water into the Ocean an vnthankefull respectlesse Gift to cast a Sheaue of Wheat into a rich mans Garner or to put a small Bunch of Grapes into a vaste Wine-presse small encrease thereof can issue Yet seeing I am called and sent into my Heauenly Lord and Masters Haruest hired and sent to his Vineyard in both to worke and not to loyter That I haue in both endeuoured I present thee good Christian friends this little of my hard labour and gleaned Corne obtained by following others of my fellow Labourers Though theirs was pure yet mine not without Chaffe receiue my Grapes though not without some soure and sharpe distaste altogether disliking your Pallat and disappointing your expectation The Lord of the Vineyard hath sent by me some Bread and Wine to strengthen
and comfort you withall eate a morsell thereof and draw out your Wine for his sake that sent it and doe not refuse or dislike both for the meanenesse of the Messenger that brings now presents his Lords affected loue expressed to you therein If you accept thereof thankefully and gladly I shall returne my Master intelligence and thinke my paines well bestowed rest well satisfied and account my selfe most bountifully by you to be rewarded if my suit be graunted namely your kind acceptance therof from my vnworthy hands Thine at all times to bring thee to my Lord and Master Iesus Christ his Courts H. G. THE PRODIGALS Teares The Prodigals testimony of his conuersion manifested in the detestation of his former follies HEare O heare you that walk after the lusts of your hearts you that spend your time in vanitie deferring the time of Repentance from Infancie to youth and from youth to Age not caring to turne from you the euill day which draweth neere nor applying your hearts to wisedome but how to satisfie the inordinate lusts affections of the flesh you draw on sinne after sinne multiplying traÌ„sgressions you are become a stiff-necked people hardning your hearts against the sweete and comfortable motions of Gods Spirite ready to awake you from this sleepe of sinne and to renewe in you that image which was well-neere defaced in you by meanes of your transgressions Heare the teares and attende the complaint of a conuerted peruert one that hath wandred too login the field of vanitie And now after the taste of those bitter huskes of penurie returnes home with blubbered face contrite heart and humbled spirit crying Peccaui I haue sinned I haue sinned walking in the foolishnes of mine owne heart and like the wilde Asse shifting the wind so haue I shut mine eares to the words of discipline and correction And what did the Prodigall in the Gospell which I did not He receiued his portion and consumed it and haue not I receyued the portion of Gods loue in as ample manner as any euen the portion of my heauenly Father which hee no sooner bestowed on me then I in the height of my heart wasted Nor did the prodigall goe further from his Father then I from the Instructions of my heauenly Father Departing from Bethel the house of God to Bethauen the house of iniquitie Oh miserable Exile From the mansions of peace concord and tranquillitie to the receptacles of sinne horrour and impietie From the smooth running streames of Syloe to the waters of bitternes from the tower of my strength to the vale of desolation Vnhappie exchange to depriue my selfe of so glorious inheritance so exquisite blessings so incomparable bounties for the vaine flourish of a little worldly delight which in the ende conuerted to bitternesse for a momentanie pleasure to forfeite an eternall Treasure not subiect to the change or mutability of Time nor exposed to the violence of any perturbations nor engaged to popular respect but in it selfe of it selfe perfectly refined deriuing her best luster from none other subject then the originall of all Beauties the Idaea of all perfections the mirrour of all lustres God himself And this to loose for any Earthly respect how much were the eies of my vnderstanding eclipsed to conceyue no better of an infinite goodnes then of a floting pleasure producing none other Fruite then bitternes anguish and sorrow And what remedie Esau could not regaine his Byrth-right with many teares And can my vnfayned repentance though I should blinde mine Eyes with weeping and groane in the heauines of my heart repossesse me of all that I haue lost Can the sighes of a troubled spirite and the extreame heauinesse which I sustaine by reason of the burden of my sinnes preuayle with the Lord who poyseth the sinnes of men and hath sworne in his wrath to be euenged of the wicked Yes Lord yes as I haue found grace and fauour in thy sight suffer mee to speake a word vnto thee be not displeased with me The Prodigals comfortable and vndoubted assurance that God will accept his teares and contrition relying and trusting in the mercies and promises of God REmember not my sinnes passed let thy mercies preuent them I am weakened and cleane out-worne and go mourning euery day I shall remember all my yeares vnto thee with bitternesse of heart I know Lord that Peter wept and was pardoned and shal I that knocke at the gate of thy mercie bee excluded Marie Magdalene had in her manie legions of Diuells yet with teares of vnfained repentance she was assoyled and made a Temple of the Holie-Ghost Behold Lord my teares are vnfayned my anguish of heart aboundant and my griefes bee not hid from thee Thou hast promised to looke to him that is poore that is broken in spirit and that trembleth at thy wordes Beholde Oh Lord I am poore depriued of thy fauour broken in spirite to haue offended so benigne a Sauiour and I tremble at thy words as at iudgements of terror worthily deseruing to be eternally thrust from thy presence and to haue my beeing with the reprobate Yet Lord wilt thou bee good vnto Israel thou wilt wash mee from my filthynes and cure my infirmities thou wilt binde vp my wounds with that good Samaritane powring the oyle of thy Diuine comforts into them For this Lord will I thanke thee and for this badge of thy loue will I sing praise vnto thee I will make melodie in my heart to the Lorde For it is a good thing to bee thankefull These teares which I shed shall witnes my contrition the prayses which I sing to thee shall expresse my affection and the speedie renewing of my wayes shall shew my conuersion The prodigals confession of the manner of his vanities with a feeling of Gods great goodnesse FAther I haue fed too long vppon the huskes of Vanitie I haue strayed too farre from thy Temple and walked in vnknowne wayes where I was famished for want of Spirituall foode all athirst for want of Spirituall drinke For the well was deepe and I had not wherwithall to draw but now since my returne I am replenished with all things thou hast put on me a new Garment so as I haue layde away all my olde affections and betaken me to a new spirituall Schoole Thou hast put vpon my finger a Ring to intimate that I am married and affianced to thee thou hast feasted me with thy choicest dainties expressing the ioy thou conceyuest at my conuersion I will stay therefore no longer in the Tents of Kedar nor with the inhabitants of Mâ—loch I am now for my Fathers houshold for my Father hath many seruants and in my Fathers house there bee manie mansions I haue fedde too long with the Hogge eating Akornes vnder the Tree but neuer looking vp from whence they came When thy greatest benefits O Lord were multiplyed vppon mee and thy Fatherly kindnes was shewne in aboundance I was as one that had
I therefore wash my couch with teares and fall downe before thy foote-stoole For what am I that I should persist in my sinnes or whence came I that I should promise to my selfe continuance Esau compareth mans life to the Grasse that soone withereth Iob to a Post a Shuttle a Breath a Vapour Dauid lengthens his dayes but to a Spanne if then as Grasse it must of necessitie fade if a Post it must runne if a Shuttle it must passe if a Breath sonne blowne ouer if a Vapour soone vanished if a Spanne soone shortened O that my feet were as hinds feet that I might walke the way of thy statutes not looking backe like Lots wife nor behind the plow-stilt with the sluggard for cursed is he that doth the busines of God negligently Heerein Lord haue I grieuously offended repairing to thy Temple but without reuerence praying but with small seruencie trusting in thee but with a doubtfulnesse And how can these many obliquities be streightned but by the leuell of thy Word that can make all things streight It is true Lord it is true that the generall deprauednesse of all the World giues sinne vpon earth a Pasport But thou O Lord seest thou the sinnes of men and wilt be auenged Thou carriest thy Fanne in thine hand to sweepe the vngodly from off the face of the earth And where then shall be a place for all the Inhabitants of the earth Loe all shall then become saieth the Prophet Ieremie in the same place as a naked Tree in the wildernesse bereft of both flowers and fruit because like to the wilde Figge-tree it brought foorth no fruit when thou expectedst it should Lord I pray thee though mine haruest bee but yet in the blade accept my slender indeuours and so ripen them that they may bring a plentifull croppe to thee in propagating thy Glory the Churches Vnitie and the benefit of such as thou hast ioyned to mee in neighborhood affection or affiance Much adoe thou knowest Lord there was in the building of the materiall Temple and euery one was enioyned to bring in something towards the erection of it My portion O Lord is but small yet is my loue with the greatest Though I can not bring Gold from Ophyr nor the Cedar and Firre from Lebanon yet will I offer my prayers in thy Temple confessing thee before much people Marie reioyced that she had a little oyle to sprinckle vpon Christ the widdow of Zareptah was ioyfull that she had a little food for the Prophet I will likewise be glad and reioyce if I can reserue but one small moity for the Saints of God for workes of this nature neuer passe vnrewarded A cup of colde water is as acceptable as the silkes of Tyre or the Treasures of Aegypt happy then am I if rich in spirit though poore in state purchasing for a Cup of colde water the water of Life But there must euer be something done by man before the promise bee performed by God The battell must be fought ere the victory be atchieued the tree must bee planted ere it bring forth fruit and the seede must bee throwne into the ground before it multiply We must haue a perfect knowledge of God ere we can dedicate our members seruants to righteousnes offering them to GOD. But how should wee know God there is an harbinger which goes alwayes before the knowledge of God to prepare his house and that is Loue the bond of perfection Now how should we loue him whom wee haue not seene being at enmitie amongst our selues whom we daily see So good is our loue now a dayes as the Italian Prouerbe may be verified of it Tanto buon che val niente So good as it is good for nothing Yet how poore and fruitlesse soener God desires it let him then haue it for hee onely deserues it I will loue thee my Lord and will consecrate my vowes vnto thee where I meane thus to expresse them In the humblenes of my spirit without deiection and in the confidence of my heart without presumption will I humble my selfe before thee with reuerence and offer vp my vowes vnto thee with affiance I will come nearer thee in spirit because remoued from thee by the veile of my flesh the one shall caution mee of my shame the other put me in minde of my glory Hagar shal not get the vpperhand ouer her mistris my flesh shall bee taught to obey that if neede were she might safely gouerne As there is but one Sunne to giue light to the vniuersall World so there shall be but one Sonne to enlighten my little world and that is the Sunne of my Soule This Sonne shall obserue the same course which the naturall Sunne obserueth Her two Tropickes shall be reduced to two remembrances of my birth and of my death That as the Sunne by these two equall circles equally distant turneth either higher hauing bin at the lowest or lower hauing beene at the highest so my Soule transported too high with the remembrance of her dissolution to wit her liberty may be brought backe to the remembrance of her birth the very originall of her miserie I will not haue my flesh to intermeddle in these considerations for shee is like an harsh Instrument that soundeth nothing but discord when the Soule tels the flesh of a dissolution she trembles and feares her accounts like an Vsurer at the sight of deaths head or as Felix hearing Paul dispute of the last Iudgement Many obiects of delight there be which captiuate the flesh being conuersant only in outward thinges I will haue the flesh therfore be put to silence lest my soule conceiue a difficulty in departing when so harsh and disconsonant musicke sounds in her eare the sunne of my soule shall purifie the corruptions of my body which impure mettall must of necessitie be refined or it will blemish the excellencie and beauty of that is contained in it I know a mirtle is a mirtle though planted amongst nettles and at one time or other the soules beautie will shew it selfe enlightning the poore case which couers it I know also that the cause of my long straying hath proceeded from my indirect disposing preferring the bodies aduice before the iudgement of the soule But the Prouerbe shall be confirmed in my flesh Euill councell shall be worse for the Councellour I will chastise my flesh for her rash and indiscreete aduising and admire the resolution of my spirit that euer stoode in opposition against her Recollect your selues you wandring vnsetled thoghts of mine fixe your intention where there is no further extension the fruition of perfit content I knowe the time hath beene when vanity so betwitched you as like poore Vlysses companions you were forced too willing a force to heare the inchanted harmony of euery Syren But now you haue that Moli that hearbe of experience that will charme the inchantresse and teach you true resolution Shall a little taste or distaste