thou nothing fear But Christ thy Jesus will be with thee still And give thee strength thy heart with comfort fil Then hye thee on thy life is as a race Keep on thy way there 's but a little space Of time but thou thy race wilt run to th' end Then slothful be'nt but rather thy pace mend Neither turn back nor into by paths step And thou the benefit thereof wilt reap Be'nt weary faint not follow this way still The other is the broad way and that will Lead to destruction many that way find This leads to Life then loyter no behind But like a nimble Racer run thy Race And that thou maist the better run apace So run as one that doth not beat the air Nor of thy sinful body make no spare But keep it down else thou the fool wilt play Faint and give ore and be a cast-away Good Racers when a Race they run they strip That so they may the better leap and skip Through all the dirt and ore the hills and wayes That they may meet with in their racing playes They mind the Gole to touch to win the Prize Ther 's nothing more that they have in their eyes So thou my soul see that thou cast away All weights that in thy running may thee stay The sin that doth so easily beset thee Be sure thou lay aside for that will let thee With patience run the Race thou hast to run The end is Rest when thou the Prize hast won As thou a Journey hast my soul to go As thou a Pilgrim-stranger art also And as thou hast a Race to run so now Give ear unto me once again for thou Wilt in this Race and Journey have such foes As will assault thee many times with blows And therefore thou a Souldier too must be The fight of Faith to fight couragiouslie For potent Enemies thou hast a many But t' help thee in this fight thou hast not any Save him that is the Captain of Salvation Yet stand unto 't be sure thou keep thy station There are a sort of enemies will sally Forth to confront thee and will stoutly rally Up all their force with malice and with spight To overcome thee in this warlike fight For know thou art not only now to wrestle With flesh and blood but others will thee justle For lofty Powers and Principalities VVill new make war with thee against thee rise As once Goliah did ' gainst little David If thou a coward art thou 't be out braved Besides those Principalities and Powers That will lay siege against thee dayes and hours There 's Rulers of the darkness of this world That ' gainst thee many fiery darts have hurl'd VVith wicked spirits which are in high places VVill all against thee proudly set their faces And thou against them all must now engage And stoutly on them fall their pride asswage Then ne'r give ore give them no place nor room But fight on stoutly till thou overcome That so thou maist it 's very good I see Thou shouldst now know from whence thy strength must be For thou against this rabble in thy sight Hast goâ— no strength nor pow'r no force nor might For all thy strength is only from the Lord Fear not engage he will thee strength afford And will thee fill with courage to the brim Go on but let thy eyes be towards him If thou good courage take and play thy part He is engag'd to strengthen thy weak heart The quarrel is the Lord's thou needst not fear But he 'l be with thee both in front and rear And fight thy battels for thee alwayes so That thou shalt be a terror to thy foe And bring him to thy foot with such contrition He 'l lay his weapons down with all submission But lest thy frailties should start some objection And want some satisfaction and direction How thou this Fight of Faith maist fight manage With such discretion prudence and advantage All times unto thy self against thy foes That thou maist wound and smite them with such blows As may prove fatal to them and may crown Thee with the Victory I 'le here lay down Such Rules as may prove helpful unto thee Then take good heed to them and these they be First in this fight my soul do'nt fail to take God's Armour for no doubt but that will make Thee able to withstand in such a day As evil is that thou maist give no way Nor ground to any foes or enemies For if thou shouldst they will thee soon surprise Stand therefore to 't thy loyns begirt about With Truth lest they should put thee to the rout And never fail to have that Breastplate on Of Righteousness ev'n Jesus Christ alone Thy feet shod with the Preparation of The Gospel Peace Atonement Grace and Love Above all take the Shield of Faith whereby Thou maist with ease at all times constantly Quench all the fiery darts of all the wicked Until thou hast their wiles and snares detected For Satan's such a fearful coward he Will never stand thee long but from thee flee Do thou by Faith resist him stedfastly He 'l take his heels and straight away he 'l fly Forget not in this Fight this warlike station To take to thee the Helmet of Salvation Nor go not forth to fight without that Sword The Sword of the Spirit God's holy Word And alwayes pray with Prayer and Supplication With fervent constant earnest Intercession So in the Spirit watching thereuntoo That no Temptation may thee so pursue Not Satan may not foil thee nor 's adherance Watch thou to pray'r with constant perseverance When all this Armour put on thee thou hast And art assured it is fixed fast Then march forth bravely in this warlike posture So full of strength and prowess might and luster Thy foes to conquer kill slay and subdue Until there be no more left to pursue Thee any longer with their wiles and snares Nor thee no more disturb with warlike cares And seeing now my soul I have thee told What Armour thou must have thy ground to hold Wiâ—h me of which thou maist thy self defend From all thy foes and hold out to the end And overcome but now it 's requisit I should not leave thee so lest thou forgit What is thy duty what thou maist procure In those great Conflicts which thou wilt endure Then first it 's needful thou shouldst understand Who is thy Captain under whose Command And Conduct thou a Souldier now art listed To be commanded by to be assisted And taught thy Arms to handle and to use With greatest disadvantage to thy foes Then know my soul thy Captain is no other Than Jesus Christ thy Prince thy elder Brother Who did before thee in this War engage VVhen he was here upon this earthly stage VVho by his valour strength courage and might Did all his foes o'recome and vanquish quite He trampled on the world the flesh the Devil And ne're was overcome by any
Or had committed crimes of such a nature So filthy and so foul with so much rancour Against their Worships What have they no Law To try me by Or have they got no maw To do me right What should the reason be I am an English man and am born free My Birth-right is not then without just cause To lie in Jayle contrary to the Laws But there 's a reason which I now espye Why they will make me still in Prison lye And that 's because they say I am a Preacher And of Phanatiques am a constant Teacher And therefore 't is they me in Prison hold Unless I would be wickedly so bold To promise them that I will preach no more Then will they me to liberty restore If I 'le conform then they will shew me favor Methinks to me these things have no good favor But what is 't now a crime to Preach and Pray That I must lie in Prison night and day For that and for no other cause do know But preaching Truth must I be used so Full seventeen Months and more as I have been In Prison now is Preaching such a sin That such as preach and have not their consent Can't be redeem'd except they do repent But must be kept in prison all their dayes As I shall be sometimes then Worships says The Prophet Moses was not of this mind For he would not Gods holy Spirit bind Nor limit it to this or t'other man He was content that those should preach that can For when complaint against some to him came Eldad and Meâ—al were the men by name Of whom 't was said These men do prophesie What for my sake saith he dost thou envie I would to God the Lords poor people all Were Prophets and that on them all might fall Such measures of the Spirit from the Lord That may enable them to preach his Word But now the case is alter'd much I see Their Worships will not so contented be As Moses was to prison he must go That preacheth now without their leave I know They would not be so serv'd themselves if they Should be forbid to either preach or pray Be clapt in prison for it when they should Do either of them I believe they would Not take it well to walk so in the dark The Priest forgets that ere he was a Clark Would they be us'd so by Romes brats and be Forc't to conform to Romes idolatry They do profess from Rome they 're separated And that by them Romes cruelty is hated And yet will they the conscience force of those That cannot with them in their Worship close Methinks in this they do not do by me As they themselves by Rome would used be But 't is my comfort in the midst of all My many troubles which some count but small They cannot charge me justly with a fault Which can by Law give cause thus to assaults My Carkase so to keep it thus in Jayle Against their Law refusing to take Baile Nay though they were commanded by the King They would not him obey nor me forth bring To any Legal tryal that I might Receive that just reward which is by right My due for more of them I do not crave And 't is but reason that I that should have Had I by Law deserved Bonds or Death I should contented be to lose my breath But if I have not any Law offended 'T is time I trow my trouble now were ended But I a Preacher am I don't deny Though much unworthy of the Ministry A worthless Worm unworthy of that love That Grace and Mercy which came from above Into my soul by which I did receive A Mission for to preach without their leave The Bishop of our souls did me ordain To preach his Grace I trust is not in vain That he bestow'd on me to preach his word And to declare his wondrous works abroad And though for this I do in prison lye I can in him rejoice most heartily And praise that God alone that doth esteem Of such a worthless one as I and deem Me worthy of the cross that for his Name And for the sake of Christ to suffer shame But yet some say I am a fool to lie In Jayle so long depriv'd of liberty Why should not I to them a promise make That I all kind of preaching will forsake For 't is against the Law that such as I Should preach unless I were ordained by The Bishops then without all doubt I may But might they not upon as good ground say The blessed Martyrs in the Marian dayes Did act against the Law for Bonner sayes You are not by the Law to preach or pray Except you do conform such prayers say As by the Queen and Church are now thought fit Should used be throughout the Land but yet Those Martyrs then would not perswaded be But stoutly stood to Non-conformity They rather chose in fiery flames to burn Than from what truth and light they had to turn There are two sorts of fools as I have read And one of them 't is true I am indeed The one wise Solomon so plainly paints In their own colours such will nere be Saiths For Fools saith he are such as knowledge hate Such is their dreadful miserable state That they the fear of God do never chuse Because they would not Wealth and Honor lose Such set a high esteem upon their lusts Their Pride and Pleasure and their gold that rusts In such like fools iniquity abounds And both in City and in Countrey sounds Fools belch out Oaths and dreadful Execrations Which are unto the wise man great vexations Fools call on God most wickedly to damn 'um And dare him to his face as 't were to ram 'um Into the very pit of Hell Fools say There is no God to hear when men do pray Their Oaths to hear or punish them for sin Which they with greediness do wallow in As quassing off of bowls of Beer and Wine Until they are as drunk as any Swine With whoring roaring and their sports and play That by them now are used ev'ry day As baiting Bulls and Bears with dogs and such Like sports as these of which there is too much With idle Stage Plays too and such like trade There 's many souls destroy'd that God hath made He then 's a fool that for these earthly toys Doth lose eternal life and heav'nly joys There are another sort if fools I find But those fools are quite of another mind These fools all worldly glory do despise Becoming fools that so they may be wise All worldly wisdom these for Christ account But loss and dung to win Christ doth furmount All Arts and Sciences all worldly treasure There 's none to them like him these take no pleasure In world or worldly things they are but dross Who offers them the world bids them to loss These do the glory of the world disdain Because its greatest glory is but vain An empty shell a water-bubble
selling them her Merchandize this VVhore Hath such a trade she Pardons will them sell Or any thing if they but pay her well If any one do her desire to pray For them when they are dead that so they may Deliv'red be from Purgatory pains She 'l untertake to do 't and for her gains She will perswade them she can cry and pray To Peter who will hear her cryes straightway VVho hath as she affirms and will it say The Keys of Heav'n and will without delay Admit them in and further to deceive Poor blinded souls and make them to believe That they Salvation easily may merit If they themselves of all will disinherit And unto her their Land and Money give And go some Pilgrimage an Hermite live Or in some Cloister or some Nunry dwell Or in some Friary Monastry or Cell And then let them commit what sins they can 'T is but confessing it unto some man Though one as filthy as himself can be If he his sins doth pardon what cares he For this poor soul he firmly doth believe A sottish Priest can all his sins forgive Provided alwayes this must be I hope That he adore his Filthiness the Pope And doth believe while he is in his Chair He can commit no kind of error there Though in his Chair he speaks such Blasphemy Against the most high God that Deity That one may stand and wonder at the patience The great long-suff'ring the long-forbearance Of God who doth still suffer them in sin But he will pay them home if he begin To call them to account for all their deeds That they have done 't is not their broken reeds That now they lean upon can help them then Nor from his angry Rod deliver when They shall be compass'd round about with fear He will not pitty them nor will his ear So much as hearken to their woful cryes When once to punish them he shall arise To give them blood to drink as they have slain His precious Servants then they shall again Receive the like reward nay it shall double So sore will be her plagues and great her trouble However Rome may now pretend to be The Church of Christ his only Spouse yet she Hath so adulterated that we know She is to Christ and to his Church a foe And ever was since she from Truth did fall To set up her Inventions above all The pure Appointments of the Lord then she Became to him an utter enemie And ever since his Members persecuted Because her Arguments ne'r them confuted They were too weak the Truth is stronger than Though in a worm ev'n all the wit of man And therefore Rome unto her Club-law goes Thinking she should prevail w th downright blows And they would yeeld whom she had soundly beat And with her hellish teeth had torn and eat Whose blood she drank until she was so drunk That of those bloody draughts she hath so stunk That no man can her stinking breath abide But those that take her part and with her side Against the poor despised Lambs and Sheep Of Jesus Christ whom she doth hunt and keep In her most monstrous Court of Inquisition Where they have no redress nor intercession Do make to any other God but him Who hears their cryes whose eyes are not so dim But he perceives the barbrous deeds that she Doth exercise on them continually Though he doth suffer her and give permittance He 'l pay her all Forbearance is no quittance But as I said for all her fair pretence She is Christs utter enemy from thence It doth arise that she makes such a bussle Him and his Power out of doors to jussle How can Rome be the Bride of Christ who by Her whorish tricks the Bridegroom doth deny That in plain terms is not asham'd to say A bit of bread is he and teach to pray To Saints and Angels and the Virgin Mary That she the Mother may present and carry Those idle prayrs that Rome sayes ore her beads To Christ her Son which she as little heeds And doth as little hear them when they pray As Bel did know his Priests did steal away The meat from him that daily was provided O how this blind Whore hath the blind misguided And yet for what she doth she will pretend Christ's great Authority but to that end That she may blind the eyes and minds of those She hath beguil'd and who no better knows But that she is the Church so dote on her Believing this that she can never err And therefore thus saith she Christ did ordain And left in charge until he came again That Ordinance of breaking Bread which he Did will till then it should performed be Which when Christ Jesus did first institute This may saith she all Hereticks refute He said Take eat this is my Body than It clearly follows that there is no man That can deny but that the Bread became His very flesh and blood and bones the same That on the Cross was hang'd and offer'd up And that his very blood is in the Cup And yet not so but in his flesh is still His blood likewise and therefore Rome doth will That none should now receive in both the kinds A pretty querk of hers to blind the minds Of men and so their fancy strongly tickle With this conceit the Priest the Wine must tiple The Bread saith Rome must needs become his flesh When by the Priest t is blest t is such a dish That none but those that eat thereof can be Preserv'd from Hell to Heav'ns eternitie As for the Cup it is the right of him None must presume to drink thereof but them That are ordain'd to consecrate the Bread But where in Scripture ever was this read And if not there than doubtlesly she lies For Rome her self did for him this devise For 't is not any-where by Christ appointed That Bread Wine should be so much disjointed For when the Bread Christ his Disciples gave He never will'd the Cup they should not have But in like manner he the Wine did bless And also said Take drink ye all of this And when he gave the Bread he said 't is so This is my Body and we also know That when he gave the Cup he said it's true This is my Blood which I have shed for you The Bread his Body is most certainly The Wine his Blood but sacramentally It must be understood to be to them That do 't receive with lively Faith in him That can by Faith his Love and Presence see In both the Bread and in the Wine to be Just so it is but otherwise we know It cannot be as we will plainly show Which thus is prov'd when Christ did institute This holy Ordinance he out of doubt We corporally with his Disciples then And had not suffer'd nor was taken when He said This is my Body which I give For you that you eternally may live If Christ were present when the Bread he
the earth For on the Earth once Davids throne was plac'd And on the Earth it now is quite defac'd And on the Earth his throne shall be again Then Christ shall on the Earth both rule â— reign For on the throne of David he shall sit And ore his Kingdom rule and govern it But here by some it may objected be That Christ doth reign now on the earth and he Exalted is already by his Father And shall not rule nor reign on Earth no other Wise than by his Wisdom Strength and Pow'r He rules his Saints and People ev'ry hour And so the World by 's Might and Providence He govern'd hath ere since he went from hence Small sign it is that Christ on Earth doth reign When few his Laws obey and few refrain Him to blaspheme but ready are to evil What ever they are prompt to by the Devil Doth Christ now reign rule amongst those men That swear and curse and drink roar and then Fall out and quarrel fight and kill and whore Of whom the World doth yeild such mighty store That one would think and may conclude ful well That most are rul'd by Lucifer or Hell Can any one think or imagine how Christ should be said to reign on earth when now His people are most times so much oppressed So persecuted and so much distressed That for his sake they 're made a mock and scorn Whose time is now not to rejoice but mourn For what is done to them is done to him He takes it so and so 't will be all them That persecute his Saints shall find it so When he appears though now they won't it know When Saul with Letters went to Damascus To persecute and spoile the Saints then thus Christ said to him when on the way he smites Him to the ground with those bright shining lights That shone about him and all those that went With him no doubt the High-Priest had them sent Him to assist in this great work of darkness To persecute those men that were so faultless That Christ rebukes him as he on the way Did go and as I said did to him say Saul Saul why dost thee thus me persecute To kick against the pricks it is no boot Then Saul astonisht says Lord who art thou I 'm Jesus whom thou persecutest now For what thou dost to them thou dost to me Thou canst not them afflict but I must be Afflicted with them if thou art their fo I feel the stroke the wound is mine also If Jesus Christ will when he comes accuse All them that do his Saints to help refuse VVhen they in prison were or sick or lame Or naked hungry and will them so blame Because they did not cloath or them relieve Nor unto them would any comfort give Nor visit when in Gaol or sick they were And them refuse to succour and to cheat And takes what 's done to them done to himself When he shall say to them that have much wealth Depart you cursed into scorching flames Eternal burnings hound in fiery Chains Of dreadful darkness now and evermore Prepared for the Devil for before When I was sick you did not visit me That is you did not comfort them that be My little ones when they distressed were No help nor no assistance would you spare For as you did to them you did to me Depart then now for ever cursed be If Christ I say shall take these things as done Unto himself they suffer not alone That are his people but he suffer so In them that this I 'de very gladly know How Christ on earth is said to rule and reign VVhen still on Earth he 's crucifi'd and slain When Christ his father David's throne shal mount He shall all evil works call to account The Heathen shall be his Inheritance VVhen he unto his Kingdom shall advance Then he the utmost parts of th' earth shall have And will his poor despised people save VVhen his Dominions shall extended be Through all the earth and eke from sea to sea And from the Rivers to th' ends of the earth This great Dominion is his right and birth For when his Kingdom that we pray for 's come VVhich strongly doth import there is no room Left to conceit he doth already reign And in his Kingdom is for then 't were vain To pray for that which now already is And hath been many hundred years if 't is But two as many now a-dayes do say Let 's tare out then that Pray'r he taught's to pray But when it 's come I was about to tell That all things ev'ry where will go full well For then the Will of God will likewise even Be done on Earth as now 't is done in Heaven There will be then no Ram 'um dam 'um Blades That tare stare fight would with their shades But all his creatures living will him praise Because of those most joyful glorious dayes That Christ shall rule and reign here on the Earth The Scripture plentifully holdeth forth That he that reads impartially may know It is a glorious heav'nly Truth although It is the most esteemed but a fable Yet those that be the born of God are able To see much heav'nly glory in 't they do Receive such comforts from 't and not a few That they are made through Grace nothing to fear What they may suffer for the Glory there But that I may a little further clear This much despised Truth to me so dear And choice and sweet I will some Reason show That Christ the Kingdoms of the Earth shall so Possess as yet he never did but shall One day them have in full possession all First then when Christ shall rule on Earth and reign And Davids Throne shall be set up again There shall be such so great increase of Peace That Quarrels Broils and Wars shall ever cease Then shall there be no envying nor hating No Titles unto this and that debating By Sword and Fire as now is and hath bin And ever will and shall be until then All men shall then so quietly enjoy What they do build and plant none shall anoy Nor them molest they in their habitation Shall then secured be no molestation Nor no disquiet shall e're them come near They shall possess without all kind of fear What is alloted them they 'l be so sure That none shall trouble unto them procure The Nations then though now and heretofore Have learned War they War shall learn no more Of Righteousness there then shall be a stream Shall run through ev'ry street this is no dream Nor fond conceit Justice and Equitie Will flourish then and there no more will be Oppression us'd the cause of him that 's poor Shall not perverted be nor nevermore The Widows cause or Fatherless sha'nt then Be turned back at that time shall no men Hate one another nor no man then shall Imagine ill against his brother all Shall live in such a blessed unity No man