priuate families O Lord our God and heauenly Father wee thy vnworthie children doe here come into thy most holy and heauenly presence to giue thée praise glory for al thy great mercies and manifold blessings towards vs especially for that thou hast preserued vs this night past from all the dangers and feares thereof hast giuen vs quiet rest to our bodies and brought vs now safely to the beginning of this day and doest now a fresh renew all thy mercies vpon vs as the Eagle reneweth her bill giuing vs all things aboundantly to enioy as food raiment health peace libertie and fréedome frō many miseries diseases casualties and calamities which wée are subiect vnto in this life euery minute of an houre and not only so but also for vouchsafing vnto vs many good things not onely for necessitie but euen for delight also But aboue all deare father we praise thy name for the blessings of a better life specially for thy most holy word and sacraments and all the good wée enioy thereby for the continuance of the Gospell amongst vs for the death of thy sonne all that happinesse which we haue thereby Also because thou hast chosen vs to life before we were and that of thy méere goodnesse vndeserued fauour towards vs and hast called vs in thine appointed time iustified by thy grace sanctified vs by thy spirit adopted vs to be thine owne children heires apparant to the great crowne O Lord open our eyes euery day more more to sée and consider of thy great and maruailous loue to vs in all these things that by the due consideration therof our harts may be drawne yet nearer vnto thée euen more to loue thée feare thée and obey thée that as thou art enlarged toward vs in mercie so we may be enlarged towards thée in thanksgiuing and as thou dost abound towards vs in goodnesse so we may abound towards thée in obedience and loue And sith deare father thou art neuer wearie of doing vs good not withstanding all our vnworthinesse naughtinesse therefore let the consideration of thy great mercy and fatherly kindnesse towardes vs euen as it were force our hearts compell vs to come into thy most glorious presence with new songs of thanksgiuing in our mouths Wée pray thée O most mercifull God to forgiue vs all our vnthankfulnesse vnkindnesse prophanes and great abusing of all thy mercies and specially our abuse and contempt of thy Gospell togither with all other the sins of our life which we confes are inumerable mo then can be reckoned vp both in omission of good things and commission of euill We most humbly intreate thée to set them al ouer to that reckoning which thy son Christ hath made vp for them vpon his crosse and neuer to lay any of them to our charge but fréely forget all and forgiue all Naile downe all our sinnes and iniquities to the Crosse of Christ burie them in his death bath them in his bloude hide them in his wounds let them neuer rise vp in iudgement against vs. Set vs frée of the miseries that are vpon vs for sin kéepe back the iudgements to come both of soule bodie goods good name Be reconciled vnto vs in thy deare sonne concerning all matters past not once remembring or repeating vnto vs our olde and abhominable iniquities but accept vs as righteous in him imputing his righteousnesse to vs and our sinnes to him Let his righteousnes satisfie thy iustice for all our vnrighteousnes his obedience for our disobedience his perfection for our imperfectiō Moreouer we humbly beséech thy good maiestie to giue vs the true sight and féeling of our manifold sinnes that we may not be blinded in them through delight or hardned in them through custome as the reprobates are but that we may be euen weary of them and much grieued for them labouring striuing by all possible meanes to get out of them Good Father touch our harts with true repentance for all sinne Let vs not take any delight or pleasure in any sinne but howsoeuer we fal through frailtie as we fall often yet let vs neuer fall finally let vs neuer lie downe in sinne nor continue in sinne but let vs get vpon our féete agayne and turne to thée with all our hearts and séeke thée whilst thou mayest be founde and whilst thou dost offer grace and mercie vnto vs. O Lord encrease in vs that true and liuely fayth whereby we may lay sure hold on thy sonne Christ and rest vpon his merites altogether Giue vs fayth assuredly to beléeue all the great and pretious promises made in the Gospell and strengthen vs from aboue to walke and abound in all the true and sound fruites of fayt◠〈◊〉 vs walke not after the flesh but after the spirite Let vs féele the power of thy sonnes death killing sinne in our mortall bodies and the power of his resurrection raysing vs vp to newnesse of life Let vs growe daylie in the sanctification of the spirite and the mortification of the flesh Let vs liue holily iustly and soberly in this present euill world shewing foorth the vertues of thée in all our particular actions that we may adorne our most holy prafession shine as lights in the midst of a crootied froward generation amongst whom we liue being gainefull to all by our liues conuersations offensiue to none To this end we pray thée fill vs with thy spirite and al spirituall graces as loue wisedome patience contentment méekenes humility temperancy chastity kindenes and affability stir vs vp to vse prayer watchfulnes reading meditation in thy lawe and al other good meanes whereby we may grow and abound in all heauenly vertues Blesse vs in the vse of the meanes from day to day make vs such as thou wouldest haue vs to bée and such as wée desire to bée working in vs both will and déede purpose and power For thou O Lorde art all in all thou wilt haue mercie vppon whom thou wilt haue mercy and whom thou wilt thou hardnest Haue mercie vppon vs therefore deare Father and neuer leaue vs to our selues nor to our owne wils lusts desires but assist vs with thy good spirite that wée may continue to the end in a righteous course that so at length we may be receiued into glory be pertakers of that immortall crowne which thou hast laid vp for all that loue thée and truely call vpon thée Further we intreat thée O heauenly father to giue vs all things necessary for this life as foode raimcut health peace liberty such fréedome from those many fold miseries which we lie open vnto euery day as thou séest méete Blesse vnto vs all the meanes which thou hast put into our hands for the sustenance of this fraile life Blesse our stock and store corne cattle trades occupations all the workes of our handes for thy blessing onely maketh rich and it bringeth no sorrows
THE CHRISTIANS MOVRNING GARMENT The third Edition AT LONDON Printed for Thomas Pauier and are to be sold at his shop at the entrance into the Exchange 1603. To the right Honourable and virtuous young Gentleman Henry Lord Hastings Grace and peace RIght Noble Impe. THose little creatures the Silk-wormes shunning duality of meates and betaking themselues wholy to the fresh leasage of the Mulberie tree frame by Natures instinct and vertue of the Plant so faire and so sweet a webbe that the greatest personage will not thinke much to weare it I am the meanest of the seruants of God farre lesse than the least of his mercies yet by the operation of his blessed spirit the soule of my soule and the efficacie of his holy word whereon alone I wish to feede I trust I haue shaped such a garment as the best Christian will not disdaine to put on A Mourning Garment it is For lighter colours beseeme not Gods Childe in this carelesse Age where Ladye Faith goes bare-foote alas all alone attended by no good workes which makes her wash handkerchers in her teares I present this vesture to your Lordship not doubting but you will accept it and adorne your selfe with it And I desire it may be a token of a dutifull and thankfull minde for the numberlesse fauours our happy vnhappy name hath receiued from your most noble and for zeale of religion most worthie Ancestors The Lord blesse your Honor that as you growe in stature and yeares so you may growe in grace and fauouor with God and men Your Honours in all obseruance William Worship The Christians mourning Garment IT is a rule that will abide the tutch-stone No man comes to heauen with drie eyes Our selues are shippes launched foorth for heauen our teares must be the sea our sighes the gales of winde while Hope is the anchor and Grace steares the helme Moses Hezekiah Peter Mary Magdalen and all the Saints of God were wasted on the riuers that gusht from their own eyes to the kingdome of glory Howbeit though euery penitent sinner wéepe yet euery one that wéepes is not a penitent sinner For teares in themselues are but things indifferent neuer please God but when they issue from a troubled spirite suppled with grace and wounded with true remorse and sence of sinne It is not sorrow 2. Cor. 7. 10. but godly sorrow that goes for currant Some wéepe for themselues not for others some wéepe for others not for themselues some neither wéepe for themselues nor others some both wéepe for themselues and others To wéepe for thy selfe not for others betokens luke-warmnesse to wéepe for others not for thy selfe hypocrisie neither to wéepe for thy selfe nor others deadnesse of hart both to wéepe for thy selfe and others zealousnesse The last of these is an effect of holy sorrow which who so findeth not in himselfe one time or other is no better than a vessell of wrath In the name of God then good Christian brother let thine eyes spout out teares as a Conduite spouteth out waters for thy gréeuous capitall and enormous vices Say not thou art Sanguine complexiond and canst not wéepe of a manly stomack and wilt not Sam. 1. 16. 12. wéepe for Dauid was both yet teares were his meate day and night Flatter not thy selfe the vaine conceit of easie attaining saluation may cast many a soule away in a yeare Thou must vpon necessity mortifie the flesh Away with it Away with it crucifie it crucifie it Now ere thou can do this it will cost thée many a groane and many a teare oh it will go to the hart of thée As thou tendrest thy soule looke home vnrip vnbowell ransacke thy selfe throughout Mourne for thy originall sinnes and for thy actuall sinnes for thy sinnes before thy calling and since thy calling for thy presumptuous sinnes and for thy sinnes of infirmitie for thy open sinnes and for thy secret sinnes for thy sinnes of ommission and for thy sinnes of commission Stéepe thine eyes in teares read letters of discomfort on the ground as thou goest let the streames of thy sighes and the incense of thy praiers rise vp like mountaines before the Lord and if this will not mooue him to pitty if it be possible wéepe teares of bloud Aboue all things beware thou looke not sowerly in company to be séene of men for then thy rewarde is sure to be great in hell Get thée into thy most retyred closet let no body by thy good will know of it pull the latch into thée sée there be no holes in the dore no cranies nor clifts in the wall then fall groueling to the earth thump thy brest strike vpon thy thigh wring thy hands and poure out thy soule before the Lorde so he that séeth thy true humiliation in secret shal one day rewarde thée openly in the sight of his glorious Angels Vnclaspe thy Bible lay the ten commandements before thée and bedewing them with thy teares make thine humble confession thus before God O my God I am confounded and ashamed to lift vp mine eyes vnto thée my God for mine iniquities are increased and my trespasse is growne vp into heauen Yet Lord remember thy mercies of olde and open mine eyes that I may sée the wonders of thy law that so sinne may be out of measure Rom. 7. 12 sinful Good God thy commandements are iust and holy but I am carnall sold vnder sinne and should not lye yelping and howling in the burning lake of damned soules if I had my right Blessed be thy name for inspiring this good motion of meditating in thy law for it is a glasse wherein I may beholde the vglye morphew of my soule and so be forced to flée to my redéemer for his precious blood to rinse and munditie me that I may be presented a spotlesse virgin before thée Alas I should haue béene thy Nazarite The 1. cōmandement and haue giuen thée all my hart but I haue giuen the flesh a péece of it the worlde a péece of it and the deuill a péece of it I should haue worshipped thée according to the square and tenor of thy word without adding detracting changing but I haue ballanced thy seruice after mine owne scoales and haue more delighted in falling downe before a gilt Image than in beholding thy swéet sonne most liuely crucified in Gal. 3. 1. thy worde preached and sacraments administred I should haue magnified thy name and haue spoken of it with high reuerence but I ah wretch haue curst band and champed Phil. 2. 10. Iesu in my mouth at whose blessed name euery knée should bow both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth yea Lord I haue torne thy holy name as the Draper rasheth out a péece of linnen to the buyer I should haue hallowed the best daye of the seauen and haue bestowed it in prayer hearing of Sermons receiuing the sacrament almes meditation on Gods workes but I woe worth
may enter in Héere begins he to sighe at the view of his sinnes Presently comes me in a Ruffian whom God sends to prooue him whom the Deuill sends to spoile him and he with a payre of Cardes and a Cup of neate Claret thrusts Iesus out into the Stable because there is no roome for him in the Inne Thus be the good motions of the holye Ghoste extinguished by the accesse of a Gamester that Schooles his young maister in the Arte of Driuing away time Driue away time Is Tyme so slow-footed that it néedes driuing My friend if a sinner intice thée to sport when the Feuer of thy sinnes begins to shake thée consent not to him Rather goe aside as a man throwne from the world and then let thy belly tremble let thy lips shake let rottenuesse enter into thy bones Learne of the Nightingale who when she is robd of her yonglings gets her to some solitarie trée where she bewailes her vnhappie marriage Abstract and sequester thy selfe flée resorte say vnto laughter thou art madde haunt vntrodden pathes desire the Lillies of the fielde to cloath themselues in blacke and accompanie thée in thy dolefull passions The fourth Impediment is Impayring of health A ioyfull hart saith the Wiseman causeth good health but a sorrowfull minde Pro. 17. 22 dryeth vp the bones Let not this dismay thée better go sickly to heauen than healthfull to hell Be not all for thy bodie nothing for thy soule but like the Lapidarie estéeme the Iewell farre aboue the rinde or barke Moreouer I affirme that it is the care of this worlde that brings a Calender into the bones and snowes vpon mens heades so timely and not this sorrow which we magnifie For as the Sea at high water if angred with a boystrous wind threatneth present deluge to the earth and yet suddainely it giues backe and runnes away like a coward so the panges and gréeuances of the righteous stird vp by the iustice of God euen when they séeme to deuoure are deuoured of his mercy They are as sorrowing and yet alwayes reioycing by reason of spiritual comfort which putteth life into them Heauines may indure for a night but ioye wil be sure to be with them in the morning The last and worst Let is the holding the mortality of the soule There is a cursed generation that sit downe to eate and drinke and rise vp to play and hold that their soules in death vanish away like a dogges This Satanicall paradoxe possest the hart of that great Phisition Galen A man might haue cast his water and found filthy sediments of Athisme But he is dead long ago I would this sin had died with him Good Christian neuer come thou nere those Carrions that maintaine the soule to be a vapour vnlesse thou haue the winde of them That thou maist be assured of the soules immortality harken to these pregnant and vnanswerable proofes Our fathers are the fathers of our bodyes Heb. 12. 9. Eccle. 12. 7. not of our soules saith the Apostle The spirite returnes to God that gaue it saith the Preacher The Lord breathed the soule into Gen. 2. 7. mans body saith Moses Therefore is it not elementary therefore is it euerlasting But because the disputer of this worlde renounces Christian principles we will enter the listes of reason with him a little and foile him in his proper element The sence is so corrupted by a great obiect that it cannot indure the lesse For example The eye is so dazeled with the beames of the Sun that it cānot iudicially discerne colours in an obscurer light It is contrary with the vnderstanding For the more vehement the obiect is whereabout it is conuersant the more forcible is it in comprehending the inferiour An euident demonstration of the soules diuinity I omit the horror of conscience which cānot possibly light vpon the body it being a spirituall punishment nor yet vpō the soule were it not a subsisting essence And I will but tutch the most admirable gradation of the creatures some whereof are onely bodily as beasts some spirituall as Angels some both spirituall and sensible as man the one in respect of his soule the other of his body Therfore my beloued be thou stedfast immooueable aboundant in mourning for thine iniquities for as much as thou knowest thy sorrow shall not be in vaine in the Lord. If thou finde thy soule at od times vnwilling to thinke of flitting impute that to her illnesse for naturally she is estranged from the father of lights and lodging so warmely and peaceably in the body she is not so forward to remooue as she ought The Infant is at harts-case in the mothers wombe and would not change it for a pallace yet when it is borne and comes to discretion it cannot indure to thinke of the closet where it lay enwrapped The soule delighteth now to inhabit the body but when death hath brought it to a ioyfull birth after a long trauaile O then it would not be imprison'd againe in the body for a thousand worlds And thus by Gods goodnesse haue I gone through the Impediments And now good brother that I haue giuen thée a potion the vertue whereof I trust hath had full course to runne throughout all thy vaynes I am for a farewell to leaue thée a swéete Electuary or Iulep for thy comfort It is a Moderation in sorrowing For the tempter will couet to besnare thy soule with intollerable anguishe that so with Cain thou maiest complaine that thy sinnes are greater than can be forgiuen O pray pray pray for patience and comfort of the holy Ghost for a wounded spirite who can beare Iob and Dauid a blessed pare of Saints mourned like Doues and Pellicans when the Lord caused them to possesse Pro. 18. 14. the sinnes of their youth Surely no wisdom can counsell no counsel can aduise no aduise can asswage a perplexed conscience nor any thing els but onely the hart bloud of Iesus Christ which blood hee hath powred out so plenteously for all true penitent sinners that they may bath themselues therein Then cry incessantly and importunately O sonne of Dauid haue mercy on me open mine eyes heale my woundes cure my Maladies euen for thy goodnes sake O Lord. Remember the heauenly wordes Christ vttered in the extreame agony of his soule My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Behold how hée calleth his father his God twice what time his wrath ceazed vpon him in an incomprehensible maner Sorrow not too much when the Lord openeth the booke of thy conscience all blurd and blotted with sinne but bee of good cheare kisse his holy hand euen when he striketh thée The father of mercies and God of al consolatiō be thy Castle of defence in all thy tribulations spirituall conflicts that thou maist be able to comfort others in the like distresse by the same comfort wherewith thou thy selfe art comforted of him Amen FINIS A Morning praier to bevsed in
choice fetherbed hauing before him all sightly prospects for the eye and all toothsome meates for the taste and the swéetest accorde in musick for the eare and were bound to remaine so without stirring a ioynt but for twenty yeares Oh how often would he looke vp to heauen pittifully and long for death as for a treasure rather than indure so soft a pnnishment What then will become of that vnhappy soule who hauing sported out his life must be hurried by Deuils into hell where his bed shall be a red-hot gridyron legions of damned ghosts his best sightes his dyet Dispayre his Musicke Gnashing of Téeth assisted with dreadfull shriekes and Clamorous lamentations not for twenty or forty yéeres but for as many thousands of yeares as there be drops in the Sea and Sands on the shore and then to begin fresh againe euerlastingly These motiues well respected and not ouerly suruaide what flintie hart will not riue and what sinfull soule will not houle after the maner of Dragons My most louing most déere Christian brother let me become not a suter but a beggar vnto thée For Iesus Christs sake I aske it humble thy selfe with fasting wéeping and mourning humble thy selfe with fasting wéeping and mourning For Iesus Christes sake I aske it If the nature of thine eye cannot mooue thée then let the excellencie of Gods lawe which thou hast broken perswade thée If the excellencie of Gods law which thou hast broken cannot perswade thée let the mighty Maiesty of the Lord rouze thée If the mighty Maiesty of the Lorde cannot rouze thée let the mercifulnesse of the same God allure thée If the mercifulnesse of God cannot allure thée let the pestilent effects of sinne curbe thée If the pestilent effects of sinne cānot curbe thée then let the insupportable torments of hell kill thée dead and rent thée in péeces As for thée O young man reioyce in thy Eccle. 10. 9 youth let thine hart chéere thée in the daies of thy youth walke in the wayes of thine hart in the sight of thine eies but know that for al this God wil bring thée to iudgement Brutish Epicure that postest to the Play-house at the sound of the Trumpet and giuest money to behold their vanities who set vp the Flag of defiance to vertue but wilt in no wise bee brought to the Church to mourne though the Preacher lift vp his voyce like a trumpet cry alowd Ho come and buy Wine and Milke without siluer persist Isaia 55. 1. in thy merriment doe but know that for all this God will bring thée to iudgement Théeuish adulterer that feloniously takest away thy poore neighbours little shéepe that eates of his owne morsels drinkes of his owne cup sléepes in his bosome laugh on sweare on whore on but know that for all this God will bring thée to iudgement To returne to thée brother mine whose saluation I desire in my hart those Instigations Inducemēts which the Lord hath put into my minde haue I imparted to thee And yet I finde not my selfe satisfied till I acquaint thée with certaine rubbes which Sathan will cast in thy way to stop thée from running smoothly to this godly sorrow The first Impediment is the want of the word preached For how canst thou mourne if Iohn Baptist mourne not to thée or cal thy place Bochim that is by interpretatiō Weeping Iud. 2. 4. 5. vnlesse Phineas or some zelous Prophet forbeare Incarnatiue salues and giue thée corasiues rebuke thée sharpely and sounding thy sinnes to the bottome Peter must not bawke thy wickednesse but taxe Acts. 2. 36. thée roundly and point out Iesus whome thou hast crucified else wilt thou not be prickt in thy heart nor demaund what thou shalt do to be saued O then my brother beloued and longed for my ioy my crowne I hope as euer thou meanest to haue a grudging in thy conscience for thy manyfolde corruptions be a diligent frequenter of powerfull Sermons The second Hindrance is the hope of long life Soule saith the ritch man take thine Luk. 12. 19 ease Why so Thou hast much goods laide vppe for many yeares Take héede take héede of this faulte for it is inbred The Adulterer will graunt that Adulterye ingenerall is naught but when he descends to this or that speciall Adultrye then hée varnisheth it ouer with some vayne shewe of reason and approueth it Right so thou wilt confesse by wordes of course especially when thou art crauing a bond for security that man is mortal man is mortal but when it comes to this that thou thou in particular must shortly bée borne on foure mens shoulders to the place of deade mens sculs then thou soothest thy selfe art fondly incredulous as if thy life were thine owne fée-simple Harke in thine eare Thou art a Dyue-dapper péering vp and downe agayne in a moment thou camest by the wombe and must goe by the graue Harke in thine eare Thou dwellest in an house Iob. 4. 19 of clay in a tent pitcht to day remooued to morrow and Corruption is thy father the worme thy mother and thy sister Where is 2. Cor. 5. 1 louely Absolon Where is strong Og wonted to streake himselfe on his bed of yron Dead All all goe naked out of the world thou boughtest life and must pay for it with death Assure thy selfe whosoeuer readest this booke that ere many yeares or decades of months be past Death mounted on his Reuel 6. 8. pale horse will rap at thy doore and alight carry thée away bound head and foote to a land darke as darknesse it selfe What then remaineth but that thou presently make Ioh. 19. 41 thy graue with Ioseph of Arimathea in thy Garden the place of thy delight mourning each daye amidst thy most tickling pleasures as if the Sunne of thy life were sure to set at night When shall I pray for thée saith Moses to Pharaoh To morrowe answers Exod. 8. 9. Pharaoh He should haue said To day Be not a kinne to Pharaoh For if thou play the ignamous and sloathfull seruant beginning to eate and drinke with the drunken Math. 24. 49. 50. thy Maister Christ will come in a day when thou lookest not for him and in an houre that thou art not aware of and will cut thée off and giue thée thy portion with hypocrites there shall be wéeping and gnashing of téeth The third let is Companie especially merie Company Therefore the Prophet Dauid Psal 4. 4. would haue vs examine our selues quietly on our Beds It is storyed by the Euangelists that Peter went out from the Luk. 22. 62 concourse of people in the high Priests hall and then he wept bitterly It is better to goe to the house of mourning than of feasting Eccles 7. 4. saith Salomon The king of glorye sometime so dignifieth the Gentleman that he knockes at his hart by his holy spirit and bids him open the doore that he