Lesse travaile farre would gaine eternall joy Which sweet Reward all earthly paines exceeds But thou art mad and in thy madnesse strange To quit thy God and take the devill in change At threatning ever senslesse deafe and dumb Thou never lookes on thy swift-running-Glasse Nor terror of the Judgement for to come But still thou thinks thy pleasure can not passe All is deceit and thou hast no regard Gods wrath at last the sinner will reward To pray to God why then thou art asham'd For sinne in thee shall suffer seandalies Thy rusty filth of conscience shall be blam'd Besides thy soule hath spoil'd her faculties Thus doth the deuill so hold thee still aback Euen to the death and then thy soule doth take Alas poore soule when God did first thee frame Most excellent most glorious and perfit But since thou in that carnall body came Thy favour 's lost spoil'd is thy substance quite O that thou would repent and turne in time God wil thee purge clange thee of thy crime God is a God of vengeance yet doth stay And sparing waites if thou thy life will mend With harmlesse threatnings oft he doth assay And oft he doth sweet words of comfort send If thou repent his anger will asswage If not he will condemne thee in his rage The sonne of God he for thy sinfull sake To saue thy soule with care he did provide Mans filthy nature on him he did take That he both cold and hunger might abide He many yeers on earth great wōders wrought Still persecute and still his life was sought When as his time of bitter death drew neere The agony was so extreame he felt That when he pray'd vnto his Father deere In sweating drops of bloud he seem'd to melt Nail'd on the Crosse he suffer'd cruell smart vvhen as they pierc'd his hands his feet his hart Great torment more was laid on him alone For thee and all mankind who will beleeue Thou was not bought with siluer gold nor stone But Christ his life and precious bloud did giue O let not then his bloud be shed in vaine Whil'st thou hast time turne to thy God againe THE SORROVVFVLL SONG OF A CONVERTED SINNER JOB 7. CAP. I haue sinned what shall I doe vnto thee O thou preseruer of mankinde LEd with the terrour of my grievous sinnes Before Gods mighty Throne I do compeare The horrour of my halfe-burst heart begins To strike my sinfull soule with trembling feare Where shall I seeke secourse or finde redresse Who can my fearefull tort'ring thoughts devorce Who can me comfort in my great distresse Or who can end the rage of my remorce I at compassions dore hath begg'd so long That I am hoarce and yet can not be heard Amids my woes sad silence is my song From mirthlesse-me all pleasure is debard O time vntimely time why was I borne To liue sequestred solitar alone Within a wildernesse of Cares forlorne Which grants no limit to my mart'ring Mone My mart'ring Mone with wofull words doth pierce The aire and next from hollow Caues rebounds This aequiuox my sorrow doth rehearse And fills my eares with tributarie sounds These sounds discends within my slaught'red hart And there transform'd in bleeding drops appeares Next to my eyes drawen vp with cruell smart In water chang'd and then distill'd in teares My teares which falls with force vpon the ground Jn numbers great of little sparks doth spread And in each spark my dolefull pictures found J in each picture tragick stories read I read Characters both of sinne and shame Drawne with the colours of my owne disgrace In figures black of impious defame Which painted stands in my disastred face I breathlesse faint with burthen of their woes Such is my paine it will not be expell'd Doe what I can I can finde no repose All hope of help against me is rebell'd Gods mercie 's great I will expell dispaire With praying still I shall the heavens molest Both night and day vnto my God repaire He will me heare and help my soule opprest The thought of hell makes all my haires aspire Where gnashing teeth sad sorows doth out-sound Where damned soules still boiles in flaming fire And where all endlesse torment doth abound Had they but hope it might appease their griefe That in ten thousand yeares they should be free But all in vaine despaire without reliefe Gods word eternall most eternall be When as our Christ in Judgement shall appeare Cloath'd with the Glory of his shining light And when each soule the trūpets sound shal heare They with their corps must com before Gods sight The Angels all and happy troups of heaven Incirkled rounds theatred in each place A reck'ning sharp of eu'ry one is given Before the Saints and Gods most glorious face The sloathfull sinner then shall be asham'd Who in his life would neither mend nor mourne To heare that sentence openly there proclaim'd Goe wicked to eternall fire and burne And to his blessed company he sayes The Angels to my Kingdome shall convoy With endlesse mirth because ye knew my wayes Come rest with me in never-ending joy O let me Lord be one of thy elect And once againe thy loue to me restore Let thy inspiring grace my spirit protect With thee to bide and never part no more Once call to minde how deerly I am bought When thy sweet corps was spred vpon the Rood Thy suff'ring torment my saluation wrought Thy paines thy death and shedding of thy blood O seeke not then my soule for to assaile Against thy might how can I make defence Thy bleeding death for me will naught auaile Jf thou should damne me for my lewd offence Try not thy strength against me wretched worme I am but dust before thy furious winde Nor haue I force to bide thy angry storme Then rather farre let me thy favour finde I Caitiue on this earth doth loure and creepe I prostrate fall before the heavens defaite On thee sweet Christ with mourning tears I weepe To pittie this my weake and poore estate My poore estate which rob'd of all content And nothing else but dolours doth retaine The treasure of my griefe is never spent But still in secret sorrow I complaine Heare my complaint mark wel my words ô Lord Thou searcher of all hearts in euery kinde Thou to my true conuertion beare record And sweepe away my sinnes out of thy minde I sacrifice to thee my Saviour sweet And patient God who gaue me leaue to liue My sighing-teares and bleeding heart contreit I haue naught else nor ritcher gift to giue Thou God the Father thou created me And made all things obedient to mans will Thou sonne of God to saue my soule didst die And Holy ghost thou sanctifiest me still Thou Father Sonne thou holy Ghost divine On my poore soule let your ritch glory shine FINIS TO THE ESTATE OF VVORLDLIE ESTATES Tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in illis EAch hath his Time whom Fortune will aduance Whose
would say there shall not come from me a double tribulation Now good Christian how may thy troubled soule repose vpon this loving and infallible promise Holy and constant Iob in the middes of his torturing griefe cries out to God Although he kill me yet wil I trust in him and to animate thee and to giue the more stoutnes that in aduersitie thou be not overthrowne The royall Prophet Dauid cries to thee with great courage Expecta dominum viriliter age confortetur cor tuum sustine dominum Trust in the Lord and fight manfully our Lord will comfort thy heart and therefore abide his will for the Lord our God will not leaue thee hee will not depart from thee what great confidence hath this holy man had in GOD for in the beginning of this Psalme he sayes Seeing God is the protector of my life who can harme me And againe with great assurance he sayes Si consistant aduersum me castra non timebit cor meum si exurgat aduersum me prelium in hoc ego sperabo Giue whole armies were comming against me I shall not care but hope in God then hee followes with this request I haue sought one thing of thee my God that I may dwell all the dayes of my life in thy house and that I may see the glory and beautie of thy Temple Then when this blessed man begins to thinke vpon the wondrous benefits of God bestowed on him with joy and gladnes of heart he cries out and sayes What shall I render the Lord for all his benefits bestowed vpon me I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord If wee poore ingratefull creatures would meditate vpon the incomprehensible loue of GOD of his long suffering and gentle patience How slow is he to wrath and how swift is he to mercy what wrongs doeth he receaue They haue saieth he repayed euil for good Then when he perceaved their great vnthankfulnesse their dulnesse and hardnesse of heart and that all what he did could not moue his people to turne to him Then he cryeth out in great passion O ye Heauens be astonished at this be affraied and vtterly confounded And yet with more vehemence be his Prophet he sayeth Heare O Heauens and harken O Earth for the Lord hath said I haue nurished and brought vp children and they haue rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his owner the asse knoweth his maisters crib but yet my people knoweth not me Woe be to this sinfull Nation a people loaden with iniquitie a wiked seed and corrupt children they haue forsaken their Lord they haue prouocked the holy one of Israel to anger and they haue gone backwarde What an heavy lamentation is this how grievous was this complaint to the Almighty GOD to make vpon base and filthy wake and worthlesse creeping vermeine of the Earth whom the twinkling of his eie might haue destroyed and with the smallest breath of his anger brought an infinite number of worlds to nothing Who can stand before his wrath saieth the Prophet Nahum or who can abide the fearcenesse of his wrath his wrath is powred out like fire and the rocks and mountaines are broken with his anger How oft hath our sinnes even now in this present age procured that heavy and terrible wrath of GOD even that wrath I say which moues the Mountaines and makes the hilles to trimble Look good Reader and thou shalt see how the sparkes of GODS furious wrath is spred throgh many parts of this world we may with teares houle and lament and with vexation of minde complaine and cry out with that holy Prophet Thine holy cities lywaist Zion is become a wildernesse and Iarusalem a desert the house of our Sanctuarie and of our glory where our forefathers praised thee is brunt and consumed with fire and all our pleasant things are waisted and destroyed How heavily doeth this man of GOD complaine how doeth he bevaill this desolation and destruction and in the bitter passion of his heart he crieth out Wilt thou hold thy selfe still at these things O Lord what wilt thou holde thy peace and afflict vs aboue measure As he wold say wilt thou not take compassion vpon vs and wilt thou not withdraw thy heavy wrath from vs What without all kinde of mercy shall we be vtterlie destroied No not so because in his superaboundant loue and wonderfull great pietie hee comforteth vs and saieth In my wrath I haue punished thee but in my mercie I had compassion thee And yet farther with great regrate he maketh a sweete and comfortable promise Whereas thou hast bene forsaken and hated so that na man respected thee I shall make thee an Eternall glorie and a joy from generation to generation And what more will our GOD of mercie doe And they shall sayeth hee builde the oulde waist places and raise vp the former desolations and they shall repaire all the Citties that were desolate and waist through many generations What great store of Consolation doeth this promise of GOD giue to vs and with what meeknesse of heart doeth he say Indignatio non est mihi I am not angrie wrath is not mine I will freely forgiue thee I will forgett all thy sinnes and cast them behinde my back I shall blot all thy wickednesse out ot my memory and beleeue me I shall never thinke on thine offences any more Haue I any desire that the wicked should dye sayeth our Lord God or shall he not liue if he returne from his wickednnsse And againe he perswadeth vs saying Cast away all your transgressions whereby you haue transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit Let the teares of remorse purge the filth of sinne from our soule O that we in all humilitie wolde consider what and how many earnest perswasions our loving GOD hath laid and still layeth before vs to turne home to him Againe hes our abhominations and wicked life beniched vs from his loue O yet let vs not despare of his mercy Although our sinnes were rid as scarlet God will make them white as snowe Come vnto me all ye saieth our Saviour that are wearie and loden and I will refresh you And then he beginneth to reproue the sluggard Goe labour in my vyne-yarde why stand ye all the day idle Although we come with the last yet we will be rewarded with the first Let vs throwe and cast away al hinders that lats vs and staies vs from GOD. Let vs I say in time mend our life our good GOD will helpe vs he will make all impossibilities possible Marie Magdalen and Marie the mother of Iames all the way how carefull were they to gette the great stone rolled away from the sepulcher dore and how soone they came to the dore there they found the stone rolled and turned away Even so in this happy journey of our conversion Let vs cast away all worldly
cares and take vp our crosse and follow Christ His yocke is sweete and his burthen is light we shall not walke in darknesse Let vs say with S. Augustine Et tu Domine vsque quoquam diu quam diu Cras cras quare non modo quare non hac hora finis est turpitudinis meae O Lord how long wilt thou suffer me thus How long How long shall I say to morrow to morrow why should I not convert now Why should there not be an end of my filthy lyfe even at this very instant And let vs all say with the holy Prophet Dauid O Lord create a new heart in me and renew my spirit and that we May cast off the ould man and put on the new man O Lord giue vs grace hereafter that we may walke circumspectly and not like mad and insolent fooles in ignorance blindnesse and errour that we may redeme the time that we haue spent in sleuthfulnesse and idlenesse Try me O GOD and search my heart saieth Dauid proue me and examine my thoghts Consider if there be any way of wickednesse in me and then O Lord lead me in the way of eternitie I pray GOD let vs never like dogs turne to our vomet stay still with vs O Lord because it is neere the night When S. Peter saies And if the righteous scarcely can be saued where shall the vngodlie and the sinner appeare What a perellous speech is this for vs poore and miserarable sinners who still heapes sinne vpon sinne Therefore deare brother let vs cry O Lord enter not into judgement with vs take all our sinnes and iniquities and bury them in the bleeding wounds of thy dearly beloved Sonne Jesus Christ Let the temporall punishments of this life deliver vs and redeme vs from the eternall paines of hell Let vs all say with S. Austein Hic vre hic seca vt in aeternum parcas O good GOD mollifie our hearts and let vs not be hardned when we heare thy voyce giue vs that strength of grace that the filthy vapors of our sinnes extinguish not thine holy spirit in vs. Da seruo tuo Domine cor docile Giue vnto thy servant O Lord a tractable heart to receaue instruction And O GOD we pray thee to remember thy promise Ad quem respitiam nisi ad pauperculum contritum corde timentem sermones meos To whom will I haue regard or shew my favour but vnto the poore and humble of heart vnto the contreat spirit and to such as trimble at my speeches Thou never yet O Lord despised the sacrifice of a contreat heart So long as the sinner remaines within the darkned and misty vapors of all wickednesse he can not beholde the odeous and vylde leprosie nor the filthy apparell which sinne cleideth his soule with all the devill blinds him but when he reteares himselfe from wickednesse and walkes on the faire way of Repentance or when he stands vpon the Mountaine of Amendement and then lookes forth from the turrat of a good-life beholding the filthy shape and the ougly portrate of sin O how will he then detest himselfe that hath bene so long swatring in that filthie myre in that stinking puddle of sinne putrified with all abhominations and how loathsome will such company be to him thereafter he will eschew them as a contagious pest and say with the Prophet Dauid Discedi te à me omnes qui operamini iniquitatem quoniam exaudiuit Dominus vocem fletus mei Goe from me all ye workers of iniquitie because my GOD hath heard my weeping voice and hath receaved my prayer or else he will intreate the wicked man with gentle perswasions with good examples and loving admonitions to shake off that filthie and contagious habiet which infects the soule and keepes him back and debarres him from the loue of GOD and makes the Death of Christ to be for him in vaine S. Iohn the Evangelest sayeth It is onely to them who beleeveth in him that hee hath given power to be the sonnes and children of GOD. It is most sure that onely want of faith maketh the sinner obstinate he is a lyer and can not beleue in GOD. O thou poore and distressed creature looke vpon thine owne miserable estate how thou gallops post to hell and will not looke back but goeth on thy cairlesse journey When we walke alone on the fields when we walk solitare in our chalmer when we ly in our bed will we but meditate vpon the fearfull and terrible Majestie of GOD whom all the Heavens can scarce containe of his vnspeakable glory of his Almightie power And it is onely this great and Omnipotent Iehouah that we offend To thee onely haue I sinned saith Dauid And let vs remember how for the eating of a sillie apple contrare the Lords commandement he condemned all mankinde and nothing could appease his wrath nor yet ransome the world but the bloud and death of his owne dearly beloved Sonne Jesus Christ When wee thinke on this severitie and of GODS terrible anger against sinne how loath should we be to offend GOD and yet in very contempt of GOD the wicked man will perseveir in all kinde of wickednesse and still deferre his Repentance till at last there shall be no time given him yea not the halfe quarter of an houres minute granted to him Heare how the Prophet Dauid saieth of such men Convertentur ad vesperam famem patientur vt canes circuibunt civitatem And in the evening they shall convert they shall runne about the Cittie and barke like dogs they shall houle for meate but surelie they shall not be satisfied O that in time we wold take heed to this woful speech And what more GOD will mock them and hold them in derifion It is to these that our Saviour will say Nescio vos I knowe you not Why Because you had no Oyle in your lampes And when he hath knowen them and all their wicked deedes which shall be accusers of them and laid open to beare testimonie against them O what will he then say to them Ite malidicti in ignem aeternum Goe you accursed vnto the eternall fire of Hell And besides all this remember the sharpe reckoning must be made when the least idle word we speake we must giue a count of it O GOD according to the multitude of thy mercies be mercifull to vs miserable sinners in that fearfull and terrible day of judgement In time convert vs O Lord and we shall be converted How happie is that man who can withstand the dangers of this life with a well resolved minde and still calles on GOD to assist him in all his actions for the temptations of this world are many and wondrous strong The devill is subtle and we are easily insnared and this our flesh is exceeding subject to many infirmities So that without Gods helpe we are not able of our selues to fight Then with the Prophet Dauid Let vs
miseries Cast vp the Ports of thy vnspeakable pittie to my wearied spirit receaue my soule in thy hands and anoynt her feastred wounds with the blood of thy immaculate Lambe Christ Jesus T 's true indeede this age is very strange For why behold great men of ritch renowne Time comes by turnes with vnexpected change And from their Tower of pride doth pull them downe Then what are we but fooles of selfe-conceate All what we haue stands in a stag'ring state Wee weeping come into this world of cares And all our life 's but battels of distresse Scarse is our prime when wint'ring age declares What weightie griefe our body doth oppresse Bred with sinne borne with woe our life is paine Which still attends vs to our Graue againe Then earthly slime wherein consists thy pride Sith all thy glory goes into the ground That bed of wormes wherein thou shalt abide Thy fairest face most filthy shall be found Our sunne-shine joyes time swiftly sweepes away This night we liue and dies before the day Homo natus de muliere breui tempore viuens repletur multis miserijs CAn thou part from thy best beloved friends to goe in a farre Country and not remember how it resembles the parting from this world to a more strange place When thou rises in the morning what knowest thou will chaunce thee before night And if thou escape the dayes perrill what knowest thou will chaunce before the morning Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum When thou goest to bed remember how it is the verie image of thy graue thy merrie companions are parted thy day being gone and come is thy night thy riotous banqueting is finished and thou in a solitarie retreat puts off thy gorgeous apparrell and strips thy selfe naked to thy shirt so the pleasures of this inconstant world shall part thou shalt be stripped naked of all thy ritches and shalt carie nothing with thee but a simple winding-sheet this shall be and this must be Vt hora sic fugit vita Therefore euery day take a reckoning of thy selfe and euery moment examine thy actions Mark thy behaviour first towards God and next towards thy neighbour Consider how the all-seeing eyes of heaven lookes vpon all thy doings and euer beware of that sinne which thou knowest to predominate most in thee seek by all meanes to oppresse it and overcome it take away all the occasions therof or else it with the rest of thy sins will draw thee to hells fire where nothing else is but gnashing of teeth and eternall horrour When thou hast committed any greevous sinne haue thou a true repentance a vnfained remorse and that thy heart shrill within thee with angry griefe against thy selfe then thou may be assured that the spirit of God worketh in thee for it is a sign of true vnfained repētance when the sinner without all kinde of hypocrisie mends his wicked life making first satisfaction to the great God by fasting and praying making restitution to thy neigbour giue to the poore for Gods cause visite the sick comfort and help the prisoner and giue hospitality to the distressed stranger Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poore that wander into thine house When thou seest the naked that thou couer him and hide not thy face from thine owne flesh For in the poore miserable creature thou seest thy selfe as in a Glasse And what sayes the Prophet shall be thy reward Then shall thy light breake forth as the morning and thine health shall grow speedily thy righteousnes shall goe before thee and the glory of thy great God shall embrace thee c. Thy vpright conscience shal giue thee a great security of thy soules helth thy mercies shal meet thee doubtlesse thy end shall be most happy that blessed Euangelist S. Iohn sayes Blessed are the dead who dies in the Lord because they rest from their labours and their works follow them Now good Christian Reader J must end praying God that every one of vs all may haue an earnest cōsideration of our owne estate what we are where we are and how we shal be heereafter and once more J pray to our Lord God that we may stil remember hoc momentū vnde pendet aeternitas that this little moment of our life is the short space whereon dependeth all eternity of eternall joyes or else eternall paines Jf wee haue bin wickedly enclined let vs with the deepe of our hearts repent and think how the Axe is at the roote of the tree and let vs all endevour our selues with the grace of God to amend our life that our filthie nakednes may not be seene in that fearefull terrible day of judgement Domine secundum actum meum noli me judicare nihil degnum in conspectu tuo egi O Lord judge me not according to my actions J haue done nothing worthy of mercy in thy sight Cloath me with thy righteousnes that I may appeare righteous before thy pittifull eyes Iesus esto mihi Iesus When the thundring voyce of thy Angels shal descend from the heavens and cry out O vos mortui qui Iacetis in sepulchris surgite occurite ad juditium saluatoris O you dead creatures that lies in your graues rise and runne swiftly to the judgement of the Saviour who with all his glorious Saints and triumphing Martirs shall sit in his throne of vnspeakable glory and judge both the quick and the dead to him be all honour power and glory now and for euermore Amen FINIS THE SPIRIT OF GRACE To the wicked sinner ISAY 55. CAP. Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord and our God wil haue mercie vpon him O Man the treasure of Gods glorious eye Thou art ingrate and to thy selfe vnkinde Poore Caitiue wretch who sees and will not see Nor to eternall blisse will turne thy minde Rise sloathfull rise forth of thy senslesse sleepe And for thy sinnes go sigh bewaile and weepe Heare how thy Saviour Iesus Christ doth call Come wearied and you burth'ned both to me Come come sayes he I will refresh you all What sweeter words would thou haue said to thee Thou art that sheep which wādring went astray Christ on his back will bring thee to thy way Thou sinfull man is so with sinne allur'd That pleasure of thy sinne doth hold thee fast Thy wit thy will thy reason all obscur'd And now behold forgets thy God at last Thou art intrapp'd within ten thousand snares And blindlins rins to hell thou never cares The flying motions of thy minde still burnes And forward goes her furie to fulfill Youth and desire whose raging humor turnes To execute the horrour of their ill With no les price thē with thy soule is bought And whē all 's got they are but things of nought Both day and night thou doth thy selfe annoy To worke great mischiefe with thy owne misdeeds