great Then Feare perswades me I seeke grace in vaine yet Grace makes hope some Fauour to intreat I haue neglected to fore-see the woes that follow sinne and now would grace for-goe I oft haue taken mortall ouerthrowes yet scarse haue felt a mortall ouerthrow I haue encreast my scars that feared not to adde still sinne to sinne and graue to light Fresh Wounds haue opened those before I got to make the Cure most hard or curelesse quite And what the Baâ—mes of Grace had clos'd before I through the itch of sinne haue opened wide Which through corruption now are growne so sore that scarse I can so sore a Cure abide The Skinne which growing ouer hid my Wounds through breaking out of the corruption gape For sinne the grace once granted quite confounds so that I feare I hardly can escape For if the righteous man shall perish in his sinne committed how much more then shall Repentant sinners turning eft to sinne the thought whereof more grieues me then my fall The newly dead Christ quickly rais'd to life but he must groane in spirit weepe cry and pray Yer Lazarus be rais'd for mortall strife Death made with life to leaue so long a Prey So it is in Regeneration for the lesse the Soule 's defil'd with sinnes delight And the more she the least sinne doth abhorre the lesse winde of Gods Sp'rit reuiues that sp'rit What shall I doe I can but sinne deare Lord if so thou canst but plague yea plague with Death Sith still I sinne then in thought deed and word cut off my sinne or els abridge my breath For Breath it is that kindles sinne in me with blowing at the coales of damn'd desires These through my banefull breath still raging be and quite consume the grace that me inspires Then if I did not breathe I should not sinne yet should I loose my breath e'er sinne bewaile I by that losse should but damnation winne then let me rue my faults yer Breath doth faile But if thou wilt that I should longer liue Let me no longer sinne or longer grieue A desire of the louing Soule of God to be kissed with the kisse of Peace KIsse me ô kisse me with Loues honyed Kisse ô dearest Loue and sweet'st-Heart of my Soule Whose loue is like pure Wine that cordiall is doth sowre cares with Comforts sweet controle Thy Name is like to sweet suffused Balme which makes chast Soules eu'n sick for loue of thee Whose Passions striuing in a blessed calme on Sorrowes Seas to thee still rowling be Draw me deare Loue then after thee I le runne vpon the sent of thy diuine Perfumes My Loue 's impatient since it first begunne of this delay which quite my Soule consumes Then ô delay no more to marry mee But wed my Soule that pines for loue of Thee Sith all Gods Creatures are against those that are against GOD in action the Sinner desireth to be in vnitie with him AS when a Master hath most mortall Foes his Seruants and men made by him will be Most persecuting Enemies to those till with their Lord and Master they agree So all thy Creatures Lord doe rise in Armes against great Sinners if impenitent To plague them with all kinde of killing harmes till they be ruin'd quite or made repent But being one with Thee our Enemies shall seeke our Fauour and themselues submit For when they see our Succour's in the Skies they will adore vs and acknowledge it Then make me Lord my foes straight put to flight By being one with Thee for whom they fight The Sinner desireth to haue the bent of his Will made appliable to Gods THe Way to Heau'n that truest Port of Peace is straite and straight vntill at Hell we be Where on the right hand then we turne with ease for when we passe that Point then well are wee But being straite but few that Way doe wend and being straight the crooked misse it still Then to this Port but few their course doe bend sith most are crooked euer bent to Ill. Then make vs straight deare Lord with handling straite or bring vs to thy bent with other Art Wee know thine vpright Compasse hath the sleight to bow vs to the bending of thy Heart That we may shoote and still may winners proue The Shafts of our Indeauours at thy Loue. The Sinner inueighes against his fleshes frailtie desiring God to strengthen it with his pow'r and Grace VIle Flesh why dost thou so my Spirit impugne That still the Sonne of Righteousnesse I wrong who di'd to make you liue No Moment breathe I but I breathe out Sinne That ends with shame where Sorrow doth beginne which makes me glad to grieue In thee fraile Flesh I feele my bloud to boyle With heate of such desires as make the Soile but Sinne in graine to beare My Spirits that in that Bloud doe swim with paine Yet floate they sith false pleasures them sustaine are neere the wracke I feare I feare the Rocke of refuge to the Iust For how in Truth should Treason put her trust Then truthlesse Traitor I May iustly feare that Grace in Iustice will My gracelesse Soule for Fleshes Treasons spill which makes me liuing dye I liuing dye not as one mortifide To sinne wherein as dead aliue I bide The more my griefe and blame I faine would dye to liue but Flesh doth draw My Life to Death sith I obserue the Law of Sinne which is my shame O thou whom Iacob wrastled with a space Strengthen my Faith to wrastle with thy Grace that it may set me goe Although it lame my Loynes and crack my Thighes Wherein strong Sinne still domineering lyes into thy Weale through Woe The Sinner recounting his manifold transgressions and finding himselfe thereby in danger of perdition desireth Grace through a world of sorrowes to auoid both Sinne and damnation MY Soule still faint in doing well and strong in working ill now now thy selfe retire From outward Cares or else amidst their throng poure out thy Sorrowes to thy heau'nly Sire Thy scatter'd thoughts in Fancies lewd as light gather together and with all thy Pow'rs Vnited shew thy sinne and cursed plight sith meeke Confession grace for sinne procures Weighing my deeds I finde too light they be yet more then I can beare nay me they quell So am farre lighter if thou ballance me and yet my lightnesse weighes me downe to Hell Shame shall not let me though it boile my Bloud t' vnfold the foule diseases of my Soule To him that can and will so doe me good and make her Angell-faire though ougly-foule My Time then to my shame I must confesse vnto my Soules Physitian grace to winne Hath all in sinne beene spent yet ne'erthelesse too short I thought it for my shortest sinne If I at any time did seeming-good t' was but corrupt or counterfaite at least And so t' was but well done in likelihood being but a sinne well-coulored at best My deeds with ill haue then depraued bin
with waight grow higher their flame doth waxe more strong the more it is with-stood Their Spice by pounding yeeldeth sweeter sent and Le ts to Truth are borne downe with this floud Which let abroad doth grow more violent And while it runnes it rores and after cryes For vengeance on their Foes Truths Enemies With Tyrants Thundrings Errours Cloud is crackt th'inclosed light of Truth 's disclosed so And showres of bloud that then for Truth are wrackt makes Martyrs more and more on Earth to grow For still their Side by God himselfe is backt they Sampsons with their Death do quell the foe And most torment him when they most are rackt then good Crosse blessed sheep-crooke Saints stil keep to Christ whose Hooke thou art to catch his Sheepe For as a feate Embroderer that hath a piece of Veluet brackt t'embroder on So drawes his Worke that he to hide the scath embroders richliest in that place alone So GOD vpon the Veluet of our flesh all torne in time of Persecution Couers the Bracks with Beautie faire as fresh So that the other Parts are beautifide By those rent parts by GOD so glorifide And as the Paper-mill of rotten Raggs tane from the Dung-hill by still mauling it Makes so white Paper as the filthy Iagges may now infold the purest part of Wit Or purest things that come from Heart or Hand so we by Martyrdome are made most fit How euer base in glory still to stand And made more apt diuinely to comprise Gods glorious Graces and his Rarities Thogh th'vpper heau'n doth turne by violent sway the lower out of course from East to West Yâ—t of themselues they wheele the other way for they by Nature turne from West to East So thogh from th' East where Truth begins to shine her Foes would force our Faith or course at least To Errors West where Truth doth still decline Yet must we stirre as Grace and Nature moues Vnto the East where God our course approues A Martyr's like a Dye which though it fall this or that way it fals no way amisse It flat will lye or cannot lye at all so Martyrs lye with Truth where ere she is They will lye leuell with the Earth nay more In or aboue it lye or stand for this Hange burne or starue all 's one they feele no sore Then when God throwes at all with them to win At eu'ry throw he drawes some others in Abel he cannot be that is not taught true patience by the malice of a Caine And happy he that like a Cole is caught out of Afflictions fire with God to raigne While he is bright and glowes with Charitie for whether to be white or red in graine The Church were best is vncouth to discry The Churches flowres the Rose nor Lilly want But both adorne and make her triumphant The martyr'd Body of our Lord and God is the main Rock from whence his Saints are hewne For from his flesh they rent are with the Rod and by the rentings of the Rod are knowne To be true flesh of his torne Flesh and so to be his Types by which him selfe is shewne To Heathen-folke that him desire to know O! t is a glory past the height of FAME To be like Christ in suffrings as in name The antient Romaines vs'd their force to trye t' incounter Beares and Lyons and the Scarres That came by sauage Tuskes they valued hye and piercings of their Pawes so many Starres If in vaine-glory they such Dents endur'd what should we doe in Christ our Captaines Warres Be'ing of true glory for our fight assur'd We should with Patience arm'd encounter death And for that gaine with torment lose our breath Shall Saints feare Men whom Angels ought to feare for Saints shall iudge the Angels and the Fâ—end Hath cause to feare them for they rule doe beare ouer his Legions yea his Forces rend The World should likewise feare them sith the Saints shall with heau'ns Vmpier iudge it in the end Than hee that at his threates or torments faints Can be no Saint but must be Iudg'd of them A Coward to foule shame and paines extreame Elias must not feare nor feare disguize to let the Mantle of his flesh to fall To flye in Coach â—lame-wing'd to Paradise Gedeon must breake his earthly Pots sith all Their Light 's so seene to put his foes to flight Ioseph must leaue his Cloake or else he shall Be mou'd to wrong his Maister in his right Life leads to Care but Death to Comfort leads Then Death in Syons cause in Sion treads At Sea decayes the Sailer in his Tent the ventrous Sâ—uldier in the Court decayes The vertuous Courtier Iustice in Iudgement true Faith in Friendship Skill in Arts Assaies In Manners Discipline so we alone that dying liue in these too nightly dayes Vnder the ruines of the World doe grone All is quite or â—erlesse which doth portend The World with vs is euen at an end And ô what should I say when Courage makes the Cause nor good nor bad for Falshoods Friends Haue dide in Errors cause at flaming Stakes as stout as Martyrs in their constant ends Witnesse that Legate sent from Pow'rs beneath who late in Smith-field Error so defends That he out-fac'd Truth men flames dread death And Anabaptists there for Error stood Aâ— stout as those that for truth lost their bloud But Legate though thou canst no answere yeeld yet let me question thee as many doe Question the dead for Error which they held tell me who gaue thy false Faith Courage too That thou for Error should'st so stoutly burne for Error that must needs thy Soule vndoe If on the Coales from it shee did not turne Can Sathan counterfet our GOD so nye In 's Gifts that men for him should stoutly dye But thou might'st answere Faith though false it be yet if the Soule perswaded be it's true Vpon the Heart it worketh morrally as Faith doth which to Heau'nly Truth is due This made the Priests of Baal their flesh to wound and many Indians sense of paine subdue Yea burne with those whose Faith thâ—y hope was sound Then not to suffer much nor Constancy Proues Error Truth which fire 's too cold to trye Then Truth must trye her selfe by Reas'n and Faith but where Faith bids beleeue Reas'n still must be Obedient to beleeue what ere she saith though she say Three are One and One is Three A Maid's a Mother that a Man had wiu'd true God vnmade made true Man really And that the Dead shall rise as here they liu'd All this and more of Faith must Reas'n beleeue But God the Fount of Reas'n this Faith must giue Death is the worst of Ils yet best to those that dye for Faith well tryde and who they be The Conscience of the Dyers neuer knowes if with the Rules of Faith they disagree Then God knowes who are his and Men may know that all are his his â—reest Spirit doth free From life by death
my thoughts and Sinne are One and so most base And though so base they be yet n'erthelesse oft Grace they mind so Sinne presumes on Grace Lord how am I deprau'd by Sinne that can scarse thinke a thought but I doe sinne therein Then blessed Lord how canst thou chose but banne so vile a Slaue so subiect vnto Sinne I must not leaue Thee thus no though my Heart be well-neere Flint I must not leaue thee so With thee for Grace I le wrastle ere we part then let me finde it in mine Ouer-throw And if such Sinne thou dost forgiue by Grace and that where much is pardon'd Loue is much My Loue shall ouer-fill all Time and Place such is my Sinne my Loue shall then be such Deny me not deare Lord for I will take no nay of thee no thou dost me inuite Being heauy laden to thee ô then make me free there-from lest it doe quell me quite And learne me Lord to woo thee for thy Grace and winne it by my wooing to relieue me Thou canst soone lighten this my heauy case then thy Will 's good with good will then forgiue mee Make my Heart feele although the while it ake some Signe of Grace that thereby I may know Thou lou'st such wooers as no nay will take and Wrastlers such as will not let thee goe Though speake I cannot as I would my Spright stil woos thy grace with sighs then words more deep Thou know'st her speech and dost therein delight then ô let thy kinde Answere make mee weepe Thy Louing-kindnesse hath the pow'r to strike her dumbe with ioy and after make her shrill In thine applause for whom thou Lord dost like thou still mak'st drunke with ioy through thy good-will Then if I haue found Fauour in thy sight or els wilt giue me any hope of Grace Make druncke my Soule with thy sweet loues-delight and let her so ioy-rauisht thee embrace I sue to thee for that I needes must haue I cannot be without It sith within It 's all mine All then It I still will craue vntill by ceasely begging it I winne Then grant me grace from Sinne me still to free Else by thy grace I le cry for 't still to thee The Sinner confessing he can neyther will thinke nor doe any good thing without Gods preuenting and assisting Grace importunes the same O Thou that from the Bottome of Not-being didst raise me to BEE thus a MAN like Thee And ere I WAS through thy diuine Fore-seeing didst more then see what would become of me Giue giue me leaue thou God of endlesse Grace to enterplead with Thee without thine ire Why AM I if thou turn'st from me thy Face sith so a Brand I am but for Hell-Fire I could not choose but Be when thou would'st haue me for how could nothing crosse Almightinesse And now I Am am lost vnlesse thou saue me but none thou sau'st that still thy Will transgresse Nor can I doe thy Will without thou wilt and if thou wilt thy Will no Pow'r can crosse Much lesse my Weaknesse then if I be spilt it seemes thy Will although my blame and losse And yet thou sai'st thou wilt no Sinners Death thy Word is Truth it selfe then if thou would'st That I should liue ô let me spend my Breath as those whom thou by Grace from sin with-hold'st So in thy Will which no Pow'r e'er impugnes consists mine euerlasting Weale or Woe Then not to me so much as thee belongs to saue me from eternall ouerthrow I can but Will but well I cannot Will if thou first will it not nor euer shall Then will it first for I can will but Ill without thy Grace so Grace doth all in All. I cannot thinke then much lesse can I doe ought pleasing thee without thy Grace first got And yet to doe it still thou me dost woo which yet I cannot if thou doe it not For looke what good I doe it is not I but thou that dost it in and by me still Then still I can doe all things in and by thee Lord of Pow'r agreeing with thy Will O then incline my Will thy Will to doe and giue me Pow'r with Will else Will will faile Will thou but this then me thou need'st not woo because thy Will with mine must needes prâ—uaile So shall there be but one Will twixt vs two Graunt this deare Lord for this I thee doe woo The Sinner because of the darknesse of his vnderstanding confesseth his inabilitie to come to the knowledge of Gods will by his Word and desireth to be holp and enlightened by Gods spirit therin THou hast commanded Lord in eu'ry Want that Man thy Creature still should call on thee And thou his iust desires hast said to grant then now ô now thy Promise keepe with mee For now eu'n from the Bottome of the Deepe I cry to thee that art all Heights aboue I crying call or rather calling weepe for what I want that is thy Grace and Loue. Then as thou art still soothfast grant them me that by them still I may thy Heasts performe Then if thou would'st I should obedient be let Loue and Grace my will to thine conforme Lo I entend and by thy holy Grace will still contend thy holy Will to doe Then through the luster of thy brightest Face shew it that I may know and doe it too Giue that which thou hast giu'n me Pow'r to craue and Promise to obtaine thy guiding Spirit Thou still dost tender that which I would haue yet cannot take it if I lacke thy light A Chaos Lord of Darknesse still I am without th'inlightning Spirit still moue thereon Then let thy Spirit with light so cleare the same that it may be an Heau'n for thee alone Vnseele mine Eyes that long thy Light to see for they are blinded with black Ignorance Then Light of Lights to Heau'n direct thou me the rightest way with thy bright Countenance Men are of various mindes about this Way some this some say that way the way doth lie And to it Scripture Truths right Rule doe lay but Truth ne'er lay in such diuersitie For Truth is one but these are manifold then lead me in this way else stray I shall Incline my Will this rightest way to hold how euer strait and in it neuer fall O trade me in thy Paths I begge of thee with all the forces of my minde and mouth And when I step awry straight shew it me by inspiration of thy Spirit of Truth If in thy Word I looke for help herein from all Presumption keepe my priuate Spright For many Doctors so deceiu'd haue beene then make my Soule still see and take the right Thy Word 's a Lanthorne to direct their steps that are as humble as intelligent Yet oft the Wise thy meaning ouer-leapes while it 's reuealed to the innocent Thou spak'st therein to all Capacities and lispst to Babes to make them know thy minde Yet if thou guide them not and ope their eyes the
bee 't violent quicke or slow A Saint as Man may seare and faint in death As Christ did dying yer he yeelded Breath Let this Cup passe was Terrours proper voyce yet vtter'd by our Sauiours sacred Tongue Our flesh he tooke annoi'd did make that noise fore-feeling it should be with Torments stunge My God my God why hast forsaken me vnto our Flesh intirely did belong Then may true Martyrs in Death drouping be With sense of pain but God that gaue them strength To stand to him through him preuailes at length For t is not hard when Gods soft comforts cheere our Soule to suffer torments to endure But when such fauours are turn'd all to feare and in distresse of Minde to hold vs sure To God and for him all annoyes to beare that is a Miracle perform'd by Grace Past Natures best performance and is deere Vnto the Doner then who doth the same Goes straight to glory through Afflictions flameâ— For Works of Iustice we should rather doe than those of Grace now Iustice wils that we In Truths defence should dye with torment too though Grace to vs a stranger seeme to be Obedience farre excelleth Sacrifice the first is duty in the high'st degree The other in our Wils Deuotion lies Then courage in our Death is no true Signe Of life else-where without the Cause diuine For through Vaine-glory some in Death haue seem'd as brauely resolute as Saints haue bin Nay oft the first haue beene the better deem'd by outward-sight that seeth nought within Leaena being but a Curtezanâ— tyring her Tortures though she dide for sinne Spat out her Tongue that to accuse beganne And many more of like sure so haue dide Then by braue dy'ing plain Truth 's not iustifide But dye they how they can that dye for Truth they stoutly dye sith they dye willingly But much more they that dye in sportfull youth though Deaths ougliest face may daunt their eye When they behold him yet if they endure that feare and paine which after they must try They stoutly dye though saint be all their pow'r Nay more they doe sith they so little can Flesh is but mire the Minde doth make the Man But see what ends the Tyrants erst haue made that of Gods Saints made ceaselesse Butchery Nero the chiefe that first did them inuade in his owne bloud his murdring hands did dye And while he bled his last he crying said Foulely I liu'd and dye more filthily Thus for his paines in paining he was paide Domitian by his Seruants being slaine For doing like the like reward did gaine Fell Maximinus with his Sonnes was brought to selfe same issue Decius with his Frye Incurr'd the like Valerianus caught by him that swaid the Persian Monarchy Was cag'd in Iron more fast then Lyons are who in the end being flaid dide wretchedly But Dioclesian worst of all did fare For he fell mad â—o made himselfe away While fire from Heau'n his House did leuell lay So of the like in life and their Degrees Iâ— might count many dire and awfull deaths All dranke Gods vengeance Vials to the lees in their bloud o'erwhelm'd they lost their breaths For God vnstings such angry Waspes and Bees sith each their Stings in Saints too often sheathes God burnes his Rods when he hath paid his fees Yet Stings of spight in th' Head of Pow'r with wit Can sting the World to death if Heau'n permit But howsoe'r th' Almighty throwes his Rods into the fire when he his Ire doth cease Yet oft the scurged fall to greater ods with Goodnesse than before The Churches peace Makes her more loose then when shee 's bound to fight vncessantly with foes that her disease For they liue wrong that rest to much in Right Mettall though Siluer resting long vnscowr'd Will canker or with filth be quite obscur'd For ah this Witch the World with pleasing charmes so lullabies our Sense in soft delights That though we be vpon our guard in armes yet we are taken in our Appetites And made to serue the Diuell and our Flesh in strictest Bondage while their Parasits Sinne-soothing Pleasures doe our Sense refresh To serue them with the more alacritie So â—lee le ts Grace our Sense to mortifie A Parable Wee ' are like a Man chast by a raged Bull who in his flight into a Well doâ—h fall And in the fall by chance he lighteth full vpon a Tree that there growes in the Wall And resting there there sets his Soules delight but looking better on the place withall He spies two Mice one blacke the other White Who still the Roote of this his rest doe gnaw And more and more asunder it doe saw Then vnderneath he lookes and there espies a gaping Dragon threatning to deuoure him And at his feete foure striuing Serpents rise yet looking vp he spies what doth allure him And makes him deeme he is from dangers free a little Honie which he euer tryes Cleaues to a branch of that vntrusty Tree For which these dangers he neglects and still That Hony sicks yet ne'er can licke his fill The Morall The Bull is Death the World the Well the Tree our time of life the white Mowse and the blacke The Day and night the striuing Adders be the Elements that striue vs still to wracke The Diuell the Dragon and the Honie is our whitest Pleasures that are lin'd with blacke And blacke within for losse of Glories Blisse Who therefore would not deeme that man were mad That in such dreadfull dangers can be glad What comfort can we haue then in a place that 's by the Prince of darknesse gouerned Where eu'ry thing is in a cursed case and by Gods foes and good-mens peopled Where Paines be riâ—e extreame and infinite but Pleasures few and false fraile dull and dead Which at the best at least doe vexe the sp'rit Where Plentie's full of perill Want of woes And in a word where all that ill is flowes Then cast we off these pleasures that but cast a mist before our Eyes and mocke our Sense But let vs hugge those paines and hold them fast that bring eternall ioyes for recompence Now if this Potion worke not in sicke-mindes at point of death is their Intelligence Nay Death the pow'r of all their forces bindes In few Great things by greatest mindes are sought The small but seeke for shades the shels of Nought To attaine a quiet Life WHo would in quiet spend his life must shunne the Cause of strifes Effect And yet with Vice still liue in strife so Strife retaine and it reiect 1 Hold no Conceit 'gainst that Conceit the King maintaines vnlesse it be Against that Faith whose forme and waight with TRVTH well tride doth still agree 2 Finde neuer Fault but when the same concernes the Honor of the High'st Or else the Kings to heare whose blame is blame which oft to Death is nigh'st 3 No Wager lay for that but stirres the Losers heart to hate and ire Which oft enflameth Ciuill-warres