Iustification And after death we hope glorification 90 My Muse to the last enemy is come With much adoe the other two are past My scantling glasse of time is almost runne Time is soone gone yet comes againe as fast Lord I beseech thee guide my heart and hand This cunning Aduersary to withstand 91 Sathan did tempt our Parents first of all And the forbidden fruite caus'd them to eate Eating this fruit it brought 's all into thrall Our misery no tongue can halfe repeate Deceiuer-like hee said yee shall not dye To which they condiscended willingly 92 And eate the fruit forbidden of the Lord Hee first vnto the woman did it giue Shee to her Husband thus with one accord Both sure of death though promised to liue By his inticements hee them both allured By which he their eternall woe procured 93 Against the feebler Sexe his Rage is showne The woman he did first of all attempt Thus his deceit was at the first made knowne Yet from seducing he would not exempt Nor free himselfe but like an old deceiuer Of Soule and Bodies good hee 's a bereauer 94 Hee 's alwayes ready for to lay his baites To catch all silly Soules and to insnare Them in his subtile and deceiuing slights For to withstand him then we must prepare We cannot him resist doe what we can Helpe us Lord for vaine is the helpe of Man 95 Our Sauiours presence he did not refraine With proffer'd shew of worldly wealth and pleasure This worldly pleasure hee did cleane disdaine Hauing Gods word farre better then all treasure Sathan did tempt yea reattempt againe And thrice deui'de before hee would refraine 96 In thousand shapes hee will to vs appeare What wee command him he will that fulfill Inuisible we ca'nt him see nor heare Yet soone will bee obedient to our will Of our desire we shall not faile or misse On the condition that wee will be his 97 To any thing hee 'l tempt vs that is ill Each motion that is good hee 'l from vs put With idlenesse allure vs he will still Our thoughts in ignorance he close will shut And blind vs from the loue of God the highest Hee 's a Deceiuer and an Antichrist 98 Hee often will insinuate into Our heads our thoughts our hearts for to offend God King and Countrey all for to vndoe In whose defence our deare blood we should spend Against our selues he our owne selues will set For to destroy vs if wee haue no let 99 Hee will attempt vs for to hang our selues Whereby Gods heauy wrath we doe procure To die in such a case like desperate clues A curse denounced against all its sure Yea against all that doe this sinne commit God grant we may haue grace to witstand it 100 Sometime he tempts vs when we are asleepe With false deluding and deceitfuil dreames To drench our selues in some vast Ocean deepe And lose our liues in one of Neptunes streames God did it giue it 's hee that must it take A Sathans sacrifice we must not make 101 Of our owne bodies or of any other If Sathan doe intice vs for to murther Our dearest friends our Sister or our brother To doe wicked deeds he will vs further With hearty prayers we must it preuent Thinke not on future time but on th' euent 102 And what will follow after shedding blood Especially of those whom God doth loue That we nere had beene borne it had beene good Then to prouoke the holy one aboue And grieue his holy Spirit which did seale Vs to saluation if wee haue true zeale 103 A murtherer from the Originall Belzebub is the truth hee doth abhorre Also of lies he is the principall And is to be of vs abhord therefore Because that in the truth we should reioyce And laud the Lord both with our hearts and voice 104 He can transforme himselfe to any shape His cunning purposes for to obtaine Vnto the likenesse of a Beare or Ape And then that likenesse can againe regaine And change himselfe perchance to some Creature Hee is of such a variable nature 105 Like a Camelion quickly he can change His darke and obscure forme both cleare and bright Throughout the spacious Orbe he still doth range And turnes himselfe to an Angels shape of light Prince of the Ayer he is cald likewise Which workes in those that doe the Lord despise 106 To malice pride and anger hee 'l prouoke Vs vnto drunkennesse and letcherie All Godly thoughts in vs he sure will choake And stirre vs vp to wrath and trechery To play the Prodigall and the vnthrift To win our soules to him is all his drift 107 Each baite for vice is hidden vnder pleasure Which greedily wee follow and pursue And wickednesse we worke beyond measure We nere regard nor thinke what will ensue So that of pleasure we may haue our fill Wee doe not care although our soules it spill 108 Vnder the honest shew of cleanlinesse Pride walketh mask't yet all men may it see Old griping carking raking couetousnes Is cald of euery cloth good Husbandrie In the superlatiue degree they sweare As if the Diuell should them rent and teare 109 My brethren saith Saint Iames sweare not at all Nether by Heauen nor yet by the Earth Nor any Oth that may our soules inthrall When euer Mors doth come to stop our breath Yea yea nay nay are the oathes wee should call Least into condemnation we fall 110 Thus Swearing is the Diuels instrument On of the lowdst alarums he can found Likewise the Diuell Pride did first inuent The first Author of any sinne that 's found Hee 's the first founder of iniquity And the Originall of all antiquity 111 We must assault this seauen headed beast Hauing ten hornes yet not with dint of sword Ne Lance nor Speare deceiuing hee 'l nere rest Hee must be conquered by Gods holy word A Christians Armour then we must put on And take a Christians courage vs vpon 112 Our Loynes with truth they must be girded well Of Righteousnes wee must haue the brest-plate With preparation of the Gospell Our feet must be shod eschewing all hate The shield of Faith laying aside all euill To quench the fiery Darts of the Diuell 113 Also the Helmet of Saluation The spirituall sword the Word of God Still praying with Prayer and Suppplication That God would turne away his scoerging Rod And all our misdeeds vtterly deface Blot out our sinnes they nere may come in place 114 Neither in this world vs for to accuse Nor in the world to come vs to condemne The death of Christ will all our sinnes excuse And his Bowels burie all and some And being then from seruile sinne made free True seruants of righteousnesse we might be 115 This old deceiuer will vs not yet leaue So long as there is any sparke of life In our bodies he will our Soules deceiue Till death
MORTALITIES MEDITATION OR A DESCRIPTION OF SINNE With a Definition and plaine setting forth of Mans three chiefest and greatest Enemies to wit the WORLD the FLESH and the DIVELL Written by WILLIAM HALL Gutta cadent lapides non vi sed saepe cadendo Sic homo fit Doctus non vi sed saepe studendo In English thus By often falling not by force doe raine the stones make soft So Man 's made learned not by force but it s by studying oft Nemo sine Crimine viuit Imprinted at London by Aug. Mathewes for Beniamin Fisher and are to be sold at his Shop in Pater-noster Row at the Signe of the Talbot 1624 TO THAT COVRTEOVS GENTLEMAN AND MY much respected Friend M. IOHN LOVVE Iunior Esquire WILLIAM HALL humbly dedicates the Buds and Blossomes of these is first Fruits wishing all Honour during this Life and after Death Life eternall I Haue presum'd to Dedicate this Booke To you on which if you 'l vouchsafe to looke And if you please kindly to accept it And from all slanderous tongues to protect it Then at your feet I prostrate my Burden If you accept it I haue my guerdon In loues vnlimited and lawles Band I vnto you so farre obliged stand That if I should the Age of Nestor liue I satisfaction to you should not giue For vndeserued kindnesses receiuing Which makes me thankful whilst I 'ue life breathing For trusty friends are scarce to be gotten Hard to be kept but nere to be forgotten Amities chiefe breach is Ingratitude But vnto that I 'le not be seruitude And in requitall of the loue I owe My weake Inuention on you I le bestow Some litterate Pamphlet better you befits Then the Inuention of my shallow wits Yet kind Sir read them although rude they be Iudge with iudicious eyes and you shall see My vntun'd verse but yet my Muse is free And so vnto the end she meanes to be I 'le not insinuate flatter lie nor faine My wit in Paper ca'nt your worth explaine Still striue with vertue for to be superiour Deiect and throw downe vice as your Inferiour Goe on in Vertue as you haue begun That godly Race vnto the end out-run Then shall you be belou'd of all good Men Here stayes my Muse and here shall rest my Pen. Your Worships to command in what he may WILLIAM HALL To the Courteous and vncourteous Readers REaders reade iudge and then say what you will All 's one to me whether it bee good or ill If you speake well for that I am your Debtor And iâ— this be not well I would 't were better But if you speake ill of it all is one To cry you mercy I le ne're make my mone For ill mens tongues they say no slanders are Therefore say what you will and doe not spare I must confesse my Muse is young and tender And this is all he scuse that I can render This is the first time shee did euer write Therefore with currish words doe not her bite Lest in her budding you doe spoyle her growth If that you should doe so I should be loth Giue her no ill words with good words her nourish That shee in time may grow and bud and flourish Yours as you are his WILL HALL THE AVTHOR TO HIS BOOKE NOw Farewell Booke trauell the Word so wide Hauing no Tutor Truths thy only guide From enuious tongues Truth will still defend thee To good and bad mens Iudgements I commend thee Mortalities Meditation or a Description of Sinne. 1 I That as yet nere tasted one poore drop Of the Castalian Liquor nor as yet Did ere mine eyes behold Pernassus top How should my vnderstanding then beget Nay or begin and frame my Pen to write Since I my selfe knows not how to indite 2 Your helpe Oh sacred Muses I must craue But not the blotting of Apolloes Pâ—n By any meanes I must nor will not haue But simply of mine owne inuention then And industry some simple worke I le make Since I haue gone thus farre to vndertake 3 Cicero I want thy learned eloquence And Mars thy stout and valiantnes of heart And likewise Sol thy shining influence To accommodate me and to take my part Against enuious tongues that seeke to shame me And belying me oft-times doe defame me 4 My Inke congeales vnwilling to fulfill My Hand vnsteady Palsie-like doth shake My Memory is dull and I want skill For to set forth that which my Mind should speake Obliuiousnesse doth so my Braines possesse That what I should I forget to expresse 5 Of Tilts and Triumphs my Muse shall not sing Ne wars nor wonders wrought within the ayre Nor how Tamberlaine did Baiazet bring Conquered by him in the Turkish warre And carried by him in â—n Iron Cage To bee a Spectacle vnto that Age. 6 Nor yet of ancient Stories will I write Nor trauellers that goe beyond the Cope As did Parismus Huon and the like Nor such as sacrifice vnto the Pope Hel-hounds they are that denye their Maker The Diuels friends but the Lords forsaker 7 But of a meaner Subiect will I treate That which I know is true I will reueale And all the Follies of my Youth repeate There 's nothing hidden that I will conceale And rip the target of my troubled heart Which long haue caus'd my wounded soule to smart 8 And hauing then laid open to your sight A Mappe of all my foule enormious Crimes Committed both by day and eke by night In all places all seasons at all times Now I le begin my dolefull Song to sing And hope the same to good effect to bring 9 But if I faile I pray spare not to iudge But passe your censures on me how you will I care not though you owe to me a grudge Speake what you will I care not good or ill Now once againe my song I will begin No Song of Songs but it 's a Song of Sinne. 10 For since the time that I was first conceiu'd Within the wombe and entrailes of my Mother Before I was into the world receiu'd Sinne was my Father Sister and my Brother Being borne in sinne in sinne I liued still And vnto pleasure only gaue my will 11 Who vrg'd and prickt me alwaies to goe forward And follow still the same I had begun Saying I was a goodly Child and toward But yet this pleasure I did seeke to shun Who luld and rockt my senses fast asleepe Which since hath caus'd me many times to weepe 12 To see that pleasure ouercame me so For I no Reason had it to withstand But when I saw it was my deadly foe I would no longer liue at her Command But threw her slauish yoake from off my necke And then began my follies for to checke 13 Which long time had bâ—reft me of my sight That I at no time any good could see It kept me vnder in most slauish spight Vntill the Lord was mercifull to me Opening my eyes to me the way did showe
That I must walke the Gospell for to know 14 Then I began the English tongue to learne My vowels and my Letters for to spell And in mine yeares I somewhat could discerne How Latin writers English doe excell Who can compare with Horace Virgil and Homer which hath all vnder his command 15 In which mine yeares I many sinnes committed Through ignorance against my Soueraigne Lord All those I hope through Christ are cleane remitted As also those were done by my accord As I to knowledge afterward increased Sinning I sinn'd from sinning I nere ceased 16 But still prouokt the Lord of Hosts to ire And had no care his Statutes to obey The Stipend due for sinners is hell fire And those that from their Maker runne astray Let them be sure to feele his scourging Rod He is a iust a wise and louing God 17 The death of Sinners he doth not desire But that they would returne and follow grace It 's true repentance that he doth require That they may see his glory face to face And praise his glorious name with one accord With singing Halleluiah to the Lord. 18 My Infancie and Childhood being past My Youth and Manhood posting on with speed Still I my faults and sinnes behind me cast And would not see them vntill vtmost need Compel'd me from this wicked kinde of life Where was continuall wars and deadly strife 19 Betwixt my Spirit alwayes ready prest For Gods Seruice contrary to euill And my weake flesh continually opprest Hauing conflicts with the World and Diuell Being thus bagirt with foes on euery side Vnto thy mercy Seat I come to hide 20 My sences are inueloped in sinne The waight whereof into Hell would sinke me When on the wicked life I haue liued in And Hels torments I begin to thinke me Oh how I am perplext with griefe of minde My troubled Conscience can no comfort finde 21 With Dauid now I am enforst to crye I am a worme of men the very scorne My helpe on thee O Lord doth still relie And haue done euer since that I was borne In time of old age off doe me not cast Nor yet when strength doth faile me at the last 22 The Sabbaths which thou vnto vs dost giue Commanding vs it holy for to keepe Giuen as a signe or else wee should not liue Amongst the flocke of thy elected sheepe Who so defiles thy Sabbaths sure shall dye Wert not for mercy Lord euen so should I. 23 For I thy Sabbaths often haue prophaned And spent them vildly to thy abusing Against thy holy name I haue exclaimed Vnder colour of my faults excusing I went to Church Gods holy word to heare But was exempt from all Paternall feare 24 The subtile Serpent subtiller then the rest Of all the beasts which the Lord God did make Hee cunningly doth creepe into my brest And the good sowne seed away doth take Pleasures of Sinne also choake many seeds Which nere sprung vp puld down by vicious weeds 25 I lookt for Sundayes to no other end But take my pleasure in pastime and play In doing so I was not my owne friend The aged Counsell I would not obay But ran at pleasure to drinke and carouse In some by place or in some tipling house 26 I car'd not where if that I liquor had For to content and please my fianticke Braine I car'd not greatly where 't were good or bad If so I were in a right roring straine A roring straine yea that 's the terme we vsed Whereby Gods day and name was much abused 27 Yet in this Sinne I neuer was alone But had Copartners alwayes lesse or more For them and I and all I make great mone And pray that they nor I doe so no more Who so doth vse it let him marke me well It 's both the High-way and the Gate to Hell 28 This sinne is odious in Iehouahs sight He doth abhor the person and the Crime VVith th'instrumentall meanes that gaue them light Also the place the season and the time Yet some doe seeke this sinne for to extenuate But yet it doth the vsers life abreuiate 29 VVho hath wo babling sorrow who hath strife But those that follow wine and drinke their fill Of wine that 's mixt ohtis a drunken life To spend their dayes so wicked and so vile Let them be sure God will strike home at last Though he forbeare his anger is not past 30 With true repentance Lord I come to thee And hearty sorrowing for my former sinne In mercy Lord vouchsafe to looke on me To lead a new life now I will begin Grant me thy grace I beseech thee therefore My idle wayes I may hate and abhorre 31 Forgiue me Lord the sinnes I haue committed Against thee both in word in deed and thought Hauing done euill but the good omitted VVhich in thy sacred Scriptures thou hast taught Godly repentance worketh to saluation VVhereby wee shall be freed from condemnation 32 Forgiue me Lord for mercy now I call Blot out my sinnes no more them thinke vpon Before thy Mercy seat I prostrate fall And begge thee bury them in obliuion Mercy good Lord mercy I mercy craue Hoping throgh Christ that thou my soule wilt saue 33 Farewell all sinfull pleasures of my youth Thrice farewell to the exercise I haue vsed VVhich long hath caus'd me to erre from the truth Both God contemned and his Lawes abused Farewell I say thrice farewell and adue Too long God knowes I haue been led by you 34 For twenty yeares and vpward I haue led A wicked life displeasing vnto God On worldly vanities I haue still fed For which I doe do serue Gods scourging Rod Except his Mercy his Iustice ouercome I must expect a dismall day of Doome 35 My life was sinfull Lord I doe confesse it Spare them O Lord that doe their faults confesse As it was sinfull now I will redresse it And from those errors euer will I cease Then mercy on me take heare my complaint Of a vild Sinner make me a glorious Saint 36 Being with sinne poluted and defild Which cann't be clensed without Christ his bloud In whose sight I a Sinner am most vild Which was shed for vs all to doe vs good Yea for vs all which in time doe repent That we Gods future anger may preuent 37 There is no bondage like to that of Sinne Where neither Body nor yet minde is free To slauish seruitude we are kept in When as our Soules bereft of libertie From that bondage good Lord deliuer me That I may sing continuall praise to thee 38 My Soule from out of prison Lord then bring As Dauid prayed in like wise doe I Thy Song in a strange Land how can I sing I would bee set at freedome willingly Freedome each Creature gladly doth require And to be free from sinne is my desire 39 Three enemies we haue with all to fight Which doe incite vs euill to commit