The memory of Egypts store I saw Of vanities which carnall senses feed Made me to wish to fill againe my maw With dishes such as to destruction lead Wherfore inwrath with quailes thou cloidst me so That plagu'd with sin my error now I know SON LXV SInce thou hast raysd my poore abiected spright From threshing floore where captiue I did stand And callest me thy battels for to fight Gainst sin the Madianite which wasts thy land Giue me a token by thy mightie hand O Lord whereby my faith may be assurde And be to me a pledge of former band That victorie by me shall be procurde Let heauenly deaw by prayer be allurde To moysten this my freewill fleece of wooll Then dry the dâ—regs thereof to sin inurde Whose heauy waight makes grace and vertue dull And offring mine of prayers to thy name Accept and with a holy zeale inflame SON LXVI WHilst that in wealth and ease I did possesse The Empire of thy many blessings sent I tooke in hand pure vertue to suppresse And pride with lust my powres they wholly bent To conquere reason which thy grace had lent And quite forgetting worlds late floud for sin To build a tower of trust wherein I spent The strength of flesh bloud high heauen to win As though in natures strength the force had bin To shield themselues from floud or heauenly fire But now confusion iust my soule is in Makes labouring flesh from folly such retire And craues alone within thy Church to dwell Whose wals of faith truth may death expell SON LXVII THe Temple Lord of this my bodie base Where thou vouchsafdst to place my soule to dwell And promisedst to make thy chosen place Whence sacrifice of praises thou wouldst smell Behold against thy lawes doth now rebell By worldly vanities thereto allurde Where couetise and pride their packe doth sell At such a price as flesh and sin affoord But since ô Lord thy promise hath assurde My soule that thou art alwaies prest to heare The plaints of penitents which hath procurde Thy Sonne himselfe in temple this t' appeare Whip forth fling down this worldly wicked pack Fro out my soule repell thou Satan back SON LXVIII WIthin thy house this bodie base of mine It pleased thee ô Lord my soule to plant A steward of the gifts the which were thine And nature fild with measure nothing scant Of bodie or of mind no blessings want And fortunes fauours sharde with me no lesse In such proportion Lord I needs must grant As thou doest giue when thou doest vse to blesse But wantonly I wested I confesse Thy treasure put into my hands of trust And now alas though late I seeke redresse Wise steward-like to liue when dye I must I cast my count by Christ my debt to pay And frutes of faith from hell my soule shall stay SON LXIX NOw that it pleaseth thee Lord of thy grace To plucke me forth of sinfull Sodoms lake Where I haue dwelt alas this life long space Since I of holie Abram leaue did take Vouchsafe I pray thee for thy mercies sake To graunt thy Church be refuge for my life The Zoar where I may my dwelling make Safe from reuenging Angels bloudie knife And though the frailtie of Lots lingring wife Looke back with loue on sinfull worlds delight Which common weaknesse to all flesh is rife Yet keepe me constant by thy heauenly might And let me not grow drunke with blessings thine To procreate sin on lustfull daughters mine SON LXX WHilst in this worldly wildernesse about For want of faith I backe am forst to go Affraid of sinnes which Giant-like are stout And foule affections which like cruell foe Of Esawes race their might and powre bestow To stop my passage to the promist land I gin to faint and to repine also Against the powre of thy most mightie hand For which the Serpent Satan now doth stand In readinesse my silly soule to sting And close me vp in deaths eternall band Vnlesse to me thy mercie succour bring That brasen Serpent Christ nayld on the tree Whose sight by faith alone is cure to mee SON LXXI WHat am I else Lord but a sinfull wretch In sin and in iniquitie begot In conscience guiltie of the common breach Of euerie law that may my honor spot Thy blessings giu'n me I regarded not Thy threatned iudgments I did not esteeme My vowes to thee I almost had forgot My sinnes no sinnes to hardned heart do seeme Like to my selfe I did thy power deeme Because thou didst forbeare thy rod a while I sought by Idols ayd to heauen to clime Whilst worlds delight my sences did beguile But helplesse now alas I turne to thee To stay my race let grace Lord succour mee SON LXXII THou formedst me at first out of the clay Vnto the image of thy glorious frame O Lord of might thou shewdst to me the way To magnifie thy pure and holie name Like Potters vessell first my modell came Out of a rude vnformed lumpe of earth To holy vse it pleasd thee me reclaime Before my life tooke vse of carnall breath Thou fedst me in the common humane dearth Of knowledge of thy will with such a tast Of pleasing frute as fild my soule with mirth And readie makes me now no more to wast Thy offred mercies which so blesse in me Of glorie that I may a vessell be SON LXXIII A Seruant Lord euen from my day of byrth I vowed was by parents vnto thee A Nazarit I liued on the earth And kept thy vowes as grace did strengthen mee Till Satan made me worlds deceipt to see And trapt my senses with forbiden lust As Eue did tast of the restrained tree So fond affections did me forward thrust A sinfull Philistine of faith vniust To like to loue to craue to wed to wife Thy grace my strength to her reueale I must Till she to Satan sell my slumbring life A prisoner I thus scornd and voyd of sight Sinnes house to ouerthrow craue heaueÌ„ly might SON LXXIIII WHilst in the plentie of thy blessings sent I sought to solace Lord my selfe secure And gazing on worlds beautie long I went In pridefull tower which did prospect procure I saw the baytes of sin which did allure My idle thoughts to follow wicked lust My kindled passions could not long endure But vnto furious flames breake forth they must I did pollute my soule by fraude vniust And reft thy grace from his true wedded wife And that I might away all mendment thrust I did bereaue my knowledge of this life Whose bastard frutes slaie Lord but let her liue That penitent we may thee prayses giue SON LXXV A Seruant sold to sin ô Lord I am Whom Satan Syrian proud doth sore assaile Nine hundted Chariors of desire there came Armed with lust which sought for to preuaile And to subdue by strength they cannot faile Vnlesse thou raise my fainting strength by grace Let constant faith the flying furie naile To ground where
choise of weapons for sundrie assaults and disposeth of them diuersly according to the strength or weaknesse of the partie he besiegeth which being as different in particular persons as Gods gifts are to them thou shalt doe well to thy abilitie to reforme or supply my defect therin If in manner of the verse or stile they be as I doubt not but they are to be amended much I do not greatly seeke the praise of a curious Architector neither without neglect of more necessary duties could I attaine to the required obseruances that way And therefore craue that thy discretion may excuse my intention and abilitie And thus I hartily recommend thee to the Almightie THE FIRST PART OF CHRISTIAN PASSIONS containing a hundreth Sonets of meditation humiliation and prayer PREFACE IT is not Lord the sound of many words The bowed knee or abstinence of man The filed phrase that eloquence affords Or Poets pen that heauens do pearce or can By heauie cheere of colour pale and wan By pined bodie of the Pharisay A mortall eye repentance oft doth scan Whose iudgement doth on outward shadows stay But thou ô God doest hearts intent bewray For from thy sight Lord nothing is conceald Thou formdst the frame fro out the verie clay To thee the thoughts of hearts are all reueald To thee therefore with hart and minde prostrate With teares I thus deplore my sinfull state SONET I. HOw should my soule Lord clad in earthly mold The prison where it readie is to pine Where vile affections captiue it do hold And threaten naught but ruine in the fine Vnto one thought of hope or helpe incline Or raise my eyes vnto the heauens bright How may it Lord take hold on mercies thine Or presse it selfe in presence of thy sight Or how canst thou therein at all delight If mercy be not spokesman in this case If merit of thy Sonne should not acquite The common guilt of Adams sinfull rase Which since by faith alone man may attaine Grant me first grace not faithlesse to ramaine SON II. FRo out the darknesse of this sea of feare Where I in whale remaine deuourd of sin With true remorse of former life I reare My heart to heauen in hope some helpe to win I do confesse my fault who did begin To flie from thee ô Lord and leaue vndone Thy seruice which of right should first haue bin Performd by which so many should be wonne To praise thy name but feare alas begunne To represent to me my iourny long The dangers of the world my life should runne Which made me to my soule to offer wrong But since by show of death thou caldst me backe Thy gracious helpe at need let me not lacke SON III. WIthin this arke where in my soule doth dwell My bodie floting on worldes troubled waue Which windes of fierce affections cause to swell And hardly can my power from sinking saue I crie to thee ô Lord and comfort craue Close vp this fountaine of stil flowing sin Let me by faith againe once footing haue On frutefull earth and holie life begin Lighten the burden so vncleane within Of brutish vices raging in my minde Let cleane affects the greater partie win And so increase that plentie I may finde Of sacrifices pleasing in thy sight Of faith and loue which are thy soules delight SON IIII. IN humble wise as fitteth best my state An abiect wretch deuoyd of all desert I here approch before thy mercy gate O Lord of life with broke and contrite hart I need not to reueale to thee my smart A lump of sin and shame I am I know Wounded so deepe with deadly poysned dart Of serpents sting which did from parents grow That now my humors so do ouerflow With foule affections of my feeble minde As presseth downe my eyes on earth so low As dares not search the heauens true helpe to finde Yet since thou hast made known to me my griefe Guide me by grace to fountaine of reliefe SONET V. VNto thy princely wedding Lord are bed Of euerie sort some guests to feast with thee One that a spouse but late before had wed One oxen bought one taken land to fee They from the banket therefore absent bee Regarding not thy messengers of grace In number of the like Lord hold not mee But let me haue I craue the offred place Yet ere that I appeare before thy face A wedding garment first I must put on My owne vnrighteous cloathing is too base And marchandise of merits now are gone Then since thou cal'st with faith do thou me cloth A lame blind begger Lord do thou not loth SON VI. IN pride of youth when as vnbridled lust Did force me forth my follies to bewray I challenged as patrimony iust Each vaine affection leading to decay And trusting to that treasure post away I wandred in the worlds alluring sight Not reason vertue shame or feare could stay My appetite from tasting each delite Till want and wearinesse began me bite And so perforce to father I retire To whom I prostrate kneele vnworthie wight To name of sonne not daring to aspire Receiue me yet sweet sauiour of thy grace Poore penitent into a seruants place SON VII Lame of my limmes and sencelesse of my state Neere fortie yeares Lord haue I groueling line Before Bethesda poole yet still too late To wash me in the fountaine I encline Whence health wold come when Angel giues the sine If any one to aide me readie were But helplesse thus I readie am to pine My selfe vnable duly vp to reare Vouchsafe thou then me to this bath to beare By the assistance of thy heauenly grace Let not the force of foule affects me feare To prease forth first when Christ appeares in place Who is the fountaine Angell and the man That bath that blisse that cure my senses can SON VIII THy thundring voice and Angell Lord of long Hath cald my soule from slumber where it lay The harmony of heauenly musickes song Hath made my wandring feete at last to stay Direct thou me also the readie way Vnto thy church that in thy holy place Thy word and law I may in heart obay And worship thee before thy peoples face Grant me I say such measure of thy grace That greedily by faith I swallow vp Thy booke of truth and so thy word imbrace That frutefully I taste saluations cup. Thou who doest rule the earth the sea and land In my defence with power and glory stand SON IX AMong thy sheepe ô Lord I seemd to feed By Sacraments receiu'd into thy stocke By preached word I watred was indeed And works with fleece did seeme inritch my stocke But at my doore true faith did neuer knocke Which should be shepheard of my soules defence But thiefe like fond affections reason mocke And by the window of my wilfull sence Do enter to my heart and steale from thence Each motion of amendment which doth rise And shepheardlesse of grace transported hence By Sathan
glorious beames of brightnesse doth display Suprasseth darkest nights that winter weares In frozen Zone for light some face he beares So farre and more the wise do fooles surpasse Or more then precious stones doe brickle glasse 14. For the wise mans eyes are in hâ—s head but the foole walketh in darknesse yet I know also that the same condition falleth 〈…〉 For why the wise call passed things to mind Obserue the present future doe fore-see Compare effects whereby they courses find And make their actions to best rules agree Like Eagle eyes and Linxes sights theirs bee Where fooles as blind-fold groping misse the way And vnto euery daunger are a pray Although in deede one end befalleth all The wise and foolish begger and the king All made of earth againe to dust doe fall And euery state is crossed with some thing Wisedome breedes care and folly want doth bring Wealth liues in feare and pouertie in wo Honor enuide base bloud contemn'd doth go verse 15 If so thought I then is it vaine more wisedome to aspire verse 16 All is forgot in time to come like death haue all for hire 15. TheÌ„ I thought in mine heart it befalleth vnto me as it befalleth to the foole why therefore doe I then labour to be more wise and I said in mine hart that this also is vanitie I therefore in my heart beganne to thinke If all estates some miserie must haue If wise and foolish both of one cup drinke If all by death must draw vnto the graue If wisedome may not man from daunger saue If sicknesse be the common guide to death If death the end of all that draweth breath Why then do I contend for wisedomes prayse With studious trauell why do I applie My time and spend away youthes pleasant dayes With paine and toyle why serues seueritie And temperance of life since all must die It is meere madnesse to be too precise Though fooles be vaine vaine also be the wise 16. For there shall be no remembrance of the wise nor of the foole for euer for that that now is in the dayes to come shall all be forgotten and how dieth the wise man as doth the foole Vaine in the highest point of vanitie If they suppose on earth true blisse to find As on a stage each step they tred awrie Is markt and fame defamd by slaunderous kind And their best name that they do leaue behind Is soone forgot as fooles facts also bee As we by daily proofe full well may see Alas is there no difference at all In length of dayes betwixt the fond and wise Can nought protect from death but must all fall As basest sort so those in honour rise Can man no way to lengthen life deuise Then vaine is he in them reposeth trust Whose ioyes with them so soone determine must verse 17 Then lothd I life all life bred griefe and did the mind torment verse 18 My owne workes were vnpleasing then possest by one vnment 17. Therefore I hated life for the worke that is wrought vnder the sunne is grieuous vnto me for all is vanitie vexation of the Spirit The thought whereof made me the world to hate And euery circumstance of life to blame The day of birth as day of cursed fate The length of life as heape of woe and shame The dayly looke for death as rotten frame Of natures weakest building earth doth beare Bred vp and nourished with care and feare Conceiu'd in sinne brought into world with paine With iust laments bewayling future case Who impotent doth hopelesse still remaine If pitie in the parents had not place Or foster mothers did him not embrace Whose youth sharpe tutors age the lawes restraine Whose vexed soule still carkes and cares in vaine 18. I hated also all my labor wherin I had trauelled vnder the Sunne which I shall leaue to the man that shall be after me Yea though my selfe was free from sundry things By reason of the greatnesse of my state With which the meaner sort full often wrings As want and suffering stroke of mighties hate Yet I my cares had in an other rate And far more forcible in me they were For prosperous states doe worst afflictions beare As feare of chaunge care of the common good Desire to eternize my name on earth Yet nothing more me thought my ioy withstood Then that I traueld for an others mirth For whom my fruits were gathred ere his birth Which made me all my workes of most desert Hate and disdaine euen from the very heart verse 19 Vnknowne if fond or wise who yet shall all enioy leaue verse 20 Which as most vain made me abhor my works which me deceaue 19. And who knoweth whether he shall be wise or foolish yet shal he haue rule euer all my labour wherein I haue trauelled wherein I haue shewed my selfe wise vnder the sun This is also vanitie For what knew I who should to me succeed In vse of all the wealth and pompe I left An infant of mine owne and proper breed Or else a stranger creeping in by theft I knew how easly crownes might be bereft If kings were Orphanes lacking yeares or wit Ne knew I if my child for rule were fit The proofe he yeelds and sentence God did giue Prognosticateth little good at all Yet as vnto mine heire in whom I liue I giue what wast he may and feare he shall The fruit euen of my wisest trauels all So that the world which witnessed my paine May hap record my trauels meerely vaine 20. Therefore I went about to make mine hart abhorre all the labour wherein I had trauelled vnder the Sunne This made me oft aide reason to contend With my affections and my pleased sence And gainst my selfe my selfe my wits to bend The loue of all my workes expulsing thence And taking on me truths sincere defence Said perturbations which affections guyde Should not giue iudgement where her cause is tryde I made my mind confesse the studie vaine Which was imployd on transitory thing I made my body graunt too great the paine Bestowd on any pleasure life doth bring My senses to conclude there was a sting And bitter tast attended on delight And so resolu'd worlds loue to banish quight verse 21 One toyles to get with right and skill a stocke for one most vaine verse 22 And no reward himselfe doth find for all his trauell ' and paine 21. For there is a man whose trauell is in wisedome and in knowledge in equitie yet to a man that hath not trauelled herein shall he giue 〈◊〉 portion this 〈◊〉 vanitie and a great 〈◊〉 For could there be a greater griefe beâ—ide Or iuster cause to make a man repent The paines and perils that he did abide In honest trade to purchase his intent Whereto his wits and diligence was bent Then for to thinke he doth for others toyle Manures the ground where others reape the soyle Who buildeth but in hope to dwell therein Who planteh but in hope
shal speake thy praise 172 My tongue shall tell thy word of truth and walke thy righteoâ—s wayes 173 Helpe with thy hand for I entend thy precepts to pursue 174 Thy sauing helpe and law I seeke Lord do my faith renue 175 Let liue my soule to praise thy name thy mercie me vphold 176 I feare thy law then clense my sinnes and bring me to thy fold Psalme 121. 1 VNto the hils I lift my eye from whence my helpe shall grow 2 EueÌ„ to the Lord which fram'd the heauens made the deeps below 3 He will not let my feete to slip my watchman neither sleepes 4 Behold the Lord of Israell still his flocke in safety keepes 5 The Lord is my defence he doth about me shadow cast 6 By day nor night the Sunne nor Moone my limbs shall burne or blast 7 He shall preserue me from all ill and me from sinne protect 8 My going in and comming forth he euer shall direct Psalme 130. 1 FRom pit of deepe perplexities to thee for helpe I cry 2 O Lord giue â—are vnto my plaâ—â—t and 〈◊〉 me speedily 3 If strictly thou my sinnes behold ô Lord what â—â—esh is iust 4 But mercy proper is to thee and thereto dâ— we trust 5 Vpon thy promise I attend thy word is alwayes true 6 With morning and with euening watch I will my sute renue 7 Thy seruant must depend on thee in thee iâ— mercie found 8 Thou wilt redeeme their â—oules from death thy grace doth so abound Lords Prayer OVr Father which in heauen art Lord halowed be thy name Thy knigdome come thy will be done in heauen and earth the same Giue vs this day our daily bread our trespasses forgiue As we for other mens offence do freely pardon giue Into temptation leade vs not but liuer vs from ill For thine all kingdome glory powre is now and euer will SVNDRY CHRISTIAN PASSIONS CONTAINED in two hundred Sonnets Diuided into two equall parts The first consisting chiefly of Meditations Humiliations and Prayers The second of Comfort Ioy and Thankesgiuing By H. L. Call vpon me in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me LONDON Printed by Richard Field 1597. To the rIght renoVVneD VertVoVs VIrgin ELIzabeth VVorthy QVeene of happIe EngLanD her hIghnesse falthfVL subleCâ— Henry Lok VVIsheth Long Lyfe VVIth eternaL bLIsse IVne VII MY worthlesse pen To eternize In holy flame VVhich doth dispise Thee sacred dame That should protect VVhose Phoenix quil And those hath dect Heauens do distill As come from thence Ioue long you saue For whose defence Venus would craue VVhich Pallas wils Presumeth to deuise Your peerles vertuous fame Of zeale my hart doth rise A theame of vulgar frame The graces haue select The holy Muses hill Doth heauenly Crowne affect VVhich Romane Trophies fill Their happie influence You there your portion haue VVhose Scepters you dispence True English hearts he gaue And Dain doth that due Me yeeld alone to you The obseruations of the square following 1 A Saint Georges crosse of two collumbs in discription of her Maiestie beginning at A. and B. in the middle to be read downward and crossing at C. and D. to be read either single or double 2 A S. Andrews crosse beginning at E. read thwartwaies and ending with F. containing the description of our happie age by her highnesse 3 Two Pillers in the right and left side of the square in verse reaching from E. and F. perpendicularly containing the sum of the whole the latter columbe hauing the words placed counterchangeably to rime to the whole square 4 The first last two verses or the third and fourth with seuenth and eighth are sense in them selues containing also sense of the whole 5 The whole square of 100. containing in it self fiue squares the angles of each of them are sense particularly and vnited depend each on other beginning at the center 6 The out-angles are to be read 8. seuerall waies in sense and verse 7 The eight words placed also in the ends of the S. Georges crosse are sense and verse alluding to the whole crosse 8 The two third words in the bend deaeter of the S. Andrews crosse being the middle from the angles to the center haue in their first letters T. and A. for the Author and H. L. in their second for his name which to be true the words of the angles in that square confirme 9 The direction to her Maiestie in prose aboue containeth onely of numerall letters the yeare and day of the composition as thus DD. C LL LL LL LL. VV VV VV VV VV VV VV VV. IIIIIIIIIIIII For 1593. Iune V. A Square in verse of a hundred monasillables only Describing the cause of Englands happinesse  Haec   ◠   A B    F  In           â—oc  God 5 hath pourd forth Rare Grace On this Iâ—â—e And   Makes Cround 4 your rule Queene In the same so 4 still   Kings lawd THis 3 saint Faire that with truth 3 doth stand   Rule so long time 2 milde Prince ioy 2 land it will  C Forma For proofe you showes 1 wise 1 of earths race whome There Quadrata  HeaueÌ„s haue vp held Iust 1 choice 1 whome God thus sheilds   Your stocke of Kings 2 worlds rich of 2 spring and feare   States fame Known 3 farre Praise Isle which ALl 3 blisse yeilds   Hold God 4 there fore sure stay of all the 4 Bâ—st  Vinces Blâ—st 5 is your raigne Here Builds sweet Peace true Rest 5 Signâ—â— Â Fiâ—â—â— Â The Square plainely set downe GOd hath powr'd forth rare grace on this I le and Makes crown'd your rule Queene in the same so still Kings laud this Saint faire that with truth doth stand Rule so long time mild Prince ioy land it will For proofe you showes wise of earths race whom there Heauens haue vpheld lust choyce whom God thus shields Your stocke of kings worlds rich ofspring and feare States fame knowne farre praise I le which all blisse yeelds Hold God therefore sure stay and port the best Blest is your raigne here builds sweet peace true rest To the Christian Reader WHo so shall duly consider the whole progresse of mans estate from life to death shall find it gentle Reader to be nothing else but a very pilgrimage through this earth to another world for whether we obserue the common course of all flesh which from the mothers wombe to the graue is still trauelling with change of bodily constitution from youth to age from health to sicknesse so from one estate to another Or if we behold the particular incounters which each man findeth in himselfe in the variable change of hopes and crossing of his purposes in both it shall by a generall experieÌ„ce of all mens calamities be assuredly confirmed to be too true But
rau'ning woolfe in fearefull wise I call to thee sweet Sauiour shepheard true Teach me to know thy voice and thee insue SONET X. BEhold ô Lord the Citie thou hast built Ierusalem this fleshly frame of mine By sin Assyrians sword is almost spilt And like to yeeld to Rabsake in fine Yet lo alas my soule doth much repine To see proud Satan so blaspheme thy name To threaten ruine to this temple thine Since thou art praysd and honord in the same Thou able art the rage of lust to tame The force of pride and furie to subdue Against Senacherib thy Angell came And all his host in one night ouerthrew So let thy holie spirit me defend And to my plaints and praiers comfort send SON XI SInce with Goliah I am now to fight And lacke the slight of holie Dauids sling Arme thou me Lord with heauenly armor bright Which power of flesh world to foile may bring Thy righteous brest-plate gird on me with truth Prepare my feet with Gospel of thy peace The shield of faith which firie dartes beare forth Of wicked Satan whose assaults not sease The helmet of saluation and the sword Of spirit which is founded on thy law All these my praiers are that thou afford To make me stedfast spight of lyons claw Who roaring daily seekes as wished pray My silly soule from thee to take away SON XII NOw that thou hast prepard me to confesse Thy seruice Lord the which I vndertake I thee beseech my purpose so to blesse That I a good account to thee may make A Nazarit I am who do forsake The delicacies of the worlds delight Whose thirst thy purest fountaine still shall slake With faith and truth the which with sin shall fight I will not tast the wine of Satans slight Which doth confound all reason and all sence My vow shall be to serue thee day and night And trust in thee shall be my true defence Till death dissolue this promise made to thee Whose strength herein thy heauenly graces bee SON XIII I Seeeke ô Lord to shew thy powrefull hand Which hath conuerted this my sinfull hart Into a rod of strength which still might stand Strong in thy truth who powrefull onely art But Iannes pride and Iambres lustfull hart By â—light imposture of slie Satans might Two Serpents frame which will not thence dâ—paert But seeke against thy powrefull hand to fight But let my faith their fury put to flight And vertue thine deuour these imps of sin Let not these fleshly frutes appeare in sight Of truth which only can the conquest win Let faith shew forth the finger of thy hand And cleane consume ech power doth it withstand SON XIIII BEhold ô Lord a tree by high way side Vnfrutefull yet of any food for thee In high way side as yet I do abide Where passers to Ierusalem I see Though sommer grow I cannot frutefull be Vnplanted by thy grace in garden thine I do confesse I am a wild fig tree For want of moisture which am like to pine Vnto my praiers Lord do thou incline Remoue me home into thy garden faire Let me behold the face of thy sunne shine Which may my withered leaues with life repaire So maist thou tast a frute of wholesome kinde And leaue a marke of mercy great behinde SON XV. VVIthin thy garden Lord I planted was And watred well with thy most carefull hand But yet vâ—frutefull I remaind alas And these thy blessings did not vnderstand In vaine I did employ possessed land Ten times three yeares thy seruants did replant My stocke and sought to bend my crooked wand And did supply ech aide I seem'd to want At length my frutes which daily grew more scant Wild thee resolue to haue me weeded out My foule affections were with folly brant My roote of faith was shakt with feare and doubt And lo I pine sweet Sauiour water me Paul and Apollos worke else lost will be SON XVI A Wicked Pharisie I long haue bene Whom sight of mercies thine allure to thee A shamed Lord of my faire clothed sinne In secret night I seeke thy face to see That thou art God thy woâ—kes reueale to me That thou art mine thy sonne doth me assure Vouchsafe that I regenerate may be And that my praiers pardon may procure Purge by thy sprite and faith faire fountaine pure The senses dull that cannot vnderstand The heauenly birth which shall in blisse endure Not subiect vnto Satans sinfull band And with thy sonne let worlds affections die My soule from hell with him ascend on hie SON XVII FIue foolish virgins in my senses dwell And seeke to make me slumber ouer long They dreame that all my deeds do fall out well Whereas indeed I headlong run to wrong To vanities their humors do belong And sin who doth their fancie chiefly feed They cheined are to linkes of lust so strong That their best foile brings forth but bitter weed They lacke the oyle which should be vsde indeed To lead them to the euerlasting light It growes not Lord in frute of humane seed Man sleeps all day and gropes his way at night Vnlesse thou lend thy hand and fill our lampes Our light goes forth with smothering sinful daÌ„ps SON XVIII OVt of the fountaine of eternall life I poore Samaritan here readie stand To sinfull lustan old betrothed wife With pitcher readie in my trembling hand To wraw a draught of liquor most diuine To quench the thirst of my inflamed hart With heauenly deaw ere that my soule do pine And qualiâ—ie the rigor of my smart A Prophet true thou art I vnderstand Or rather father of all truth thou art A stranger I from faire Iudaea land With these thy blessings craue for to impart Then guide my hand and teach my soule to tast True faith the fountaine where all blisse is plast SON XIX A Wicked soule sold to all fleshly sin Lord here I prostrate at thy feete do lie To gather crummes of grace soules health to win Which Lord to giue me do thou not denie The precious oyle of penitence will I Powre forth with teares fro out my melting eyes To bath thy feete and after will I drie Them with my haires which balms no treasure bies Though worldly loue when he my fact espies Repine to see my soule so well inclind To my defence ô Lord vouchsafe to rise And fructifie this first frute of my minde Vouchsafe to sup with humble seruant thine And that of seruice better choyse be mine SON XX. A Poore Arabian whom base Agar bare First borne of flesh but last of promist grace Of bastard kind bred vp with mothers care In wildernesse of world for a long space And famishing before my parents face Whose workes vnable were to lend me aide A bond man vnto sin as fleshly race To whom heauens heritage thy lawes denaide Amidst my wandring course by thee am staide And haue a promise not to die but liue Thy couenant Lord abundantly is paide If grace
a litle backe from ill To wallow in the myre againe I go No powre is in me Lord my life to mend Vnlesse thy hand from heau'n me comfort send SON XXXII FAine would I fence this feeble flesh of mine From Satans furie who me thus assailes Which doth besiege my soule and meanes to pine My conscience which my sin so sore bewailes His busie braine to win me neuer failes And leaues no stratagem at all vntride My fainting hope I know not what it ailes But it doth feare the batt'ry to abide The safest way must be what ere betide To set a watch to looke vnto my waies Lest pride or lust or wrath do let him slide Into my hart which yet vnyeelded staies But like a theefe he stealeth me vpon Watch thou me Lord ech houre else I am gon SON XXXIII MY sinnes behold ô Lord are manifold VVhich do incamp my soule each houre about Still me intrenched with distrust they hold So that no frutes of faith can issue out Their fleshly champion is a soldiar stout VVho is assist by world and Satans aide And foule affections readie are in rout To further force to lust but hardly staide The earthly treasures haue with pleasure paide The hatefull Army which doth hast to hell My natiue powre their passage not denaide VVhich makes their pride and peruerse wil to swel I see no way to helpe to shun decaie But on thy graces rescue Lord to staie SON XXXIIII THe greedinesse of this my corrupt minde VVhich tasteth not but of the earthly gaine And in thy glorie can no profit finde But seekes with symonie my soule to staine Makes me alas for carnall treasor vaine Like Elizeus seruant to desire A present of worldes pleasure mixt with paine As recompence of heauenly comforts hire I sorcerer like do also oft require Like marchandise thy graces for to buye Supposing morall vertues may aspire To saue my soule and sin to mortifie But lo I see soules leprosie herein And craue that praiers may my pardon win SON XXXV VOyd of true life and buried in the graue Of wicked flesh alas I long haue bin No earthly comfort can my conscience haue VVhich was corrupted with all lothsome sin My sister vertues to despaire begin Of euer seeing once my lifes restore Ne is there any other way to win True life indeed which shall decay no more But prostrate Lord thy helpe for to implore And craue thy gracious presence at the last To aide the soule thy sonne hath lou'd before For time of grace with thee is neuer past Roll backe hard stone from heart bid him arise VVho slaue to sin in earthly coffin lies SON XXXVI MY bodie Lord the house which hath bene long Possest with spirits to ruine of the same VVhich forst me forward vnto open wrong Of conscience by defacing of thy name Hath found some comfort since thy message came Vnto my soule which in thy word was sent VVhose powerfull truth hath bound seeks to tame The furious lust which to my ruine bent Grant Lord from heart I may indeed repent And therewith chase these fiends fro out of me Sweep cleane my house fro out of which they went And garnished with graces let it be Let puissant faith henceforth possesse the place Lest sin returne with legions of disgrace SON XXXVII AMidst this famine of Sarepta soile Where I a widow dwell poore and abiect Compeld by sin with sweat of browes to toile To gather stickes from cold me to protect Behold me Lord a caitiue thus neglect Whom sin hath banished thy blessed land Who yet in heart thy Prophers do affect And with thy church to life and death wold stand I offer all my treasures here in hand That litle sparke of grace yet left behinde Increase it Lord vnto a great fire-brand Of faith which may a frutefull haruest finde My meale and Oyle ô Lord do thou increase My selfe sonne shall praise thee so in pease SON XXXVIII BOrne blinde I was through sinfull Adams fall And neuer since could see with carnall eyes Ne know I where or how for helpe to call From out of sin to holie life to rise It pleased thee ô Lord that in this wise Thy powre and glorie might to man appeare Who gracelesse groueling in earths darknesse lies And wants the eyes of faith his soule to cheare But since thou sentst thy sonne my Sauiour deare To shine in light to those in darknesse weare To dym the worldly wisdome seeming cleare And sinfull soules froÌ„ hell to heauen to reare Touch thou my eyes with faith wash me with grace In Sylo poole thy word which I embrace SON XXXIX HOw drunken are my humors all alasse With wine of vanitie and sensuall lust Which from one sin do to an other passe And after euill daily more do thrust Of force my faults for shame confesse I must My lauish vsage of thy graces sent My soules consent to action so vniust As death of Prophets teaching to repent Like Herod I about the matter went To please the follies of my flesh delight Incest'ous I to sin so much was bent That offred mercie pleased not my sight But Lord prepare my heart to see my sin That sorrow may a way to mends bigin SON XL. THough with thy Saints ô Lord I choise haue made To spend my daies in praising of thy name And in the studie of thy word to wade To feed my faith with portion of the same Yet can I not my choice so rightly frame Aâ—midst the spacious fields where truth doth grow But whilst to gather healthfull herbe I came A bitter bud I found of fearefull show Which threatneth me with death and ouerthrow Vnto my soule which feedeth greedely On sin the weed which Satan did bestow By poisoned tast thereof I pined lie But Christ thy sonne by faith me helth shall bring Discharge the law and bruse this deadly sting SON XLI ACcording to the promise of thy word To giue the victorie ô Lord to those That fight thy battels with a faithfull sword Against the world flesh diuell and thy foes I seeke ô Lord proud Iericho t' inclose Incouragde by thy graces from aboue My shooes of foule affects I pray thee lose Before on holy earth my path I moue Thy powerfull hand by prayers let me proue Which daily seu'n times I to thee direct Shake thou the walles of sin for my behoue And in this skirmish do thou me protect The frutes of flesh pride lust and error all So shall be wract and sin not raise a wall SON XLII AMidst the graues of death this many a yeare My soule possessed with all sorts of sin Hath liu'd and held that frutefull place so deare That from the same no counsell could me win To beate my selfe my follies neuer lin No reason can with chaines binde so my will But to vnlose my lust I do begin With helpe of furious fiend who aides me still But since thy sonne appeareth me vntill I craue I
may no more tormented bee Lest that my soule eternally he kill But from the force of Satan make me free These brutish sinnes in swine more fit to dwell Drowne in repentant seas of teares which swell SON XLIII IN deadly sleepe ô Lord sin hath me cast Wherein secure I lye and so remaine Raise me ô Lord out of this dreame at last And let me sight and light of heauen attaine The heauie humors which my iudgment staine And dazell so the reason of my minde Grant that they may their proper vse attaine And comfort in thy grace and promise finde All fleshly wisedome of it selfe is blinde Till thou by knowledge cleare their wandring sight Out of the snare of sin flesh cannot winde Vnlesse by faith they see thy Sonne so bright Him let me still both see and eke admire And thee in him ô Lord I thee desire SON XLIIII MY wicked flesh ô Lord with sin full fraight Whose eye doth lust for euerie earthly thing By couetise allurde hath bit the baight That me to Satans seruitude will bring By violence I vertues right would wring Out of possession of the soule so weake Like vineyard which the wicked Achab king Possest by tyrants power which lawes do breake Let Prophets thine Lord to my soule so speake That in repentant sackcloth I may mone The murther of thy grace which I did wreake Whilst to my natiue strength I trust alone And let my Sauiour so prolong my daies That henceforth I may turne from sinfull waies SON XLV IF thou vouchsafdst Lord of thy goodnesse rare To sanctifie with holie presence thine The Cana marriage where thou didst not spare First miracle of water turnd to wine Then be thou present at this wedding mine Which twixt thy Church and me by faith is ment To see the want in me thy eyes encline Whose wine of grace by wanton youth is spent But being toucht with view thereof repent And craue that water of earthes healthles well May issue forth from heart with sorrow rent And turnd to wine may so with grace excell That all that see and tast this change in me May grant this worke of thee alone to be SON XLVI SInce it hath pleased thee ô Lord to send Now in my barren age of hope and grace Repentant childe from ruine to defend My name and soule to liue before thy face Thy blessings I do thankfully embrace And in thy feare will frame his tender yeare The worlds regard in me shall haue no place If once thy word and will my heart do heare And when thou calst we both will then appeare Before thy Aulter in Moriath land To offer vp thy gift my sonne so deare Obedient childe to faithfull fathers hand Which sacrifice not worthie gift for thee With Christ my Sauiors suffrings quit let bee SON XLVII OF euerie creature vncleane to fore Whereof thy holy people might not tast Thou didst present ◠Lord to Peter store Which were from heauen in sheet before him plast Which he at first refusde with mind most chast Not touching things polluted or defilde But afterward thy counsell he embrast And saw himselfe had bene before beguilde To thinke all sinners were for aye exilde From presence of thy mercies which abound Whom oft thou doest receiue as father milde If faith in Christ thy sonne in them be found By praiers faith by faith thy grace doth grow Cornelius blessing Lord on me bestow SON XLVIII HOw hard it is ô Lord for man to frame His minde corrupt to be preparde for thee With tongue vncleane to praise thy holie name With fleshly eies thy glorie for to see Homeward I bring thy blessings vnto me And make my soule their dwelling place to rest But so forgetfull of thy lawes we be That this my action Lord I see not blest Pride and contempt the waies haue so opprest That danger is the carriage ouerthrow Grant that thy grace to staie it may be prest That so my soule thy sauing health may know For to my flesh vnsanctified to trust Were aie to hasten death by iudgement iust SON XLIX MY traitrous heart which long time hath rebeld Against thy spirit which should feed me still A secret counsell in it selfe hath held To contrarie thy knowne reuealed will Whose mutinie my sences so do fill With deeds repining to thy holie law That raging pride and lust lead me to ill Forgetting tokens of thy wrath they saw As Dathan and Abyram had no awe Of Moyses and of Aron thine elect But sought a way thy people how to drawe And Prophets thine by pride for to reiect So doth my soule alas thy grace resist And in the follies of the flesh persist SON L. A Tenant most vntrue ô Lord to thee In vineyard of my bodie haue I bin To craue thy rent thy seruants came to me But nothing but intreatie bad they win My trauell therein was to nourish sin And wast the wine of thy abounding plant The more to call me backe thou didst begin The more to thee my gratitude did want Ne would my lacke of grace let me recant When thou thy onely Sonne to me didst send For sin and Satan did me so supplant That to his ruine I did also bend But Lord me lend In time repentant hart That from this vineyard I may not depart SON LI. WHilst in the garden of this earthly soile My selfe to solace and to bath I bend And fain wold quench sins heat which seems to boile Amidst my secret thoughts which shadow lend My sence and reason which should me defend As iudges chosen to the common weale Allur'd by lust my ruine do pretend By force of sin which shamelesse they reueale They secretly on my affections steale When modestie my maides I sent away To whom for helpe I thought I might appeale But grace yet strengthens me to say them nay Yet they accuse me Lord and die I shall If Christ my Daniell be not iudge of all SON LII I Iustly am accusde and now am brought By law and gilt of conscience I confesse Before thy throne conuict by deed and thought Of sinfull lust which did me so possesse That quickning graces thine I did suppresse By fading loue of world procliue to ill Whose dome eternall death and nothing lesse My soule doth see to threaten to me still But since that frailtie so the world doth fill That no one fleshly wight thereof is free For mercy Lord to thee repaire I will Who seest the hart and canst best comfort me Quit me from death grant I may fall no more But remnant of my daies thy grace implore SON LIII A Husbandman within thy Church by grace I am ô Lord and labour at the plough My hand holds fast ne will I turne my face From following thee although the soile be rough The loue of world doth make it seeme more tough And burning lust doth scorch in heat of day Till fainting faith would seeke delightfull bough To shade my soule from danger of decay
But yet in hope of grace from thee I stay And do not yeeld although my courage quaile To rescue me be'prest I do thee pray If sinfull death do seeke me to assaile Let me runne forth my race vnto the end Which by thy helpe ô Lord I do intend SON LIIII ABase borne sonne to sin by kinde I am From natiue soile by want of grace exilde Of idle fances captaine I became Whilst I in Tob my resting place did bilde With worldly vanities I was defilde Till home thou caldst me by thy heauenly word Who trusting to my selfe was soone beguilde When I sought workes to be a conquering sword Whose vowes did seeme a present to afford Of frute of victorie at my returne Which rashnesse hath a mischiefe great incurd Compelling me my owne deserts to burne And now I mourne and better frute do craue The blessing of thy sonne Lord let me haue SON LV. WHen thou vouchsafedst Lord to raise my state From base degree of common humane kinde And gau'st me knowledge and a will to hate Each wickednesse contrarie to thy minde By promise thou didst me most strictly binde To slaye each wicked seed which doth possesse My sinfull flesh Amalekite most blinde Which vertue and thy grace seekes to suppresse But wretched I alas I do confesse Haue kept a part of that accursed spoile Vndaunted which thou seest nere the lesse And therefore wilt accurse my sinfull soile And take from me the kingdome thou didst giue Except thy mercy do my soule relieue SON LVI THe onelie daughter Lord of my delight Dina the vertue of my iudgment best Is rauished alas by Satans might Whil'st I secure in Hiuits countrie rest In worldlie vanities a wandring guest Amongst the wicked I remainde a while Where sillie she by foolish will addrest Gazde on those godlesse youths which her beguile For lustfull Sichem sonne to sin most vile Did lay a traine of loue which led to shame Whose flattering speech did modestie exile And left a spot of guilt and foule defame But faith zeale the first frutes of my strength By grace shall venge my honour iust at length SON LVII THe silly babes the motions of the minde Which natiue vertue seeketh forth to bring Concupiscence the midwife most vnkinde To deadly sin and Satan straight doth fling The mothers power suffiseth not to wring Out of this tyrants hands her dying childe Her mone to see it is a piteous thing When reasons lawes so lewdly are defilde But if thy fauour Lord be reconcilde By loue vnto thy sonne by him to mee Then though my hope of grace be neare exilde Yet thou a childe Of faith wilt let me see A coffin Lord of comfort for me make Where safe I may swim in the words wilde lake SON LVIII VVHere shall I build ô Lord a quiet rest To bring forth birds of turtle Pigeons kinde My wearied wings do wander without rest And cannot gaine a harbour to my minde The Swallow Lord a setling place doth finde Within thy temple free from Eagles claw Not moued with tempestuous stormes of winde Or dangers which their kind doth stand in awe A place as fit for me my faith once saw VVheras my soule might safely be inclosd Thy Church inuisible to which I draw My life retirde therein to be reposd Make frutefull Lord my barren heart therein Shield me from storme of still assailing sin SON LIX VVHilst in the vale of carnall sense I dwell Foule Sodome sinke of sin and badge of shame Of whose polluted nature I do smell And aptly bend my selfe to them to frame Sent by thy mercie Lord thy Angels came And did vouchsafe a harbor to accept Within my soule which did professe thy name But Satan who a watch on me had kept When as these guests within my conscience slept Inuironed with lust my harbor weake For sorrow of this sin my soule it wept Whilst violently my bodies bands they breake But strike thou blinde their fury them expell Take me Lord from the flame of burning hell SON LX. MY bodie Lord infected long with sin Whose running issue is almost past cure Which helpe my humane phisicke cannot win And without comfort cannot long endure By viewing mercies thine becommeth sure If but thy gracious hem my hand may reach That loue in Christ my pardon shall procure And reunite in strength healths former breach Through presse of worldly lets faith shall me teach To seeke my safetie in thy promise true Vouchsafe thou eke repentance so to preach That I no more offending health insue Thy vertue Lord which bidding me be cleane To yeeld me health of soule is readie meane SON LXI NOw that I see ô Lord my open shame Conuict of sin and voyd of clothing pure Which couer might my soule which naked came Of grace and me from storme of world assure I do mistrust my selfe long to endure The heat and cold which feare and frailtie bring And clothing of my owne workes to procure I finde in deed to be a frutelesse thing To hide my selfe vnder thy mercies wing I therefore hasten now in hope of grace Grant I beseech the world no more me wring Out of thy hands but let me see thy face With faith and comfort clothed by thy hand And Christ thy Sonne in my defence to stand SON LXII VVHilst that the chosen chieftaines of thy word Do bend their power by preaching to subdue The fleshly Canaan and put sin to sword And giue the soule to be possest a new With righteous Israel vnto whom of due Those earthly blessings rather do pertaine They send two spies my secret thoughts to vew The law and Gospell which discouer plaine My fainting force in feare for to remaine Where yet repentant Rahab readie is To lodge them safe whilst Satan seekes in vaine To slaie these messengers of heauenly blis I craue therefore sweet Sauiour for a sine Faith bearing frutes as pledge of safetie mine SON LXIII HOw oft ô Lord with more then tender care Hast thou by Prophets cald me to repent How great thy loue by sonne which didst not spare To staie me backe from hell whereto I went Who to that end from heauen to earth was sent Whose graces daily preached offred peace And sought to stop my course to ruine bent And me from guilt of death for to release Like as the henne whose voice doth neuer cease To clocke her tender chickens vnder wings When furious foules on silly pray do prease And would deuour alas the helplesse things Such Lord thy care I feele and loue of me That thrall to Satan wouldst not haue me be SON LXIIII. VVHilst with the wholesome food of heauēly truth The Manna which thy written word doth giue Thou soughtst ô Lord to feed my wandring youth That it in plenteous peace by grace might liue By lust lo Satan sought my soule to driue To breake obedient bands vnto thy law Which my offences I protest do griue My helplesse heart the which delight did draw
groueling is his resting place Then shall my soule with Debora imbrace In thankfull wise thy mercies I receiue And so pursue the fleshly Canaans race Till I the furie of the same bereaue And with my song thy seruants shall accord To yeeld due praise to thee the liuing Lord. SON LXXVI MY soule like silly Ioseph Lord was sold By fleshly brethren his vnkind alas To vanities the merchants which behold From far they saw to Egipt which do passe A seruant vnto Ismaels seed it was And sold from sin to death and so to hell Of humane frailtie Lord a looking glasse In which all foule affections long did dwell Yet lo alas when sin seekes most t' excell And haue my mind consent to traitrous lust With grace ô Lord that enemy repell And heare my praiers who in thee do trust Who though a space in bodies prison staies Yet Lord at length vouchsafe to heauen to raise SON XXVII SO blinde ô Lord haue my affections bin And so deceitfull hath bin Satans slight That to giue credit I did first begin To pride and lust as heauenly powers of might I offred all my sences with delight A sacrifice to feed those Idols vaine Of all the presents proffred day and night Nought vnconsumde I saw there did remaine Till that thy Prophets by thy word made plaine The falshood by the which I was deceiued How Satans kingdome made here of a gaine And wickednesse my hope and faith bereaued But now the sifted ashes of thy word Bewraies Bels Prists slaies dragon without sword SON LXXVIII A Wicked theefe that oft haue robd and slaine Thy graces of their frute my selfe of blisse Now on the crosse of conscience I remaine To die the death the which eternall is I see no way to quit my selfe of this Vnlesse thou Lord whose kingdome is aboue Remember me and cansell life amisse Out of thy memorie through Christ thy loue Who in my flesh with me like death did proue That guiltlesse he might guilties ransome bee Loue to my soule it was that did him moue The bands of death to bide to make vs free Blesse thou my tong increase thou faith in mee This night to be in paradise with thee SON LXXIX IN bondage long to Satan haue I bin A maker of the bricke of Babell towre By birth a thrall to grosse and filthie sin Whom lusts taskmasters doth attend ech houre Affection to the flesh doth cleane defloure The memorie and loue of promist lands The fiend euen Pharo seeketh to deuoure My soule and chaine me to his dreadfulll bands But Lord receiue me safe into thy hands Protect me from the rigor of his might Quench thou the force of lusts inflamed brands In my defence giue me true faith to fight Send Moyses Lord with powre of heauenly sword And Aaron to direct me by thy word SON LXXX A Moabit I was of cursed kinde Vnkinde vnto thy Church Lord and to thee Who sought by ayde of foolish Balaam blinde To captiuate the soule that should be free Incestuous frutes of that high climing tree Which doth subdue all reason and all grace A carnall kinsman by a neare degree Vnto the soule the which I haue in chase Whom I with lothsome sin sought to deface And bastardise with carnall fond affect Whose ofspring thou vnto the tenth mans race Didst once out of thy sanctuary reiect Yet now by faith made free of Iury land A suter here before thy throne do stand SON LXXXI LO how I groueling vnder burden lie Of sin of shame of feare Lord of thy sight My guilt so manifold dare not come nie Thy throne of mercy mirror of thy might With hidden and with ignorant sinnes I fight Dispairing and presumptuous faults also All fleshly frailtie on my backe doth light Originall and actuall with me go Against a streame of lusts my will would roe To gaine the shoare of grace the port of peace But flouds of foule affections ouerfloe And sinke I must I see now no release Vnlesse my Sauior deare this burden take And faith a ship of safetie for me make SON LXXXII FRom Iuda wandring Lord to Iericho From holie law of thine to carnall lust Whilst midst the prease of lewd affects I go I robbed am of rayment pure and iust And wounded lye Lord groueling in the dust Not any passer by can giue me aide In fleshly strength or friendship is no trust By highway seene to helpe me few haue staide But since my Sauior Christ on crosse hath paide A ransome rich to cure my bleeding sore By faith to craue the frutes I 'am not affraide In hope my health thereby for to restore Bind vp my wounds with balme leade me to rest Giue me such gifts of grace as like thee best SON LXXXIII THis slender Citie Lord of strength behold Wherein I dwell Bethulia my bower Of flesh whereto sin laies a battry bold And seeks with sword dearth my soules deuower Suppresse thou hellish Holofernes power Who prides himselfe in praie of children thine I haue no trust in mountaines wals nor tower For want of faithes true fountaine we shall pine Raise vp this female couragde heart of mine Strengthen my hand to reue this monsters hed Let me not tast deceiptfull follies wine Nor be polluted with worlds sinfull bed But constantly by faith fight in defence Of feeble flesh and driue thy enemies thence SON LXXXIIII NOt that my faith doth faint a whit is cause That I so instant am on thee to call O God of life but yeelding to thy lawes Before thy sight my soule these teares lets fall Which in thy bottle kept I know are all And quench the fury of thy burning ire Which sin enflamde and qualifie it shall The quarrell which hath set thy wrath on fire If feruently the childe due food desire Of father he will not giue him a stone If of the wicked iustice man require Importunely some iustice will be showne More righteous iudge and father thou to mee Art Lord indeed and far more kind wilt bee SON LXXXV THe many trials Lord that I haue found Since out of Egipt darknesse I am brought Might witnesse well how in thee still abound Powre mercy truth wherby thy workes are wrought But foule dispaire against my faith hath fought Amidst the wildernesse wherein I stay And daintier food my fond affections sought Then Manna which thou sentst me euerie day The desert Zyn doth fountaine pure denay Of grace wherewith to quench my fainting ghost Eternall death expects my soule as pray And lust assaults me with a hideous host Stretch forth hād Lord smite thou my hart of stone With rod of true repentance griefe and mone SON LXIII THou hast ô Lord of mercy me enricht With flocks of fauour and of graces great Since I in Bethell first the pillar pitcht Of praises to thy name and mercies seat Yet fleshly Esawes foule affections threat A ruine to the frute faith forth should bring With pleasing humors him for to intreat
And sell the patrimony to ensue I carry water in an open siue And change for lentil pottage birth-right due Too late alas my folly I do rue Who worlds delight preferred haue so long Reiecting heauenly knowledge treasure true Vnto my soule imposing open wrong Yet not so late ô Lord I pardon craue But yet one blessing thou for me wilt haue SON XCVIII A Sinfull Syrian Lord my father was Exilde from Paradise by iust desart I wandred into Egipt there alas To finde in world some food to please my hart Where seruile bondage vnto sin and smart I suffered so long through Satans rage That heauenly aide I crau'd thence to depart Which only able was my griefe t' asswage From silly seruant and an abiect page Thou broughtst me forth to knowledge of thy truth The blessed land and showdst me on a stage A patterne how to guide my wandring youth Such frutes therfore as faithfull soile doth yeeld I offer here first crop of blessed field SON XCIX I See alas proud Satan hath too long Defrauded thee ô Lord of that is thine And loue of world hath drawne me vnto wrong Whose heart thy offrings to bestow repine My outward knees vnto thee do incline My tong doth promise present of my store I say these gracious gifts are none of mine But will them all thy Aulter laie before But vanities doth presse me euermore And want of faith to leaue some part behinde Although I see death readie at the dore My hollow heart and lewd deceipt to finde Grant that I may my soule my power my will Present ô Lord to serue thee onely still SON C. SInce thou by grace out of wilde Oliue stocke Hast pleasd me Lord within thy Church to plant And reckon me as of thy proper flocke Who else all pleasant frute by nature went Vouchsafe my thankfull frutes be not so scant As cause thee to reiect me backe againe Of former bountie Lord do not recant But let me in thy garden still remaine By mercy not by merit I attaine This blessing promised so long before Let not this gift of thine returne in vaine But let thy goodnesse multiply the more Make sweet the frutes which bitter are by kinde Increase thy grace in bodie and in minde CONCLVSION MOurne thou no more my soule thy plaint is heard The bill is canseld of the debt it owes The vaile is rent which thee before debard And Christ his righteousnesse on thee bestowes Thus comfort to the patient alwaies growes If they attend the time God hath assignde Our strength to beare our maker best he knowes And at a need is readie for to finde Our Sauiour is so mercifull and kinde Vnto our selues he will not leaue vs long He castes our faults through loue his back behinde And turnes our plaints into more pleasant song And when we are euen at the gates of hell His glorie mercie power doth most excell THE SECOND PART OF CHRISTIAN PASsions Containing a hundred Sonets of Comfort Ioy and thankesgiuing PREFACE SOme men do mourne for suddeine ioy they say And some likewise in midst of sorrow sing Such diuers frutes do passion often bring As reason cannot course of Nature stay And happie sure he is I not denay That both these motions hath from heart contrit When frailtie of his flesh appeares to sight And mercy calling him backe from decay Who can behold the flesh and spirit fight The doubtfull issue and danger of the thing The losse whereto our nature might vs fling And gaine which grace doth giue through Sauiors might And not delight To glorifie his name And yet lament his proper natiue shame SON I. AS through a mist or in a cloud a farre I see a glimse of heauenly grace to shine And to reuiue the fainting faith of mine And spirits which with darknesse shadowed are The fleshly fog of sin did iudgment barre Of proper vse of power of reason sound Which in first parents franckly did abound And better part of natures strength did marre But since my eyes of grace a sight haue found Of that eternall light which doth incline Fro out these fogs of feare I hope t' vntwine And force of fainting faith for to confound And on a ground More firme wil build my trust And that in Christ whose promises are iust SON II. CLeng'd are the cloudes and darknesse fled away And now in triumph doth my Sauiour ride Sin hell nor death dare not his sight abide The world nor Satan can his progresse stay This piercing light of truth shall so bewray Ech stratagem their practise doth deuise Against my soule that there shall not arise One cloud of care to darken this my day But that my thoughts like to the Pilate wise Shall looke about lest that my heart should slide And by this sunne my course so constant guide That all their slightes shall not my soule disguise Which now espies The malice they me owe Which lōg they clothd with shade of plesāt show SON III. WHen as my conscience layeth forth before My thoughts the sinnes which daily I commit I thinke my selfe an instrument vnfit To witnesse forth thy glory any more But when I see that sin was first the dore By which death entred and such hold did take That death did first our want apparant make And want first cause that man did ayd implore That praiers first thy mercies do awake That mercies do renue our dulled wit That ioyed heart should not vnthankfull sit And thanks to thee doth fleshly glory shake It straight doth slake The fear which bad me stay And bids me still proceed to praise and pray SON IIII. SInce to so holy vse I consecrate The silly talent Lord thou lentst to me That it a trumpe vnto thy praise might be And witnesse of their woe that thou doest hate Doe thou ô Lord forget the abiect state Of flesh and bloud base mettle of my frame And since that thou hast sanctified the same Vouchsafe thy grace my weaknesse may abate Thou that my former wandring will didst tame And me prepare in minde to honour thee Canst giue me gifts the which thereto agree How ere my proper power be weake and lame So shall thy name Be precious in my sight And in thy praise shall be my whole delight SON V. VVOuld God I were as readie to confesse And yeeld thee praise sweet Sauiour day by day As to craue my wants I am forward ay And feruently at need to thee to presse To beg of thee alone thou wilst no lesse Because thou onely able art to giue And with each needfull thing by which we liue Thou promisest our prayers thou wilt blesse But we with vse of them should not so stay And onely seeke to thee when need doth driue Whose blessings running through an open siue No praise for recompence vnto thee pay But when we pray We should thee laud also Our thankfull harts with bountie thine should go SON VI. I Haue begun ô Lord to run the
race Where flesh and bloud against the world must fight On heauenly kingdome gazing with my sight Where is appointed scope of resting place Wingd with the will of zeale of heauenly grace I do indeuor alwayes to proceed In constant course vnto the arke indeed Where in thy mercies I behold thy face A feruent faith it doth my courage feed And make my heauie limbs become more light When in thy sonne I see thy glorie bright The pledge vnto my soule that hope shall speed This blessed seed Thou hast Lord sowne in me And all the frutes shal to thee offred be SON VII VVHere shall I finde fit words or proper phrase Wherewith to witnesse all the loue I owe Whose gratefull minde in thankfulnesse doth grow And to the world thy worthinesse would blase Vnfrutefully the greater â—ort do gase Vpon thy workes and blessings they receiue And carelesly thy honor they bereaue And suffer chance or wit thy same to rase Whilst vnacknowledged thy loue they leaue Forgetting all the gifts thou doest bestow Whose blinded nature so doth ouerflow That most vnkind to thee themselues they show But since I know By grace thy blessing great My pen thy praises alwaies shall repeat SON VIII THe more I seeke to dedicate my power In celebrating of thy honour great Whose throne is fixed in thy mercies seat The more my dutie groweth euerie hower Some times with Eagles flight aloft I tower And seeme to see the glorie of thy sunne But ere my willing wings haue scarse begunne To mount they droop with clog of heauie shower Vpon the hill of truth I footing wonne By faith which laboureth with feruent heat Of worthie praises thine for to intreat But ere I haue begune my worke is donne So farre I runne In seeking to begin I cannot write such maze my muse is in SON IX AS fareth with the man the which hath bin I perilll but of late to haue bene drownd Though afterward he do recouer ground Knowes not at first the safetie he is in So when I thinke vpon the flouds of sin Wherein I was neare drenched ouer hed What time all hope of comfort cleane was fled And I into dispaire to sinke begin My fainting faith with feare euen well nigh dead My minde amazed it doth so confound That though thy mercies freely do abound In port of peace I am not free from dred But being led Fro out the perils sight I shall enioy more pleasure and delight SON X. SInce thou ô Lord hast giuen to me at last The victorie against the deadly foe Who like a Lyon roaring still doth goe My soule poore Lot my kinsman deare to wast Since grace at length his pride hath now defast And by the hand of faith he is subdude And that my strength by thee is so renude That his affections almost are displast Since thy high Priest with present me pursude Of bread and wine the which he did bestow And with the same the blessing gaue also Whence life whence libertie whence health insude I haue indude As proper vnto thee Thy Church with tyth of faith thou gau'st to me SON XI IF he to whom his Lord did but remit A silly debt was thankfull to him found And that the more the sinnes forgiuen abound The more he loues that pardond is of it Then sure it seemes it were good reason fit That I whose soule was sold to death and hell Whose sinnes in multitude did so excell With idle braine should not ingratefull sit But as the flowing fauours daily swell So should my voice thy praises euer sound And since thou hast powrde oyle into my wound I should not spare thy mercies forth to tell And so as well as thou shalt giue me grace I will thee laud each season time and place SON XII NOw that I haue some safetie Lord attaind Fro out the laberinth wherein I was Since grace as guide therein to me did passe And loue was line which me my issue gaind Since that my wandring steps faith hath refraind And that thy word was Sybils braunch to mee Through hell and death away to let me see To Elizian fields where blisse for aye remaind I must not Lord so much vnthankfull bee To breake the vowes which once I made alas But I will show thy mercies in a glas That by my words men may acknowledge thee The onely hee Hath any power to saue And raisd my soule fro out the verie graue SON XIII I Shame to see how large my promise are How slow my deeds that should performe the fame I know the constant meaning whence they came But will and power are falne at strife and iarre What soule begins to do doth bodie marre What loue would build distrust would ouerthrow A plenteous offring zeale doth bid bestow But fainting faith likes not to set it farre My will at least his good intent shall show Which thou ô Lord cause vnto better frame A free will offring Lord thou wilt not blame Of such weake frutes as are on earth below Which yet shal grow More fruteful by thy grace And as they be wilt in thy sonne imbrace SON XIIII THe end whereto we all created were And in this world were plast to liue and dwell If we with iudgment do obserue it well Was nothing else but God to serue and feare In which we badges of his glorie beare To yeeld him right the most our weaknesse may Which to our strength we ought not him denay Who out of earth to heauen this dust shall reare Which when within my selfe I deeply way I do condemne the dulnesse which befell To me whose gifts in nothing do excell By which I might his glorie great display On whom do stay All things that being haue Who to each creature all things freely gaue SON XV. AS is the treasure frutelesse which is hid And blisse no blisse a man doth not enioy But rather is a meane to worke annoy To him that carefully preserue it did So often times the wisest sort haue slid Into like error whilst they do conseale The gifts of grace which God did them reueale And hide the talent which is them forbid As frutelesse is it to the common weale That men respectiuely become too coy And triflingly their time away do toy And without good to others let it steale I therefore deale To world and do impart These silly frutes which grow on feeling hart SON XVI THe pleasures of this new possessed land Fore-promised long since to children thine Whereto I haue arriued safe in fine And to enioy the same assured stand To paint with praises I would take in hand That so I might incourage many more To follow forth the conquest where is store Of corne of wine and oyle for faithfull band Our Iesus Christ himselfe is gone before And showes the clusters of the healthfull wine Whereof who tasts shall not with famine pine Nor starue when plentie is at Citie dore Ne need deplore The strength of Anaks race For
he the power of hell will cleane deface SON XVII BEtwixt two strong extreames my thoughts do flie Twixt heat and cold twixt heigth and depth below And both of them from one desire do flow The surest way to sauing health to trie Faith bids me mount vnto the heauens hie Vpon the merits of my sauior deare A guiltie conscience bids me not come neare Lest in consuming Iealousie I die A heart contrite doth will me to appeare With works of righteousnesse true faith which show Faith saies that god my streÌ„gth power doth know And that I cannot finde saluation here But bids me cheere My soule nothing feare Loue in his sonne will make him me forbeare SON XVIII FRom far I see the stars which guide the way From East to West to finde my sauiour out I well might wander all the world about To seeke saluation and in one place stay I shining truth did not his house bewray Which in his word points forth his dwelling place By which directed I will walke a pace Whilst yet I do enioy the light of day And when I come before his blessed face To offer vp my presents will not doubt Although their basenesse all the world should flout So that my faith I may him once imbrace Which giueth grace And makes accepted well Mean works as much as those which more excell SON XIX NOw will I daunce ô Lord before the traine Of those which following thee seeke home to draw Thy holy Arke the treasor of thy law That it with vs may pledge of peace remaine I care not though the world my deede disdaine And thinke it not beseeming thing for me In such a worke an instrument to be Whose yeares they deeme more fit for other vaine For so I Lord thy sauing heath may see And scape the harme of cruell Satans paw Though all the scorners of the world me saw Yet would I not ashamed be of thee For being free Of holie promist land I care not how my state on earth do stand SON XX. NO recompence ô Lord is fit for thee If duly thy desert we do regard Ne hast thou want or need of mans reward At whose command all creatures readie bee Yet if our thankfull minds thy goodnesse see Confessing whence to vs these blessings flow And in the vse of them obedience show Although alas it be in meane degree Thou yet doest frame thy loue to ours below And as thou findst the giuers heart preparde Who to his power his present hath sparde So doest thou cansell debt which he did owe And doest bestow More graces then we craue For which naught els but thaÌ„ks thou lokst to haue SON XXI HOw precious are the praiers of thy Saints Which able were thy threatned wrath to stay And make the sunne returne in pride of day When as Iosias heart for feare it faints Thy fauour vnto Abram vs aquaints Of how great force repentant heart is found When hauing vowd vile Sodom to confound To staie at seruants sute thy wrath thou daints By prayer man hath powre euen death to wound By praier he may moue amount away A faithfull feruent prayer finds no nay If that the thing we craue be pure and sound Yea God hath bound Him selfe by them to man Whose worthie praise no tongue well vtter can SON XXII THanks will I alwaies studie Lord to pay To thee the giuer of all good and grace And thankfully thy mercies will imbrace And witnesse forth thy workes from day to day My heart my mouth my pen they neuer stay To take occasion freshly to renue The memorie of praises to thee due Lest natures weaknesse let them passe away My frailtie in this point indeed I rue Who till I see new blessings in the place Forget the fauours late before my face And mercies thine from which such bountie grew For it is true So dull our sences are That oft thy blessings do our iudgments marre SON XXIII WHere so I cast about my wandring eye By chance or choice by hap or else by will Before my sight some obiect is there still Wherein thy power and loue I do espye In view whereof if I my thoughts do trye To raise my heart to Ioy I matter finde And vnto thee my loue so firme to binde That tong nor pen should neuer idle lye Whose grace vnto thy creatures is so kinde As patrons of the same the world doth fill Who mad'st not onely but doest still instill Some feeling of the same vnto the minde Which is not blinde Or too much obstinate Which later nature chiefly thou doest hate SON XXIIII VVHilst I do studie fitly to begin To vtter forth some part of my intent Which to thy praise with zeale and loue is bent For freeing me from due reward of sin I finde a laberinth that I am in Of many merits which do me inclose Which as this holie motion in me rose Of diuerse subiects for to treat do win Among the rest my heart hath chiefly chose To giue thee thanks for comfort to me sent In staying me the wandring course I went And feeling faith with knowledge where it growes And though I lose Therwith the worlds delight Yet will I ioy in hope of heauenly sight SON XXV SInce thou hast Lord vouchsaft to send me ayde By holie spirit thine in time of need As Philip to the Eunuch came indeed Which in my wandring iourny me hath stayde Since he hath taught me what thy Prophets sayde And what humilitie was in thy Sonne Whose patience like a lambe hath freedom wonne Vnto my soule for which he raunsome payde I see no earthly things should stay vndone The duties which requirde of me I reed By faith vpon thy promises I feed And to thy Sacraments for strength I runne And thus begunne I will continue still To learne thy lawes and to obay thy will SON XXVI HOw can I limit well my tong or pen Within what bownds may I my selfe inclose Who such a theame to write vpon haue chose Whereon the more I muse more growth it then It fares with me herein euen right as when A hastie mind forgetteth what to speake When staÌ„mering words the perfect sence do breake And makes vs not be vnderstood of men Such worthie matter in my mind there growes So plentifull and I of skill so weake So pleasing to me and so proper â—ake That in the choyce of them I iudgment lose And euen as those Want matter silent be So plentie of thy praise confoundeth me SON XXVII NOw that thy mercies do so much abound As thou vouchsafest Lord with me to dwell And glorious Arke of hope which doth excell Drawne home by hungry faith my heart hath found Since power thereof did sinfull Dagon wound And yet disdaineth not my humble state I freely open Lord my lowly gate Of lips and tong which may thy praises sound Thy blessings seeme to flow to me of late Since in my soule thy word I did embrace My zeale refreshed is
names doth his fraile scholers gaine To follow follies which affections preach Lust wrath couetise pride cald we see Loue value thrift and clenlinesse to bee SON LVI VVE may reioyce but yet in Christ alone Alone in him is cause of true ioy found All other ioy is but indeed vnsound Perfection or continuance elsewhere none If man with Salomon the hap might haue To tast each earthly pleasure he desir'd He would but giue that prayse the other gaue That once possest their pleasure straight retir'd From earth to heauenly knowledge he aspir'd And humaine wisedome he did throughly sound In which he saw calamities abound And did neglect as vaine things most admir'd In this alone contented ioy is showne To loue feare serue this Christ our corner stone SON LVII VVIse Moses and graue Talions law seuere Do well agree to reason naturall And God in like sort le ts his iudgements fall So that our sinnes their proper vengeance beare As eye for eye and tooth for tooth was due So nature doth our faults for most part pay With pennance by it selfe which doth insue As we shall find if we our actions way And God himselfe doth on th'adultrer lay On wrathfull couetous and proud men all Shame bloud want scorne vnlesse in time they call For grace which onely can their ruine stay Whereby we see whom men keepe not in feare God makes by nature badge of trespasse weare SON LVIII IT seemeth strange since death so common is That daily we experience thereof haue By rich and poore wise fooles that go to graue That we so little heed do take of this Since nought so much contrarie to our will Doth flesh befall or art doth seeke to shun That yet we headlong hast to ruine still Of soule and bodie which to hell would run Scarce we so soone to liue haue but begun But drenched in affections fearefull waue We seeke to slay the soule we wish to saue And no outrage in bodie leaue vndone So that if God did not of mercie his Perforce our wils restraine we heauen should mis. SON LIX VVHo would not craue to haue his wounds be heald Who can be heald that will not shew his griefe Who senslesse of his paine would know reliefe Who can giue cure whilst truth is not reueald Who can be iudge of ill that knowes no good Who can know good that shuns to learne the same Who can it learne that selfe-loue hath withstood Who can condemne himself that knowes no blame Knowledge must first our minds more lowly frame Through lowlinesse will feare and sorrow grow Feare will seeke forth a pledge for debt we owe And pledge and portion find in Christ his name Thus knowledge of our state and pride repeald Is way to sauing health by Scripture seald SON LX. THe weapon which I did vnwieldy find Of natiue strength and powre of flesh and bloud With like whereof Goliah me withstood And I for changed sling left once behind By Gods good grace who courage gaue and strength Is now become a sword more fit for mee Who practisd in his battels now at length The vse thereof find not vnfit to bee For since to him it dedicate I see And I refreshed am with holy food My courage makes me hope I weare it shood And cause my soules great foe therewith to flee For humane arts and knowledge of the mind Do serue the Saints though worldlings they do SON LXI IT is not rest from trauell and from paine Alone that in the Sabboth is requir'd Not abstinence from meat that was desir'd So much when Ionas did his fast ordaine As rest from sinne and inward meditation Of Gods great workes and mercies which abound As feeding of our soules with recreation Of heauenly doctrine in the scriptures found As by prostrating humbly on the ground Our stubborne hearts puft vp and almost fir'd With wicked lusts with vanitie attir'd Festerd with all affections most vnsound A Sabboth or a fast so spent is gaine Whē flesh beat down the sprite doth raisd remaine SON LXII VVHat is the cause that men so much eschue The reading of the sacred written word For nought else sure but that like two edg'd sword It separates and shewes the faults from true No sentence in it read or truly wayd Or by the preacher vtterd turnes in vaine But woundes the soule with sorrow which affrayd If Gods it be to grace it cals againe But such as Sathans be to heare refraine The heauy iudgements that they haue incurd And faithlesse thinke God can ne will afford To them the blisse that children his attaine It is a signe therefore grace neuer grew In such as shun to heare and learne anew SON LXIII WHen I do heare sweet musicks pleasant sound By which the Angels records are exprest Who sing to God due prayses without rest Me thinkes to pray with them my selfe am bound When I the concord sounds of true consent Do note which by their different voice is bred It makes my hart to melt to see man bent By discord to dissolue the blisse that led To heauenly comfort which the Angels fed And is of Christian loue perfection best Whose vnitie in Christ hath made them blest To liue in him when law had left vs dead The Saints therfore on earth should aye be found With thankfull ioyfull hearts of loue t' abound SON LXIIII. AS doth the fire with imbers ouer-spred And powder in the Cannon rammed hard By which his furies but awhile debard When they breake forth procure more feare dred As aire in cloud or earth restrained long Doth by his nature in the end preuaile And in reuenge of his so suffered wrong Doth earth-quake breed or thūdring firebolts haile So when increasing sins afresh assaile Our God of mercie then is he prepard Our insolencies fiercely to reward With double ruine which he will not faile To terrifie those that in sinne are dead Whilst his to liue reseru'd thereby are lead SON LXV VVHen I do see a man of loftie mind Delighting in the pompe he doth possesse A ruine or a shame at hand I gesse For which effect God doth his iudgement blind For as most daintily we vse to feed The beasts to slaughter that we haue ordaind So surfet of delights a feare should breed Least sowrer pennance afterward remaind The proofe hereof hath still the godly waynd From pride or too much trust in happinesse Which do not still Gods fauour firme expresse But vsd as trials are of conscience faynd We therefore cause of care in plenty find To moue vs pray and watch the end behind SON LXVI AS doth the morning comfort to vs bring By giuing light to guide vs in our wayes As sun-shine beames his beautie then displayes To solace feed refresh each earthly thing So should me thinkes a thankfull heart thereby Be mou'd to waigh the fruits by them we haue And by that light a greater light espy Who these for bodies good vnto vs gaue Like light
case But stay a while and let me see the end Which crowneth euery good and perfect deed And you shall find their slipperie way to bend To ruine if in time they take not heed For earthly ease securitie doth breed Securitie the soule doth lightly kill It breeds forgetfulnesse of God and still Doth quench the spright and body pampering feed Who therefore doth delights too much imbrace Among the blest may hap to lose his place SON C. LIke as the sunne whose heat so needfull is Produceth daily different effects According to the nature of obiects Which hardneth that yet molifieth this So doth the Gospell preached euen the same It makes some to repent and melt in teares Some stubborne hearts repine and cauils frame To quarrell at and scorne such needlesse feares The lowly heart in ioy and hope it reares The haughty mind as low assoone deiects In zealous hearts it neighbour-loue reflects Whiles other conscience spight and rankor beares The natiue powre it keepes of perfect blisse And holy heat consuming all amisse EPIL TEmpt me no more to dwell in Cedar tents Pauilions of Princes and of pride My tickle strength is dayly like to slide And makes my bodie do what soule repents My yeares forwarne me to forbeare annoy In liked things which do the senses feed In costly colours gems or games to ioy Or stately troopes or honors fruitlesse seed For passed vanities my heart doth bleed And vowed hath the resting time I bide If God in constancie my heart shall guide Some ryper fruits on former soyle to breed Which graunt me Lord that so thy seruant I May in thy Courts remaine and flesh defye AN INTRODVCTION TO PECVLIAR PRAYERS TO thee ô Lord who only knowst my sin And only able art my state redresse To thee alone my plaints directed bin To thee my guilt alone I do confesse In hope thy gracious aide at need to win Who giuest me grace these prayers to addresse My words can not expresse My inward griefe My deedes declare too well my true disease Yet doubt I not to craue of thee reliefe Because thy Sonne did first thy wrath appease These are my wants and many more then these But of them all vnfaithfulnesse is chiefe Yet as repentant thiefe On crosse found grace Vouchsafe my plaints with mercie to imbrace SON CI. Craues grace to pray O Powrefull God in Christ our father deare Who mad'st and rul'st all things euen by thy will Whose truth and loue the heauens and earth do fill Vouchsafe my will to frame and prayers heare Touch thou my heart my blinded iudgement cleare That sorrow for my sinnes may teares distill Let true repentance kill All carnall lust Let purpose to amend my soule direct To craue thy aide who only canst protect Mans feeble strength from thoughts words deeds vniust Fraile is mans powre and will his substance dust His purest actions hourely it detect Yet do thou not reiect Thy worke in me Who craue a will to pray and faithfull be SON CII Salutation of the Church HAile sacred seat of Gods eternall peace Where all his blessings kept in treasure are Twixt soule and bodie which accords the iarre And causest cumbers of discord to cease From wandring worldly thoughts thou doest release My doubtfull hope which sought for help from farre In Sathans fiercest warre A bulwarke strong In natures hote assault a sure defence An Arke of safety for our feeble sence A watchmans towre to those to thee belong A harmony of heauenly musicks song Kind shepherd to the soule which strayes not thence For still with sweet insence Thy lights do flame And Christ thy Priest Captaine gards the same SON CIII For constancie ALas ô Lord how fraile the flesh I find How readie to reuolt vnto distrust How willing to seeke helpe in flesh vniust Vngratefull fruit of gracelesse humane kind Which harboreth such monsters in the mind As soule and bodie both needs ruine must Like wauering sand or dust With winds which moue From good to ill from ill to worse we fall We haue not sooner grace for helpe to call And budding faith thy mercies for to proue But weary long to seeke our ioyes aboue We quench this spright and haue no helpe at all The perill is not small Lord I am in Inflame the faith and zeale thou didst begin SON CIIII. For faith SInce thus myselfe I find to be vncleane Vnfit to bide before Gods iustice throne Who recompence for sinne accepteth none But to the rigor of desert doth leane To fly to thee my Sauiour Christ I meane Who paydst my debt sufficiently alone I need but make my mone To thee I know For thou art readie to relieue my want Thy fathers loue and thy obedience brant With zeale thy mercies on vs to bestow Whereof since faith the vse to vs must show And as it is more feruent or more scant More powrefull is to dant Deaths bitter sting craunt faith may prayers frame comfort bring SON CV For grace to iudge of good euill AMidst these dangerous dayes wherein I liue Poore silly Orphane distitute of skill By parents fall forlorne by nature ill Craue grace of thee ô Lord and therwith giue Powre to my weaknesse sin away to driue That so I may thee serue and honour still Reforme my feeble will And it incline To haue henceforth a wise and solide tast Of truth and falshod let my choyse be plast On perfect patterne drawne with vertuous line With serpents wisedome let my iudgment shine To shun the snares whereto my lust would hast Vouchsafe my sute be grast With help from thee Thy word the lampe of light vnto me bee SON CVI. For innocencie in euill SInce so simplicitie thy word doth prayse O Lord as that thy Sonne example gaue By all his life and workes that he did craue His seruants wherein to direct their wayes Like to the babe on mothers breast that stayes And sylly Lambes and doues which no guile haue Since he is prest to faue And to imbrace The lame blind naked leaporous reiect Since to yeeld health to all and such protect As simply do with faith approch the place When he in mercies seat doth shew his face And prayers heare and needfull suites effect Lord do me not neglect Poore silly blind Who meritelesse yet mercy hope to find SON CVII Shame of sinne HOw could I Lord but be asham'd indeed To lift my eyes to thee to craue for ayde When I of thought word deed haue sins displayd With multitude of monstrous of springs breed The true portrait of Adams carnall seed Which made him hide himselfe when he it wayd I therefore am affrayd And shun to show Vnto the world the shamefull brood I beare Which thoughts do hatch and vile affections reare Too hatefull for a Christian soule to know And do so hastily to hugenesse grow As vaine it is a figge-tree leafe to weare I know no other where My shame to hide But with thy merits or thy
wrath to bide SON CVIII Against defection VVHen I ô Lord vnto my mind do call The fearefull records of the Patriarkes best In whom great gifts of grace did seeme to rest And yet to foule and fearefull sinnes did fall I do deplore the frailty of vs all And feare defection euen in those are blest And since I am the least O Lord alas Of many that in word professe thy name And I some feeling tast haue of the same Which doth not forward to perfection pas It makes me see as in a looking glasse The feeble strength of this my present frame Which clogd with sin is lame And wold look back To hell from which I fly if grace should lack SON CIX Not to trust in flesh WHat trust may I ô Lord on flesh repose Whose mould is earth whose substance is but dust His thoughts vncleane his actions all vniust As is the stocke of parents whence it growes Whome fraud vntruth pride lust distrust inclose By which by nature rul'd wee are and must I know the feeble trust I may expect And safety which on such a frame is found Where weake foundation is the sand vnsound Which may â—â—t byde the brunt of stormie day When as temptations shall their powre display Or yet afflictions vs enuiron round Vpon a surer ground Faith must me build And Christ my sauiour so my soule may shield SON CX Praye for humilitie SInce thou ô Lord and Sauiour doest confesse Thy selfe a true Phiâ—ition vnto those Who with humilitie their griefes disclose And vnto thee for ayd by prayers presse Vouchsafe thou so my heart to thee addresse That on thy helpe alone my faith repose Vouchsafe my sight vnlose Make me to see The naked show of natures powre and shame Let me behold my workes weake lewd and lame And let my heart with sorrow pierced be And pressed downe procure such mone in me As may in fine repentance truely frame That humbly so thy name I may adore And faithfully in fine thy helpe implore SON CXI For Comfort in affliction LEaue me not Lord most humbly I thee craue In this distresse whereto my sinsme bring VVhich headlong vnto hell my soule would fling And make me thinke there were no powre could â—aue My wretched state from deaths eternall graue Which poysoned is by Satans deadly sting But teach thou me to sing O Lord thy praise Amids thy saints which see thy mercies still With ioy and comfort do my courage fill Once Lord my soule which yet in terror staies Make me to bend vnto thy will my waies And frame my powers vnto thy holy will The powre of Satan kill And so increase My soule with comfort of thy lasting peace SON CXII Iâ— prosperity not to forsake God THe more ô Lord I see before my face The daily blessings which thow doest bestow On me vnworthie wretch who well do know How farre affections vile in me haue place The more I see iust cause to call for grace Lest for abuse of them thou vengance sâ—ow For then most soone we grow For to forget The giuer when the giftes we once haue gaind Ingratitude our natures so hath staind Thy greatest blessing we most lightly set So far we are from paying praise for debt VVe do forget the nurse vs fed and wainde As Israell not refraind Thee most t' offend VVhen most thou them didst feed comfort send SON CXIII Mans Sorrow for sin I Must commend the thing the world doth hate And like the thing that flesh and bloud detest The cares and griefes by which I was opprest Which made me see and know my wretched state Wisdome is dearely bought but not too late Who tasts true frute of care knowes cumfort best Make me then Lord disgest each bitter pill Which for correction of my sin is sent Purge thou thereby my drosse make me repent Each lewd affect offensiue to thy will A new and better nature Lord in still Which to thy seruice alwaies may be bent With sorrow often rent My hardoned heart And let repentance purchase cure of smart SON CXIIII For true feare FEare is a frailtie knowne to humane kind Which witnesseth a guilt where it doth dwell Since Adams fall his ofspring knew it well And euery man in conscience doth it find It takes possession in atroubled mind And if grace want dispaire driues downe to hell Yet these thy praises tell O Lord they shall Who danted for their frailties do require Grace to resist their lustes and doe aspire For strength of true perfection for to call And haue a feare of sin though neare so small For loue of right as well as shunning ire Kindle their loue with fire Sprinkle it with feare That incense of obedient smoke it reare SON CXV Sorow for coldnesse of compassion I Feele ô Lord and sorrow for the same The slender feeling and compassion small The which I haue of neighbours case at all Which to assist their states my heart should frame Who with my lips professe a Christian name But stop my eares when they for help do call So easily we fall And do forgett The lesson which our Maister Christ vs gaue Who vs with mourners to lament would haue And on our brothers good chiefe care should set But selfe-loue and cold charitie doth let No frute of faith proceed though neighbour craue Yet thou didst freely saue Me wretch cleane lost Whose life the blud of thy deare Sonne hath cost SON CXVI For Patience WHen I ô Lord in troubles sore opprest My heauie state with carefull thoughts do way Which hope of happie issue doth denay Aâ—d frailtie of the flesh can scarse digest I onely find here in at length some rest When on thy mercy promised I stay And when from day to day I see with shame My new offences which do trespasse thee And note how long thy iudgements spared me Which iustly might burst forth in vengeance flame Ye when my Sauiours sufferings show the same Which ought a rule to his elect to be I craue that I might see Like fruites of grace So that impatience hold in me no place SON CXVII For continuance of Gods word THe greatest plague that I see cause to feare To such as I who haue so carelesse bin By reading and by preaching for to win True knowledg which our harts to thee might reare Is lest thy Prophets sound should so forbeare To preach thy word that we should dwell in sin And wallowing therein We should delight In ignorance the headlong path to hell And wickedly in carnall tents to dwell And so surcease with sinne or lust to fight Grant therfore Lord thy sword may alwaies smight My soule till sinne it from me cleane expell Let Prophets alwaies tell To vs thy will And keepe vs vnder thy obedience still SON CXVIII For grace to bring forth fruits ALthough ô Lord I do as truth confesse No powre in humane art that can thee please That all polluted are with first disease Of sinne originall