Saviour But Pilate he b'ing stung continued still To try if he by means might win their will For to accept of that just man Jesus In stead of that most unjust Barabbas But they still cry'd that they might crucifie Him whom they rather ought to Deifie And then did Pilate cause to chasten him And order'd he should be delivered them And o're his head he then did write this thing This is the man who is of Jews the King And it was writ in divers sev'ral Tongues That al who list might read see their wrongs But they requir'd he would be pleas'd to add To this inscription onely so he said But he did answer them What I have writ I am resolv'd I will not alter it Then they with joy began to lead away Towards the place is called Golgotha And forc'd our Saviours tender back to bear His heavy Cross which he could hardly rear And there were multitudes did follow him Some crying and some other pitying And many women were the crowd among Who wept so high for all that mighty throng That Jesus heard and he cry'd unto them Weep for your selves and for your own children And for Jerusalem For th' time shall come and now doth draw fasâ—â— on That there shall not be left one little stone Upon another in that stately Towne Although it be now of such great renown But most of them to him no credit gave But still they do themselves so mis-behave As they had done untill he had got his grave And when they came unto that bloody place Assign'd as they thought for a great disgrace They then began that heavy tree to rear And eke his sweetest tender skin to tear Between two theeves a horrid shameful thing Though good enough to crucifie our King The one of which theeves in most sconrful wise Our Sovereigne thus did jeeringly despise If thou be God or the Son of God Jesus Go down from the tree and save both thee and us But the other he in zeal reproving him Said We are punish't justly for our sin But this man he hath done at all none ill Yet suffers onely cause the Jews so will Against all law and then with heart said he Vouchsafe good Lord be pleas'd remember me When thou do'st come in thy glorious Majestie Who answered him in milde and humble wise This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise O happy theefe that was inspir'd with grace To come to heaven within so short a space When all sorts scoff'd our blessed Saviour Aswell the Priest as did the souldier Who cast their Dice upon his seamless coat And his it was to whom it fell by lot All this that milde man took most patiently To teach us sinners how that we should dy And yielded up his dearest humane breath To free thee sinner from eternal death Now let us all with joy due praises sing To God our Saviour and our heavenly King For th' thorny crown which he good man did bear Was due by right for wretched thee to wear Then do thou suffer freely for his sake And to him thou do thou thy self betake The drops that trickled down his tender cheek Would force the hardest stony heart to weep For without sorrow for thy deadly sin Thou mayst be sure thy heart is hard within His armes he stretched out upon the tree By sweet embracements calling unto thee Then do not flie as father Adam did For Adams sin by flight could not be hid But lovingly do thou his love embrace Who 's all only giver of heavenly grace His hands were rent with cruel iron pins To gaine thee pardon for thy cruel sins O then for pardon do thou humbly pray Or look to have none at another day The watry blood that issued out his side Will wash off sins if it be well apply'd Apply it then if thou hast any grace Or ne'er expect in heaven to have a place The nailes which fastn'd down his tender feet Will work in the hard'st flinty heart regreet Then beat thy heart and strive to break it oft If thou intend by grace to make it soft For broken hearts are they will onely win And gaine us pardon for out grievous sin His cruel paines endur'd in every part Will mollifie the hardest flinty heart Then search thine own and soundly do thou try it If these his pains with grief do mollifie it Examine strictly even every each hollow part For many such be sure is in thy heart And thus must thou and thou thy self alone Or else thou know'st within it can come none Then do it daily if so thou do mean These hollow places in it to keep clean For there the tempter loves to lurke and lye If he can compass any harborie Who 'll promise faire if thou wilt in him trust But fairest words are often found unjust Then do thou fear and from the tempter fly For few that strive do obtaine victory But to thy Saviour do thou boldly go For he doth use put no man off with no He neither sin'd in thought nor word nor deed And yet for thee his heavy heard did bleed And yielded up his blessed heavenly Ghost Which was conveyed by glorious Angels host Up to the heavens from whence at first it came And where it shall for evermore remaine And then the earth did quake for very fear And stony Rocks themselves in sunder tear The famous Temple rent it self in twaine And so ere since it doth and shall remaine The heavens forsook their spangled wonted light And eke the Sun which then did shine so bright For grief and sorrow did it self close hide And underneath a thick cloud did abide Whereat the watchmen were so sore aston'd And struck with fear as they fell all to ground And when they wak't then each of them did swear 'T was th' Son of God whom they had hanged there O praise sing praise to him that sits on high Who thought no scorn for wretched thee to dye O that he should be cruelly crucified Who did deserve be mightily magnified Him serve him fear him let us still obey On whom depends our onely hope and stay O praise sing praise to his most holy name Who was is now and ever shall be the same Sing praise to him who lovingly dy'd for thee Yet still doth live and shall eternallie Let all the earth conjoyn with one accord To sing the praises of that heavenly Lord Who made the heavens the earth the sea and all That in them is come at his only call He spake the word and they were all made then The word was this Let it so be amen These creatures all of him do stand in awe To them his word is for a binding law They never do use oppose his sacred will But all obey their heavenly maker still Save onely man this sinful wretched man For whose sole use all these good creatures came Who was at first created good and free From thought of sin or any malady
fell to kissing him and wept And he and his for present joy all leapt And then in haste did cause to kill a Ram And much meat more there was to th'table cam Then Toby's heart was set on fire to love That comely Sara by the God above And spoke to Raphuel he would make it known For he well hop'd that now she was his own Then Raphuel he unto her father said I beseech you sir be pleased bestow this maid Upon your kinsman that young Toby there And greatly doth desire to marry her Then Raguel said indeed it was so meet And will'd them they should merry be and eat And then did he begin to them relate Of her seven husbands all the former fate Wherewith was Toby nought at all dismaid But pray'd him please he would cal in the maid For he had vowed he would not eat nor drink Untill the contract were made sure with ink Then Raguel called his daughter Sara in And freely gave the damsell unto him To whom indeed she did belong of right And pray'd to God that they might live in 's sight And for more blessings prai'd he with his heart And divers secrets did to them impart Then Raguel call'd upon his wife Edna And to her thus he then begun to say Wife I have give our daughter Sara there To this our kinsman that young Toby here And do expect that you will be content And eke our daughter Sara's free consent To which they both of them most willing were So was the match with speed consumate there And took a book and then the contract writ As by their custom it was ever fit And then he will'd his wife for to provide A fitting chamber for the Groom and Bride Wherein there was a fire and all things meet Which were beseeming for the marriage night And then the mother did lead in the Bride And stay'd a while by her daughter Sara's side Who then begun with sorrow shed some tears Her heart being full remembring former fears But now the mother willed her be content For that this man without all doubt was sent From God above who promised to defend Both him and his from that same wicked fiend Who was accustom'd and had haunted there And therefore will'd her sorrow to forbear And suddenly the Goom she then espies And wiped the tears from off her cheeks eyes And when they had coÌ„ducted in th'bridgroom Into that stately sumptuous bridall room Where Sara th'bride and eke her mother were He will'd them both they would be of good chear For th' spirit Asmodeus had no power To trouble them or theirs for any more Since that the God of heav'n earth had said That he should be espoused to that maid And also promis'd he would them defend From all tentation unto their lives end Wherewith was Raguel in his heart so pleased As that all grief was thereby suddenly eased And when the old folks had their children blest They took their leaves and then themselves addrest To pray to God when their pra'rs were done They dig'd a grave for their new married son Who now had made a little fire of coales Thereon the Heart and Liver both he broiles From which proceeded such a mighty smell As drove the spirit down to th'deepest hell Where he is bound and ne're hereafter shall Return again to do them any ill And then they both on knees by their bed side Kneel on the ground thus to God they praid O blessed Lord who hath made heav'n earth And all therein even by thine only breath And to our father Adam gave his life And also Eve for helper and a wife And thou O Lord in whom we onely trust Know'st we meet not for any fleshly lust But even in thee O Lord to live and stay And thy commands for ever to obay To this good God be pleased to say amen And to their bed they did betake them then Now when the night was wel nigh past done Then Raguel sent a maid to see his son And bring him word if they were yet in life And then did he impart unto his wife That if he now like to the other died He would him privily in that grave so hide That none might notice take of such a thing Least ill report abroad might thereof ring And when the maid return'd who went to see She told her Master both a slâ—ep they bee Then Raguel caus'd with speed to fill the grave And praised that good God that to him gave Even such a son as did the Devil o'rcome And shut him out of that the marriage room And when the day begun to dawn they then Do all rejoyce and call unto their men And made provision for a sumptuous feast Whereto was slaughtered many a goodly beast And thereof dainties was not any scant Nor change of wines at that feast was no want Yet none of them were there compel'd to drink More then for health was fiting they good think And this feast lasted full for fourteen dayes Wherein they 'r jovial and sing worthy praise To God our Saviour and our onely king And mongst their mirth his praises alwaies sing Now stay a while and leave these feasters here To praise their God and yet to eat good chear And let me view the face of this our time How it is alter'd from it was in prime And therein doubtlesse nothing is it better'd As if that man in it were nothing letter'd But tho our language give to time the blame Time doth not alter but is still the same It was at first and such are creatures all And stations keep whereto God did them call And therein they each in their severall kinde Observe his law according to his minde And all of them do in a sort rejoyce And praise their God both with the heart and voice Save onely man this wretched sinful man Who leaves all good and doth all th' ill he can And yet for him and onely for his sake Did the creator all these creatures make And great Jehovah further more then this Gave unto man a power to live in blisse Till wretched he more worse then all the rest Did disobey his God who had him blest And hid himself and did his God forsake And against him with 's enemy did partake And for an Apple sold his happy state O wretch that bought thy bain at such a rate Yet this good God whos goodnes doth abound Was loath to leave this man wthout a ground VVhereby he might repaire his state again If he will but in 's service yet remain And call on him who is his Saviour And doth desire his coming every hour But th' creature man doth still partake of th' curse And as we say oft-time grow worse and worse For men at first as I in scripture read When friends did meet were wel content with bread With bread alone they 're joviall and do sing The worthy praises of their heavenly king And then
they are hourly hatched in my braine A man might well be thought to be but mad Who in his head such idle thoughts hath had Wherein is neither sense nor any reason Nor ought which is befitting any season And some will say such hath a giddy head I think most men are of that stampe indeed VVhen they 'r not stable in their inward minde But alter so as doth th' inconstant winde I marvaile not if some such there should be For such I am sure is I my self I see And yet my wit cannot it comprehend Why I this madness in me cannot mend Though I resolve to force it with me stay VVithin an instant it will me oresway And many times to somethings that are ill And that directly ' gainst what is my will So I am not able of my self to say VVhat this may be which hurrieth me away For though I set my minde to accomplish this I am about which is not much amiss As I conceive yet in me is it so My wandring thoughts are carryed to and fro So as I cannot these my thoughts confine From end to end of one poor silly line Though I do strive and often them invite Help me these mean and simple lines endite Which I begun in hope of gaining good To be obtain'd by Christ his precious blood Though still I finde to my no little grief I have as yet receiv'd but small relief Because my thoughts they will not be my own But from my Saviour they still press me down So as I cannot in sweet Jesus stay Not one half hour no not in one whole day VVithout some idle interruption Intending deeply my destruction For I do plainly of it thus conceive 'T is want of grace which cause my thoughts to rave Since I may well compare them to the Kite Who puling soares aloft a mighty height Untill he spy some beastly carrion Then down he comes in hast to seize upon That filthy thing whereon he falls and feeds His gorge so full that he for ease must needs Take rest a while and after that againe He doth return and feeds thereon amaine And never far is drawn depart from it So long as there is left one little bit But flies about within sight of his prey Except he be by a stronger forc'd away And if he be he 'l by and by retreat To feed againe upon that pleasing meat Even so these wandring thoughts of mine surmount The starry skie where I do make account That they should stay but presently they come Down to this earth where they do love to roam And roave yea rave and there do run about Untill they finde some pleasing pleasure out Whereon they rest themselves a while and then They reel againe and ramble like mad men Are fighting for they cannot well tell what Nor matters much so as it be not that Whereon they ought in heart to think upon Which is my Savours bitter passion And it they neither relish sent nor feel So as by that I see they are not well Nor will not be except sweet Jesus please Of his abundant goodness grant me ease Of this my madness for indeed so 't is It doth deprive me of that heavenly bliss Which thou O Lord of thine abundant love Hast promis'd them are mark'd for heaven above Who onely call on thy most holy name And in thy service do resolve remaine For calling is but to a little end Without my life I seek for to amend And that I see is not in my own power Except good God thou please shut out of door This wicked legion that still leadeth me From heaven to earth and then unto the sea And back with speed unto the earth againe And there he suffers me a while remaine Till I begin O Lord to come to thee Then he begins that legion trouble me And puts me off with some fair slighty tale Whereby I set all former hopes to sale For some fond pleasure the subtle Serpent showes Which I accept and so it down me throws From out the presence of my blessed Lord Who hath me promised by his sacred word If that I will but to him freely come He will redeem me from that doleful doom Of Go thou cursed into the hell of fire Which all thy actions seem for to desire Since thou thy self dost lovingly embrace Whatsoere is set before thy sinful face By that foul feind and even with greatest joy Though it do tend to thy greatest annoy And utter ruine of thy whole estate Which few but fools will buy at any rate VVho never aime at any other end But what this earth to them on earth doth send For hence these wretches never think to go Till they be hurried hence into all wo. For though my conscience even now telleth me That death at door I do most plainly see Yet I presume that he will make no hast And so in sin my life I utterly waste Not minding these thy bounteous great blessings God gives to me by his long-sufferings In hope that I 'll my sinful life repent Performing duly wherefore I was sent Which was to serve my God both day and night As all they do who love to live in 's sight But I poor I a miserable wretched beast Of all things else of that most needful least So as I finde there 's nothing is in me But onely death-deserving crueltie And that I do with very great hearts delight And the reason is because it is not right For what I onely ought to think upon That either's now from me already gone Or else I do it with a most dull sprite Which showes I have but an ill appetite For to perform that which I ought to do Both with a minde and willing heart thereto But these I finde alwayes are alwayes apt to ill And that they 'l do though it be ' gainst my will And further therein they do take delight Though conscience say that they are not in right But conscience is not able these two guide For even ' gainst conscience they away do slide From heaven to earth where these two both do lye Without respect who 't is that sits on high So as with grief I do most plainly finde That there is alwayes something in my minde Which should not be if I could tell to mend it But 't will be so till God shall please to help it Sweet Jesus therefore please to come to me That I in heart may also come to thee And on thy passion stedfastly e're think And ne'er depart or from thy suffering shrink But alwayes have it constantly in minde And there my thoughts be well assur'd to finde Where I desire that they should ever be With thee dear God dear God alone with thee Sweet Jesus grant if 't be thy blessed will Vouchsafe be pleas'd to keep them with thee still And never let them far from thee depart But keep both them and also my poor heart Out Satans reach that he do never
blessed roll Of them are mark'd to follow th' holy Lamb Who for thy sins from highest heav'ns down cam Then follow thou my soul w th speed I say And to thy Saviour do thou alwaies pray That thou in him for evermore may live And to his Name most worthy praises give For all the goodnes he hath given to thee So far beyond thine own expectancie For he hath freely given to thee much more Then erst was in thy wicked mind before To crave of him then do thou sing his praise And his great blessings do thou ever blaze O're all the earth that they may know and see The bounty great of the bless'd Deitie To thee poor man who had a happy place In Paradice but thy own want of grace Did throw the thence even unto the ground Where thou received's that deadly mortal wound Which none can cure but that the blessed Lord Himself did freely of his own accord Say he would send one of the womans seed Should bruise break the wily serpents head Which he perform'd in this his only Son Who from the heavens down to this earth did come And there endured as thou by faith mayst see The torments great of right were due to thee In lieu whereof thy Saviour doth but crave That he thy heart to himself may onely have A poore requitall for his grievous pain Wherein he doth not seek for his own ' gain But onely thine then do thou let him have That is his own which he doth onely crave â—or he hath dearly purchased the same Which all in darknesse did till then remain And into darknesse shall again return And in that darknes evermore shall burn Except it please thy Saviour thence it call For thou dost nought but he alone dost all For thou still dost as hereto thou hast done Forsake both Father and his onely Son To gain a thing which is at best but losse For fairest pleasures are in substance drosse And now being got they are with th' wind now gone So that the pleasure proveth to be none Then fie fond man thus to be drawn forsake Thy Saviour sweet who freely did thee make To be capable of eternall blisse Then do not thou give him a Judas kisse For it was solely in his breast alone To have made thee tree or liveles stock or stone But he did breath upon thy slimy face The breath of life for which his bounteous grace Thou art bound to give him all whatso'r thou hast Who in that posture thee being earth hath plac'd Whereby thou now by faith maist re-obtain The place if thou hast grace in it t'remain And in him trust who hath so deerly bought This place for thee yet thou fond man dost nought But on this earth rest take thy delight And for a bable sell even all thy right And hope of heaven O fie most wicked fie That thou hat'st life and lov'st so well to die Was ever mad-man seen so far bereav'd Of sense as thou who hast thy soul bequeath'd From him that bought it and to thee it gave Then give 't again that thou w th him maist have A blessed place among that heavenly quire Where all enjoy whatsoe'r they doe desire And more then so for ev'ry one of them That dwels with him in that Jerusalem Are fil'd with joy and so shall ever be From time to time for all eternitie To which they cannot with their wishes crave What they do want or what they do not have O thither mount my minde and do thou stay Thy self in that the best and happiest way Which leads to life where thou shalt surely see The glorious face of the sacred Trinitie Without all fear which ne'r yet any one But Moses did and onely he alone Was pent up close within the rockie cliff And there was covered in that stony riff With Gods own hand till he himself past by For none his face could ever see but die Then God withdrew his hand and Moses he The hinder parts of this great God did see O joy that 's far beyond all other joyes When thou behold's with these thy fleshly eys Even every part of the sacred Trinitie Which creature man as yet could never see Stay there my minde and do thou ruminate These heavenly joyes which ne'r determinate And onely Saints and Angels doe enjoy Who are solely freed from all kind of annoy And ever more in his glorious presence live Who for thy sins his life did freely give And yet doth he but even desire thy heart In recompence of this his cruel smart O that he should thus easily be content To take again what he hath onely lent And yet vile wretch dost thou at this repine So as thy heart doth daily still decline From heaven to earth freely there complies With him w th whom there is none deals but dies Then elevate my soul thy self again And strive an Angels glorious place to obtain For this a place of wicked warfare is Where all must strive that care to come to blisse And that they conquer then they may be sure To gain a crown of glory shall endure For evermore and therefore do thou strive And do not thou at thy wicked heart connive Whose nature is to love this massie earth Whereon at first received its vital breath But do thou love the Lord thy God alone And to him onely do thou make thy moan That he may please to elevate thy minde Up to the heavens where thou art sure to find Thy Saviour sitting in his glorious throne Who gladly hears all suites denying none Are made to him then do not thou delay But fast and heartily to thy Saviour pray That he wil please his spirit of grace thee send That thou thereby thy sinful life may mend And do thou strive for to obtain that place Which none can have but onely by his grace Then lift thy heart up to the heavens and say Come sweet Lord Jesus come Lord I thee pray And take my soul good God into thy hands To free it from all these sinful earthly bands Which bind it strongly sore against 't will From what is good to that is ever ill Safe keep it Lord I humbly thee require That it may have what is its soule desire Which is to dwell in thee my heavenly king And evermore thy worthy praises sing Lord keep me there then I am sure to live And hearty thanks to thee shall ever give For all thy goodnesse freely given to me That am unworthy even to lift my eye Up to the heavens the place where thou dost dwell Whose wond'rous works there is no tongue can tell No not so much as th'wind which we do know Doth ore our heads and on us daily blow Yet cannot we with reason comprehend From whence thou dost it daily please to send For he that seeks or goeth about to finde The cause thereof shall surely lose his wind And labour both and therefore do thou see That thou submit
whatsoe're he doth thee Unto the Lord who made the heav'n earth And all therein even with his only breath O stay my soul and there do thou admire The wond'rous greatness of that flaming fire Appear'd to Moses in the pillary cloud Which did his chosen children Israel shrewd Untill their sins stir'd up his heavy wrath And then he did as now of late he hath Done to this I le wherein we wretched live To whom his goodnesse did such blessings give As never land on earth had more then we And yet of peace we wretched cannot ' gree So that the son 's against the father's set And father he against the son doth fret And brother ' gainst his brother often wars And so will not let fall these wofull jars Till God shall please that his most heavy hand For to withdraw from o're this sinfull land And give us grace we may in hart repent And yeeld him thanks for his great blessings sent Which we unthankfull did as yet forget And for that cause each brother's blood is set Against it self like as did wicked Cain When as his brother Abell he had slain Sweet Jesus please to stay this thy sharp sword And stead thereof to send thy blessed word That thou thereby mayst beat down growing sin The want whereof hath doubtles only bin The real cause of this our mortall fewd which doubtless doth from our hard hearts proceed Sweet Jesus please to mollifie them so Like Peter's when he solely wept for woe Or like Manasses when he came be bound By Ashurs host who fell upon the ground And gained pardon for his grievous sin Whereby with speed he was restor'd again To Juda's crown and it so long enjoy'd Untill by death he was from thence destroy'd Sweet Jesus grant that we have many such And then without doubt it will help us much To further peace for which we daily pray That thou wilt please in thy great mercy stay This sword of thine and sheath it up again That we in peace may here hence now remain And live like loving brothers in this land VVhich thou hast kept with thine own pow'rfull hand From foreign fos tho now there be none such As we our selves domestick ones by much Sweet Jesus help good Lord we daily pray This bloody war of ours with speed to stay And put us once in happy peace again That we in peace may here hence now remain And praise thy name and that incessantly For giving us this bounteous great mercy And this must thou and onely thou alone Or else Lord Jesus other there is none Can yeeld us help in this our greatest need For now is nothing can stand us in steed But onely thou then come Lord Jesu come Or else deer God we are utterly all undone For them elected to the publique good With purging ill have bred in some ill blood And th' weaker sex it is become so strong T is doubtfull Lord the other sex to wrong So as between two are esteemed extream Most suffer much tho they retain the mean For now ther 's no part of this wretched I le Tho it enjoyed a blessed peace ere while But t is grown now unto a bloody war For many a one thinks their honest neighbor far More quiet then he and so with grief repines At 's neighbours good and then his malice finds Some hole or other in his neighbours coat Tho the quarrel be but for one single groat To make complaint to them that are of power To plunder him by strong hand in an houre For some old wrong as then but newly done Perchance betwixt the Father and the Son O blessed Lord that this the German plunder Which whilom was in peaceful England wonder Should now so well with us be understood As any other usuall English word Whereby revenge in England's grown so rife It tends to take away non-nocents life For Satan o're this Isle bears such a sway As by his wiles he draweth many away From thee that is their only God and King Who are rather bound thy worthy praises sing For all thy goodnes to this wofull land Tho now it feel thy dreadfull heavy hand Sweet Jesus send some blessed Angel down To quell this hellish Satans furious frown And force him Lord as thou was pleased then When he made suit he might go into th' swine Who huried him headlong into the sea Lord drown him there that he n're more have powr To come within this spacious Ile more But we instead of blood may ly and groan In brinish tears and therein make our moan To God on high he will vouchsafe to please This cruell war of ours with peace to cease And then that we who are true English all May all one way on the name of Jesus call Vouchsafe good God that we may so accord In holy service of that heav'nly Lord As tho we differ some of us in part Yet we may all as one agree in heart And let our hearts good Lord in prai'r remain Lest in our sins we wretched may be slain When worthies dare to stand look on death Tho with that look they lose their deerest breath Brave Britains keep your ' forwon antient fame Least antient terrour turn to novell shame And since your valour cannot well be known Untill by you some valourous act be done Then look your swords be sharpe for foreign foe Whose joy 's encreased by our cause of wo's Lest we bewaile this great efflux of blood When t is too late to do us any good And worthies all in time for death prepare Since all in th' end shall fall unto death's share But look you still prefer an honourable death Before a shamefull beastly cowardly life Seeing God alone the day of death doth know But when or where no earthly man can show O then le ts pray and that incessantly To him that lives and shall eternally Come let us sing and all due praises give To him that died that we by him might live And alwayes yeeld praise to his holy name Who was is now and ay shall be the same O let us all with heart due praises sing To this our God and glorious heav'nly king Whose dwelling is above the heavens most high Whereto the best of sinners come not nigh Whose heavy judgement is for to descend Since none come there but they who do ascend Then strive my soul and do thou aye aspire To keep thy self out of that irksome fire Which burns and yet there is no light appears But pain and grief and dreadfull horrid fears Sweet Jesus please to keep my soul from hence And draw it up to th'high'st heavens that thence I may have help for without help from thee There is no comfort in extremitie Then teach me Lord with heart mouth to pray That I in thee may ever live and stay And never more so wander up and down From place to place as I poor wretch have don Sweet Jesus please
to keep my soul with thee Or else dear God I am sure it cannot be Kept safe on earth where that fierce dragon flies And doth so dazle most of all mens eyes As few are able to behold the sun Except it please the blessed Lord to come And clear their sight that they with joy may see There is no safety but O Lord in thee Then come Lord Jesus I thee humbly pray And make my soul with thee to live and stay Or else good God I can it no where hide Nor here on earth it cannot long abide Within this fleshly mansion of mine Whereon the sun hath never power to shine But by thy leave then let it Lord so be That this thy sun may please to shine on me And shield me safe from that common enemie Who doth envy both thee and them are thine From whom good God be pleas'd keep me and mine We do not prove like to the Gadarens Forsake our Saviour for to save our means But teach us Lord that we may call to minde How 'fore all worlds thou said and so assign'd That man should spend his life-time on this earth Where he at first receiv'd his vital breath And there should serve his maker God Lord As is appointed in his holy Word That when this glasse on earth shall be out-run Then doth an end of all created come And one land then against another rise And all men also arms shall exercise And yet as then shall sorrows but begin To them are clogged with their deadly sin For on this earth must be great tribulation Before that dreadfull day of desolation When shall the glorious sun all darkned be And eke the moon at that day none may see And thâ—â—e bright stars down from the sky shall fal And powrs of heaven shal then be shaken al Whereof our cannons thundring in the aire With fiery flashes flaming out their fire Which sends its smoak up to the starry skies And not unlike to mighty clouds there flies And trumpets eccho sounding every where So as no place with us is thereof clear Are perfect types of that most dismal day When th' trump shal sound loudly cal away All souls on earth their bodies for to take And 'fore the Lamb a perfect reckoning make Of each mans talent which the Lord them lent And for which cause they all were hither sent And then there shall be loud and hideous cries For hils to fall and cover them from th' eyes Of him that doth both see and knoweth all That on this earth was done or did befall Since Adams time for there is nothing can Be hid from him that first did make this man No not the secrets of the best mans heart Tho he the same did ne'r as yet impart To any creature for Jehovah he Doth all things know eke doth all things see This son of man whose glory shall appear Above the clouds of heaven up in the aire Whose glorious greatnesse then shal all men see With thousand millions in his companie Who shal collect from all these the four winds Whom s're have bin even so as he them finds And then laid ope shall be a perfect Book Wherein all flesh shall freely thereon look And each one see as it were in a glasse His guilty conscience telling what he was And then shall he set th'sheep on his right hand And keep his left side for the goatish band And then the King shall say unto the sheep Come now and take the kingdom I do keep For you that are the blessed of the Lord Who willingly obey'd and heard his word And to the wicked then the King shall say Go ye accursed and be you a pray Unto the fire which is in hell prepar'd For cursed Satan and his hellish guard O horrid fear beyond all other fears Whose force even plainly in the face appears VVhich sends its blood unto the secret heart VVho cals for help from every other part And leave the loins supporting so appal'd Like as if death on suddain had them cal'd And thereby they are all so sore aston'd As that they fall down flat upon the ground Where they do differ nought from fearful death But that as yet appears a parcell breath Which for a while a little life retains And in that passion death-like it remains Untill it please the King our blessed Lord To say to me that comfortable word Come now thou blessed hear O do thou hear What difference great between this joy fear To the righthand men come o come you blesd And to the left hand go o go you curs'd O joy beyond all other heavenly joyes Which freeth the heart from all kind of anoys And is thereby so fully fild with gladnesse That it expels from every part all sadnesse And forceth them which even now fell aston'd To leap for joy and skip above the ground And tho w th fear of late they look'd like death Yet now with joy the 're fild with store of breath And those parts which with sorrow then were dumb Do now aloud with joy cry come Lord come O come sweet Jesus I thee humbly pray Vouchsafe be pleased in my weak heart stay And strengthen't so as it may ever stand One of the blessed which are at thy right hand That I may there thy praises ever sing Which o're the earth all the heav'ns do ring O sing my soul and be thou never weary But in thy Saviour be thou alwayes merry And have a care no earthly joy remove Thy fleshly heart from th' heav'nly joy above But therein alwaies do thou take delight And in it spend thy time both day and night O let thy solace ever be therein And it will keep thee from all deadly sin And teach thee loath all earthly things to love And take delight in serving God above O love him love him that thou dead maist live And to thy Saviour be thou sure to give All that which he hath freely given to thee And then shalt thou no doubt his servant bee O blessed Lord where have I this while been Hath not my soul my sweet'st Saviour seen Or 't is some vision did to me appear Whereby it hath discovered plainly where My Saviour sitteth in his glorious throne And judgeth all on earth himself alone And there pronounceth sentence come or go The only words of greatest joy or wo That ever came to any creatures ear To make a difference betwixt joy and fear And then shall sheep and goats both of them see What they have been and what they now shall be And This sort shall of future hope dispaire Any that other not so much as have a care For their downfall but aye shall sit and sing Even allelua to our heavenly king Whose final sentence and pronounc'd decree Shall firmly stand for all eternitie From which herehence there can be no appeal But all must then have either wo or weal. O stay my soul a while and contemplate
thee go Then keep me Lord shield me with thy wing That under it I may thy praises sing For out of thee good God there is no rest Nor any safety in my fleshly brest For flesh and blood cannot in them contain The thoughts are hourly hatched in my brain Which rovening run and reel from side to side And on no good thing they 'l be drawn abide Sweet Jesus please to bounder them in thee Or else they 'l not be boundered for me But wander often quite without my reach Which sometime causeth in my soul a breach For that by force I cannot them retain That they in thee might evermore remain Call them good Lord and do them firmly bind That I may know with thee I shall them finde For no occasion ever comes amisse To draw my mind from th' heavenly king of bliss O glorious king vouchsafe it so command My thoughts b guided by thine own â—ight hand For it alone most either make them stay Or else good God they 'l not b drawn obay My silly soul within me drooping lies And without help good Lord in hell it dies Then help Lord help let help come w th speed To rouse this soul that liâ—th w th griâ—f half dead And of its health it justly might deâ—pair But that it knows my Saviour is so neer Yea neerer much then th' hart of man can ween But that his wonders have on earth been seen To save his chosen elect children all When in red Sea did wicked Pharaoh fall With all his host and yet did Gods own hand Bring his elected safe y to the land Whose way was after guided by a cloud And hunger staid by heavenly Angels food In th' wildernesse where they did â—eel no cold Nor yet their cloaths did wear or waxen old And had a river brought out oâ— the rock In great abundance with a little knock An Angel ever guiding them their way From all annoy wheres'ere God leâ—s'd they stay And when o're all the face of earth was night Then did the cloud afford to them good light And yet even they for who 's own onely sake That great Jehovah did these wonders make Which they beheld with their own fleshly eyes And many more as great besides all these Did they forget to bear them in their mind Tho in their brests they might them easily find Whereof they were themselves eye witnesses Yet when the Lord did but a while leave these Tho they were these the chosen and elect Whom he alone did to himself select Even them that were the seed of Israel ' Gainst this good God did trait'rously rebell And â—oully too from him did fall away Who was their sole preserver and their stay Unto a God which their own hands did make And this their kind and loving Lord forsake O stay my soule with ravishment admire That God sent not from heav'n consuming fire To burn them all from off the face of earth Whose horrid sins deserved horrid death Yet did this good Lord this vile deed forgive And on repentance suffer them to live And all those blessings they do still enjoy Whereby he freed them from all kind annoy O think O think and do thou think again What weaknesse did in these weak men remain Who left their God and that so suddenly When he left them awhile their strength to try May it be possible that there 's any can Conceive such weaknesse in this creature man Whom God was pleas'd so far before the rest Of all he made this man hath onely blest With a precious soul in some is reasonable Thou of it self it self is far unable To guide it self by that its reasons power If God shall please to leave it one half hour Were these that seed the chosen of the Lord Who said his wonders also heard his word And all of them in compass of their sight Yea more apparent then the sun so bright Least that impression in their inward minde Could not be hid but Satan made them blinde For mortall eyes can have no power of sight When God's away by whoÌ„ they have their light Since that the serpent he did make them so As of themselvs nothing that 's good they know And what is ill they ever like and love But all that 's good it comes from God above Now rest my soul and keep the ever there Where thou art freed from al this worldly care And of his wonders do thou contemplate VVho doth thee thus poor soul illuminate With these good thoughts Odo thou them retain And let them alwaies w th thee stâ—l remain For they will banish those â—hy thoughts are ill Which often use restrain thee of thy will And bring thee this great God and Lord to love Who sends al good things froÌ„ the heav'n above And doth them likewise plenteously bestow On such as are his servants here below Then drooping soul do thou in me revive Now rouse thy self and do begin to live For with Gods help thou maist safely say That chearful hope hath driven dispair away Then put thy trust in him alone that lives And able is and also freely gives Even all good things unto all them that crave And do desire of him good things to have Then fast and pray my soul and do repent And give God thanks for his great blessings sent And then of mercy the deepest sinners sure For that his mercy doth for aie endure From age to age to all of them beleeve That he for them his deerest life did give Make use of this his bount'ous great mercy Bestowed on them deserved well to dy Besides the blessings he them freely gave The like whereof no other Nation have Nor ever had but onely them alone For he such blessings ever gave to none Besides his wonders they did daily see For to preserve them from indempnitie And yet from him ungratefull these did fall And worshipp'd wors then that th'painted wal And wilfully this gracious God forsake Who lovingly did them in mercy take From danger great which was most desperate But that their God himself besides them sate Then live by hope and do thou leave to fear Since God no doubt is all his servants neer That trust in him then faithfully do so My soule and live and to him freely go But stagger not my soul nor do not shrink As Peter did for fear that he should sink When Christ his Master walked on the Sea Whom his Disciples did afar off see And Peter pray'd him that he might do so Then God him call'd and will'd him so to do With that did Peter leap out of the boat And walked along aloft the Seaâ—on foot Untill the winde did cause a little wave And then cry'd Peter good Lord do me save To whom did Jesus then put forth his hand And so brought Peter safe again to land Now thou my soul observe here Peter's saith With willing minde to do what 's Mr. saith Leap into Sea without delay or
fear Because he saw his Master was so neer And then his want of faith when as he sawe His body like to sink with a little wawe And then his prayer to that blessed Lord Who did preserve him by his onely word Observe my soul this passage seriously There 's in it great and deep divinity The Apostles being in a Ship aboard Upon the Sea they did espy their Lord But not discerning that it should be he They said it is some spirit which we do see But he well knowing this their cause of fear He cryed to them and said t is I is h re And then when Peter did his Master know He did intreat that he might to him go Desirous greatly to be him more nye Whom at some distance he did then espie And so by that it did right well appear His faith had then abandoned all fear For when his Master cryed and bid him come He did not then delay his time as some Do use to do but suddenly he leaped down Into the deep sea and yet did not drown But on the same did stand aloft upright For then his Saviour was within his sight His faith well knowing that there is none can Sink where there is that blessed Son of man And now his faith here hoist him up aloft So as it bore him on the water soft As if it had bin on the Sea dry shâ—aâ—e Because had faith his body then upboare And so presuming still that he had faith Which was sufficient for to keep him safe He went on boldly untill that he sawe A puft of wind did raise a little wawe And then his faith begun within him fail For faith in flesh is oftentimes but fraile And being let but even a little down Wiâ—hin the Sea which now begun to frown His faith was then turn'd into white pale fear Although his Saviour was hard by then neer And then did Peter with himself thus think Without some help I shall be sure to sink And knowing well where help did onely ly He to his Saviour did addresse his cry So he ne're sought for help at th'wooden boat Although she were hard by on Sea a float But on his Saviour solely set his eye And cryed help Lord help Lord or else I dye And then his Lord did reach to him his hand And bid him boldly on the water stand But yet reproved him and thus to him saith O wretched thou can'st have so little faith Why did thou doubt for surely thou dost know My power doth reach unto the deeps below And out of them I 'm able thee to fetch If 't be my pleasure O thou faithlesse wretch Who hast so long been in thy Master school And yet dost show thy self to be a fool Canst thou forget to think what Jonas did When in the Whales wide belly he was hid Or when the Sea did make it self a wall To save all them who on my name did call Or Jordan deep was made like to a sand To bring mine over as on hard dry land Then set thy self to go to school again And do thou learn where all help doth remain That thou mayest not be likened unto them Who never seek for Christ but onely then When they have need and then aloud they cry Help Lord help Lord or I am sure to dye Stay here my soule a while and meditate And with thy self a little thus debate Can it be possible that Peter saw His own good Master yet did not him knaw His thoughts sure then were not with him at home When he did not remember him on whom His heart was alwayes bent to think upon Which was on Christ and onely him alone To serve with zeal untill his dying day Which as he did good Lord grant that I may But when at last he did his Master know His humble heart did then begin to bow And prayed that he might safely come to him To whom before he had vow'd every lim Whom God accepted and strait bid him come Sweet Jesus grant that it may be my doom Then he neglected all that brittle hope Of help might rise out of the wooden Boat Or yet by active laboring of the lim Tho he were skilfull on the water swim Or any other help from earth may rise For by such earthly helps there 's many dies But putting all his trust upon the Lord Who to him now had only said the word Without all fear of greatest danger he Did boldly leap into the raging Sea Which stood as tho 't had been a rock of stone For God himself and onely he alone VVas able and the sea did so command And then did Peter light as on a Sand And walk'd along from imminent danger free As on safe ground untill that proudly he Presuming faith in his own power too much For this presumption overthrows all such As on their own strength onely do relye If that their Saviour please not to be nye For when the winde begun a little blow And force the sea to rise and make a show As if it ment to swallow Peter in Then Peters faith begun to fail with him And he in lieu of faith had then some fear When as the Sea forbore him up to bear And he begun on it a little sink He then himself did of some help bethink To save himself for death was surely there But that his Saviour did even then appear To whom with zeal he did himself addresse And prai'd him pleas he wold vouchsafe to bles Him with some help or else without it he Might surely sink into the raging Sea Now God well knowing th'sorrow was in 's heart VV ch did it self to his Saviour Christ impart He did with speed stretch forth to him his hand And bid him boldly on the water stand O blessed Lord that thou should alwayes be So ne're to them that put their trust in thee Although their sins do prove be ne're so great If they from them do but in heart retreat And turn again and to their Saviour go VVho is onely able and saith no man no. And then had Peter strength of faith again So long as he in Jesus did remain And safely stood on th' wavering sea upright Because he then was in his Saviours sight Now do thou think what joy was Peter in VVhen he repented of his faithlesse sin For God did hear him then most willingly At the very first when he did on him cry O blessed Lord be pleas'd vouchsafe to be On all occasions so ne're unto me As that this Legion thou may'st please to rout which my weak strength O Lord cannot keep out For he hath hereto had on me such power As he still haunts me every day and houre Yea when my heart is set resolved to serve My God and king even then I do observe He 's bustling hard within my bony breast And will not let my silly soule take rest O thou blind soul which art not able see VVhere God is not no good
next their care is little or none Whereby appears to heaven there goes but few And so indeed our Saviours words made true For that gate 's narrow but the other broad And most men love the way that most is troad But thou my soul avoyd this beaten path If thou intend t' avoyd the way to wrath For be assur'd there are no more but two Or that to Heaven or that t'eternal wo. Let all thy care then be to avoyd this And eschew all may hinder th' way to bliss So by observance thou mayst easily know Which of these two thou dost intend to go Then let thy care be always God to serve And by that means thou mayst thy life preserve Let conscience say what thy chief care hath bin To serve thy Saviour or to commit sin Let no occasion pass thee without trial And this in time wil free thee from denial At that strait gate wherein so few must enter So make that sure without all peradventure Let this be th'chiefest of thy daâ—ly cares And it prefer before all worldly affairs For worldly actions aim at worldly ends But thou my soul at that which heaven intends For though thy flesh do follow earthly things Let inward mind be set on King of Kings Let him be always in thy outward mind And then shalt thou in all thy actions find A means to bring thee on that narrow way Where they must go mean not to go astray And then thou 'lt see thy mind is ever set To serve thy God and him thou'lt nere forget For if thou dost but wash thy filthy hands Thou 'lt see thy Saviour then before thee stands To try if thou wilt wash thy heart from sin And horrid life which thou hast lived in And when thou puts in mouth a piece of bread Think how thy Saviour then for thee was dead And rose again and lives in heaven above And doth desire thou come to him in love Then set thy self to serve this loving God And hee 'l preserve thee in that narrow road Which leads to heaven then keep that narrow way And in it serve thy Saviour night and day Let all thy thoughts on him alone attend So be thou sure thy life in him shall end But then must thou have care to serve this God Or else expect to feel his heavy rod. For though he gaeatly doth desire thy life Yet thou dost know he punisht good Lots wife Presume not then that he will alwayes be As he hath hereto been to wretched thee By his long-suffering thee go on in sin As though his wrath had nere yet kindled b n. But thou hast seen his plagues on Egypt shown And then on them he chose to be his own Presume not then that he will pardon thee Superfluous branch of that wild Olive tree But fall with fear and teach thy heart to tremble Whose nature is with God himself dissemble Because thou knowst his mercy doth abound Ye thou hast seen some sawallowd by the ground For lesse offence then many of thine have bin Then strive to free thee from this horrid sin The onely cause of Sodoms sinking there Where nought doth live but onely horrid fear Then fear this God though he be slow to anger He 'l smite thee down when thou thinkst least of danger Forget not this but think on 't seriously Lest thou repent it even immediatly Canst thou for pleasure in thy garden walk Then not take pleasure with thy Saviour talk Canst thou observe each herb in its own kind And have not then thy Maker in thy mind Canst thou see Lilies in thy garden grow And not think Solomon ne're was cloath'd so When th'least of them to th' world a wonder is Then let that wonder bring thy soul to bliss When all on earth can not make th'meanâ—st there Whereby the makers Godhead doth appeare Who with his word did make them for thy use Then do not these good creatures thou abuse But thankfull be for these great blessings given To thee unworthy lift thine eye to heaven For if such glory doth on earth appeare Canst thou conceive what wonders may be there When great Jehovah by his word doth make Such herbs on earth that man may pleasure take In serving him this gracious God above Who 's God alone the God of peace and love Observe each herb in it a severall smell But how infus'd no tongue on earth can tell Their several shapes by th' King of heaven ordaind And each of others by him are restraind Their vertues great to th' world a wonderment Infus'd by th'maker to give man content Unthankfull creatures here do meditate And of these wonders deeply contemplate And then thouâ—'t see the goodness of this God To thee poor man who dost deserve his rod But that his goodness doth to thee abound Who well deserves be swallowed of the ground If so his mercy were not even much more And all his other attributes before Then serve him serve him with a filiall fear Who of his bounty hath so plac'd thee heâ—e As thou mayst see thy God on every side Above below throghout the world so wide Where God himself saw all was good therein Then do not thou pervert it with thy sin For wicked man makes wicked use of all Make no such use or else be sure to fall But thou my soule use all things to that end For which thy God did these great blessings send And then fear not buâ— he will bless thee so As from thy Saviour thou shalt never go But in his service take thy whole delight And therein spend thy time both day and night So every object will be then a mean To make thee think of that good God of heaven And then thy mind will set it self to serve Thy Saviour Christ who doth thee thus preserve From wicked Satan and his hellish power Though he be still attending at thy dore To put ill thoughts into thy fickle mind When thou forgets to serve thy Saviour kind Forget not then to let each object move Thy mind to set it self on God above For all the creatures which Jehovah made Do shew to man that he should be obey'd For they were works of Gods own onely hand And freely all submit to his command Save onely man the noblest of the resâ— Whom he doth love and wills he may be blest And for that purpose he doth daily send Continual means to bring him to that end For which he first created him on earth Where he infus'd with th'â—oul a living breath And left him free from any thought of sin Till th'wily Serpent Adam en red in And did with pleasure this weak man perswade To disrespect his God who had him made By tasting that but one forbidden tree The onely cause of all mans misery Canst then fâ—rget when dost an apple see For Adams sin how God doth punish thee And if for such a seeming small offence He punish all without a difference From high to low to
not be tyed to th' best mans leasure Therefore this day do thou give o're thy pleasure And think of death who 's knocking at thy door And enter may perchance within an hour Except thy hearty prayers him prevent Being made to that Jehovah hath him sent Then sue to him who is thy Saviour sweet And on thy knees most humbly him entreat That he will please to safe keep thee from sin Which all thy life thou hast lov'd and lived in And pray that henceforth thou maist live aright Being ever mindful thou art in his sight As if this were of life thy longest day And thou mightst here on earth no longer stay But yet before this day might have an end Thy Saviour should for thee this servant send And call of thee to make a strict accompt Of sins whose sum I fear will highly mount As well thy thoughts and idle words and deeds As what thou dost nor do nor think nor heeds And then wilt thou intreat him he will spare Thee yet a while that thou maist thee prepare To make thy reck'ning such as may be streight Which thou ne'er dream'dst it should ere come to light Or if thou didst thy sin 's so much the more That being known thou didst not do 't before Whil'st thou hadst time because in time thou might Have made thy reck'ning such as should be right But now th' art taken in that Satans snare Because thou didst not thee in time prepare Then think my soul in what case thou art in O'recome with thy own best beloved sin Whereof thou alwayes hast more reek'ning made Then of thy Saviour was for the betrayed And suffer paines of death for thy sins sake That free from death he might thee sinner make Although himself did never sin at all But to preserve thee that thou shouldst not fall O what a loving kinde sweet Saviour's this Who came from heaven that glorious place of bliss Down to this earth where he did freely give His life that thou through him mightst ever live Then live in him and do him ever love This thy good God Jehovah who 's above Here stay my soul a while and ruminate What blessings came by Christ to thy estate Even the onely death of this thy God and king And evermore to him due praises sing For he doth well deserve the same alwayes Then sing with joy to him eternal praise O sing my soul and now let 's jovial be That this thy Saviour pleas'd to dye for thee But if it were for thee thy Saviour dyed Then must thy life to his be thus applyed Have I lived so as my Saviour Christ hath done Although he were God's own and onely Son Who never had but one poor simple coate And that even plain not laid with lace I wot But was all woven without any seam Marke well this coate for it 's a worthy theam To think upon since it so well became Both childe and man and alwayes was the same And grew as he grew yet it did not wear Nor waxed old but did indeed appear As fresh at last when as it was put off As 't was at first when as it was put on He had nor hat nor band nor had he boots Nor any change had he of other suits For head and feet he did not like thee care But all his life he ever ware them bare And when he prayed his knees were ever such For his fleshly corpes he ne'er respected much But kneeled alwayes down upon the ground For cushions were as yet not to be found I do not hear that he did eat his fill Of too much meat there ever cometh ill But I am well assured that he did fast Till fourty dayes were ended all and past Nor do I read that he did use drink much For doubtless sin is often seen in such Nor did he look to lye so very soft As most of men will now a dayes do oft But on bare earth was ever his best bed Whereon he alwayes us'd to lay his head If lye at all And yet for all of this The earth it self and all therein were his Now thus my soul say to my sinful heart If thou expect in Christ have any part Dost thou not fine apparel like and love For by it thou thy self art set above Some neighbours who much better do deserve But that thy cloathes 'fore them do thee prefer Whereby thy heart is somwhat touch'd with pride If there be nothing in it else beside He was not wont to alter his old fashion But us'd the same in every several Nation Hast thou done thus I stand in fear on 't much For now in England fashion is not such But thought it better out of th' world have been Then out of fashion in the world been see But know betimes who use this fashion follow Shall bring their soul in th' end to mickle sorrow Hast thou my heart observed his bare head Or dost thou keep thine own uncovered Even in the temple since example 's much For there be many fools are led by such Or dost thou use in thy privy chamber so When to thy Saviour art resolved to go I know to th' most thou wilt put off thy hat And yet sometimes there may be pride in that And here observe what thou thy self hast seen How many fashions have in England been Of these same hats which sure at first were sent But for an idle needless ornament And yet of them one fashion will not stand Scant twice twelve months within our English Land If thou have a suit unto an earthly lord That he 'l but please to speak for thee a word I hope thou'lt then come with thy hat in hand Although 't be made but for some smal demand And yet now when thy life and all 's at stake And thou alone must to thy Saviour make Who 's King of kings and also Lord of lords And makes them by his own and onely words Yet in his presence thou base earth wilt stand Yet not vouchsafe to have thy hat in hand Consider well and think what this may be I am sore afraid of a fearful sin in thee When thou dost kneel are both thy knees then bare Or dost thou kneel at all but onely there Among the chosen congregation Whereas this kneeling is an usual fashion And dost thou do it then on God's bare ground As thy sweet Saviour oftentimes was found If not I fear thou hast thy God offended Because thou prayedst and yet thy knees unbended Hast thou been used barefooted for to go I fear thy heart will tell thee truly no. Hast thou forborn being hungry eat thy fill Or hast not thou oft-times even eaten till Thy stomack did desire to have no more If so there were of pleasing viands store Nay hath not thine offence been sometimes such As that thy stomack did desire too much Or hast not thou been often choice of meat Or else with pleasing pallat couldst not eat Nay hast not thou
A Ship of Arms Vseful for all sorts of people in this woful time of War Fashion'd by a plain Country-Farmer SAMUEL BRASSE Nigh the River of Tease Com. Ebor Printed at London in the Year 1653. To the rightly Noble and worthily honoured Lady The Lady ELWES Wife to the Right Worshipfull Sir JERVACE ELWES Knight MAdam well may you wonder at the audacious impudence of a stranger shall fix your Name in the frontispiece of his simplicity But though I never saw your face I have often heard the fame of your pious zeal to Godward confirmed by those set hours daily put apart in your privat Closet no doubt for his service the onely reall ground of all your shining vertues which out the boldness upon me to present you this plain piece of rustick Northern work savouring its Clymate containing a few wandring thoughts of a decrepit miserable wretched Old man humbly intreating you will vouchsafe him the favour at some spare hours of your life if any such can be found to open and read and what you find unworthy your judicious eye to raze out and the poor remainder if any such can be found to place at the threshold of your Library where the hem of your vesture may preserve it from the viperous tongue of the venemous Spider And as you now live eminent amongst the best of Ladies in that famous yet terrestriall Citie of London So that you may hereafter live glorious among the best of Saints in that heavenly Citie new Jerusalem shal be the prayer of Your Servant deeply devoted SAM BRASSE To my loving Country-men the Commons of ENGLAND Dear Brethren and loving Countrymen I Have lavisht out 80 years in jollity pleasure loosing the reins of liberty to all libidinous desires glutting my self with the vain delights of this wretched world mispending that precious time my gracious God of his abundant goodness bestowed upon me for his own service solely So as I am now become that Dives our Saviour spake of daily tormented with the pain of fore-passed pleasure And lest you my Countrymen should not heare Moses or the Prophets I have sent you this message from a dying man To amend your Lives lest you fall into the Lake where you may cry for a cup of cold water to cool your tongues and be denied it Happy is he whom other mens harms doe make to beware For your souls sake and for Jesus Christs sake lay to heart what is here in charity presented by a plain Country-man your friend and well-wisher Samuel Brasse To the READER READER I Wrote this little Book chiefly for my self and familiar friends yet if any other can get good by it I shall be glad 'T is a Collection of a few wandring Thoughts of an Old man lame both in body and minde Written in his bed the other Winter occasioned with want of rest by reason of pain His intention is good if expressed by finer fingers But bear with infirmities and make that use he desireth who is your friend and wel-wisher Sam. Brasse Flie foolish Fashion ' cause a novel friend You 'll read perchance untill you see its end Then lay 't aside but good friend do not so Keep 't neer your heart and it will cure all wo. Read it re-read it read it o're again The matter 's good though th' method poor plain S. B. Of the Author and his Book An Anagrammatical Motto of Samuel Brass Brass se Emanuel is his exhortation Emanuel se Brass is his approbation Both these united in him do appear Love of Christs members of his precepts fear Of the Book His book his honour for it s revealed light A lanthorn is to walk in Christ his sight Here 's no new light nor any old tradition Nor Heresie nor Romish superstition But he that reads it may in 't truly find Full great contentment for a Christian mind William Kay Minister at Stokesley VPon perusal of this book I find it plenteously to perform what it promiseth to be a ship full fraught with Arms and represents Davids Tower wherein are a thousand bucklers all shields of mighty men Can. 4.4 'T is indeed full of divine Meditations sweet Allusions concinâ— Comparisons daâ—ting Penetrations and concludes the Authors conversation to be in Heaven It is Heaven upon Earth And I may truly say of this as Nazianzen of Basils It is Devotionis maribus occusta Navis A Shipfull fraught with the rich merchandise of Devotion This is the opinion of Tho. Oddir Minister at Kirby To the Author GOe vend these Arms throughout the Christian world Now all in war more precious they then gold Being parcel gilt all of them Cannon-proof Where they 're in use the Enemy stands aloof And though his power be limited to offend thee Fear not but Christ thy Saviour shall defend thee So thou make use of what is here set down Thou mayst be sure in heaven to wear a crown By a Friend E. A. A Ship of Armes O Sinful soul O sinful soul Shall Christ be born for thee And thou not live and in his service die O cruel Caitiff cruel Caitiff Was 't born tormentor be Of him Laid down his dear heart blood for thee O wretch O wretch O wretch O wretch That erst thou should be be bore Love Satan serve and leave thy Saviour Who in that night the Jews did him betray Went forth to th' fields as he was wont to pray Unto the Garden called Gethsemane Where he and his did sometimes use remain Attended that night onely with his own For his going thither was no further known To any of them that were his followers more Or else no doubt of followers had been store And being there he went himself apart That he to heaven might raise and lift his heart And wil'd th' Apostles they should watch pray Lest that the Tempter might take them away But he being gone his follow'rs fell asleep Whom he reprov'd because they could not keep Themselves awaking for so short a space And then did he return to 's former place And they like men unto their sleepy vain Which he well knowing turned back again And wil'd them sleep and fear not he would be Their keeper during all eternitie And then fell he upon his bended knees And pray'd for those that were his enemies That done he call'd and will'd them to awake For they were nigh intended him to take Who suddenly were then hard by at hand Attended strongly with a Soldiers Band All who were furnish'd each one Soldier-like With burnisht sword with staff or else with pike And when they came to our sweet Saviour nie He did demand whom 't was they came to spie They said For Jesus he of Nazareth That 's I said he and pray now what pleaseth You do with him whereat all being aston'd They started back and fell upon the ground And when they did from that amazement wake He said 'T is I whom ye are come to take Now Traitor Judas did
wherewth helhound he Continually poor wretch tormenteth me And bind him lord I thee most humbly pray That he doe never more lead me away As he hath done but that I sinfull may From this fowl Legion totally fall away But 't is not in me nor my power O Lord Except thou pleas vouchsafe to me the word Then please sweet Jesus I thee humbly pray That blessed word of comfort to me say That thou in me and I likewise in thee Shall rest and so for evermore shall be Freed from tentation of that wicked fiend The mortall enemy of all humane kinde Which hurrieth this my weak fleshly mind More wavering much then is th'instable wind Which wandreth like the sun from east to west And when 't comes there then there it doth not rest But roving runs up to the Starry Skies And by and by unto the Deep it dives And mounts again up to the highest ayre But yet can finde no firm fast footing there For though it be even now at hand hereby T is gone again in th'twinkling of an eye For t is so swift as there is nothing can Force it to stay so long as man is man Not much unlike unto that Noah's Dove Which found no footing but in th' Ark above It flies aloft and hovers in the ayre To find that rest which cannot be found there Except thou please vouchsafe to take it Lord As thou hast promised by thy sacred word For to safe keep all whom soever shall Upon the name of our Lord Jesus call Then bend you knees of my most wicked heart Which guideth all this the inferiour part And humbly pray and pray and pray again And in that posture do thou still remain Untill our Saviour please thy suit to hear And to thy prayers vouchsafe to turn his ear And do not thou if so at this repine That he hears not these sinful prayers of thine For many causes doubtlesse there may be That he as yet doth turn his ear from thee And all of them of thee thy self arise Who is at best but onely worldly wise And savours not the things that are above Which do proceed from that good God of love But diving down-wards seldom or ne're heeds That althings good frō heav'n alone proceeds And yet wilt thou unto the earth encline Distasting things are spiritual and divine And when thou seest it's onely reall cause It may be then th'wilt stop and take a pause And pray again yet still thou sinful art Extreamly troubled with a double heart Which boat-man like doth seem to make a shew Of looking upward yet doth downward draw With all its force unto this massie earth Where it at first receiv'd its vital breath And doth so clog the inward spiritual part As it doth yeeld unto the wicked heart And so they both are downward led away From thee their Saviour and their onely stay And runs so fast down Sions steepy hill As that to Babel needs these wretches will Except thou please sweet Jesus lend thy hand And force them both to stop and make a stand And climbe with speed up Sions hill again Which cannot be without excessive pain Unto the heart whose loins are stife and weak And painful climbings forceth them to break Unlesse sweet Jesu thou wilt please to be Their Comforter in this extremity And grant them strength that they may re-obtain The top of blessed Sions hill again Then come sweet Jesu I the humbly pray Come quickly Lord and do thou make no stay For the glasse is now at point to be out-run Then come Lord Jesu come Lord Jesu come And send my soul some speedy present aid Or else deer God it meerly is betrayed By a fawning friend who seems to make a shew That he to it ent'rest love doth owe. And yet indeed its deadliest enemy Who kils it self to make my soul to die O help sweet Jesu help I humbly pray My silly mind from thee thus drawn away By this foul flesh that 's foul in every part Because it s govern'd by a fleshly heart That domineers within my hollow breast And will not let my silly minde take rest For all my members they do so combine As that from heaven to earth they do encline Yea even the head wherein is onely placed The senses all which neither live to taste Nor hear nor see nor scent nor yet to feel Ought what is good but all whatsoever is ill And th' apprehension it doth still project Nothing that 's good but all things good neglect And memory it ever more forgets These blessings great and bounteous benefits Which thou hast pleased in mercy heap on me The very picture of base misery Who cannot think so much as one good thought But it is mixed with something which is nought Nor yet to presse into the Lords presence To pray for ought without some great offence For then and there I often plainly finde My minde is hurried as if with the winde O're all the earth well it know's not where Nor matter 's much so as it be not there Where it should be but alwayes runs astray Like to the blinde man that hath lost his way And is in danger ever for to fall Into a Ditch where he doth lye and crall And cry for help but if there be none by The blind man's likely in the Ditch to ly Then help sweet Jesus help I humbly pray That this my wicked wandring mind may stay And fix on thee and on thy grievous pain To bring it back to that right way again And being there I humbly pray the Lord Vouchsafe to bind it w th strong Sampson's cord When his hair was cut that it may always stay And never more so gad and run astray But ever keep within those blessed bounds To think on thee and on thy grievous wounds How thou endurd'st those bitter pains for me Of all man-kinde a wretch most unworthy Except thou please vouchsafe give me a call As thou did'st Peter or that blessed Saul Who persecuted thee and them were thine Yet at thy call did never once repine But presently he at that call became A painfull Preacher of thy sacred Name Now call sweet Jesu call I humbly pray That I from thee in sin no longer stay But come and wash thy blessed feet with tears Who hath freed me from all those horrid fears Were justly due unto my stony heart If it had had its onely due desert And then I hope my wearied soul shall rest In thee alone by whom 't is onely blest And wait on thee at this thy loving call Before that glorious heavenly Tribunal Where Angels sing 'fore thee continually The praises due to th' sacred Trinity There thou my minde do now set up thy rest For therein shalt thou certainly be blest And in that place be sure to spend thy life And do not prove like Lot his foolish wife But still aspire to mount aloft my soule That thou may'st be one in that
their drink was suiting to their meat They had no change but all one kind did eat And yet their mirth above the skies did mount Altho their drink were water from the fount And afterwards I read when friends did meet With th'fatted Calf or Kid they kindly greet One friend another and are well content To sing his praise who these great blessings sent In after times I see they eat good chear And many dayes of feasting as is there At Cana's mariage where no doubt was love And thereof doubtlesse did their God approve As by his blessings on them doth appear They served God altho they eat good chear But present times are truly said none such For that from these they differ more then much For now tho sometime we do make a feast Whereto we happily kill a little beast Perchance a fowl or some such other thing Yet we forget his worthy praises sing Seeing our discourse is most part idle chat Without so much as mention once of that Whereon we alwayes ought to think upon Which is on Christ his bitter passion And such feasts now are seldome with us used But other feasts where God is much abused Yet neither meat nor bread is there required But onely drink and drink alone desired But t is not water as in elder time But salt in some and in some other lime To add a relish to the taste of mault Whereby they not discerning it be salt The stomack still desireth more and more For thirst not so content with reason store Wil not be quenched til from words to blows And meeting friends they often part like foes Good God that our feasts should thus differ far Begin in freindship yet to end in war And now we alter in our time of feasting And are some say to turn it into fasting And good cause why if so we weigh it well When hardly any who 's his friend can tell But in the south part of this wretched I le We us'd to feast in Christmass time ere while And then again in Lent we us'd to fast In some sort till full forty daies were past Our antients they about Lent differ'd much But t was not time but t was the meat made such And all of them of forty dayes agreed For fasting next 'fore Pasche so decreed But some do hold no such decree is fit But better feast then fast we think on it If this were all the matter were not much But now the difference is become be such As we shal hardly know when Christ was born Or when he dy'd the times are now so torn Sweet Jesus please to be at Englands fasting As thou wast pleas'd to be at Cana's feasting For there no doubt was feasting well approved Of him who ought of all be best beloved And now let 's back to th' feast at Eebatane And see what 's come of them did there remain For Raguel swore by that great God above Till th' feast was done his children should not move And then they should have half of what he had And then return to Niniveh without dread Then Tobie he his servant did intreat To go to Rages and there he should meet With Gabael and with him also bring Both him and th' silver to that great wedding Which so he did and when the time was run Old Tobie did expect his sons return And sorrowed sore for that he greatly feared Some strange disaster had to 's son appeared Because his stay did prove to be so long Beyond the time expected he should come And Anna wept and sorrow'd very sore Much sorer far then e'r she did before And every day she went and stood on high To see if she her son afar could spie And all that time she did forbear her meat And well nigh nothing that while did she eat Her wonted sleep her eyes did quite forbear And she almost had lost her sight for fear And now did Tobie 'gin to think upon his journey when the feast was almost done And pray'd his father he would let him go For fear his parents might be dead for woe Then Raguel parted all his goodly store And gave him half of what he had â—nd more His goods his servant and his ready coyn Th' one half he had and it was all his own Then Raguel he unto yong Tobie said My God who heav'n and earth and all things made Blesse thee and thine and do to them and thee As he hath done both unto mine and me And to his daughter then he also said God make thee wife as thou hast been a maid Obedient ever to thy parents all And then fear not but good shall thee befall If thou do prove to be a loyall wife God will defend thee during all thy life And then did Raguel and his wife Edna Take leave of them and set them on their way And so they went with singing forth his praise Who did so highly their great fortunes raise Untill they came near unto Ninivie And then did Raphael speak to yong Tobie That they two might alone march on before And leave the rest to come along with th' store And went so far till Anna them espi'd And then she ran and to her husband cry'd Our son is coming him I do well see And eke the man that went along with hee And then she back again to meet her son And pray'd to God that his wil might be done And thank'd him heart'ly she saw him indeed Whom she thought surely that he had bin dead Old Tobie also he did offer out But that his son did turn him round about And pray'd him please to do as he had done Bestow his blessing on his onely son My son said he pray God he may thee blesse And bid him welcome with a hearty kisse Then Tobie put gall on his fathers eyes Which pricked sore and then old Tobie cries But then yong Tobie to his father said Take comfort Sir and be no whit afraid I hope your sight shall straight return again With that he cur'd his scaly eyes amain And then he saw his loving son and said All glory be to that great God that made The highest heavens and all that in them is Him let us laud and his name ever blisse Then son to father did at large relate What they had done and also their estate Then Tobie out his daughter Sara meet And did her see and also kindly greet So now there was great joy in Niniuee The yong man safe and th' old man also see And there they made another goodly feast Which did â—ndure for full seven dayes at least Wherat was both great comp'ny great chear So as it did thereby right well appear That Sara was a veâ—y welcome guest And so accounted and esteem'd with th' best So many came on purpose visit her Which was great joy unto her old father And when the feast came to be well nigh done The old man said unto the yong his son What wages now
must we for him provide Hath been your servant and so good a guide And then the son unto the father said We by his means so happy a journey made As I think half of what we have in store Is little enough if it were so much more With all my heart the old man then repli'd For he hath prov'd to us a blessed guide I am content he shall have half we have And more then half if he do more but crave Then call him in and know what is his mind Since he hath prov'd to us so firm a friend Then Tobie call'd and Raphael he obey'd And then unto him thus the old man said We know not how we shall your pains repay But half we have do take with you away It is your own for we do freely give it And more then half if you but please to have it Then he repli'd give unto God the praise For he alone it was that did you raise And he alone it was did this great thing Then be you thankfull and his praises sing For I am but that Raphael one of th' sâ—ven His holy Angels wait on him in heaven And did present to him your liberall alms And praises which you sung to him in Psalms So I am onely but the instrument 'T is he alone who hath me to you sent That I might shew to you his wonders great For I as yet did ne'r take any meat Although I seem'd indeed to you to eat And therefore now give unto God the praise And do you laud his holy name alwayes And fast and pray from praying do not lin That he may keep you from all grievous sin And let your alms be suiting to your store Of lesse give lesse and then of more give more And have a care you to him thankfull be For these great blessings he bestow'd on ye And praise sing praise to him for evermore Who is sole giver of your plenteous store Him serve him praise him do you ever fear And then will he unto your pray'rs give ear And nothing will this good God now deny Then praise sing praise to him that fits on high And look that you do all these wonders write And so did he depart out of their sight Then they down on their bended knees did fall And on the name of th' only God did call That he would please continue's blessing still If so it might stand with his blessed will And al their lives his praises they do sing Whose wondrous works o'r all the earth do ring And thankfull are for blessings he doth send And so continue unto their lives end Observe my soul what was old Tobies care To teach his son the way how to prepare Unto the place which he in heart desired The place was heav'n heav'n alone required And for direction left his son his Will To guide him th' way unto Mount Sions hill For it appears by that his will it self He car'd not much for any worldly pelf So he got heaven he sought not any more For he held that ev'n alsufficient store But few such now when most of men seek wealth And more respect it then they do their health Since want doth make most poore men be dejected And worldly wealth most rich to be respected But thou my soul tho God have made thee pore Fear not to want seeing Christ is at thy dore And will come in if thou wilt but provide An upright heart that he that may there abide For he nor likes nor loves for to be there Where th' heart lives not within its Saviour's fear But if he find a heart which proveth such Then that heart he respecteth very much And loves it dearly and will 't surely keep As one of those his well beloved sheep Here stay my soul for here is perfect love Which cometh solely from Jehova 'bove Then gain this love whats'ere it may thee cost For this love doth of all concern thee most Make use of this and here my soul observe What love it is which doth a man preserve Not love of wealth as some men use to say Nor yet of health as most do use to pray No nor of peace which all the earth desire When war hath set this wicked world on fire But peace of conscience that is aye the best And that my soul hold thou worth all the rest And doubtlesse that shalt thou thy self obtain And in that peace shalt all thy life remain Untill thou change this life on earth and then No doubt but this thy soul shal obtain heav'n There stay my soul and there set up thy rest For heaven of all homes is th' onely best And if thou canst though dearly purchase that No King on earth is seis'd of such a state Then lay out all thou hast for that rich field Where hidden treasure lieth unreveal'd It matters nothing though thou hast no more Thou shalt be rich altho thou beest made poore Stay there my soul do not here hence range But think of heav'n and of this earthly change VVhose soul though bounder'd here on earth with clay Know then no bounders that this soul can stay O what a weaknesse doth abide in me Cannot conceive what this thing soul should be Which ought all other parts in me controul Yet cannot my wit circumscribe this soul Which I well know I have in the somewhere Within my corps yet do not I know where Though each sence have its sev'rall seat beget Yet do not I know which is my souls seat Whereby I see that I my self am such And weaker far then most of men by much Since I with all that little wit I have Where my soul is I can it not conceive For I can neither see nor yet it feel Nor taste nor hear nor yet it seent or smell Still am assur'd and do right well it see That I have now a living soul in me And I do further perfectly it feel And chiefest care is for its onely weal I do it likewise in me also taste And loth I am it should within me waste I well observe my living soul I hear Pray unto God that it may live in 's fear And many a time in soul I use to smell A seent of sin when as it is not well O what a strange and hard Enigma's this Which none doth know but only th' God of blisse For he alone did it unto me give And by him onely it in me doth live For he had power to have made me a stone And then a soul had I had in me none Or if he 'd pleas'd he might made me a tree Nor then had been a living soul in me But he infus'd into this clayie slime A living Soul within his pleasing time I hope with joy shall to him go again And with him ever shall in joy remain And then I hope my weary soul shall rest In him alone by whom 't is onely blest O blessâ—d Lord which diâ— to me it give Grant it may
suffer for the bodies crime Which conscience offer'd often to inform But pride of heart held conscience aye in scorn And would not hear when it made suit to speak For worldly affairs such suits do always break And so the soul is now depriv'd of bliss Or sight of heaven where its sweet Saviour is And that proud flesh of earth at first was made Must to the earth and there a while be staid For crawlers meat till that loud trump shall blow When soul and body both must undergo That final doom by God himself pronounced Because in life this God they have renounced And that most justly doth the conscience tell Depriv'd of heaven and doom'd to th' deepest hel Where they must live but wishing still for death Which they did fear at parting with their breath So what in heart in life was always loathed Will after death in heart he ever loved But not obtain'd as Diver doth thee tell Decreed for ever now to live in hell O eloquent death hath done more in one day Then Moses did with all that he could say Or yet the Prophets by their crying out These eighty years or now neer thereabout Yet all unheard or not in heart believed Till this hard heart of life is like bereaved O powrful death whose presence without speaking Hath done what Prophets could not by their preaching This conscience knows doth at large relate What th' heart hath done and what shall be its fate But out of time because it would not hear That it should come be laid on th' fatal bear Which now stands ready waiting at the dore To carry away who did it scorn before Is this a time then now for thee begin To think in what state thou at death art in For now thy conscience guilty of sin will say That th' weight of it to Topher doth thee sway Without all hope of thee for ere returning Whâ—n th'souls before and in that Tophet burning So all thy helps are surely now but weak If thou didst not in former times bespeak Them at his hands who always willing is And able also to bring thee to bliss If thou hast made the way for it before Or else there 's danger of it at deaths dore Thou foolish man observe the harmless Bee Who summer-time doth fill her downy thie And in her storehouse hoards up plenty of meat Against the time when there is none to get Look likewise on that little creature Ant Who being careful how to prevent want Foreseeing winter to be coming on In time of summer makes provision These little creatures teach thee time well spent In its due time and that with good intent May gain unto thee blessings happily Which shall continue for eternity But th' old man he is blind and cannot see And th'young man he is stout and will not be Correct with death this death which only can As all things else unmake this creature man And that being done then all this massie earth Unable is for to regain him breath And therefore now be sure whilsâ— thou hast power For to remember death comes at an hour When 't is not look'd foâ— like unto the thief When man 's in health and is of full belief That he shall live and so he still expects The length of daâ—eâ— but th'day of death neglects And yet doth know that he 'fore all the rest Who dyeth well thus only shall be blest For if a man were able spend his time Dâ—void of sin or any sinful crime And prove an Atheist but for one half hour And therein comes his blessed Saviour And doth demand what only is his own And roâ—peth there where he hath never sown O what a case may this man now be in Who long liv'd well yet dy'd in deadly sin Since th'tree as 't grows that way it surely fals And as the thief doth come so God he cals For th'foolish Virgins had their final doom For want of oyl shut out of th'marriage room O what a fearful horrid case is this For one houres pleasure lose eternal bliss Then watch my soul and do thou always say Good Lord give us our daily bread this day For after one day filthy worms did eat That precious Manna which was heavenly meat Because that they who every day would have Should every day for daily blessings crave And knew those worms did food of Angels eat Within a while will of the flesh make meat And though thy soul it cannot then be there Yet soul and body are decreed to beare Their share alike at the last reckning day Then do not thou this reck'ning now delay For wretched man this time doth draw fast on Neer unto death by computation And every day thy sins they do increase Time for repentance daily doth decrease And if repentance by grace be obtained There 's satisfaction also must be gained Or else I doubt repentance very much Without repayment cannot prove be such As it should be and then I greatly feare There will no dayes be longer granted there For death is strong and will not be orecome By threats nor treats whenas the day doth come Then thou fond man who seeing thy sick friend Wilt not say to him he is neer his end Till he be likely to yield up his breath And then thou wills him he should think of death Lest that the name of death should fearful be To him that is now at the point to die Then fear this death before he so neer come For 't is too late to do 't at th'day of doom Seeing if deaths warrant shall but once be sealed There is no wealth can cause it be repealed And therefore now have care prevent the worst Lest thou doe hold thy day of birth accurst When hils nor mountains are not able hide But this thy life must then be justly tride By thine own conscience 'fore that dreadful King Who knows and sees even every secret thing And sendeth this his servant powrful death To take away from thee thy dearest breath O then have care thou do thy dayes spend well If thou intend to keep thy soul from hell And be thou often thinking of this death How 't is his office to take away thy breath And do it daily since each day thou may Even lose thy life in that one dayes delay And so by this accustom'd daily count Thou 'lt see thy sins how they decrease or mount And if th' hast wealth thy care is so much more To leave'â— then he that is esteemed poor O living look thou stare upon deaths face That dying thou maist know his comely grace For familiarity will only bring A loving liking of a loathed thing Then thou my soul acquaint thee with this death Before he come to fetch away thy breath For tho his physnomie be pale and grim If daily seen thou 'lt stand no fear of him Then do thou look upon him every day As he were coming to call thee away By so much oftner that thou
th' end of generation No place exempt but even in every nation Doth Adams seed partake of th'punishment For Adams sin without distinguishment Then fear to sin seeing God is so severe As for one sin to punish every where From time to time till th' end of time be come Sweet Jesus grant that word may be my doom But how can I expect this doom to me Of many millions one most unworthy Or what 's my hope who thousand sins committed That th'least of them to me may be remitted When many millions for one sin condemned And without Christ no hope to be redeemed O fearful fearfull What more fearfull is Then for one sin mankind depriv'd of bliss Consider wretch what thy whole life hath bin And then thou 'lt see no houre without some sin If th'dost but mark what thou thy self hast done Thou hast forsworn both Father and tho Son For knowingly thou hast him disobeyed Let conscience say if this can be denyed See it be judge of all thou go'â—t about T wil say tha 'st sin'd even all thy life throughout And so thâ— sins to millions will amount If thou wert able of them keep account But though thou fail in numbring of them all Thy Saviour can and will t' account thee call And then thou lt wish that thou hadst nere bin born In sin to live in sin to dye forlorn Then well consider what was Adams sin Once disobeying Gods command therein What for that sin was Gods just punishment And it will strike thee with astonishment Then think how many sins thou hast committed And what 's thy hope that they may be remitted When for one sin mankind was all condemned If that by Christ they shall not be redeemed And then thou l't think what may be due for thine Think of this deeply and think on 't in time Keep 't in thy mind thou cannot keep 't too much A goodly theam do thou conceit it such And leave not thinking of it all thy life Lest justly thou be punisht like Lots wife For God is ready of an instant smite thee And so is Satan ever to endite thee And for that purpose he 's on thee attending And so will be untill thy life be ending In thought of this be sure to have a care That Satan do not smite thee with despaire But still be mindfull Christ did die for thee And will defend thee for eternity But then must thou obey him in thy heart And look each sin do breed in thee a smart When dost remember Adams only sin For all of thine what danger thou art in But that thy God doth suffer thee to live And for thy sins such blessings doth thee give As thou maist justly say his mercy 's great When by his bounty he doth thee intreat To come to him and faithfully him serve As conscience knows his goodness doth deserve Then for his goodness fear him to offend Retain such fear until thy life shall end And it may help for to amend thy cours Which conscience knows is each day wors wors Because thou minds not that thy God is just And on a sudden may smite thee to dust Remember these and none of them forget They 'll be a means that Christ may come to set Thee with himself where thou shalt live for aye And sing his praises in a joyful raye So sing my soul the praises of this God Who gives thee blessings in lieu of 's heavy rod Be yielding thanks to his most holy name VVho was is now and aye shall be the same Let all thy life shew thou dost thankful prove To this good God the God of peace and love VVho doth desire that thou maist leave thy sin And lieu of Satan let thy Saviour in Look he be always in thy inward thought And he will let no ill to thee be brought And aim at nought but what gives him content Or if rhou dost be sure of it repent Canst thou observe the rising of the Sun And then not think the Son of mans to come Thou seest the glory of it doth appear Throughout the world to all both far and near Thou dost discern the greatness of that light Doth make a difference between day and night Thou hast the sense to see it comfort brings To every kind whatsoere created thingâ— Th' effects of both to all on earth are shown As well to strangers as to those his own All creatures are of its great good partaker And in their kind for it they praise their Maker Observe the greatness of its glorious shine Whereto none's like it saving that Divine Then if in th'creature there such glory be What is in him that made both it and thee Th' Arabians they do find its extream hot But th' English feel its goodness tho remote The Indians they some black some tawny turn'd But th' English we with scorching are not burn'd With us it makes the earth it self rejoyce And all therein with joy lift up their voyce When Birds and Bees and every creeping thing Sing forth the praises of their heavenly King And every beast and creature of the field To this their Maker all due thanks do yield Save thankless man who hath received more Then all the rest of Gods abundant store Because forgetfull of this gracious God And for our good beat with his heavy rod. Thou shameless man let these poor creatures move thee Like them with joy to praise this God above thee And yield him thanks for all his goodness given To thee unworthy lift thy eye to heaven Where great Jehovah knoweth by his power The lighting down of th' sparrow at they dore And every secret that thy heart can think Whereof take notice lest thou come to sink Into that Tophet which God hath prepar'd For such as do not yield him due regard Thou thankles man think how this God hath blest thee Before he send his servant Death t' arrest thee Observe with care of what good thou partaker When some do worship this the Sun for th'maker What difference great between the day and night They live in darkness though we live in light Then since thy God hath shew'd himself to thee Unworthy wretch towards him to lift thine eye Prove not forgetfull of this good the greatest To thee poor man of millions one the meanest When thou perceives the Sun reflects on thee Forget not then for sinners Christ did dye And when he yielded up his glorious Ghost The Sun did then forgo his brightness most As though it sorrowed for to see him die Who yet doth live and shall eternally Canst thou but mark the setting of the Sun And then forget the Son of man did come Down from the heavens where glory doth abound Unto this earth where nothing can be found But earthly things ' mongst whom he lived here And took on him the shape which thou dost beat Both flesh and bone and every several lim Yet always free from the least thought of sin Whereby he
taught thee how thou ought to live In serving God and to him praises give Praise him praise him praise him continually Who was so pleas'd for sinfull man to dy Forget not then when canst not see the sun To think how Christ down to this earth did come To gain thee to him and with him to live Then yield him thanks and to him praises give Who did endure the torments due to thee A wretch a wretch a wretch most unworthy Follow his example then thou needst not fear Tho th' Prince of darkness do to thee appear For if he shall he hath no power to hurt thee If thou hast faith fear not Christ will defend thee And grant thee strength for to withstand his powr Tho he assault thee every day and hour But thou must strive and ne'r be drawn to yield For if thou dost be sure to lose the field Expect this Fiend to have him fall upon thee Since he spar'd not thy Saviour who did make thee But carried him into the wilderness Making expression of great holiness For when he fasted had full forty dayes Being hungry then the tempter to him sayes If thou be Christ the Son of God indeed Comand these stones that they may be made bread But he replied Life 's not by bread alone But by the words which come from God each one And yet the tempter did not leave him thus No marvel then if he do so with us But set him on the Temples highest stone And will'd him thence to throw his body down Seeing it is writ his Angels shall protect thee Lest dash of stone at any time may hurt thee But answering he replied this holy word 'T is writ thou shalt not tempt thy God the Lord. Yet still the tempter did not give him over But set him higher where he might discover Even all th' earths kingdoms then within his eyes And th'glory of them did to him descrie And said if he would fall and worship him He freely would bestow them all on him But Jesus then bid Satan to be gone Saying thou shalt worship only God alone And only him none other shalt thou serve Doe so my soul 't will thee from death preserve So Satan left him and the Angels came And fed him then in great Jehovah's name Observe my soul the subtlety of this Spirit Alleadging Scripture ' gainst the meaning of it To private ends his fancy for to please Without respect how it did God displease Then fear the spirit make trial if 't be of God Or else be sure he 'll send his heavy rod To punish such as aim to wrest the truth But cleave to it as did to Naomi Ruth Take th' sacred sense beware of any wresting With holy things be sure there be no jesting Apply not places to thy private sence Lest pleasing thee may give thy God offence Read with great rev'rence when thou readest such An humble heart helps understanding much Make use of this and here observe with care How by ill spirits the Scaiptures wrested are And uses made unto some wicked end The Lord of life me from such spirits defend For these Expositors Scriptures do expound ' Gainst ancient writers men much more profound Who spent their lives in following that profession which is now gain'd by some few mouths possession They studied hard before they could obtain it But some new teachers think but light to gain it And when they purpose to the people preach They think it Gospel whatsoere they teach Without respect what our forefathers told Or what hath been in those the dayes of old As though by nature Learning now were gain'd When God doth know it is by some profan'd But thou my soul such shallow places read As thou maist wade them without any dread And leave the deeps for such have art to swim Whatsoever seas of deeps they do come in Learn no such art but leave 't to them that think No sea so deep wherein they cannot sink The Lord of host deliver me from such thought For his sweet sake hath me so dearly bought And keep me safe from this presumptuous sin And many more which I have lived in For ' spiring minds are seldom satisfied Although their wisdom be but folly tried But thou my soul let others folly teach Thee be content with that 's within thy reach Make godly use of what thy God hath given And by such use thou l't keep the way to heaven Keep that way still let nothing turn thee out Then God will prosper all thou goest about Though for the present he may please to try Lest in affliction thou wilt him deny As that just Job whom Satan could not touch Although the Serpents power did tempt him much But he us'd all temptations to good ends Observe his strength for to withstand his friends Take his example when thou tempted art And have a care thou do perform his part Observe his carriage let his patience move thee To serve thy Maker who entirely loves thee Although he teach thee with his heavy hand He will in th' end give thee thy hearts demand But then thou must not curse thy God and die For if thou dost 't is death eternallie And such a death as cannot be redeemd With all th' earths wealth how much soer esteemd Respect no pleasure nor no cruel pain Whatsoere thou suffer so that heaven thou gain Let no affliction alter thy resolve Altho't be such as life on earth dissolve For that this life on earth cannot be long And then there 's hope thou l't sing a heavenly song Among the Saints where glory doth abound Beyond the reach of th' best on earth are found For earthly minds unable are conceive What heavenly comfort Saints in heaven receive By th' glorious presence of that King of Kings Who doth abhor the sight of sinful things But casts them down to that infernal lake Where all must live that do of sin prrtake Then fear to sin and always it eschew Like death it self lest thou may come to rut And fall to curse the time of thy birth-day And to thy self thou thus lament and say Have I spent full out seventy years in sin Have I this while in them uncareful bin What shall befall me after I am dead What is it I have oft had in my head Have I esteemd this life as if immortal And after death of life to be but mortal Have I so much this wicked world esteemd As of this death I have but only dreamd Have I felt limbs how they grow stiffe and weak And cannot see how fast my life doth break Have I observed that my eyes grow blind And cannot know that even so doth my mind Have I discernd my memory to fail And cannot find my vital parts to quail Have I seen wrinkles in my withered skin And cannot see my life is weak within Have I observd my hair to fall away Yet cannot feel my life is in decay Doth not the baldness of my
am still as I have ever been O'ercome with mine own best beloved sin And have no strength for to withstand his power Doth thus torment me every day and hour O woe 's my heart that erst it should be born To live so long and now to dye forlorne O wo's my heart that Christ should weep for me And it not draw one tear from out mine eye O wo's my heart that Christ should dye for me Yet wretched I by 's death no better be O wo's my heart he calls me to embrace Yet I decline him by my want of grace O wo's my heart that erst it should be born To make my Saviour wear a crown of thorn O wo's my heart his tender hands should feel These rents for me and onely for my wee l O wo's my heart his side was pierc'd for me And yet my heart from feeling thereof free O wo's my heart his feet were nail'd to th' tree And yet that nailing nothing trouble me O wo's my heart that cannot feel his stripes Were able fill a stony heart with gripes O wo's my heart 't is not in sunder torn To see my Saviour bide for me such scorne O wo's my heart he endur'd this for my wee l And I want grace his grievous torments feel O wo's my heart he gave his life for me Yet wretched I in him nor live nor dye O wo's my heart he should for me be sent Yet want of grace will not let me repent O wo's my heart it should so hardned be As that his sufferings have not softned me O wo's my heart it is on sin so set As all his torments it doth quite forget O wo's my heart it will not bleed for wo To think that Satan hath now made it so O wo's my heart that nothing can it bring To serve my Saviour and my heavenly King O wo's my heart he should me thus respect Yet want of grace to make me him neglect O wo's my heart that he should shed his blood For me and yet it work in me no good O wo's my heart can nothing thee remove From love of hell to look at heaven above O wo's my heart so taken with thy sin And horrid life which thou hast lived in O wo's my heart thou wilt not sin forsake And to thy Saviours service thee betake O wo's my heart neglects Gods service so As breach of Sabbath breeds in me no wo. O wo's my heart will not spend Sabbath day In serving God and in his service stay O wo's my heart not one day in a week Shall I serve God and his true honour seek O wo's my heart I have delighted more In serving Satan then my Saviour O wo's my heart that 's drawn with such delight To follow th' wrong and forsake that is right O wo's my heart that 's from thy Saviour straying Whenas thy tongue is for thy pardon praying O wo's my heart I have less lov'd and us'd The Church then th'Alehouse where God is abus'd O wo's my heart that dost haunt Taverns more Then dost the Church to serve thy Saviour O wo's my heart thou shouldst so graceless be To neglect him who thus respecteth thee O wo's my heart it should so love its will As what is good it calls by name of ill O wo's my heart as fill'd with such ill blood As what is ill it gives it name of good O wo's my heart it should so stupid be As follow Mammon though thou dost him see O wo's my heart that seest thy way is broad And yet wilt not forsake that common road O wo's my heart that sees hell 'fore thy face And yet goes on for want of better grace O wo's my heart will not be drawn return Although thou seest black hell before thee burn O wo's my heart shall neither hell nor heaven Remove away from thee this wicked leaven O wo's my heart that thou shouldst be resolv'd Forsake thy Saviour till thou be dissolv'd O wo's my heart shall nothing thee remove To leave this hell and aime at heaven above O wo's my heart it is not fill'd with woes To leave heavens path and take that to hell goes O wo's my heart it will not burst to think What I am writing with this pen of ink O wo's my heart that it should guide my hand And yet it self the way of God withstand O wo's my heart my hand should point the path And yet my heart should follow th' way to wrath O wo's my heart it should this hell-hound love And so forsake this gracious God above O wo's my heart it should so stupid be As 't will go on although it Satan see O wo's my heart that Christ came me to call And yet towards him I will not go at all O wo's my heart it is so idly given As that ' gainst idleness I have never striven O wo's my heart so taken with delight Of what is wrong but seldome what is right O wo's my heart with more delight wilt look On news though toyes then on a pious book O wo's my heart spends time in earthly toyes Neglecting that which tends to heavenly joyes O wo's my heart that nothing will delight thee But things indeed which rather ought to fright thee O wo's my heart will break thy sleep for sin Yet wilt not wake to let thy Saviour in O wo's my my heart that will to Satan yield When they must fight intend to win the field O wo's my heart that 's hollowed so within As t will retaine nought but beloved sin O wo's my heart how great hath been thy care From time to time thy rent for to prepare Lest that thy Landlord might for it distraine Or turn thee out though Tearm by Lease remain O wo's my heart how little thy regard To serve thy Christ who with his blood prepar'd A farme for thee in heaven whose worth is such As there 's no brest that can conceive how much O wo's my heart what difference there hath been Twixt this on earth and that thy Farme in heaven How great thy care to pay thy Landlords rent How light regard for th' Saviours discontent O wo's my heart that strives to pass away What without pastime will not with thee stay O wo's my heart that thy care should be more To serve this Satan then they Saviour O wo's my heart lov'st better Satan serve Then him who doth indeed thy life preserve O wo's my heart that hastens time to run But when th' end comes I fear thou wilt it shun O wo's my heart still striv'st set that away Which tends to nothing but to thy decay O wo's my heart that 's careful for thy sleep Yet careless how thy self from sin to keep O wo's my heart more curious of thy taste Then of thy time which hourly thou dost waste O wo's my heart so carefull keep a watch How worldly toyes thou mayst in time dispatch Yet careless how thou triflest time away Which tends to nothing but to
he did repent I heard him often yet will not relent Though Peter sinn'd repentance gain'd remission I commit sin yet to repent omission When Peter sinn'd he saw it and did refuse it I see my sin yet still resolve to use it O wretch O wretch O wretch wilt ne'er return Till thou be doom'd in that dark fire to burn Will nothing draw thee say this Satan no As though thou lov'st this fatal word of Go Canst thou expect thy Saviour shall retaine thee When thou dost know that Satans self hath gain'd thee Thou art ready prest hear Satan at first call But thy blest Saviour thou'lt not hear at all Peter heard th' cock made use of his preaching Thou hearest Peter without use of his teaching Each creature taught this Peter for to pray But all created thy sin cannot stay Peter was left to bring unto thee life Yet thou lov'st sin as Satan loveth strife Peter did weep and did his sin forbear But thou sinn'st still yet cannot shed one tear With Peters sin his heart was mollified But mine with sin is rather stupified O wicked heart art not ashamed to see How all thy sins have nothing softned thee Art so resolv'd as nothing shall remove thee To leave this Satan though thou seest he loves thee Consider well the cause of this his love Because thou hast forsworn thy God above O Jesu Jesu have I thee forsworn Who came from heaven and on this earth was born For to redeem me from this bond of sin And horrid life which I have lived in And here endured the paines of death for me In hope I should from this foul Satan flie And notwithstanding shall I follow him still Forsaking good and following what is ill O weep O weep even rivers of salt tears To keep thee free from greatest of all feares Shall Satan say thy Saviour is forsaken Who dyed on earth and then to heaven was taken Desirous thou shouldst do as he had done Live here a while and then unto him come Yet thou a wretch a most ungracious wretch Whose sufferings are not able thee to teach That thy hard heart is harder far then steel Wilt not be drawn thy Saviours sufferings feel O weep O weep let tears fall from thine eye For him who shed both tears and blood for thee O weep O weep now spend thy time in sorrowing For to redeem thy time is spent in sinning O weep O weep let Peter teach thee weep And it will teach thee from thy sin to keep O weep O weep let tears fall from thy eyes That they may prove for sin a sacrifice O weep O weep with tears produce thy grief If thou do hope for sin to have relief O weep O weep let tears make soft thy heart If thou expect in Christ have any part But how can I expect in Christ a part When there 's in me not any good desart For I have spent most of my time in sin And my amendment is yet to begin Can I presume then God will pardon him Who hath liv'd all his life in deadly sin With what face can he now for pardon pray Hath so offended deeply every day O hypocrite thy conscience can thee tell That thou dost think ther 's neither heaven nor hell For if thou didst it surely would appear That thou didst stand of this great God in fear Seeing thou didst see his plagues on Egypt sent When Pharaohs heart would not be drawn repent Untill the Lord had so decreed and doomed That he and his should in the sea be drowned And his elected safely brought to land Through the read sea by great Jehovahs hand For which did Moses sing praise to the Lord Who did preserve them by his onely word And Miriam she did lead the maides a dance Which highly did the praise of God advance Her Timbrel sure did make a joyful noise With which hearts hands feet keep equal poise Good God! what diff'rence now in this new world How it is alter'd from it was of old Though our solemn Revels make a stately show Yet these to them cannot compare I know Their dance set forth their joy was in their hearts But this the practice of the outward parts That shewed their thankes for a great deliverance These only th' state is in a courtly dance Such are the Masques and shows to court are sent Whose cost are cause make many a youth repent What other good in them I do not know Yet this new worlds proud humour it doth show But there leave court let country shew its skill How apt it is to practice what is ill Where Pipes and Shawms and Fiddles fill the street With filthy tunes for chast ears most unmeet And yet to these will men and women dance As though they meant the praise of hell advance Here Miriams timbrel sure hath not been heard Or if it were it was with light regard Her timbrel sounded out a heavenly tone But these do pipe or little good or none Their musick mounted hearts up to the heaven But these keep souls with bodies station even If one should dance as David did 'fore th' arke There 's many Nichals would him readily mark But now his like on earth 's not to be seen Nor many such as he have ever been Or like to Miriam are not many more Though such as Michal now there are great store Not many Miriams on our English ground Though millions like to Michal may be found Whose light behaviour in their dancing's such As doth conduce to sinful lust in much And no great need where all are apt to ill Though this their aptness soul and body kill When Miriam danced 't was with fatal fear Of that Jehovah who had plac'd them there And in their songs his praises they do sing Whose wondrous works o're al the earth do ring But now our Michals songs are nothing so For they are such as bring their souls to wo. Their dancing sent a most sweet smelling savour But ours casts us out of our Makers favour Good God! that this our English fertile land Should harbour such as will not understand How much they 're bound unto this gracious God Though now we are beaten with his heavy rod Because we have neglected him to serve VVho with his blood did us from death preserve VVithin this Isle wherein his Sun did shine Like to that blessed land of Palestine O Wicked world behold how God hath lest thee And Satan he of all good hath bereft thee For Abraham's seed can hardly now be found Except it be in graves are under ground When who 's a Christian hardly can be known If by their works their faith it must be shown Though we profess and say that we have faith Our works deny it so sacred Scripture saith For all the world so madly runs awry As most forget they 're born to live to dye O what a wicked wretched world is now When most of men do unto Baal bow Though they
world well known O weep O weep that all the earth may see For our great sins how penitent we be O weep O weep let each one of us weep And every one strive from sin himself to keep But my hard heart good God is hardned so It oft forgets the cause of all my wo. O weep O weep let heart and eyes agree That 't is for him who gave his life for thee O weep O weep with tears wash off thy sin If thou intend a new life now begin O weep O weep now spend the night in weeping Which thou art wont to sot away in sleeping O weep O weep both day and night and all Least th' wrath of God do justly on thee fall O weep O weep how great thy cause to weep Because thou wilt not from thy sin thee keep O weep O weep from morning untill night Such weeping may help keep thy way aright O weep O weep spend all thy dayes in sorrow For such in time may help thy soul to borrow O weep O weep let eyes forbear to wink And let thy tears serve for thy daily drink O weep O weep in tears eat thou thy bread And with them likewise water thou thy bed O weep O weep at bed and boord and all And never cease on thy sweet Saviour call O weep O weep now when thy dayes are done Thy tears may help prevent thy death to come O weep O weep let ne'er thy cheeks be dry And all too little till the day thou dye O weep O weep and to thy Saviour say Good God me pardon I thee humbly pray O weep O weep till thou have pardon sent And till such time ne'er cease but still repent O weep O weep to wash thy heart from sin Till it be clean be sure Christ comes not in O weep O weep to cleanse that hollow place Mak 't free from sin and fill it up with grace O weep O weep till Christ shall to thee say Come now thou blessed come and with me stay O weep O weep untill thou hear this saying And mixe thy tears be sure with harty praying O weep O weep till Christ be pleas'd to hear And to thy pray'r vouchsafe to turn his ear O weep O weep with heart and soul and all Untill such time as he shall on thee call For without him thy tears are all but nought Receive me Lord whom thou hast dearly bought For my own strength good God 's of no availe Except thy blood sweet Christ for me prevaile For in my self good Lord help there is none But by thee onely and by thee alone For all my tears cannot me heaven obtaine Except thou please good God with me remaine Then come sweet Jesus and with me reside That I in thee may evermore abide But 't is not in me nor my power O Lord Except thou please vouchsafe to say the word Then say to me that blessed word of Come Without it Lord I am utterly undone Then be thou pleas'd good God on me to call Else heart and tears and soul are wasted all Sweet Jesus send me send me Lord I pray Thy holy Spirit to keep me in the way The way to life I have so long neglected I do deserve of thee to be rejected And justly too except thou so shall please Of thine abundant goodness grant me ease Of this illusion hath me so deluded As I am justly now from heaven excluded But that I know that thou dost not desire A sinners death but rather dost require That he may live and praise thy holy name Who was is now and aye shall be the same Lord finish that the great desire of me That I do never herehence from thee flee But love to follow thy most holy will And by thy help attaine to Sions hill For by thy blood Lord and by it alone I must have help or else I can have none For my hard heart good God is hardned so As it doth deserve this fatal word of Go Except thou please to call unto me Come Sweet Jesus grant that word may be my doome Then call sweet Jesu call me Lord I pray That I in thee for evermore may stay And by thy help I may have strength withstand This fatal enemy of all humane kinde Sweet Jesu help help me good God I pray That I in sin do now no longer stay But at this present I may now begin To make a reck'ning of each several sin And by thy help call this day to account And therein see how those my sins do mount And not ingross them all in one gross sum Lest that their weight my memory may benum But let each hour arraigne its own offence And so the next produce its penitence Make this accompt from morning untill night And well observe thou take thy aime aright From one till two and then from two till three And in that order look thy reck'ning be And when thou hear'st the Artists clock to strike Have care thy natural clock may do the like Observe thy care how great for earthly toyes And then how light it is for heavenly joyes Thou 'lt not forget to know when 's time to eat But this thy care is not for spiritual meat Thou 'lt know by th' clock when 's time to go to bed But when to heaven it doth not trouble thy head All earthly actions by the clock thou 'lt square Then look for heavenly such may be thy care Thou 'lt say the clock hath struck 't is time to go But not to heaven let once thy heart say so If thine occasions rest upon an hour Thou 'lt ask what 's clock at every neighbors door And if thou finde that thy set hour is past I hope thou'lt then redeem it by thy hast Do these for earth with those for heaven compare And look for these as for those be thy care And then no doubt but thou shalt surely finde Thy Saviours sufferings constantly in minde Begin at th' secrets of thy hollow heart And then from thence to every other part And draw thy thoughts into a narrow roome That thou maist gaine this blessed word of Come And call them all unto a strict account Lest let alone they may to millions mount For they are swift and like an arrow flie Once by their aime they 're sure to run awry Then have a care they alwayes aime aright Or ne'er expect that they can come to light Collect them often lest thy memory faile Which if it do thy conscience cannot quaile Examine it for each particular hour What service in it had thy Saviour And then I doubt it easily will appear Thou hast serv'd Satan most part of the yeer For though it seem at present sound asleep Assure thy self a reckoning it doth keep And will disclose all at that doleful day When for thy pleasure hell shall be thy pay Then let thy Centinels alwayes lye Pardue That they may tell when th' enemy comes in veiw Make hast to run and think
more Me overcome as he hath done before This my weak heart who 's faint hath no power Within it self no not for one half hour It self to keep except it so shall please My Saviour sweet this great tentation cease For thou O Lord and only thou alone Must either help or other I have none And therefore now I humbly to thee pray Thou wilt vouchsafe with me good Lord to stay And safe me keep from all tentation Of that most subtle wicked Legion Who winds himself into my very heart And will not thence by me be drawn depart Except thou please good Lord to cast him out And let him range this terrene world about And nere attempt to set on me again But cause me still good God in thee remain That I O Lord may ever in thee live And heart and mind unto thee freely give That with good conscience I may safely say Thou'â—t in my heart and there dost live and stay ' Cause in my thoughts I doe it surely find That thou art firmly seated in my mind And will not suffer idle worldly toyes For to deprive me of those heavenly joyes But that in them I may put my delight And banish all whatsoere that are not right So as no pleasure shall be able move My heart from thee my Saviour God above But that in thee I may repose my rest In whom alone I shall be only blest So I from thee do not again now fall But on the name of my sweet Saviour call When Satan doth my weak faint heart delude And on my weakness doth himself intrude Whereby he seeks to draw me still away From thee my Saviour and my only stay By some deceitful bait which he hath set To overtake me in that woful net Wherein are taken every one of those Who in that Fiend do any trust repose For who him trust them surely he deceives And of all goodness he them quite bereaves Then trust him not for if that so thou dost Assure thy self thy soul is utterly lost For there was never any gain'd by him Who doth endeavour invite all to sin Whatsoere he seems in show for to pretend Be sure to find a horrid death in th' end For all his projects are but crafty wiles Whereby poor sinners he of good beguiles And doth not suffer them to see their sin Till they be taken in his hellish gin And if by chance poor man it hap to spy Then he will have some other readily Whereby he may entrap this silly man Who of himself no good at all he can So as he is not able senses use But their right end he utterly doth abuse And here my soul do thou observe with care How by good use all parts assistant are With help to bring thee to that happy place Where all shall live who are endow'd with grace And in their journey care to keep the path Which leads to life or else they gain the wrath Of that great God whose wondrous works are such As in this pilgrimage our journey may help much If we but mark and to the Spirit give ear When God himself doth in each part appear And every minute doth some warning give Which may direct us how on earth to live So as with care we attend unto his call Who takes no pleasure in the sinners fall Although in them he will be glorified Because his name we have not magnified Have I receiv'd my senses all in vain So as their use affords to me no gain But loss of life and my sweet Saviour Who doth not cease to call me every hour O now O now begin to look at home And see thy senses how they all do come Without respect of him who hath them sent Or th' end for which they were unto thee lent And do not quench the Spirit of God in thee Lest thou be blind when dost desire to see O then use eyes and use them to that end For which Jehovah did them to thee send For wheresoere thou turn'st this eye of thine The work of God most plain in it doth shine If to the heavens thou seest his glory there Who for thy sins was pleas'd on earth appear If to the earth each herb a wonder is And by that wonder help thy soul to bliss Look in thy heart and there thou mayst behold How Satan's black although he shine like gold Then see thy soul the chiefest of thy rest How it desires to be whereâ—t may be blest O further that desire with every sense Who shall for it receive good recompence Observe how God bestowed on thee a Taste And in that part of th'body it hath plac'd So as there 's nothing into th'corps can go But it gives warning whether 't be so or no. Then use this taste unto its own right end Thou 'lt see that God did it unto thee send Not for to taste that Evahs bitter apple Lest thou want strength with Satan for to grapple But 't was to taste the things for th'body food Lest ought may enter there which is not good O then do thou of good have only care And all things ill of them be thou aware Lest that thy soul may lose its spiritual health Which is more worth then all thy worldly wealth O be thou curious of thy bodies taste Lest pleasing sins may make thy soul to waste Liâ—e as the body with it's poison'd pils Tho gold without within they 're stuff'd with ils Another Sentinel hath Jehovah sent Lest thou should smel somthing thou might repent Thou 'lt stop thy nose when 't feels a scent is ill Then stay each member and restrain thy will Which are delighted with each pleasing smell But have a care such scent not towards hell All finest flowers have not the sweetest smell Scent thou then such as to thy soul scents well Let that scent only please thy inward mind Although thy corps esteem it most unkind For soul and bodies scent have several sense This loveth sin but that loves penitence O then prefer that which thy soul doth scent Lest that in th' end thy corps have cause repent Use that restriction with this Sentinel That it scent nothing but that doth scent well Unto thy soul let it thy scent approve Who hates all ill and what is good doth love Another sense hath this great God thee sent To feel thy sins and of them to repent Thou well canst feel a small stroke of thy skin Yet wilt not feel the Spirit how quench'd within Canst thou feel hurts if in thy bodies members But thy souls hurt thou l't not be drawn remember Consider well how God hath plac'd this sense In th' outward part of th' inward for defence Thou wilt prevent the falling of a tree But th'greatest sin thou thinkst cannot hurt thee Canst thou be careful of thy bodies food And have no feeling of thy soul its good Canst thou feel prickles in thy tender skin And cannot feel thy soul is prickt within Dost thou not
me come Was ever comfort heard of like to this Which brings thy soul into eternall bliss Where all the Saints with joyfull noyse accord To sing the praises of the heavenly Lord Who was and is and evermore shall be Till th' end of Time and thence eternally Let all the earth joyn and due praises sing To this our God and glorious heavenly King ' Mongst these my soul do thou set up thy rest Here none abide but them are onely blest Then do thou strive this blessedness to gain That thou with them mayst evermore remain And always joyfull Alleluja's sing To Christ thy Saviour and thy heavenly King Who hath thy soul thus far enlightned so As 't may be freed from that most dolefull wo And wofull word of Go from hence thou curst Of all that ere was heard the very worst Sweet Jesus please for to preserve me so As I may never hear this word of Go Which is so fearfull to my fleshly heart Which makes it grieve and inwardly to smart Come blessed Lord be pleas'd vouchsafe me cure Of this my grievous pain which I endure For very sorrow of this horrid fear More heavy then I am able to bear To think what danger this my soul is in By my long life spent all in deadly sin But that my Saviour pleaseth comfort me When I remember how he dy'd for me And that his coming was for this intent To call me to him that I might repent Then please sweet Jesus sinfull me to call And so as I do never from thee fall But ever worship thee my God and King And with a joyfull heart thy praises sing Amongst that glorious heavenly Angels Quire Whose joys are full beyond all hearts desire And with them sing to thee continually And so shall do for all eternity The worthy praises of that heavenly King Whose wondrous works ore heaven and earth do ring Then sing my soul and ever jovial be The praises due to him that dy'd for thee Let all the earth conjoyn and praises sing To this our God and glorious heavenly King Both Father Son and eke the holy Ghost Who 's God alone and of all might is most And worthy is of all be ever blest And here my soul do now set up thy rest And have a care serve him continually And then be sure that thou shalt never dye Vouchsafe good GOD to this to say Amen SAMUEL BRASSE O Almighty ever-living most mercifull God and to me a most loving and kind Father I the work of thy hands unworthy even the very least of thy benefits unworthy so much as to lift up mine eys towards thy divine Majesty much less worthy to call unto thee for mercy or to receive any mercy thy hands Yet gracious God for that thou hast appointed all them that are heavy laden to come unto thee and thou wilt ease them I most entirely beseech thee of thy abundant goodness to ease me of this burthen of sin vnder which I have spent most part of that time thou hast been pleased to bestow upon me for thy own service soly Lord lay them not upon my soul now at my departure but wash them away w th the pretious blood of thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ bury them in his wounds dear Father that they may never rise up against me either in this life or that everlasting but please good Lord at my death to vouchsafe me this comfort of all others most comfortable Come thou blessed receive the Kingdom I have purchased for thee In full assurance whereof I commend my soul into thy hands Lord keep it there for his sake who so dearly bought it w th his pretious blood in whose Name I make bold to call unto thee in that perfect form of prayer he himself hath taught me saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. To my dear and onely Son WILLIAM BRASS SON these three letters imply three distinct persons Father Mother and Child these their severall offices the Father to educate his child in the fear of God and provide for his livelihood the Mother to assist as a helper the Son to obey both and observe them with a filiall care I thank my God there hath been no neglect of any part since you had your being and now at my departure I have left you this litle Book useful in this woful time of War though not against lime and stone yet against that active Enemy is ever ready upon all occasions to assault you and therein also you may view the infirmities life and by them apply some good use to your own Other wealth I am likely leave but a little since God hath so appointed it should be reft from me by the Sabeans Esteem this as your Fathers last Will read it with deliberation meditation and contemplation there may happily some thing be found in it will redound to your good when I am in grave Keep it in your pocket and peruse it often it may prove more worth then much wealth and as you tender your own good or your Fathers command I charge you upon all accasions which doubless will be many have recourse to the first Lines and in assurance thereof I shall live and die your loving Father Samuel Brasse A Note of the principal Points casually handled in this Book OF our Saviours passion 1 Of the Mind 18 Of Englands broyles 30 Of Moses 25 Of Dooms-day 35 Of joy and fear 37 Of Hell 39 Of lameness 41 Of accompt of time 48 Of repentance 49 Of King David 53 Of dreams 56 Of wonders 59 Of mans frailty 60 Of Peters walk 63 Of Faith 67 Of Angels 72 Of Toby 72 Of the alteration of times 82 Of the Soul 91 Of the Sacrament 93 Of the abuse of creatures 95 Of hunting 96 Of Death 52 Of the Bed 69 Of the Stair to heaven 73 Of the Garden 77 Of Adams fall 79 Of the Sun 82 Of the Spirit 86 Of Jobs patience 88 Of lamentation 89 Of woe 99 Of the Heart 105 Of Peters Cock 108 Of dancing 112 Of dissimulation 114 Of Englands tears 118 Of accompt of sin 122 Of the Prodigal 125 Of Pleasure 128 Of the end of mans creation 134 Of Madness 143 Of Repentance 146 Of our Saviours life 150 Of wandring thoughts 160 Of the use of Senses 220 Of sinfull thoughts 224 The Authors Prayer 229 Reader Some Numbers of the Pages are mistaken in the book but the order of the Contents is rightly observed FINIS