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
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
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
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
my God beholdeth me Shall I fear more that brings a mortal shame Then that which doth bring me eternal blame Doth th' eye of man deter me from my sin And th' eye of God have no power me within Have I discern'd this weakness in my mind And cannot see 't is Sathan makes me blind Examine conscience see what it now saith For it well knows thou hast not any faith Not yet dost think that there is any good Although he beat thee with his heavy rod Yet thou perchance wilt say thou dost believe But that even then the serpent did bereave The thought of heaven out of thy faint weak heart And would not suffer conscience play his part Who knoweth well that though thy tongue say so Thy stony heart within thee will say no For it doth use and love with God dissemble Or els no doubt w th fear 't would shake tremble Seeing neither hope of heaven nor fear of hell Can win this heart as conscience can thee tell O hypocrite leave off with God dissembling And pray him please to smite this heart with trembling This stony heart who thinks God doth not see Because even then he 's not in heart with thee But when thou comes unto thy God again And he so please with thee a while remain Thy tongue will then confess thou hast offended And for thy sin most justly reprehended But conscience knows thy heart is broken nought But still the same and aye doth yield to ought The Serpent offers to the fickle mind Rejecting Christ thy God and Saviour kind So as thy tongue may seem to praise his name Yet is thy heart even still the very same Involv'd in sin and therein takes delight Although thy conscience tell thee 't is not right And then perchance thou wilt presume that he Although thou sin yet still will pardon thee And so thou spends this time of grace in sin As if for sinning death had never been But think not so but think thy Saviour stands Before thy face two tables in his hands Wherein are writ our duty there commanded And its observance now by him demanded Canst thou reply thou sin'd in hope of grace Fie sin not so let such hope have no place Within thy heart but then think death is come With thy desert O fearful fatal doom Consider wretch and think what this may be Thou 'lt find it prove a fatal doom to thee When neither hils nor mountains can thee hide But still before that just Judge thou must bide Till thou do hear this sentence there pronounced That for thy sin thou art of God renounced Canst thou now sin and then not think of this Thou must be cast from out eternal bliss Where 's then that hope wherein thou hast presumed When death is come and all thy dayes consumed And then no hope of any longer stay But doom'd by death to Satan for a pray Canst thou now sin and not lay this to heart O lay 't betime lest soul and body part O sinful soul take notice of thy sin Lest death do come before thou dost begin O now begin and that without delay Lest death arrest thee'fore to morrow day When soul must suffer for the bodies sin And careless life which it hath lived in Without so much as any one dayes accompt To what a height thy sins that day will mount Begin this day and so go on to th' end And by that course thou 'lt see how life doth mend Neglect not this but use it constantly Lest thou be taken unprovided dy Be watchful then and alwayes be provided ' Gainst soul and body come to be divided Provide for this can no way be eschewed And let this course by all meanes be ensewed And so in time there may be hope of gaine Or else expect in heaven to have no place Strive for that place and strive and strive again For without Christ thy labour 's all in vaine And fast and pray upon thy bended knees To him who thee and all thy actions sees And ne'r forget thou canst not void his sight Who doth discerne thy heart in darkest night And now my soul do thou observe with care What over-weenings in thy judgement are If thou didst know it be an others fact Couldst thou approve on 't for a lawful act Wouldst thou allow that in thy onely son Which thou thy self hast now but newly done Art not ashamed that thou shouldst do a thing Which were not lawful though done by a King Can'st thou espie thy brothers mote unknown Yet canst not see the beam is in thy own VVilt thou be mindful of anothers ill Yet careless how thou bringst thy self to hell VVere eyes given thee to look into another And thy own sins in thy own brest to smother Can'st thou have feeling of thy friends offence And canst not see thy self is void of sense Can'st thou see faults within thy brother shine Yet canst not think that he againe seeth thine VVilt thou allow thy senses alwayes rome And ne'er attend to ought that 's done at home VVere senses sent to shew thy brothers faile VVithout respect what tends to thine availe A wise man may make use of others ill And by their faults observe his own to kill VVilt thou it be foul if 't be anothers fact And yet be faire if it be but thy own act Is there such difference in a brothers blood VVhat 's ill in th' one is in the other good If any such it is of their own making And not of judgement but of meer mistaking Art thou resolved to dye as thou dost live And canst expect that God will thee forgive But though thy sins be to this world unknown Assure thy self that hell will have its own And though thy Saviour still do suffer thee In thy own sins which he makes known to thee By his holy Spirit who daily doth attend Upon thy heart to see if thou wilt mend Yet do not think he 'll do as he hath done In often calling that thou'lt to him come But rather think that he hath given thee over Unto thy self without hope to recover So as thou'lt see that thy sad and weak estate As Judas-like become be reprobate O woe 's my heart neer ' yet could harbour wo Though often threatned with this word of Go Thou cursed cursed into th' hell of fire Where thou must burn without hope to retire O cry O cry cry to thy Saviour sweet And never cease till he shall please to meet Thy humble heart and grant it some remorse Which daily's grown each day be worse worse Sweet Jesus come good Lord I humbly pray And drive that Satan far from me away For he hath drawn me from my God and King Who 's worthy praise I am ever bound to sing Sweet Jesus hear me hear me Lord I pray And hear me so as I may ever stay And never more so fall as I have done But aye expect this blessed word of Come But I
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
And Maker-like thou sinner might have stai'd If thou thy maker had'st in heart obey'd But willingly thou wretch didst lose that grace And so became a miserable sinful race Of runagates from ought that tends to good But that thy Saviour shed his precious blood To bring thee back to that happy state again If thou had'st grace being there in it remain Praise him praise him and for thy self do pray That thou in him may'st ever live and stay And on his passion daily ruminate To work in thee of horrid sin a hate And keep in heart for what cause he was sent To call poor sinners that they may repent For without that be sure thou hast no part Nor any portion in thy Saviours smart But thou thy self dost him still crucifie Whom thou oughtst rather even to glorifie Repent betime if thou hast any grace Or else in heaven expect to have no place For no unclean thing can ascend on hy Where Angels sit and sing continually The Praises due to that heavenly holy one Who made all creatures by his word alone And is desirous for to have them all To come to him and doth them often call Then go with speed thou wretch and do not stay For great 's the danger of one hours delay And if thou shalt thy Saviour now deny He 'll not be heard when thou dost to him cry Then thou beware of being drawn away By him that seeks thy ruine and decay And doth delude thee by some slie deceit Enticing thee with his sweet sinful baite To overthrow thy soul and body there Where nought appears but onely horrid fear Of ugly feinds whose mouthes like lions roare And with their teeth do rend and eke devour All such as come within their hellish reach Then learn by others thee thy self to teach Of sinful life and death to stand in fear Lest soul and body both these hell-hounds tear And torture them in that most fearful place Where all must live do not partake of grace Then fast and pray and fast and pray againe That thou with Christ in heaven maist aie remain And do repent thee of thy sinful crime And be thou sure thou do 't whiles thou hast time For time 's not tyed no not to th' best mans leasure Therefore this day do thou give ore thy pleasure And strive to please thy heavenly God and King And to him alwayes his due praises sing And give him thanks that he hath spared thee Till thou hast time thy sinful life to see And blame thy self for thy hard stony heart Since that thy God hath plaid a loving part In often calling and recalling thee To search thy heart and secret sins to see For though thy conscience hourly thee accuse Yet to repent thou sinner do'st refuse So that death's due for this thy great neglect But that thy God doth lovingly thee respect And though thy sins do justly death deserve Yet still thy life this good God doth preserve And stead of death he heapes on thee blessings By sparing thee and eke long-sufferings To try if thou'lt thy sinful life forsake And to this good God thee thy self betake Who poureth out his blessings on thee still To try if he by gifts may win thy will To follow him O do thou follow then And follow fast withouten all delay This thy good God and from him do not stay With all thy heart and that unfeignedly And free from that vile sin hypocrisie Lest sleeping conscience justly thee accuse That thou thy self do'st thee thy self abuse By seeming other then indeed thou art But God above seeth th' secrets of thy heart Though man believe thou art the very same Which thou dost seem as if free from all blame Or blot of sin but what to them appeares In outward show or to their fleshly ears Report doth bring but sinner be thou sure Thy Saviour cannot this vile sin endure Thus to be mock't with that the outward part Which differs far from the inward sinful heart For he desires to have thy heart alone Then give him that or else thou givest him none For soul and body are ordain'd to go At th' end together whether they will or no To th' great accompt and therefore do thou see Thou daily use to obey the Deitie And be not thou with this wicked world beguiled For then a sinner thou art sure be stiled But have a care that thou do daily use Of daily sins thy self for to accuse And keep a strict account of thy weak state And then by that thou wilt discern thy fate Which must be hell or else that heavenly bliss Fie flie from that and care to cleave to this Where be assur'd thy Saviour thou shalt see Who hath endur'd the torments due to thee To suffer death as Christ himself hath done For all of them that to him freely come Then freely go and that without delay To him that putteth no man off with nay But willingly with love embraceth all Who on the name of Jesus onely call Then call and call and do thou call againe That thou in him may'st evermore remaine And then fear not but thou shalt with him finde Eternal joyes yea far beyond thy minde For be assur'd no earthly creature can Express the real happiness of that man That cometh there and therefore do thou strive At that great happiness that thou mayest arrive Where Saints and Angels sing continually To him that lives and shall eternally O let both heart and tongue and all agree To sing his praise so lovingly dyed for thee Let all the earth the worthy praises sing Of Christ our Saviour our heavenly king And join themselves in prais w th one accord To sing the praises of the heavenly Lord On whom th' arch-angels daily do attend And shall for aye e'n world without all end And all of them do all times sing To God our Saviour our heavenly king O mount my soule and strive to apprehend These heavenly joys which never shal have end And set thy song to that glorious Angels Who joys enjoy beyond all harts desire quire Even that the presence of our Saviour sweet The very Essence of all joy compleat Sweet Jesus please my soul may there reside And in thy Passion faithfully confide And thereby draw from hence this terren part As onely guided by a fleshly heart Subjects it self unto the inferiour power Who doth not cease torment it ev'ry houre With sundry passions it cannot resist But willingly complyes to what he list For to command untill he so shall please My Saviour sweet to grant to me some ease Of this tentation wherewith wretched I Have still been govern'd from my infancy Then come sweet Jesu and that presently Or else Lord Jesu I shall surely dye In this my sin except good God thou wilt With thy dear blood wash of my sinful guilt And take from me this wicked Legion out Of my poor heart and cause be put to rout All the tentations
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
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
makes it so And have I then right end thereof observed And its right use have I therein preserved Hath my delight been always moderate And hath my tongue been also temperate Have I done this for to preserve my health And have I therein injur'd no mans wealth Have I in me a heart that is upright Being ever mindfull I am in Gods sight Have I for these his blessings thankfull bin In th' use of them did I commit no sin Can I forget whenas the wind doth blow 'T is wind that doth support me here below Did I lift up my heart to God on hie Whenas the heavens above I did descrie Have I observ'd the fairest flowers to fade And yet forget why I my self was made Did I see weeds and store of thistles grow And not remember th' cause why they did so Have I this day cast up this dayes account To what a sum my several sins will mount When have I took such pains my God to serve As now I have my health for to preserve And if thou dost it really intend That thou wilt solely in his service spend Then mayst thou say with safety that thou hast This time so spent not to be spent in waste And give him thanks that he hath so thee blest As thou mayst now go home and take thy rest For man ought not to idleness be giv'n Without all doubt in idleness is sin Since all must labour that doe look to live Or else God will to them no blessing give For to the curses God himself doth add Ith'sweat of brows that man should eat his bread And though that all men labour not with th' hand Yet all doe labour with th'unstable mind For its condition is not to be idle And therefore care for it to keep a bridle Lest th' mind doe run out of that narrow way Wherein thou dost desire thy thought should stay For man doth love to keep the plainest street Which broad and beaten is with many feet And then make use of this thy harmless pleasure Since God hath blessed thee with so much leasure And given thee time a perfect reck'ning make Before death come thy life away to take This blessed time if thou wilt so but use it And cursed also if thou dost abuse it For its the use makes difference of the day And different uses doe the most men sway Without respect what may he the right end For which God did to thee these pleasures send But thou my soul have care not to forget The end for which thou here on earth wast set And always keep it constantly in mind And then fear not but thou shalt ever find Good use of all things this good God hath sent Then use thy pleasure without discontent And be not thou unmindfull ruminate Of that which doth in time determinate Both them and thee and that ere long thou must From whence thou cam'st return to be but dust And think my soul and think of this again The end for which thou dost on earth remain Within this fleshly crazie corps of thine Which of it self even daily doth decline Unto the earth from whence at first it came For th' end of all flesh ever is the same Observe this end and hereof be thou sure That on this earth thou canst not long endure And then must thou a perfect reck'ning make Of this thy pleasure which thou here didst take O make that reck'ning here upon this earth Lest death doe come and take away thy breath And then thy corps unto its like must go But thou my soul be sure must not do so For thou shalt then receive thy final doom Which grant good God it may to me be Come O stay my soul and do thou think of this For in it is thine everlasting bliss O think of this and do thou think on 't right And think on 't still think on 't both day and night For now thy pleasure is come unto an end And thou my soul must now thy doom attend Then now O now do thou this reck'ning make And to thy Saviour thee thy self betake Who willingly was plea'd for thee to die That thou for him might'st live eternally O live in him and do him ever lâ—ve Thy Saviour sweet who is in heaven above Let all thy thoughts 〈◊〉 him alone attend Thy labours then in him will only end O happy end of all this earthly pain Whereby thy heavenly Saviour thou dost gain He will make all their labours be but light Who always love to be within his sight Live there my soul and so thou mayst be sure Thy life shall then for evermore endure In height of joy and all true happiness The very essence of all blessedness Stay here my soul and do thou now admire The joyes of that most glorious heavenly quire Where Angels alwayes singing spiritual hymns Th'Archangels and the blessed Seraphims Continually do praise his holy name Who was is now and aye shall be the same There mount my soul and do thou ever stay ' Mongst them in heav'n whose joys do ne'r decay Nor yet admit of that the least decrease But ever live in sight of th'God of peace Then pray to him that he will please to send His peace to thee for world without all end And do thou always give him praise therefore From this time forth and so for evermore But stay my soul remember 'fore thou can Ascend thou must shake off this thing call'd man This case of thine wherein thy soul doth breath And leav 't behind unto this earth beneath Where it shall reap such seâ—d as it hath sown Th' end of all flesh which is corruption Whereby it fears this thing is call'd pale death Because it only takes away this breath For man's of nothing on earth sensible But that which is on earth corruptible And so it comes that he doth nothing fear But that which heart should wish and soul desire For death is such and only terrible To him whose conscience lives insensible The labouring man likes well to go to rest The weary traveller hastes to th' Iune is best The mariner strives to get within the port Yet if there prove in it to be a fort And he no friend then he hath cause to fear And with great terror he will enter there The toiled traveller likewise fears his host Where theevish ruffians haunt and rule the rost The weary labourer doth not lâ—ke that bed Wherein he knows an ugly toad hath bred The heathen they did much desire their death Because they knew not th' Author of their breath For it they held to be their chiefest good Because that God they had not understood For they did dream that when this life was done That th' end of all things was already come But thou my soul I 'm sure thou knowest more Thou know'st thou hast a loving Saviour Who conquer'd death and of himself 't orecame That thou through him might likwise do the same Ask but thy conscience
dost him see By so much more familiar you will be And do esteem him always as a friend Seeing he may greatly stead thee at thy end Assure thy self he 's stout and will not flie But he is always waiting on thee nie For he is one of whom thou shalt be found Tho thou wert hidden underneath the ground And if thou think from him to run away Then he 's so swift that he will make thee stay O view him love him and him look upon His countnance's comely so 's his complexion Though it be pale yet sweet 't will be to thee But th'hinder parts shalt nere be able see For he doth always forwards towards thee come And never backwards he is seen return He feareth no mans face nor yet his strength But overcometh all whatsoere at length There 's neither King nor Keisar he will spare But all in th' end do fall unto his share Though there be millions of arm'd men in field If he but throw his dart at them they yield There are no guns so great can make him flee For none on earth but only he 's shot-free His dart is always very sharp and keen And flies so fast it cannot well be seen Do but observe the nature of his dart It always aimeth at the very heart The strongest wals that ere with hands were made When he doth come by them he 'll not be staid He hits his mark as well in darkest night As when the sun doth shine tho nere so bright Then do not thou this deaths acquaintance shun From whom the swiftest of all cannoâ— run And who will cause the stoutest stand in fear If of his coming they by chance do hear Make much my soul of his acquaintance then If thou dost love him he will tell thee when He means to come if thou do often use Of him and his condition for to muse O then love thou this death his company well There 's in it more then I am able tell Yet this my soul I do in him observe That his acquaintance may in time preserve From second death which is a kindness such More worth by far then all the earth by much Thâ— make accompt of such a special friend Who is so powerful with thee at thy end As by his means there 's hope thou maist procure A happy life which shall for aye endure Amongst that blessed glorious company Who live and shall for all eternity And evermore the worthy praises sing Of Christ our Saviour and our heavenly King Then thou my soul make now a standing there And yet some more do thou of death enquire Since he is such and of so sweet a nature Whom some esteem to be of horrid feature But by observance I do in him find To thoâ—e that love him he is very kind And th'more I look upon his comely face The better still I like his comely grace As though he scorn'd the greatest earthly Kings Esteeming them to be but even base things And more then so I in him this observe If I have grace my self in time preserve From sin that then he can do me no harm If I do so I do him quite disarm For he no weapons with him bears about But with my own sins he doth beat me out From off this earth where wretched I do live But mine own sins mine own death-stroke do give So as I find if I from sin were free That then were death not able conquer me For now I see 't is only my own sin The wicked harbinger to bring death in Then do thou beat this harbinger but out And then fear not thou shalt put death to rout For if there were no sin within thy heart Then thou wert able take away deaths dart O then my soul hear this O doe thou hear Thy sin 's the cause of all thy greatest fear Then fear to sin and thou art able fray This thing calâ—'d death and force him flie away And if thou leave thy sin thou may be sure Th' art able then the sting of death to cure Then use all helps to leave thy loved sin And let slip none may bring thy Saviour in But set a watch and guard thy heart about To keep thy Saviour and shut Satan out For if thy mind be set on God above And thou resolv'd to follow him in love Then all thy actions which thou dost intend Are helps to bring thee to a happy end And no occasion can come then amiss May help to bring thy soul to th' King of Blisse Nor none let pass without some godly use Which some are wont with wickedness abuse But godly minds are ever apt to good And more for th'souls then for the bodies food Think with thy self how dost thou thee behave Canst go to bed and then not think on grave Since it 's more sure then is thy laid-down bed Shall not that surety enter then thy head Canst thou prepare to go to take thy rest And nought prepare for him hath so thee blest Thou knowst thy sleep may wel be said like death Save only that affoords a little breath Which this doth take and all what else is thine Then think of death and think on 't now in time In sleep no sense no not of greatest pain And so in death if heaven by it thou gain Then aim at heaven let it be all thy care Or else be sure have hell fall to thy share Canst thou uncloath thee to thy naked skin And then forget to cleanse thee of thy sin Hast thou the care thy bed may be made warm And then no care to keep thy soul from harm Canst thou be careful see thy linnen sweet And not remember that thy winding shee Hast thou the sense to feel thy bed is cold And yet no feeling that thou art grown old Canst thou have care thy bed should be made soft And then no care to lift thy soul aloft Canst thou be carefull for thy bodies rest Yet careless how the soul may come be blest Is flesh and blood of more esteem with then Then th' soul for which thy Saviour so did dâ—e Dost thou not know when body goes to grave The soul expects a place in heaven to have Dost pamper flesh for filthy worms to eat And starve thy soul for want of spiritual meat Thou sayst th' art sure of a living soul in thee And yet thy life doth shew it cannot be Shal no occasion slip for th'bodies good And none be found to furnish â—h'soul with food Can any think that man hath any sense Cares all for th'corps and nought for th'souls offence Is flesh and blood with thee of more esteem Then that thy soul whose care is only heaven Those go to ground from whence at first they came But this to God in whom is onely its aim Let conscience say for soul and bodies care How little 's that how great this others share So as it seems thou more esteems of monle Then dost of that thy
pretious spiritual soule Which flies aâ—â—y when body goes to ground Let conscience say where then it must be found Which it wel knows and wil not then dissemble When flesh blood with fear shal shak tremble Then let thy bed be made to thee a grave If thou expect a room in heaven to have Prepare for grave when dost pâ—epare for bed So idle thoughts wil vanish out thy head Think thou art dying when thou gost to sleep 'T wil be a means thy soul from sin to keep Or else take notice that thy heart is hard When thought of death with it 's of no regard And that thy God hath suffer'd it be so Lest it might melt and to its Saviour go O fearful fearful is thy God then gone And thought of him in thee remaineth none Are neither hope nor fear of any power But thou wilt stil forsake thy Sâ—viour O cruel cruel cruel stony heart Art so resolv'd that Christ shal have no part Can fear of hell not melt that heart of thine Nor hope of heaven with Christ in it to shine Dost live to follow Judas in his sin That thou canst find no time to repent in O wretched heart are grown so obdurate As joy nor fear are able penetrate Is this the nature of that flesh and bloood As 't wil retain nought that may tend to good Art grown so sullen in thy own esteem As th'blood of Christ thou wilt not thee redeem O let that blood wash off beloved sin Or be assur'd thy Saviour comes not in O do not shut the gate gainst that sweet guest In whom alone thou shalt be ever blest For by him only and by him alone Thou must have help or else thou must have none Then beat thy heart and beat it under ground Or be assur'd that Christ will not be found For that which makes thy heart so hard is pride A sin sufficient though nought else beside Then strive to gain humility in'ts room For humble hearts are they will win the crown Then strive and strive and strive and watch pray To him is able put that pride away Without great suit be sure he will not doe it Then pray with zeal and he'â—l be willing to it And bend thou heart and hands and knees all And on thy Saviour never lin to call Till he shall please to cleanse that hollow place From pride and then to fill it up with grace Grant gracious God to free it from this sin And many more which I have lived in Sweet Jesus help help me good Lord with speed For without thee sweet Saviour I am dead For my hard heart good God is hardned so As 't never fears this fatal word of Go. Sweet Jesus grant repentance to me Lord As thou hast promis'd by thy sacred word To heâ—r all them that on thy name do call Then hear me Lord or I am sure to fall Grant me good God I thee most humbly pray That I from henceforth never fall away But still be lifting up my heart to thee And to thy name sing praise continually But how can I sing praises to the Lord When I have not observ'd his holy word Noâ— him regarded as indeed I ought Who with his blood hath me so dearly bought But his my sin deprives me of that good To be obtain'd by Christ his precious blood For my hard heart in truth cannot deny I 've turn'd back when I heard my Saviour cry What hope have I then that he will hear mee Though I come to him on my bended knee Then bend and beat and break that wicked heart Whose sin is cause of all my woful smart And on thy knees lift up thy heart in pray'r No way to heaven but by this only stair Then strive t' ascend this stair on bended knees Or nere expect thy Saviours wrath â—'appease And wash it likewise with thy briny tears For no unclean thing comes to th' Saviours ears Or if it do he 'll turn his back and frown And in his rage from heaven hâ—'â—l throw it down Then cleanse thy heart eject all idle thought Let no unclean thing 'fore the King be brought Search every corner in that hollow cave For Satan's cunning and a hole will have Where he may lurk and lie to th' eye unseen Still waiting on thee when thou dost not ween Be careful then he do not there remain For if he do he 'll leave behind a stain Which will not out no water will it cleanse But only th'oyl of hearty penitence Use then this oyl and mix it with thy tears And wash the stair ascends up to the ears Of great Jehovah sitting in his throne Who accepts all clean things despiseth none Then cleanse thy heart from that foul stain of sin Or nere expect that it can enter in Jehovahs sight where nothing can appear But such as are from stain of sin made clear Then strive to cleanse thee from all sinful thought The only means which have thy body brought To be cast down from out thy Saviours sight Where Saints and Angels in continual light Conjoyn themselves with those the Cherubims Th'Archangels and those blessed Seraphims And all the rest of that most glorious quire Who joys enjoy beyond all hearts desire The glorious presence of our Saviour sweet The very essence of all joy compleat To sing the praise of that most Holy one Who 's God of gods and other there is none Then sing my soul and strive to apprehend Those heavenly joyes which never shall have end Use all the helps may bring thee to that place Let none pass by without some use of grace And so in time thou mayst thy Saviour win By earnest prayer for to remit thy sin Then without ceasing pray continually For such in time may gain eternity It is the counsel of that Preacher Paul Whose pains exceeded after that his call To come to Christ but first he fell to ground Before his Saviour could by him be found Then fall and fall and fall upon thy face And cry to Christ that he may grant thee grace To make good use of all occasions offer'd And so avert all are by Satan proffer'd For godly minds make godly use of all Where sinful hearts make such as tend their fall By their submission to black Satans wiles Whereby poor man of goodness he beguiles For man by nature's apt to what is ill Though soul and body both thereby he kill For man doth aim to please this flesh and blood But sees not th' end if it do tend to good For fleshly mâ—n sees nought but 'fore his face Without respect to that the spiritual grace The soul aims at and so this worldly man Thinks worldly things but heavenly none he can For earthly substance earthly matter minds When heavenly substance heavenly matter finds And so by th'sequel man may easily know When life is done where then his soul shâ—ll go But few look further then this life alone And so for th'
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
may to thy soul reveal The secret vertue of his death and blood Which he so shed for thine eternal good Here do thou build here 's good foundation Freed from all danger of inundation The onely rock whereon stands saving health Which is more worth then all this worldly wealth For herein solely's perfect happiness The very essence of all blessedness Here build my soul and do thou build so high That th' building reach above the starry skie Where thy blest Saviour sits himself alone Upon that blessed glorious heavenly throne Which none beholds but them are onely his And by his passion enter into bliss For all th' accursed are from thence thrown down By God above with such a furious frown As they shall ne'er enabled be to see The face of th' sacred glorious Trinitie O fear O fear beyond all other fears The thought whereof my very heart even tears Then if thou wilt this hideous fear prevent Remember th' cause for which was 't hither sent And if thou dost not that thy end forget It may procure a place for thee to sit Among that glorious heavenly angels quire VVhich is thy soul 's it chief and sole desire O be not thou so far then overseen As thou hast all thy lifetime hereto been To sleep in sin and that so securely As though in it thou didst intend to dye But now 't is time to rouze thy self from sleep If thou intend from sin thy self to keep Or else be sure in lieu of sleeping sink Into that horrid fearful place of stink Where thou shalt live depriv'd of heavenly bliss Or sight of heaven where thy sweet Saviour is Then sleep no more but rise and stand and pray And to thy Saviour do thou alwayes say Come blessed Lord vouchsafe on me to call That I do never herehence from thee fall But if I do then call good Lord againe That I from sin my self may now refraine And freely come to thee at this thy call And so in time prevent that fatal fall From whence no hope that thou canst rise againe But ever live eternally in paine Then stand in fear to fall if thou be wise And from thy sleep in hast do now arise And fast and pray and fall upon the ground That blessings may from heaven on thee abound And these thy prayers do thou iterate That they thereby thy paines may mitigate And heav thy soul up to the heavens from whence If not thou must receive due recompence For sin the wage whereof assure thy self is death VVhich thou must pay with loss of deerest breath Then do thou look upon this death againe And see if he be now the very same He seem'd to be when justly thou condemn'd Thy self of sin which did so fore offend Thy God and King who't was did place thee here That thou mightst alwayes live of him in fear And then thou shouldst not need have any care Though death did come and take thee to his share Death hath no power that man at all to harme Who is defended by Jehovah's arme And though that death indeed o'recometh all He onely comes when God himself doth call For God makes death to be his instrument To strike when he by God alone is sent Then make thy suite to thy blest Saviour sweet As 't is thy duty and not all is meet That he will please both thee and thine defend From deadly sin until thy life have end And then fear not for sure thou shalt not miss Of gaining that is thine eternal bliss Which is prepar'd for all that onely cry Upon their blessed Saviour heartily But this most sinful hollow heart of mine Doth stay my soul that it can never shine As it desires but forced is comply With my hard heart which daily doth deny To entertaine ought that shall tend to good But ill it loves like as doth stomack food Vouchsafe good Lord I do most humbly pray Be pleas'd to take this tempter quite away For it is he who maketh me thus blinde And leads this man even up and down with th' winde For wheresoere the winde doth turn to blow That way doth he entice me likewise now O teach O teach me Lord I humbly pray That I in thee may ever live and stay And so to shun each ill occasion Which doth proceed of that illusion Of him is wont and yet still leadeth me To take his bait and so to forsake thee Deceitful bait which did me so entice The apple eate and yield my life the price O wretch O wretch that will so wretched be Was never born a man so blinde as thee Thus to be gull'd as thou hast ever been To loose thy life in lieu of a little sin Was ever sinner seen so fool'd as thou To such a feind as Satan is to bow Yea though thou seest him plainly 'fore thy face Yet thou dost hold it for no great disgrace To be led by him as thou willing art Because he 's harbour'd close within thy heart O call thy wits about thee now at last When all thy dayes are done and life is past Look at thy end thou canst not chuse but see How subtil Satan hath deluded thee Whereby thou now art brought to such a stay As neither devil nor yet this death can fray Thee from thy sin O see man do thou see What is that sweet in pleasing sin can be Whereby th' art brought to be so overcom'd As all thy senses are indeed benum'd For Satan makes thee so insatiate As thy case now is grown be desperate Did ever man by any pleasure gaine When by that pleasure he was in it slaine Is not he mad that will of poison eat Although he have not any other meat Will any drunkard pleasing poison drink When suddain death doth make him down to sink To th' deepest hell and there in it remaine Without all hope of turning ere againe And yet art thou more mad by much then he And wilt not from this thy great madness be Reform'd but still in madness thou runst on Till thou hast gain'd thy self confusion Both of thy body and thy soul and yet Thou wretched dost thy self so far forget As thou wilt not so much as think of th' end For which thy God did to this earth thee send Hast thou thy sense to take a taste of food And difference make betwixt the ill and good And which of them doth best thy pallat please And by thy sense art able judge of these But yet if thou didst know of poison there I hope thou wouldst not take it without fear And yet mad man so taken art with sin Though worse by much then poison be therein As that thou wilt not this thy sin forbear But thou wilt act it boldly without fear Art thou not mad nay further more then so Thou runst from heaven that thou to hell maist go And yet 'twixt these there is a difference great He that is mad hath no tast of his meat And so
sometimes with too much cost Provided what was pleasing to thee most For to content thy dainty appetite I do much fear herein thou didst not right Hast thou forborn at all to drink thy fill Or didst not thou even drink so long until Thy stomack did desire to have no more If pleasing wine there were but any store Especially when the drink did prove be such Wherein thy pallat was but pleased much Nay hast not thou thereby been sometimes made So very drunk that thou would'st not be said Then was 't not sin in taking of this drink Yes sure there was and so I know dost think Hast thou forborne sometimes to eat thy meat Whenas thy stomack did desire to eat And hadst it ready then within thy power Didst thou forbear to eat for fourty hour And if thou didst then say now for what end Didst thou so fast was it from heart to send Thy prayers up unto thy God on high Who for his service onely did make thee And was it thus thy fleshly lust to tame Which needs would force thy body be to blame The tempter he did move thy Saviour much Yet Satans self thy Saviour could not touch For he would not believe the Serpents wiles Since it is trust which most of men beguiles Then fast and pray and do thou put thy trust In God alone for he is onely just And fear this feind and him forsake and flie And trust him not for he is too too slye But have an aiming alwayes at thy end And in thy way expect to meet this feind For he at all times well prepared is For to advise thee do what is amiss And therein he doth take his most delight And will perswade thee that thou art in right Hast thou been us'd to lye upon the ground I fear there will but a very few such be found Nay hast not thou delighted often lye On th' softest bed thou couldest well come by And say hast thou forborn thy bed at all That on thy Saviour thou for grace mightst call Nay hast not rather much more loved sleep Then that thou shouldst from rest thy body keep Nay hast not thou committed horrid sin And without pardon on thy bed down lyen Nay hast not thou even often faln asleep Without entreating God would please thee keep Nay hast thou thought how thou thy life hast led That day before thou wentst unto thy bed Didst thou cast up that day its sin's accompt Or to such custome art thou daily wont Didst thou give thanks to God for blessings sent Of sins committed didst thou thee repent Nay rather didst not thou omit them both Because leave sleeping thou wast very loath Nay hast not thou sometimes thy sleep forsaken To commit sin whenas thou wast awaken Nay hast not thou forsaken thy sweet sleep That thou thy self in pleasing sin mightst keep Nay hast not thou spent many a life-long night To follow that which was thou know'st not right Nay hast not thou delighted more in night Yea often better then thou didst in light Examine truly th' cause of this thy love If so it were to serve thy God above Or rather was 't not to avoid his sight Who thou didst dream unable see in night O wretched beast canst thou conceive it so Then be assured that God thou dost not know But 't cannot be that thou art of that minde But that the devil hath made all of thee blinde For fear thou shouldst thy sensual sin now see Which thine own conscience knows a shame to be For never man on earth so brutish born But brutish sin if in his sight did scorn And therefore such as work of darkness nam'd Because if seen that man would be asham'd O shameless man that 's blinde and cannot see How subtle Satan hath deluded thee To act a sin in darkness of the night As though thou wert then out Jehovah's sight Yet though thy sin were such and ended were Thy conscience tells thee that thy God 's not there Yet saw thy sin and also punish't will Except thou dost repent thee of that ill O then for shame repent thee of that fact Wherewith thou blusht to have been seen in th' act For though that mortals have no power to see Without the light comes from the Deitie Yet God himself who Maker was of light Did likewise make for th' good of man the night But not to hide our sin it was he made it Although the Devil by cunning so abuse it For he delights himself in darkness much And so do all of them are sinners such Whereby their conscience doth them plainly tell They darkness love and therefore shall have hell O horrid horrid fearful horrid minde Which canst not see that thou art even stone-blinde But thou wilt say that thou didst so much know But that even then thou didst forget it though O wretch O wretch that canst so soon forget That thou hast any soul within thee yet And that thy Saviour suffer'd death for thee If thou dost fear and from this Satan flie But thou dost yield to follow this feind still And love him dearly with good heart and will Yet thinkst that God himself cannot thee see Because he 's secret in thy heart with thee Which keepeth close within thy brazen brest Where none can come but them whom thou lik'st best Yet outwardly it plainly doth appear Whom inwardly thou lov'st and harbourst there For the very secrets of thy heart are shown By the outward actions which are too wel known For to proceed thy conscience can thee tell Not from above but even from lowest hell For 'twixt these two thou canst not finde a mean But thou must either go to hell or heaven Then blame thy self if that thou dost amiss To make thy choice of that and forsake this Hath ever man been born so blinde as he Which can and may and yet oft will not see For such are all of them are so behaved Whose sin to Satan hath their bodies slaved For they are well said slaves to death and sin Who faithful servants to the Devil have been O horrid horrid what more horrid still To think of this which is the end of ill Can it be possible mans Reason should forget 'Fore all his actions th' end thereof to set But if a man be able see yet 's blinde No marvaile then if he forget in 's minde For that proceeds out of his wilfulness But this out of defect forgetfulness And both these weapons doth the Serpent use And many more besides this man to abuse And no great need for that this man alone Even of himself to sin is ever prone And doth in 's pleasure take so much delight As what is wrong he will it shall be right Yet cannot he from such vain thoughts be brought Cause blind to good yet willing see what 's nought O wretched man to be of such a feature And yet o'recome by such a wicked nature And then thou 'lt say that
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
know that when thy soul is gone Thy body then hath feeling in it none Examine conscience whether's greatest care For this thy body or thy soul is there I fear thou feel'st this of thy body more Then dost thy soul though smitten nere so sore O sensless man have feeling of thy sin Or else thou'lt feel that God is not within Another member hath Jehovah given Using all helps to bring this man to heaven On either side of th' head hath set an Ear That either side the Spirit of God may hear Then hear this Spirit which loudly crieth on thee Lest thou too late mayst cry Good Lord help me Thou knowst that God hath promised all to hear That call on him then do not thou forbear But call in time lest it may prove too late When death hath deem'd deep hell to be thy fate Doth not God send a tinkling in thy ears To make thee think 't is th'passing bell thou hears O do not stop thy ears from this sweet bell For it may help to stop thy way to hell Say hast not heard thy sins oft-times reproved And notwithstanding thou thy sins hast loved Remember Adam he heard Evahs voyce And left his seed by it no cause rejoyce Then stop thy ears against the Syrens song For sweetest singers often lead to wrong But ope them wide unto thy Saviours cry And then fear not he 'll not thy suit deny But then must thou leave off thy pleasing sin Or else be sure thy sâ—ul is lost within But there is nothing that is in mans power Without the help of his good Saviour Then to him to him to him freely go And be not thou put off from him with no But fall down flat upon thy bended knees And nere rise up till such time he shall please To call thee thence and shew to thee the way Wherein with safety thou mayst walk and stay But 'fore thou art able to accomplish this Which is no doubt a perfect heavenly bliss Thou must repent thee of thy former sin And horrid life which thou hast lived in And that being done from th' bottom of thy heart With resolution nere from him depart Nor be orecome as hereto thou hast bin With willing mind to commit any sin Assure thy self he will thy prayers hear And to thy soul he will himself appear And yield thee comfort from the heavens above Even from thy Saviour who is God of love Then mayst thou think that there is hope of rest In him by whom thou shalt be ever blest For only by him and by him alone Thou must have rest or rest there will be none Then since thou knowst where rest is to be had Be not dismayd in any sort with dread But let him always be to thee a guide And stand resolv'd thou never from him slide But have a care to keep him in thy mind And then be sure that thou shalt ever find That saving health thou didst in heart desire If thou doe it with heart and soul require Without all fear of any opposition Of that most hellish and most wicked Legion For if thy blessed Saviour be but there Assure thy self be will not come thee neare But if that Christ shall once but turn his back Then look about thee have care be not slack For if thou be then thou shalt surely find That he will quickly enter on thy mind And if by cunning he get in a foot Thou art not able get his body out But he 'll have all and then he there will dwell Untill he draw thee down with him to hell Then he thou carefull of thy inward mind To fixe it always on thy Saviour kind And then fear not but well assured be He 'll keep it during all eternity For now I find what I have so long sought That th' only cause of my unruly thought Is want of constant setling them on thee On whom they alwayes solely ought to be Since I now know that never sin was seen Which to this wicked thought did not prevene For first 't is hatched in my barren brain Before in heart it can come to remain And thence it spreads it self to every part Because that all the whole man should feel smart For doubtless know that every several sence Shall suffer deeply without penitence For every part of pain participate Of weal or woe of love or else of hate Then keep a good guard of thy outward thought Lest ought may enter in it whâ—ch is nought For there will Satans battry first begin To bring thy body into deadly sin Then look thy guard be watchful good strong That it may always walk with thee along To give thee warning of thy enemy That thou mayst ay be ready from him sly For few that strive do obtain victory And to some strong force do thou thee betake Ev'n him alone who dy'd for thy sins sake And will safe keep thee unto thy lives end But then must thou thy life on earth amend Else little hope that he will keep thee free From this deceitfull watchfull enemy Then give thy heart unto thy God alone For he 'l have that or else he will have none Nay give him all ev'n all whats'ere thou hast For what he wants be sure thou dost but wast And more then so for that which he hath not Shall surely fall to Satans only lot Seeing he is watchfull ever ready prest To thrust himself into thy bony breast If that thy Saviour be not biding there And therefore see that thou my soul do nere Depart from out Christs blessed company For if thou dost assure thy self to dy Since Satan he is always at the dore To enter there if that thy Saviour Be out of th' way and therefore have a care That Satan nere have power to enter there For if he do then sure thou art but gone Seeing Christ will all or else he will have none Then giv 't him giv 't him give thy Saviour all And never lin but to him heart'ly call That he will please this all of thine accept Which he alone with his right hand hath kept Out Satans power who hath so long led thee Untill this time from thy very infancy So now full time from this foul Fiend to flie Or else nere look to live but look to die For death 's the best that he is able give To any of them who in their sins do live So if thou purpose now to prevent death It must be done whilst thou on earth hast breath For when thy life upon this earth is done Then doth that dreadfull day of judgment come And 't is decreed that all must undergo Their latest doom which is or Come or Go And that pronounc'd thou mayst of this be sure Or weal or wo shall then for ay endure And after that decree is done and past There is no hope it can be ere reverst Then pray that this may be thy finall doom Bless'd of the Lord do thou unto