lingering of thy repaire unto him for thou shalt finde the suddennesse of his wrath and revenge not slacke to destroy sinners For which cause let no man sojourne long in sinfull security or post over his repentance untill feare enforce him to it but let us frame our premises as we would finde our conclusion endeavouring to live as we are desirous to die let us not offer the maine crop to the Divell and set God to gleane the reproofe of his harvest let us not gorge the Divell with our fairest fruits and turne God to the filthy scraps of his leavings but let us truly dedicate both soule and body to his service whose right they are and whose service they owe that so in the evening of our life we may retire to a Christian rest closing up the day of our life with a cleare sunne-set that leaving all darknesse behind us we may carry in our consciences the light of grace and so escaping the horrour of an eternall night passe from a mortall day to an everlasting morrow Thine in Christ Jesus Samuell Rowland STrike saile poore soule in sins tempestuous tide That runst to ruine and eternall wracke Thy course from heaven is exceeding wide Hels gulfe thou ent'rest if grace guide not backe Satan is Pilot in this navigation The Ocean Vanity The Rocke damnation VVarre with the Dragon and his whole alliance Renounce his league intends thy utter losse Take in sinnes flag of truce set out defiance Display Christs ensigne with the bloudy crosse Against a Faith-proofe armed Christian Knight The hellish coward dares not mannage fight Resist him then if thou wilt victor be For so he flies and is disanimate His fiery darts can have no force at thee The shield of faith doth all their points rebate He conquers none to his infernall den But yeelding slaves that wage not fight like men Those in the dungeon of eternall darke He hath enthralled everlasting date Branded with Reprobations cole-blacke marke Within the never-opening ramd up gate Where Dives rates one drop of water more Than any crowne that ever Monarch wore Where furies haunt the hearttorne wretch despaire Where clamours cease not teeth are ever gnashing Where wrath and vengeance sit in horrors chaire Where quenchlesse flames of sulphur fire be flashing Where damned soules blaspheme God in despight Where utter darknesse stands remov'd from light Where plagues inviron torments compasse round Where anguish rores in never stinted sorrow Where woe woe woe is every voices sound Where night eternall never yeelds tomorrow VVhere damned tortures dreadfull shall persever So long as God is God So long is ever Heavens Glory WHo loves this life from love his love doth erre And chusing drosse rich treasure doth denie Leaving the pearle Christs counsels to preferre With selling all we have the same to buy O happy soule that doth disburse a summe To gaine a kingdome in the life to come Such trafficke may be tearmed heavenly thrift Such venter hath no hazard to disswade Immortall purchase with a mortall gift The greatest gaine that ever Merchant made To get a crowne where Saints and Angels sing For laying out a base and earthly thing To taste the joyes no humane knowledge knowes To heare the tunes of the coelestiall quires T' attaine heav'ns sweet and mildest calme repose To see Gods face the summe of good desires Which by his glorious Saints is howerly eyde Let sight with seeing never satisfide Sod as he is sight beyond estimate Which Angel tongues are unt aught to discover Whose splendor doth The heavens illustrate Vnto which sight each sight becomes a lover Whom all the glorious court of heaven laud With praises of eternities applaud There where no teares are to interpret griefes For any sighes heart dolours to expound There where no treasure is surpris'd by theeves Nor any voice that speakes with sorrowes sound No use of passions no distempered thought No spot of sinne no deed of errour wrought The native home of pilgrime soules abode Rest's habitation joyes true residence Ierusalem's new Citie built by God Form'd by the hands of his owne excellence With gold pav'd streets the wals of precious stone VVhere all sound praise to him sits on the throne HEAVENS Glory EARTHS Vanitie and HELLS Torments Of the Glory of the blessed Saints in Heaven TO the end there might want nothing to stirre up our mindes to verâ—e after the paines which Almighty God threatneth to the wicked he doth also set before us the reward of the good which is that glory and everlasting life which the blessed Saints doe enjoy in Heaven whereby he doth very mightily allure us to the love of the same But what manner of thing this reward and what this life is there is no tongue neither of Angels nor of men that is sufficient to expresse it Howbeit that wee may have some kinde of savour and knowledge thereof I intend here to rehearse even word for word what S. Augustine saith in one of his meditations speaking oâ— the life everlasting ensuing thiâ— transitorie time and of the joyes of the blessed Saints in Heaven O life saith he prepared by Almighty God for his friends a blessed life a secure life a quiet life a beautifull life a cleane life a chast life a holy life a life that knoweth no death a life without sadnesse without labour without griefe without trouble without corruption without feare without variety without alteration a life replenished with all beautie and dignity where there is neither enemy that can offend nor delight that can annoy where love is perfect and no feare at all where the day is everlasting and the spirit of all is one where Almighty God is seene face to face who is the onely meate whereupon they feed without loathsomenesse it delighteth mee to consider thy brightnesse and thy treasures doe rejoyce my longing heart The more I consider thee the more I am striken in love with thee The great desire I have of thee doth wonderfully delight me and no lesse pleasure is it to me to keepe thee in my remembrance O life most happy O kingdome truly blessed wherein there is no death nor end neither yet succession of time where the day continuing evermore without night knoweth not any mutation where the victorious Conqueror being joyned with those everlasting quires of Angels and having his head crowned with a garland of glory singeth unto Almighty God one of the songs of Sion Oh happy yea and most happy should my soule be if when the race of this my pilgrimage is ended I might bee worthy to see thy glory thy blessednesse thy beauty the wals and gates of thy Citie thy streets thy lodgings thy noble Citizens and thine omnipotent King in his most glorious Majestie The stones of thy wals are precious thy gates are adorned with bright pearles thy streets are of very fine excellent gold in which there never faile perpetuall praises thy houses are paved with rich stones wrought throughout with Saphirs
but there they must leave me my riches pleasures and such like vanities vanish before but my sinnes and conscience will never leave me the divell will still pursue me hee that tempts me now to sinne will then torment me for sinning untill I cry out with Caine My punishment is greater then I can beare A horse is but a vaine thing to save a man said the sweet singer of Israel so say I all earthly things are too vaine to save a man to make him blessed I appeale to the conscience of every man if thou hast tried the pleasures of vanity and who hath not whether thou maist not take up the words of Saint Paul What fruit have I of those things whereof I am now ashamed Shame and griefe and guilt and punishment are the fruit of vanity enough I thinke to rend our hearts from affecting of it Thinke upon this thou that art in the trace of vanity that thou maist make a retreat loose no more time herein for thou hast already lost too much redeeme the time because the dayes are evill and why are they evill but because they are vaine Whatsoever is without the circumference of evill is above the sphere of vanity Resolve therefore with thy selfe that all things earthly worldly carnall sinfull are vaine the fashion of this world passeth away saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 3. The fashion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word very emphaticall it signifies first an accidentall and externall figure without substance secondly the habit vesture or cloathing of a thing Saint Paul useth this word to debase the world by intimating unto us that the world is cloathed with a vesture that is wearing and wasting the fashion of it lasteth but for a time it is ready every houre to put on a new fashion againe by intimating unto us that the world is without any substantiall forme like unto shewes and shadowes that vanish in the representation Saint Luke cals all Agrippa's pompe but a fancie David cals the yeares of a man but a tale Psal 90. 9. We spend our yeares as a tale that is told As a tale nay as a thought for so much the originall word doth import and how many thoughts may a man have in an houre Nothing is more changable then a vesture nothing more fugitive then a shadow nothing more fickle then a fancie nothing more swift then thought What a disproportion therefore is it for the immortall soule of a man to bee fastened unto things which are of such a variable nature What a folly for us to preferre those which are but momentary for so I may more truely call them then temporall unto those things which are indeed eternall Glasses are in great use amongst us yet because of their brittlenesse who esteemes them precious Wee smell to flowers because they are sweet but because they are fading we regard them thereafter It were well if we would deale thus with all other vanities viz. regard them as they are use the creatures we may but not abuse them serve our selves of them but not serve them injoy them but not over-joy in them Now because examples are very effectuall whether we use them by way of dehortation or whether by way of exhortation let me propound one or two in this matter whereof I am treating that by them thou maist be beaten off from the vanities and iniquities of this present evill world When Alexander in the height of his glory kept a Parliament of the whole world himselfe was summoned by death to appeare in another world It was a wonderfull president of the vanity and variety of humane condition saith the Historian to see mighty Zerxes flote and flye away in a small vessel who before wanted Sea-roome for his Ships When Belshazzar was laughing and quaffing with his Princes and Concubines carowsing healths in the sacred Vessels deaths secretary the hand-writing on the wall told him he was weighed in the ballance and his Kingdome was finished And before him his father Nebuchadnezzar at that time the greatest Monarch in the world as hee was strouting in his Galleries and boasting of his owne power and honour a voyce from Heaven told him that his Kingdome was departed from him that he should be driven from amongst men that hee should have his dwelling with the Beasts of the field c. And the sentence was fulfilled on him the same houre So Zedekiah was a lively spectacle of this worlds vanity and misery who of a potent King became a miserable captive saw his children slaine before his face after that had his eyes put out and died miserably in prison I had almost forgotten Salomon the wisest King that ever was having given himselfe to take pleasure in pleasant things having made great workes built goodly Houses planted Vineyards Gardens and Orchards and planted in them trees of all fruit and having gathered silver and gold and the chiefe treasures of Kings and Provinces being now full of wisedome and schooled with experience he is licensed to give his sentence of the whole world and every man knowes what his censure was Vanity of vanities vanity of vanities all is vanity This wise King travelled all the world over and the further he went the more vanity he did see and the neerer hee looked the greater it seemed till at last he could see nothing but vanity Wouldst thou know what is to bee seene or heard or had in this vast Universe Vanity saith Salomon yea vanity of vanities and what else Vanity of vanities And what else All is vanity Nothing beneath the Moone that hath not a tincture of vanity Nay the Moone it self the Sunne all the Planets all the Starres the whole body of the Heavens is become subject to Vanity The creature is subject unto Vanity saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 20. that is the whole frame of the world consisting of the coelestiall and elementary region the visible heavens with all their goodly furniture of Starres and of coelestiall bodies and the earth with her ornaments and the other elements The Heavens shall perish and they shall waxe old as doth a garment and the Lord shall change them as a vesture and they shall bee changed As a garment the older it waxeth the lesse comely it is the lesse able to warme him that weares it so the materiall heavens by continuance of yeares decrease in beauty and veitue The neerer the Sunne drawes to the end of his daily course the lesse is his strength in the evening wee feele the Sunne to decay in his heat and he waxeth alway the weaker Now if those superiour bodies then much more things inferiour and sublunary are included within the compasse of vanity But it was my purpose when I first set upon this subject so ample and large to be so much the more short even understanding can of it self scourse where such plenty of â—atter is offered I have thereâ—â—re according to the modell â—f that
world Have men their right sences doe they understand what these words import or are they peradventure perswaded that these are onely the fables of Poets or doe they thinke that this appertaineth not to them or else that it was onely ment for others None of all this can they say for so much as our faith assureth us most certainely herein And our Saviour Christ himselfe who is everlasting truth crieth out in his Gospell saying Heaven and earth shall faile but my word shall not faile Of this misery there followeth another as great as it which is that the paines are alwaies continuing in one like degree without any manner of intermission or decreasing All manner of things that are under the cope of heaven doe move and turn round about with the same heaven and doe never stand still at one state or being but are continually either ascending or descending The sea and the rivers have their ebbing and flowing the times the ages and the mutable fortune of men and of kingdomes are evermore in continuall motion There is no feaver so fervent that doth not decline neither griefe so sharp but that after it is much augmented it doth forthwith decrease To be short all the tribulations and miseries are by little and little worne away with time and as the common saying is Nothing is sooner dried up than teares Onely that paine â—n hell is alwaies greene onely that feaver never decreaseth onely that extremity of heat knoweth not what is either evening or morning In the time of Noahs flood Almighty God â—ained forty daies and forty â—ights continually without â—easing upon the earth and this â—â—fficed to drowne the whole world But in that place of torment in hell there shall raine everlasting vengeance and darts â—f furie upon that cursed land without ever ceasing so much as â—e onely minute or moment â—ow what torment can bee â—eater and more to be abhorâ—d than continually to suffer â—â—r one like manner without any kinde of alteration or change Though a meat bee never so delicate yet in case we feed continually thereupon it will in very short time be very loathsome unto us for no meat can be more precious and delicate than that Manna was which almighty God sent down unto the children of Israel in the Desart and yet because they did eat continually thereof iâ— made them to loath it yea and provoked them to vomit it up againe The way that is all plaine they say wearieth more than any other because alwaies the variety yea even in punishment is a kinde of comfort Tell me then if things that be pleasant and savoury when theâ— be alwaies after one manner are an occasion of loathsomenesse and paine what kinde of loathsomenesse will that bee which shall be caused by those most horrible paines and torments in hell which doe continue everlastingly after one like sort What will the damned and cursed creatures think when they shall there see themselves so utterly obhorred and forsaken of Almighty God that he will not so much as with the remission of any one sinne mitigate somwhat their torments And so great shall the fury and rage be which they shall there conceive against him that they shall never cease continually to curse and blaspheme his holy name Unto all these paines there is also added the paine of that everlasting consumer to wit the worme of conscience whereof the holy Scripture maketh so oftentimes mention saying Their worme shall never die and their fire shall never bee quenched This worme is a furious raging despight and bitter repentance without any fruit which the wicked shall alwaies have in hell by calling to their remembrance the opportunity and time they had whiles they were in this world to escape those most grievous and horrible torments and how they would not use the benefit thereof And therefore when the miserable sinner seeth himselfe thus to be tormented and vexed on every side and doth call to minde how many dayes and yeeres he hath spent idely in vanities pastimes and pleasures and how oftentimes he was advertised of this perill and how little regard he tooke thereof What shall he thinke What anguish and sorrow shall there be in his heart Hast thou not read in the Gospell that there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth The famine of Aegypt endur'd onely seven yeares but that in hell shall endure everlastingly In Aegypt they found a remedy though with great difficulty and charge out for this there shall never aâ—y remedy bee found Theirs was redeemed with money and cattell but this can never be redeemed with any manner of exchange This punishment cannot bee pardoned this paine cannot be exchanged this sentence cannot be revoked Oh if thou knewest and wouldest consider how every one condemned to hell shall there remaine tormenting and renting himselfe weeping and wailing and saying O miserable and unfortunate wretch that I am what times and opportunities have I suffered to passe in vaine A time there was when with one cup of cold water I might have purchased to my selfe a crowne of glory and when also with such necessary workes of mercy in relieving the poore I might have gained life everlasting Wherefore did I not looke before me How was I blinded with things present How did J let passe the fruitfull yeares of abundance and did not enrich my selfe If J had beene brought up amongst Infidels and Pagans and had beleeved that there had beene nothing else but only to be borne and to die then might I have had some kinde of excuse and might have said I knew not what was commanded or prohibited me but for so much as I have lived amongst Christians and was my selfe one of them professed and held it for an article of my beleefe that the houre should come when I should give up an account after what order I had spent my life forsomuch also as it was daily cried out unto me by the continuall preaching and teaching of Gods Embassadours whose advertisements many following made preparation in time and laboured earnestly for the provision of good workes forasmuch I say as I made light of all these examples and perswaded my selfe very fondly that Heaven was prepared for me though I tooke no paines for it at all what deserve I that have thus led my life O ye infernall furies come and rent me in peeces and devoure these my bowels for so have I justly deserved I have deserved eternall famishment seeing I would not provide for my selfe while I had time I deserve not to reape because I have not sowne I am worthy to be destitute because I have not laid up in store I deserve that my request should now be denied me sith when the poore made request unto me I refused to releeve them I have deserved to sigh and lament so long as God shall be God I have deserved that this worme of conscience shall gnaw â—ine entrails for ever and ever by representing unto mee
doe farre excell her fame and that all which is spoken in praise of her is nothing in comparison of that which she is indeed That a man ought not to deferre his Repentance and Conversion unto God from day to day considering he hath so many debts to discharge by reason of the offences committed in his sinfull life already past NOw then if on the one side there be so many and so great respects that doe binde us to change our sinfull life and on the other side we have not any sufficient excuse why wee should not make this exchange How long wilt thou tarry untill thou fully resolve to doe it Turne thine eyes a little and look back upon thy life past and consider that at this present of what age soever thou be it is high time or rather the time well nigh past to begin to discharge some part of thy old debts Consider that thou which art a Christian regenerated in the water of holy Baptisme which doest acknowledge Almighty God for thy Father and the Catholike Church for thy Mother whom she hath nourished with the milke of the Gospell to wit with the doctrine of the Apostles and Evangelists consider I say that all this notwithstanding thou hast lived even as loosely and dissolutely as if thou hadst beene a meere Infidell that had never any knowledge of Almighty God And if thou doe denie this then tell me what kinde of sin is there which thou hast not committed What tree is there forbidden that thou hast not beholden with thine eyes What greene meddow is there in which thou hast not at the least in desire feasted thy letcherous lust what thing hath beene set before thine eyes that thou hast not wantonly desired What appetite hast thou left unexecuted notwithstanding that thou didst beleeve in Almighty God and that thou wert a Christian What wouldst thou have done more if thou hadst not had any faith at all If thou hadst not looked for any other life If thou hadst not feared the dreadfull day of judgement What hath all thy former life beene but a web of sinnes a sinke of vices a way full of brambles and thornes and a froward disobedience of God with whom hast thou hitherto lived but onely with thine appetite with thy flesh with thy pride and with the goods and riches of this transitory world These have beene thy gods these have beene thine idols whom thou hast served and whose lawes thou hast diligently obeyed Make thine account with the Almighty God with his lawes and with his obedience and peradventure thou shalt finde that thou hast esteemed him no more than if he had beene a god of wood or stone For it is certaine that there bee many Christians which beleeving that there is a God are induced to sinne with such facility as though they beleeved that there were no God at all and doe offend no whit the lesse though they beleeve that there is a God then they would doe if they beleeved there were none at all What greater injurie what greater despight can bee done than so to contemne his divine majestie Finally thou beleeving all such things as Christs Church doth beleeve hast notwithstanding so led thy life as if thou wert perswaded that the beleefe of Christians were the greatest fables or lies in the world And if the multitude of thy sinnes past and the faculty thou hast used in committing of them doe not make thee afraid why dost thou not feare at the least the Majesty and omnipotencie of him against whom thou hast sinned Lift up thine eyes and consider the infinite greatnesse and omnipotencie of the Lord whom the powers of Heaven do adore before whose Majesty the whole compasse of the wide world lyeth prostrate in whose presence all things created are no more than chaffe carried away with the winde Consider also with thy selfe how unseemely it is that such a vile worme as thou art should have audacity so many times to offend and provoke the wrath of so great a Majesty Consider the wonderfull and most terrible severity of his justice and what horrible punishments hee hath used from time to time in the world against sinne and that not onely upon particular persons but also upon Cities Nations Kingdomes and Provinces yea upon the universall World And not onely in earth but also in Heaven and not onely upon strangers sinners but even upon his owne most innocent sonne our sweet Saviour Jesus Christ when he tooke upon him to satisfie for the debt that we owed And if this severity was used upon greene and innocent wood and that for the sinnes of others what then will he doe upon dry and withered wood and against those that are loden with their owne sinnes Now what thing can bee thought more unreasonable then that such a fraile wretch as thou art should bee so saucie and malapert as to mocke with so mightie a Lord whose hand is so heavie that in case hee should strike but one stroke upon thee hee would at one blow drive thee downe headlong into the deepe bottomelesse pit of hell without remedy Consider likewise the great patience of this our mercifull Lord who hath expected thy repentance so long even from the time that thou didst first offend him and think that if after so long patience and tarrying for thee thou shalt still continue thy leaud and sinfull life abusing thus his mercy and provoking him to further indignation and wrath hee will then bend his bowe and shake his sword and raine downe upon thee even sharpe arrowes of everlasting wrath and death Consider also the profoundnesse of his deepe judgments wherof we read and see daily so great wonders We see how Salomon himselfe after his so great wisdome and after those three thousand parables and most profound mysteries uttered by him was forsaken by Almighty God and suffered to fall down and adore Idols Wee see how one of those seven first Deacons of the Primitive Church which were full of the Holy Ghost became not onely an hereticke but also an arch-hereticke and a father of heresies We see daily many starres fall downe from Heaven unto earth with miserable fals and to wallow themselves in the durt and to eate the meate of swine which sate before at Gods owne table and were fed with the very bread of Angels If then the just and righteous for some secret pride or negligence or else for some ingratitude of theirs be thus justly forsaken of Almighty God after they have bestowed so many yeares in his service What maist thou looke for that hast done in a manner nothing else in all thy life time but onely heaped sinnes upon sinnes and hast thereby offended Almighty God most grievously Now if thou hast lived after this sort were it not reason that thou shouldst now at the length give over and cease heaping sinne upon sinne and debt upon debt and begin to pacifie the wrath of Almighty God and to disburden thy sinnefull soule Were
whole yeare at their gate they must be menders of that which God makes makers of that which God marres turning themselves like the Camelion into all shapes though never so grisly and ougly and being never well till they be most ill never as they conceit in fashion till indeede they be out of all fashion If this be not a vanity of vanities who can tell what is vanity Every man is an eye-witnesse of this vanity the more is the pittie that it should bee so common your Lady the Merchants wife the trades mans wife nay all of all sorts are a degree above their estate Your Gallant is no man unlesse his haire bee of the womans fashion dangling and waving over his shoulders your woman no body except contrary to the modesty of her sexe shee be halfe at least of the mans fashion shee jets she cuts shee rides she sweares she games she smoakes shee drinkes and what not that is evill Shee is in the universall portraiture of her behaviour as well as in her accoutrements more then halfe a man the man on the other side no lesse womanish We may well admire and exclaime with the Poet O tempora O mores O the times O the manners of these times O quantum est in rebus mane O how great a nothing is there in all things What a vanity of vanity hath overspread the age we live in Were our forefathers now alive to be spectators of this vanity it would strike them into amazement In their dayes the Pike the Speare the Sword the Bowe the Arrow Musket and Caliever with the warlike Horse were the object of exercise and recreation Now the Pot the Pipe Dice and Cards and such like vanities indeed worse then the quintessence of the extreamest vanity We are now all for ease wee must lye soft fare deliciously goe sumptuously drinke Wine in bowles carowse healths till health bee quite drunke away nay we must kneele to our drinke when we will not kneele to him that gave us our drinke we doe homage to that which takes away the use of our legges nay of our braines our hearts wits sence reason when we refuse homage to him that gave us all these O vaine man that dost thus forget thy God and abuse thy selfe why dost thou thus suffer thy selfe to be swallowed up in the gulfe of vanity which hath no bottome but misery Why sufferest thou the Divell thus to take thee on the hip that he may cast thee downe into the Abisse of hell Art thou so bewitched with that which will have an end a sudden end a wretched end Thy honey will prove Gall in the end and thy Wine Vinegar In these faire roses of vanity the Divell hides his pins that shall pricke thee when thou lookest to be refreshed with their sweet smels These vanities we purchase at no easie rate it is with the procurement of punishment and losse of happinesse As the bird that accepts of the Fowlers meat buyes it full dearely with the losse of her owne life so when we accept these vanities from the Divell it is with the losse of better things in price above the whole world In these contracts with Satan we make Esau's penniworth sell Heaven for a messe of pottage Glaucus exchange Gold for Copper Now thou art pompering thy corruptible flesh but let pale death step in and clap thee on the shoulder wher 's thy mirth wher 's thy felicity thy voluptuous vanity doth presently expire There is a banquet set before thee in which are all varieties of delicacies but alas every one poysoned darest thou touch or taste any one of them by sin thou poysonest all those outward blessings of God which in themselves are wholesome and good and wilt thou ingurgitate that which is poyson to thy soule Tell me when all is done two or three hundred yeares hence what thou wilt be the better for all thy dainties more then the poore man that never tasted them Nay how much better in the day of triall and at the houre of death Then all thy pride pompe and pleasure shall be turned into squaled deformity irrecoverable calamity then vanity shewes it selfe in the proper colours then death and knell and hell doe all conspire to aggravate thy sorrow yea then hell begins to come to thee before thou come to it thy eyes sleepe not thy senses rest not thy perplexed heart burnes within thee thy wounded conscience bleeds within thee thou seest nothing but terror thou feelest nothing but horror thou thinkest thy selfe to be haunted with sprights ghosts and hellish furies stinging thee with Adders pursuing thee with Torches and fire-brand That saying of the Heathen man is then if not before verified Suae quemque exagitant furiae every man is tormented with his owne fury which is his conscience Besides thy wife children or other friends to the exasperating of thy griefe doe stand about thee weeping as loath to part from thee whereas thy sinnes follow thee and will follow thee doe what thou canst hell gapes before thee with a wide mouth as ready to devoure thee destruction on both sides attends thee backe thou canst not goe for a dead corps followes thee so neere that thou canst not part from it it is tied unto thee with an indissolveable knot besides conscience followes thee and cries out against thee and will not leave thee continually it presents thee with the dreadfull spectacle of thy dolefull and wofull sinnes If this were now seriously considered how would it make thy heart to ake with grieving thy eyes to swell with weeping thy hands to bee alwaies lifted up thy knees ever bended How wouldest thou strive to subdue thy flesh to the spirit sensuality to reason reason to faith and faith to the service of God But thou dost not now consider this that thy sinne is so fast linkt to thy conscience that at the last albeit not before it will pull and hale thee and rack and prick thy conscience which wil accuse convict condemne thee all thy vanities all thy iniquities will then pursue thee like so many furious ghosts Then ex ore tuo out of thy own mouth shalt thou be judged thou evill servant thy owne mouth shall confesse that thou hast followed nothing but vanity What a vanity was it for me to make earth my heaven and so to admire and even adore this earth that it is a hell to forsake it What a wofull bargaine have I made to sell my soule for vanity I was borne in vanity I have lived in vanity and it is my feare that I shall dye in vanity Oh how griefe followeth griefe my heart is terrified my thoughts hurried my conscience tortured I fry in anguish I freeze in paine I stand agast and know not which way to turne me my friends must forsake me my foes wil deride me my earthly joyes and comforts I should call them vanities have betraid me Indeed my friends may goe with me to the grave
our unfain thankfullnesse for thy innurable mercies multiplied up us from the first houre of birth yea before our birth a before time was Before foundations of the world wâ— laid thou out of thy free 〈◊〉 and meere mercy didst elect to eternall life when thou diâ— reject others Thou didst â—ate us after thine owne imaâ—â— engraving upon us the chaâ—â—cters of spirituall wisedom righteousnesse and true hoâ—â—nesse when it was in thy powâ—â— to have made us like unto beasts that perish yea to have â—qualled us to the basest of thy â—â—eatures And when through â—ur owne default wee lost that â—â—ignity thou didst so pittie us as â—â— send from thine owne boâ—ome thine onely begotten Son â—â— recover it for us and to reâ—tore it to us and that with no â—esse price then his owne heartâ—loud Besides it hath pleased â—hee continually to spread the wings of thy gracious protection over us to ward and guard â—s by thy providence to open â—â—y hand and to replenish us with good things to continue our life health strength food â—aiment peace and liberty to his very houre Thou hast even loaded us with thy benefits if we had hearts rightly to consider it thou renewest thy mercy towards us every morning and the night past hast given us a testimony of thy love For whereas for the sinnes committed the day before thou mightest even in the dead of sleepe have given us a sodaine call out of this world and so presently have brought us to that great account which wee must make before thee thou vouchsafest yet to spare us yea which is more to refresh us with comfortable rest to preserve us from all dangers that might have befallen our soules or bodies and to bring us in safety to the beginning of this day Heavenly Father grant that we may not be unmindfull of thy manifold mercies but that wee may often thinke of them and speake of them to thy glory and that the consideration thereof may stirre us up to devote all the powers of our soules and members of our bodies to thy service Forgive us our former unthankefulnesse for thy mercies and our severall abuses of them yea pardon all our sinnes past we most humbly beseech thee for thy owne mercies sake and for thy Sonnes merits Our sinnes are great and grievous for in sinne we were borne and ever since have we gone on in a course of sinne and rebellion against thee we doe daily breake thy holy precepts and that against the light of our owne knowledge albeit we know that thou art our Creatour who hast made us ouâ— Redeemer who hast bought us with the precious blood of thy onely begotten sonne and ouâ— Comforter who bestowesâ— upon us all things needfull foâ— our being and well-being foâ— this life and for a better life Yea even thee thee O Lord have we presumed to offend that hast beene thus abundantly mercifull unto us For this ouâ— unthankefulnesse and wicked nesse enter not into judgement with us wee most humbly beseech thee from the bottom of our hearts but have mercâ— upon us have mercy upon uâ— most mercifull Father and in mercy wash away all our sinnes with the bloud of Jesus Christ â—hat so they may never bee laid â—o our charge nor have power â—rise up in judgement against â—s Pierce our hearts with a â—eeling of our sinnes that wee â—ay mourne for them as wee â—ught to doe make us to loath â—nd abhorre them that we may â—ave and avoid them that wee may be watchfull against all occasions of sinne and circumâ—ect over our owne wayes â—owre thy Spirit and put thy â—ace into our hearts that thereby we may be inabled for thy â—â—vice and both in body and â—ule may glorifie thee heere â—â—at wee may be glorified of thee and with thee hereafter And as a speciall meanes to keepe us in subjection before thee work in us holy Father a continuall and effectuall remembrance of this earths vanity of our owne mortality oâ— that great and terrible judgement to come of the paines oâ— hell and joyes of heaven which follow after O let the remembrance of these things be a spuâ— to provoke us unto vertue and a bridle to hold us in from galloping after vice and wickednesse We know not how soon thou wilt set a period to ouâ— lives and call for our soules to appeare before thee whether this day or not before the evening O prepare us therefore for the houre of death that we may then neither feare nor faint but may with joy yeeld up our soules into thy mercifull hands and doe thou O Father of mercy receive them Let thy mercifull eye look upon us this day shield us from the temptations of the divell and grant us â—he custody of thy holy Angels to defend us in all our wayes â—nable us with diligence and â—onscience to discharge the duâ—â—es of our callings and crowne all our endeavours with thy blessing without thy blessing all mans labour is but vaine â—oe thou therefore blesse us in â—ur severall places O prosper â—hou our handy-work Provide â—or us all things which thou knowest to bee needfull for every one of us this day Give us a sanctified use of thy creatures agodly jealousie over ourselves a continual remembrance of thy omniscience omnipresence that we may labour to approve our very thoughts unto thee weane us from the love of thiâ— world and ravish our soule with the love of our home and thine everlasting Kingdome Defend the universall Church the Churches of this Land especially our gracious King Charles our illustrious Queen Mary together with the Princesse Elizabeth and her Princely issue crowne them with thy graces heere and with thy glory hereafter Bee with thâ— Magistracie and Ministerie of the Realme make thy Gospell to flourish amongst us by the labours of those whom thou hast appointed to this great service Comfort thine afflicted servants in what place or case soever they be give us a fellow feeling of their miseries and wisedome to prepare our selves against the evill day Heare us in these things and grant what else thou knowest needfull for us not for our worthinesse but for thy Sonnes sake our alone Saviour in whose name and words we conclude our imperfect prayers saying Our Father c. A houshold Prayer for private Families in the Evening O Glorious God in Jesus Christ our gracious Father we wretched creatures by nature but by thy grace thy servants and children doe heere make bold to appeare before thee in the humility of our soules to performe some part of that duty which we owe unto thee And first we offer unto thy divine Majestie the calves of our lips the sacrifice â—f praise and thanksgiving for â—ine infinite mercies which â—hou hast beene pleased to conâ—erre upon us out of thy boundnesse and endlesse goodnesse What thou hast done for us this â—hy is beyond all that we are â—ble to expresse or conceive â—hou hast preserved us from all â—erils and dangers
so that none â—f those judgements which our â—â—nes have deserved have bin â—flicted upon us thou hast â—nlarged our time and opportuâ—ity to repent thou hast proâ—â—ded for our soules and bodies â—â—ou hast bin no way wanting â—nto us if we had hearts to acknowledge it Forgive us that â—e cannot acknowledge thy goodnesse as we ought to doe and more and more quicken uâ— in this dutie that we may with heart and voyce acknowledgâ— thee to be that Father of lights from whom we doe receivâ— every good and perfect giftâ— ascribing unto thee the whole glory of all that we enjoy both now and evermore And granâ— we pray thee that our thankefulnesse may not be onely verâ— ball but reall we labouring iâ— deede and in truth to be dutifulâ— unto thee that hast bin so bountifull unto us Pardon us for thâ— sinnes of this day wherein weâ— have offended thee whether open or secret of ignorance oâ— of knowledge of infirmity oâ— presumption of omission oâ— commission in thought word or deed The sinnes of this day are enough to plunge us soule and body into the bottomlesse gulfe of perdition If thou shouldest straightly mark them what answer shall we be able to make thee how shall wee dare to appeare in thy presence before whom all thy creatures feare and tremble But thy mercy is above all thy workes much more above all our works of sinne In the confidence of thy mercy we come unto thee beseeching thee in thy sonne Christ to be reconciled with us and to assure us hereof by the certificate of thine owne blessed spirit Breake the strength of sin that would subdue us more and more and reare in us cleane hearts and renew a right spirit within us Increase our faith in the sweet promises of the Gospell and our repentance from dead workes our hope of eternall life our feare of thy name our zeale for thy glory our hatred of sinne our love of righteousnesse our contentment in all estates our patience in adversity our prudence in prosperity that so being furnished with the endowments of grace here we may be fitted for the enjoyment of glory hereafter And because the night is now upon us and our bodies desirous of quiet rest wee pray thee to take us into thy blessed tuition and to refresh our wearied bodies with comfortable sleepe Protect us and all that doe belong unto us under the shadow of thy vings defend us from all evill both of sinne and punishment keepe us from security and carelesnesse from dulnesse and drowsinesse of spirit from fire and robbery from the malice of Satan and all his adherents from all perils into which for our sinnes wee might justly fall Let the sight of the bed minde us of that last bed the grave wherein wee are shortly to take up our lodging we know not how soone None of us here present can certainely tell whether these eyes of ours once closed up shall ever any more open againe in this world therfore receive us good Lord receive us into the armes of thy mercy unto thine Almighty protection wee bequeath our selves soules and bodies and all that we have upon thy mercy alone wee cast our selves both this present night and for evermore Bee mercifull to thy whole Church continue the flourishing state of the Kingdomes wherin we live Decrease in it the number of superstitious Papists and prophane Atheists and increase in it the number of such as unfainedly feare thee Preserve from all dangers and conspiracies our religious King Charles our gracious Queene Mary the Lady Elizabeth and her children Give them all such a measure of thy Spirit grace that they may seeke to advance thy kingdome on earth and at last be advanced to thine everlasting Kingdome in Heaven Endow the right Honourable of our Privie Counsell with all such graces as may make them fit for so high a place Stirre up Magistrates and men in authority to endeavour after the furthering of thine honour and the benefiting of thy people Make the Ministers able and willing to discharge the duties of their weighty calling with diligence and conscience water their indeavours with the dew of heaven that daily such as belong unto life eternall may be added unto the Church Comfort O comfort thine afflicted servants wheresoever or howsoever troubled sweeten their afflictions and season their sorrowes with the comforts of thy Spirit Give them all needfull assistance and in thy owne time a joyfull deliverance And make us ready for afflictions that they may not come upon us as a snare but that we may in good measure like wise Virgins bee prepared for the comming of Christ Jesus the sweet Bridegroome of our soules Finally wee pray thee beare with the weakenesse and coldnesse and imperfection of our prayers and to grant our requests not for our merits but for thine owne mercies and for the sake of thy dearely beloved Sonne Jesus Christ who died to make satisfaction for us and liveth to make intercession for us in whose words we shut up our imperfect prayers saying as himselfe hath taught us Our Father c. O Lord blesse and save us make thy face to shine upon us thy Word to instruct us thy grace to direct us thy Angels to protect us thy Spirit to comfort and support us unto the end and in the end Amen Amen A Prayer in time of VVarre O LORD GOD of Hoasts in power invincible in wisdome unsearchable in mercy incomprehensible that givest deliverance in the time of trouble assistance in the day of battel we most humbly and heartily beseech thee to save us from all those extremities and in speciall from our enemies which our sins do threaten to bring upon us Hitherto thou hast pleased to make our Nation a spectacle of thy ineffable goodnesse but we deserve to be made a spectacle of thy unsupportable wrath Our contempt of thy threatnings our abuse of thy mercies our neglect of thy judgements with infinite other innormities doe menace the taking away of thy old mercies and the bringing in of some judgement We have just cause to feare O Lord that our loud and crying sinnes doe call in our enemies upon us and arme them against us yea that they are already prest and prepared to execute thy vengeance Then open our eyes we pray thee that we may see thy Ensigne set up thy Banner displayed and the evidence of thy approaching sword open our eares that wee may heare thee blowing of thy trumpet and giving the alarum to warre open our hearts that we may not be secure in so great danger but may quake and tremble to see thy hand of vengeance before us And howsoever by our sinnes we are set in the middest of this danger yet let the hand of thy mercy which is as omnipotent as that of thy justice rescue us let thy out stretched arme deliver us Put up thy sword into the scabbard O bid it rest and be still Be favourable and gracious unto
this thy Syon crowne her with plenty prosperity and victory Let not her enemies rejoyce in her subversion nor triumph in her destruction Hide not thy face from her in the day of trouble stoppe not thine eares at our prayers Be unto us all a horne of salvation a rocke of safety a wall of brasse a strong tower and fortresse against the face and force of our enemies divert their designes frustrate their envie abate their fury asswage their pride restraine their power and in thy name let us tread them under that maliciously and mischievously rise up against us Suffer not the light of thy Gospel to be ecâ—lipsed nor the splendor of thy glory to be obscured let not thy name be dishonoured nor thy Sanctuary defiled nor thy truth slandered but now and ever defend and deliver as thou hast formerly done this Church and State from Plague Pestilence and above all that most terrible vengeance the devouring sword and that for his sake who hath led captivity captive and like a victorious Conqueror hath triumphed over all his enemies even Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and Holy Ghost be all honour and glory Amen A Prayer for them that are about the Sicke HEare us Almighty and most mercifull God and Saviour extend thine accustomed goodâ—esse to this thy servant which â—s grieved with sicknes visit him O Lord as thou didst Peters wives mother and the Captains â—ervant restore unto this sicke â—ody his former health if it be â—hy will or else give him grace â—o take this thy visitation patiently that after this painfull life ended he may dwell with thee in everlasting life O Lord behold we bend our knees yea the knees of our hearts with unfained prayers and lift up our eyes to the throne of thy mercie seat to hearken to these our petitions according to thy promises therefore O Lord grant our requests we are gathered here together in thy name in the behalfe of this thy servant deliver him we humbly beseech thee from these his languishing paines and miseries of sicknesse and as it hath pleased thee to lay thine hand upon him so O Lord restore him to his former health keepe him O Lord from fearefull and terrible assaults and despightfull â—â—mptations of the Divell sinne â—â—d hell deliver him O Lord 〈◊〉 thou deliveredst Noah from â—e raging waves of the floods 〈◊〉 from the destruction of Soâ—me Abraham from the feare â—â— the Caldeans the children of â—â—rael from the tyranny of Phaâ—â—oh David from the hands of â—â—liah the three men from the â—lence of the fiery furnace in â—â—bylon Daniell from the mouth 〈◊〉 the Lyons Ionas from the â—â—lly of the Whale and Peter â—m the prison of Herod Even â— O gratious Lord deliver the â—â—le of this person both now 〈◊〉 whensoever he shall depart â—â—ce from all perill and danâ—â—r open unto him at the houre of death the doore of Paradice the gates of heaven and the entry of everlasting life O Lord Jesus Christ forgive him all his sinnes and lead him with joy into the kingdome of thy heavenly Father even unto the bosome of Abraham and appoint him his everlasting rest that hee may rejoyce with thee and all the elect children of God to whom be all honour glory power and dominion Amen The sicke persons Prayer LOrd hearken to my prayer and give eare to my humble request Lord be mercifull unto mee and give mee grace patiently to beare the crosse and in the midst of this my sicknesse alwaies to say thy will O heavenly Father be done and not mine forgive and forget most gracious Father all 〈…〉 quities bloâ— them out of thy remembrance and cast them from thy sight O Lord as farre as the East is from the West the North from the South they are many and innumerable let them not rise up in judgement against me neither enter thou into thy narrow judgement with thy servant O Lord for no flesh is righteous before thee handle me not according to my deserts deale not with me after my wickednesse neither reward me after mine iniquities O Lord my God looke not into my enormious nor incestious life I am ashamed of my sinnes and aske pardon for my faults even with a repenting heart and sorrowfull mind a bleeding soule with hidden teares of a true and unfained repentance for my misdeeds yea my wounded breast surcharged with oppressing griefes doth sigh groane and lament under the burthen of my hainous crimes wherefore O Lord wash them away with thy bloud which thou hast shed for my sinnes and I shall be clean and pure without spot purge me O Lord with those precious drops that distilled from thy tormented heart and I shall be whiter then the snow burie mine offences in the sepulcher of thy death and cloath me with the garment of righteousnesse O Lord for thine infinite goodnesse and mercy sake receive me into thy tuition and favour pardon O Lord and remit my sins as thou forgavest David his murther and adultery with Barsheba Saul his persecutions of thy people Peter his deniall Mary Magdalen her lascivious life and the Publican in the Temple with striking his breast craved thy gracious pardon saying Lord have mercy upon me a sinner and although my sinnes and offences are farre greater and more grievous then these yet O Lord thy mercies exceede and are far more compassionate then our sinnes manifold I justifie not my selfe O my God by the offences of these but declare thy righteousnesse and mercifull clemencies in forgetting and forgiving our abhominable trespasses and transgressions of thy will which though we are froward yet thou art gentle though we are stubborne yet thou art meeke and though we run headlong to the pits brinke and to the gates of hell yet thou of thy goodnesse callest us backe and remittest all that wee have done amisse O Lord I have acknowledged my faults that they are best knowne unto thee wherefore O Lord I aske forgivenes for the same send me the comfort of thy holy Spirit that if thou give me my former health and strength of body I may amend my life according to thy sacred will and walke worthily in thy Lawes and Commandements if it be thy pleasure to take mee hence out of this transitory life O Lord grant that I may rest and live with thee forever world without end O Lord hearken unto these my petitions for Jesus Christ his sake I aske them and all other things which thou shalt think meet both for my soule and bodie in the same forme of prayer as he himself hath taught me saying Our Father c. A Prayer at the houre of death O Lord Jesus Christ which art the only health of all men living the everlasting life of them which dye in thy faith I wretched sinner give and submit my selfe wholly to thy most blessed will being sure that the thing cannot perish which is committed unto thy mercy I most humbly beseech thee O Lord to give me
Be blest a sleepe be blest awake SIth neither men nor Angels know When as the dreadful trump shal blow Nor when our Saviour Christ shall come To give the world a wofull doome Thinke then but what a case you 're in That sleepe in unrepented sinne O wake O wake O watch and pray And think upon this dreadfull day SLeepe not so sound rest not secure Marke well my words of this be sure The waking Virgins past the gate When those that slept came al too late Wherefore be watchfull in your center That you may with the bridegroome enter IF wicked impes wake day and night And keep their candle alwayes light And all their skill and practise bend To bring their damned plots to end Let us not sleepe but laud his skill That frustrates all their projects still THe night well spent the day drawes night Awake from sleep and sin defie All sluggish sloath expell away Have still in mind the judgement day When dead shall rise at trumpets call The graves shall open wide with all ARise from sin awake from sleepe The earth doth mourne The Heavens weepe The winds and Seas distempered bin And all by reason of mans sin Wherefore arise lay sleepe aside And call on God to be your guide From raging sword and arrowes flight And from the terrours of the night From fires flame from sin and sorrow God blesse you all and so good morrow ALL you which in your beds doe lie Vnto the Lord ye ought to cry â—hat he would pardon all your sins And thus the Belâ—mans prayer begins Lord give us grace our sinful life to mend And at the last to send a joyfull end â—aving put out your fire and your light â—or to conclude I bid you all good night MAns life is like a warfare on the earth Whose time is spent with troubles toyles and cares Subject to all temptations from his birth In woe he lives and dies at unnawares The surest signe true fortitude to show Is in his life all vice to overthrow O Harke O harke my Masters all To your poore servants cry and call And know all you that lie at ease That our great God may if he please Deprive you of your vitall breath Then sleeping thinke your sleepe is death LEt true repentance cleanse your sin And then your soules coÌ„mend to him That by his death hath rais'd and cur'd The dead the blind and them assured To give to them eternall rest To live in Heaven among the blest Confesse thy sins to God on hie Who pardons sinners when they cry Bewray thy faults to him in time Who will in Christ forgive thy crime HE that on the Crosse hath died And for our sins was crucified Be you ever blest in him And cleane remitted from your sin Be it granted as I have praid And so the Bel-man resteth paid ALL you that in bed doe lye Harken well to what I cry Leave off your sins repentance crave It is the onely way your soules to save REpent in time while ye have breath RepentaÌ„ce commeth not after death He therefore that will live for aye Must leave his sins and to God pray O Gratious God and blessed Preserve all ye that be in bed So that your quiet rest may take Vntill the morning that ye wake Then may ye all with praises sing To thee O God our heavenly King REmember man thou art but dust There is none alive but dye he must To day a man to morrow none So soone our life is past and gone Mans life is like a withered flower Alive and dead all in an houre Leave of thy sins therefore in time And Christ will rid thee from thy crime O Mortall man that is made of dust In worldly riches put not thy trust Remember how thy time doth passe Even like the sand that from the Glasse â—ath spent the time and there remaines â—ever canst thou call that time againe SIcke men complaine they cannot sleepe The Bel-man such a noise doth keepe Others that doe win at play Sayes he too soone proclaimes the day Yet to the sicke that drawes short breath It puts them in the mind of death And saies the gamster makes good stake If he for Heaven so long would wake And all this while like silly worme He doth his office but performe Then if his duty breed disease Hee le goe to bed and none displease FINIS Psal 2. 2 3. Nequities vitae non siniâ— esse senem Rom. 6. 12. * * Conventum terrarioÌ„ orbis Justin l. 2. Dan. 5. Dan. 4. 2 King 25. Eccl. â— Eccl 1. 2. Ps 102 26. 1 Pet. 1 19. Ps 26. 10. In 〈◊〉 iâ—ctibâ—â— tacet in maâ—â— rides in utrisque Philosophatur 2 Sam. 3. Numb 25. 8. Isa 37. ult Dan. â— ult Lut. 12 Cyprian ser 5. de Laps Thus Franciâ— Spira cried out after hee had renounced the profession of true pietie for the possession of earths vanity Rev. 2â—