CHRISTES Bloodie Sweat or the SONNE OF GOD in his AGONIE By. I. F. LONDON Printed by Ralph Blower and are to be sold at his house vpon Lambert hill 1613. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE WILLIAM Earle of PEMBROOKE c. One of his Maiesties most Honorable priuie Counsaile and Knight of the Noble Order of the Garter c. RIGHT HONORABLE as your Titles doe ennoble your Vertues so in the Iudgement of those that know you your Vertues doe as much more intitle your Noblenesse which two in this age doe so seldome meete in one as most vsually to bee Great and to bee Good is required a double person It is not so and it is not so reported in you being reputed therein to deserue the Honours you possesse for chiefly louing the desertfull These assurances haue encouraged mee to offer to your iudicious view this little labour which containes but a Summarie of the Sonne of Gods sorrowes Wherein let mee craue this fauour from your Noble bountie to measure with the defect in writing the sweetnesse of what is written the effect of that sweetnesse and the benefit of that effect And as for mee my good Lord I shall take comfort in my paines if you to whom they are deuoted beeing wonne here to by the generall commendation of your merit please to allow your Patronage to one who offers what hee offers in the perfect nakednesse of perfect simplicitie Resting A louer of your person for your Noble worthinesse I. F. ¶ To such as shall peruse this Booke POETRIE is so euery way made the Herauld of wantonnesse as there is not now any thing too vncleane for lasciuious rime which among sâ—me in whose hearts God hath wrought better things hath bin the cause why so generall an imputation is laid vpon this ancient and industrious Arte. And I to cleere as I might verse from the soyle of this vnworthinesse have heâ—ein at least proued that it may deliuer good matter with fit harmonie of words though I haue erred in the latter The way to Doe well is not so doubtfull as not to be sought neither so darke but it may bee found I confesse I haue touching my perticular beene long carried with the doubts of folly youth and opinion and as long miscaried in the daâ—knesse of vnhappinesse both in inuention and action This was not the path that led to a contented rest or a respected name In regarde whereof I haue heere set forth the witnesse that may testifie what I desire to bee Not that many should know it but that many should take comfort by it And Kind Reader this is my request that faults in Printing may be charitâ—bly corrected that the sence of the matter may be wisely and herein truely construed and so shall yee both approue your owne Iudgements and right the Authour in his hopes Farewell A Lord of Glory Prince of Heauen and Peace An elder brother of the sonnes of rest An Heyre of promise that with large encrease A Kingdome and an Empire hath possest Whereby those poore weake soules in earth cast downe Like Kings in Heauen shall all support a Crowne Such thoughts as those whiles in a rauish't spirit Faire meditations Summoned to appeare Before the Arke and mercie-seat of merâ—it A sacred flame mixt with an holy feare As if Gods voyce had spoke seem'd to inuite My heart to prompt my ready hand to write Thou quoth it that hast spent thy best of dayes In thirstlesse â—imes sweete baytes to poysen Youth Led with the wanton hopes of laude and praise Vaine shadowes of delight seales of vntruth Now I impose new taskes vppon thy Pen to shew my sorrowes to the eyes of Men. Set then the tenour of thy dolefull song To the deepe accentes of my bloudy sweate Sweete straines of Musicke sweetly mixt among The discord of my paines the pleasure great The comforts lasting that the world hath got By the delightfull sound of his sad note Here then vnclaspe the burthen of my woes My woes distil'd into a streame of teares My teares begetting sighes whcih sighes disclose A rocke of torment which affliction beares My griefes teares sighes yâ— rocke seas windes vâ—fain'd Whence shipwrackt soules the Land of safety gayn'd For whiles incompast in a fleshly frame A cloude of darke mortality I liu'd I liu'd the subiect both of scorne and shame Banisht from mirth of comfortes all depriu'd Horrors with scandall cares with cares did striue And euer as I liu'd I died aliue Teares in mine eyes diuision in my heart Disgrace vppon my name plaintes in my breast Thirst in my sufferance hunger in my smart Naked and cold imprison'd and opprest Troubled within tempted without my Head Vncertaine where to lead me to my bed Poore and forsaken euer day in daunger Of wrath and Treason lesser pris'd then dust Of all abhor'd enen to mine owne a stranger No man my friend in any friend no trust My miracles tearm'd diuilish and my prayer Hipocrisie my sorrowes held dispayer This entertaynment in the world I had Yet for the world expos'd my selfe to all All more then this though this be all to sad But here to did my Fathers will me call Which most aboue the rest his with paine Did cleaue my soule all woe-begon in twaine The charge of whose hot wrath so fearefull was As against Nature chang'd my sweate to bloud Which trickling downe my cheekes vppon the grasse Well â—ould the agony wherein I stood An agony indeed whose trembling heate Powr'd out the wonder of a bloudy sweate Which bloudy Sweate for that it is a theame The happie matter of a mouing stile That now I challenge from thy sacred dreame And meditations in that dreame the while Thou vndertake to Register that part And with my spirit I will guide thy heart Remember first the sorrowes thou hast past The shame thou hast escap't what thou hast felt How I have euer succour'd thee at last How gently with thee and thy sinnes I dealt Thinke on the griefes haue made thy pride decline For by thine owne thou mayst conceaue of mine For as the Sunne exceedes the smallest Starre In height of glory in his goulden Spheres Whiles as I was with men a man so farre And much more did my horrors exceed theires But thou begin and where thy sacred fires Waxe dimme my breath shall quicken thy desires Thus then I soone obayd the Heauenly voice And wrot the weight of vengeance now increast From God the Father on his sonne whose choyce Would not from that iniunction be releast But he must feele the curse and scourging rod Of our and his through vs offended God No sacrifice or incense could appease Or reconcile the Maiestie aboue No Customary Rites no Tribute please No law redeeme the breach of his deare loue His most iust iustice would no mercy giue But God as man must die that men may liue The holy and inuiolate decree In his vnchaunging wisdome had appointed That the
forgets his former act Doth reuell sweare prophane carouse and drinke Whiles thus his iolly time he doth apply One sayes that he within an howeâ— must die How cold that newes strikes to his heart his checks How soone they change their merriment and he With what submission pensiue humbly seekes For grace to alter that unâ—op't decree How would he promise beg protest oâ— giue All that he had or could procure to liue Such is the case who till the day draw neare Wherein we must 〈◊〉 â—p the rightâ— We hold of liuing do our soules appeare Slaues to disorder seruants to delight But when we are arrested to depart Then we can feele the dolours of our heart Yet Christ is not regarded who stood vp And in the last day of the feast cride out Hâ— come to me all ye who thirst and sup Riuers of life drinke freely round about And if there come a scarcitie of food My flesh shal be your bread your drinke my blood Dull eares who will not listen to this call Dull eyes who will not see this fount of ease Dull heart that will not shun temptations gall Dull soule that will not seeke this God to please Dul eares dul eyes dul heart dul soule whose strife Nor heares nor sees nor thinks nor seeks for life Life may be freed from euerlasting wrath Which is prepar'd for those which will not liue If they but aime to bathe them in the bath Of Christ his blood which he doth frankly giue To cleanse and wash away each leprous spot That vse of sinne doth feed as sinne begot Besieged man-kind when the foe assaults Of number-lesse temptations shrikes or feares Mew'd vp in care and yeeldeth to the faults Whom as a weighty burthen still he beares And ere hâ— loose the honour of the field Doth like a turne-coate to his weaknesse yeeld Where now is faith where is that courage now Which prouâ— mortalitie prefumes it hath Base seruile frailtie doth despairing bow To weare the fetters of consuning wrath So cowards boast in time of peace but flie When warres increase and vnremembred die Others there are who smooth the front of sin And maske his vgly fore-head with the coulour Of lust ingendred nouelties to win Grace to their arts by making art seeme fuller And they their foolish wits with pride to proue Will striue forsooth to make a God of loue They are the diuels secretaries right Whose rules haue drawne whole troopes of soules to hell That might haue else bene sau'd they day and night Toyle out their braines that mischiefe might excell They feele the whips whiles as they kisse the rod By making lust the diuell and the god Loue is no god as some of wicked times Led with the dreaming dotage of their folly Haue set him foorth in their lasciuious rimes Bewitch'd with errors and conceits vnholy It is raging blood affections blind Which boiles both in the body and the mind But such whose lawfull thoughts and honest heat Doth temperately moue with chast desires To choose an equall partner and beget Like comforts by alike inkindled fires Such find no doubt in vnion made so euen Sweet fruits of succors and on earth a heauen Such find the pastures of their soules and hearts Refreshed by the soft distilling dew Of Christs deare bloody sweate which still imparts Plenty of life and ioyes so surely trew As like a barren ground they drinke the pleasure Of that in estimable showre of treasure If euery word we write and speake or thought We thinke or deeds we do or hower we spend Shall one day to aâ—stâ—ict account be brought When shall be made a whole and finall end Then all in vaine we shall condemnd that wit Which hath in sinne or thought or spoke or writ Those Angels who as Porters guard the gate Of Gods eternall kingdome will controule All entrance there and curiously debate Questions of quarrel with the trembling soule And like some churlish officer at court Keepe backe the presse of all the worser fort Here now the soule is baffaild whiles they chide What are ye soules opprest but whither presse ye Into the court of God here to abide What sicke yes sicke whom seeke ye to dresse ye Christ our physition who hath sent ye to him Our faith what faith such faith as coms to wo him Woe him for what for life where are your seales Of pietie and truth lost O fooles Get hence our wounded care appeales To mercy promised in the sacred schooles To Iustice no to mercy we behaue vs Iustice condemns you yet will mercy saue vs. Haue you then bathd your sins in what in sweat What sweat his bloody sweat we haue not knowâ— it Ah haue you not no then you are to great In sins sins sins and those haue ouerthrowne it Hence soules away ye are too late deluded Thus are the wicked soules from heauen excluded Thus are the wicked soules from heauen excluded And torturd in the horror of their feares Heauens gate is shut when they would haue intruded And al because they were too slacke in teares Which are the ready tokens Christ hath lent His bloody sweate on earth to represent Neuer was teare from any heart let fall In true repentance but the Lord of grace Hath seene and botled vp and kept it all For such as must his sauing health embrace This is a rule in text for certaine giuen An eye still drie doth seldome come to heauen He who can gush out teares as t were a flood Of christall sorrows and a zeale vnfained Dâ—th purge his faults in Christ his sweat of blood And with his faults shal neuer more be stained Stars in their brightnes shall not shine so glorious Nor all the Kings on earth be so victorious T is not enough to reade the Bible ouer Here to fold downe a leafe and there to quote it Now to behold the Lord in blood then houer And range but freely in thy heart to note it For where the Word doth tel vs Christ did bleed And sweat there must our thoghtâ— both drink feed Did but a King before a publicke view Imbrace and kisse his subiect how would fame Speed such such a fauour how would people sue To grace their seruice by his onely name So here doth Christ a much more griefe impare And cryes to all My sonne giue me thy heart My sonne giue me thy heart and in exchange Take mine I both will kisse thee and embrace thee What heauenly words are in this voyce O strange See sinner how the God of loue doth grace thee My sonne giue me thy heart but giue me thine And I will sweat in blood to pawne thee mine God knocks then let vs open let not hell Barre out the King of mercie he intreates Let not the diuell distwade God comes to dwell With men let men him entertaine he sweates For vs let vs for him like dutie keepe He sweated blood let vs
hunger cold thirst scorne despight Friends father mother brethren children wife Must be forgon yea landes and goods and life His Crosse must be tooke vp and as he was In meekenesse sufferance patience and sobrietie Such must we be thus must we ouer passe The wars of frayltie lusts sacietie We must lay downe our liues and gaine the crowne Of life indeed as life we do lay downe Vnto the simple was the Lord reuealed To men obscure disdained and vnlearned His mercy from the mighty is concealed He onely of the poore will be discerned That they who to the world are poore in show Might teach the world and greatnesse ouerthrow When to the barre of iudgement we shall plead And hold vp guiltie hands and sue for grace A booke shall be brought foorth thereon to read A miserere mei but our case Wil be so hard our sins will so depraue vs As then our booke will come too late to saue vs. For then our bookeâ— the booke that doth containe The words of life Christs bloody sweat and passion That booke will witnesse how we did disdaine His loue and driue vs to a desperation And then not euery one that cries Lord Lord Shal be receiu'd for scorning of his word Then shall the Lord reply for you I sweated Sad drops of blood and yet you would not loue me For you in agonie my heart was heated My wounds did cry yet would ye not approue me I know ye not ye cursed creatures goe Where damned soules do feele eternall woe Neuer may day giue comfort to your cryes But ouer-cloud you in perpetuall night Neuer hence forward may your hopes arise For to behold my life-restoring sight Let death and diuels torture you for euer For you shal be released neuer neuer Here shall the wantons for a downy bed Be rackt on palâ—ets of stil-burning steele Here shall the glutton that hath dayly fed On choice of daintie diet hourely feele Worse meat then toads beyond time be drencht In flames of fire that neuer shal be quencht Each moment shall the killer be tormented With stables that shall not so procure his death The drunkard that would neuer be contented With drinking vp whole flagons at a breath Shal be deni'd as he with thirst is stung A drop of water for to coole his tongue The mony-hoording Miser in his throat Shall swallow molten lead the spruce perfum'd Shall smell most loathsome brimstome he who wrote Soule-killing rimes shall liuing be consum'd By such a gnawing worme that neuer dies And heare in stead of musicke hellish cries No sin that is not washt in true repentance Shall scape in euery sence to be perplexed But euery sinâ— and sinner shall haue sentence To be without all end with horrors vexed And that not for a day a month a score Of yeares or terme or time but euermore For as the God whom such haue once offended Is infinite in maiestie and power So shall their tortures be to them extended Most infinite and ceast not to deuoure And after thousand thousand yeares their sin Is no more free then when it did begin Loe here the view of soules condemn'd to hell Yet here is not the woorst of their indurance Their greater torments are for that they fell From euerlasting ioyes and knowne assurance Of Gods great glory which so long remaines As date-lesse as are their all-scorning paines Vnto the blessed shall he change his voyce And with as much grim horror as he spoke The curse of wrath so sweet shal be the voyce That with a gratious mildnesse shall prouoke Laughter and comfort to the long distrest When he shall call them to his quiet rest Come will he say ye blessed of my Father Vnto the kingdome he hath chosen for you Since in the time of frailtie ye had rather Then serue as worldlings haue the world abhor you You gron'd and sigh'd and mortifide the flesh Waiting till I your sorrowes do refresh My Bloody sweate won pitie in your eyes And you poore soules did loue me in my griefes My base reproofe you no way did despise Hungry cold naked thirstie your reliefes Did cheare my dying heart for which regard Take life eternall for your due reward Here shall the Martyrs slaine vpon the Alter Of persecution for his glorious sake By Bannishment the sword the axe the halter The water racke the whip the fierie stake No longer crie how long but rest in peace And haue such pleasures as shall neuer cease Here shall the meeke in spirit be exalted The naked clothd in perfect robes of white The poore that felt no tast of sin be salted With sauours of exceeding great delight The hungry fed the sicke releeu'd the chast With honors that shall neuer fall be grac't Those when the Trumpet from the flaming skies Shall sound a summons to the day of doome Heard shrill euen from the simple to the wise Shall with the Lord of glory fairely come And stand as witnesses then to prouoke The Lord to iudgment whiles the heauen â— smoke Here Diues from the flames he suffers in Lookes vp and faintly on the Lords right hand Who comes to pay the wages of his sin Beholds poore Lazarus in triumph stand And then his conscience prompts him telling how As he did once scorne him he scorns him now What boots complaints or whither can he run To hide him from that presence all in vaine He cals to mind the follyes he hath done But cannot ransome backe his time againe Iustice pronounceth as it iustly fitted Sin shewd no pittie sinne must not be pittied Vnto this Audit and seuere accompt How we haue liu'd what words we spoke what praier We made what thoughts we thought how wee surmount In goodnesse how the poore we did repaireâ— What can we answer but in meeke accord Confesse vs guiltie and cry mercy Lord A sparrow cannot fall vnto the ground Without the prouidence of God aboue Our haires are numbred and we shal be found The heires of promise as we hate or loue The secrets of our hearts are not our owne Our hearts and secrets then will both be knowne Before the issue of which dolefull day When no excuse will be admitted there A time is giuen and a tongue to pray O who will then that precious time deferre But whiles the sufferance of our God is great Fly to the safety of his Bloody sweate His bloody sweate the comfortable matter That must renew vs in the time of need Both meat and drink â— blood meat drink the water The last to quicken and the first to feed Water the seale of Baptisme doth present And blood his supper each a sacrament See here in earnest meditations now The mystery of all saluation How orderly God hath ordaind and how He wisely wrought it from the first creation So good this gracious God is to
defend vs As he fore-thinks the means that must coÌ„mend vs. When Christ prepar'd himselfe to die and beare The wrath of God that we in him might liue The time of his sowre passion drawing neare In which he was his life for vs to giue Retird alone his father to intreat His agonies brought forth a bloody sweat So when vpon the crosse he had indur'd The bitter pangs of hell and breathd the last Confounding death that had his death procur'd When all the tide of cruell griefes was past A souldier with a speare did pierce his side When blood with water gushing was espide Water and blood what could it else intend Or wher-unto so likened could it be But to the bloody sweat his soule did send Before his death opprest in agonie That as the first before his death diminisht Death of the soule this in his death that finisht He di'd indeed not as an actor dies To die to day and liue againe to morrow In shew to please the audience or disguise The idle habit of inforced sorrow The Crosse his stage was and he plaid the part Of one that for his friend did pawne his heart His heart he pawnd and yet not for his friend For who was friend to him or who did loue him But to his deadly foe he did extend His dearest blood to them that did reproue him For such as tooke his life from him he gaue Such life as by his life they could not haue Great miracle of loue redemptions wonder Where he that should be su'd to sues to those Who would not sue to him but still kept vnder That better part which he in mercy chose Rare president of value which discouers How loue is scant where plenty is of louers If we but looke into the little home The home of our owne selues we may espie How many pyrates still make haste to come To wrecke our soules whom whiles we do defie We entertaine and freely but vnsought Make marchandize of what we neuer bought The pearle and the treasures which the Lord Did witnesse were of an vnualued price Iesus did purchase of his owne accord To free vs from our death deseruing vice And left vs for an heritage the gaine Of life immortall euer to remaine Hels gaping wombe which euery minute sunke Millions of soules and would not be content With streams of blood which greedily it drunke But still cryde more his mercy did preuent For he shut vp the lawes and did acquit The rau'nous gorge of that deuouring pit The euer empty swallow of the graue And bottomlesse confusion of the deepe His blood hath made in vaine and this doth saue From dangers such as dangers dayly keepe Deaths sting it hath rebated and vn-edg'd Such soules as were in sorrowes bondage pledg'd What should a sinner doe or whither flie To hide him from his shame that euer wakes Poore man lesse then a man who cannot die Nor cannot liue so much his Care mistakes And still he drawes destruction with his breath As t' is all one to suffer life or death Sad thoughts like burning furies still pursue him And seeke his life who them aliue doth cherrish Fond thoughts whose inward eyes nosooner view him But kill that Maister who once dead they perish His thoughts do tell his conscience of his thrall His conscience makes him thinke that he must fall What shall he crie to mountaines to conceale him Or shall he beg the seas to ouer-drench him The mountaines are remou'd and cannot heale him The Seas are dry and they cannot entrench him But euer as he hopes the light to shun In groping for the night he findes the sunne A Sonne whose glory doth disclose abroade The secrets of his hearts and layes all open Lines out the sundry paths that he hath trode Vnfolds the seuerall treasons he hath spoken The inside of his bosome is apparant And he hath none excuse to pleade his warrant What can he now resolue but to retire Vnto the sweat of Christ and cleft in mind Humbled in meeke astonishment desire Comfort in this his bloody Bath to find Which bloody sweat when euery helpe doth faile To cure the soule that onely doth auaile Pure distillations are but vaine receits Curious to draine but comfortlesse in tast Compounded Cordials are vnwise deceits Whose vertue doth but with the present last Christs body is the Limbecke that must yeeld Distilled blood our soules from death to shield If pleasures honors money gifts promotion Phisicke restoratiues repasted diet Ease cost delights cold heate prophane deuotion Drinkes purges obseruation courtly quiet Or one or all the soules spots could expell Great Kings had neuer ran so fast to hell The Princes of the Sodomites the chiefes Of Aegypt Achab Eserod and the rest Had neuer felt the terrours of their griefes If art could haue a remedy exprest But therefore di'd they cause they know no good To purge them in the streame of Christ his blood The womans painting Iesabel the whore Of th' Israelitish monarch could not hide Her sins from God but as her selfe was poore In virtue so she dy'd in naked pride O had she feâ—ne Christs bloody sweat contâ—iâ—'d In his Eliahs griefe she might haue liâ—'d But they whom worldly pleasures wrap in woe Esteemd this sweat a fancie or a fable Which one day they will find was nothing so When to recall againe they are not able And their this blood which hath procurda crowne Shal be a flood not to refresh but drowne What is a man but dust made vp in forme Fraile weake corrupted keeping tiâ—e in motion A ship at sea â—re-turnd with euery storme Eates sleeps and dies vnsetled in deuotion In health vnbridled in his yeares a span A sading bloome and such a thing is man Mans beautie but a frame made vp in snow Immixt with waxe which melts with euery Sun Euen so experience teacheth men to know How soone this worke of frailtie is vndone A winters frost or summers parching heate Doth soone this pictures ornament defeate Yet as a cunning fire-worke lighted glowes Spits and with hissing wonders dares the skies Till being wasted downe it fal and showes No more his matter spent it weakely dies And vanisheth to aire and smoke so men In health are strong but dying vanish then Man as a cunning fire-worke in his power Dares God and heauen and kicks against the Lord Till all his force be spent then in an hower Abates decaies fals of his owne accord Being indeed as nothing in dcspaire Of doing ill fumes into smoke and aire But here is not the end of all his ilsâ— His greater soules vexation is behindâ— A death which both the soule and body kils To which the miserable are confind And then too late they wish to coâ—â—e the heate Of flames and brimstone in Christs bloody sweate If one condemnd for some notorious fact Labour his pardon and doth surely thinke His life is safe