when he with chaines of loue keepes his owne fast to him he sayes As many as I loue I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and amend Now againe at last he concludes with fervent compassion Behold I stand at the dore and knock if any man heare my voice and open the dore I will come in vnto him and I will sup with him and hee with mee What more comfortable speeches would the heart of mankinde craue or what greater consolation can wee Caitiue and distressed sinners desire who would refuse to open the dore of his heart to entertaine such a worthie guest of infinite loue and mercie even Christ Jesus the onely sonne of God omnipotent he gaue his life to ransone the soules of sinners he left the glorious heavens for our cause and cloathed him selfe with our wilde and filthy nature Many yeeres did he preach he suffered cold hunger and reproach he was tempted and fasted forty dayes in the wildernes in the agony of his Prayers he sweat bloud he was tortured sold and imprisoned his head was crowned with sharpe thornes his body torne with scourges he was mocked buffeted and spet in the face his body hung on the Crosse betwixt two theeues and his armes out-stretched his hands and feete peirced with nailes of iron and his side and heart wounded to death neither was we bought with siluer gold or pretious stones but with the infinite price of the bloud and life of our Sauiour Iesus Christ the onely sonne of our ever-living God O it was our sinnes and wickednes put him to death and laid all his cruell torments on him it was our wickednes made him fast forty dayes when he was tempted in the wildernes we crowned his Imperiall head with sharpe thornes we bound his delicate armes with cords wee mocked him wee stripped him naked and scourged his blessed bodie we buffeted and spat in his most glorious face we laid the Crosse on his patient shoulders we cast lots for his vpper garments we crucified him betwixt theeues and nailed his innocent hands and feet to the Crosse it was for vs he sweat bloud and water in his prayers and it was we even onely we who peirced and wounded his heart and it was wee who made him in his cruell paines of death cry out in his last passion My God my God why hast thou forsaken me All this and much more hath our wickednes done to the incomprehensible Majestie of almighty God Heare with what great admiration the Prophet Isay cries out speaking of the Passion of Jesus Christ long before his comming Who will sayes he beleeue our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed Then he begins and tells of his sufferings torments for our sinnes saying Surely he hath borne our infirmities and caried our sorrowee yet we did judge esteeme him plagued and smitten of God and humbled but hee was wounded for our trasgressions it was for our iniquities he was punished The burthen of our sinnes was laide on his backe like a simple sheepe so was he led to the slaughter in patient silence suffered he all sorts of paines neither was wickednes with him fraud nor deceit was never found in his mouth this Innocent was put to death amongst theeues and malefactors for the sinnes of the world The Evangelist S. Iohn sayes For God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting And what shall this life everlasting be the Apostle tells thee That eye hath not seene nor care hath not heard nor yet the heart of man can not imagine what happinesse and glory is prepared for them that shall be saued Now deere and loving Reader consider with what little paines thou may in this little moment of thy life prevent the everlasting paines of hell and make conquest of the eternall glory of heaven to see and behold the vnspeakable Majestie of God set on his triumphant Throne evironed compast with the glorified Saints the innumerable Martirs who hath suffered for the faith of his sonne Iesus Christ when the woman in travaile and bitter paines of hir birth is releeved of her naturall burthen how will the pleasure of her child expell the paines and giue her comfort Even so after the weariednesse of this world the paines and anguish then comes the joyfull pleasure of heavens which expells all our vexations comforts our soules and wipes all the teares from our eyes what persecution what crosse or worldly temptation should hold or keepe vs backe from such an infinite treasure from such an endlesse joy Let vs say with that constant and blessed servant of Jesus Christ Who shal separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or perrill or sword as it is written for thy sake are wee killed all the day long wee are counted as sheepe for the slaughter neuerthelesse in all these things we are more then Conquerours through him that loued vs for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And a little before this happy and godly Apostle sayes in this same Chapter For I count the afflictions of this present life are not worthy of the glory which shall be showne to vs in the life to come And for this respect When hee considered of the joy of heauen hee esteemed all the ritches all the glorie and all the honour of this world but vayled filth and stinking dirt How carefull then should wee be of this word Eternall and that in this moment wee should be good provisors Our Saviour desires vs saying Negotiamini dum venio Be diligent and lay much treasure to thee fore against I come and seeke for a reckoning of thee For behold sayes he I come quickly and my rewardis with mee to giue euery man according to his workes And what shall this reward be if thou be vpright constant and continue firme and faithfull to the end Be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the crowne of life In hope of this glorious Crowne how gallantly should thou fight against all the wofull miseries of this world and still contemne all their earthly temptations In the word of GOD the wise man forwarnes the saying My sonne when thou art to come to the seruice of GOD stand fast in Iustice and in feare and prepare thy minde for temptation Heere thou art forwarned in what estate thou shalt be in time of battell and howe to lye at thy guard against thy three ghostlle enemies The Deuill the World and the Flesh Stand therefore and your loynes girde about with viritie hauing on the
he haunts Courts and becomes a spye still curious to search newes and verye diligent to knowe the secrets of all estates in this point he proves a rare intelligencer and so much the more by ingyring himselfe with hanging on the companie of young and light-headed Courtiers with a counterfoot gesture still plausible to their idle humors at his comming to towne before he come to Court he takes his lodging in the sub-vrbs and inquyres for the Phrepry and then be sure he will enter like a Polonian a Sweish or a Flemiug But ô how swiftlie will he be chainged in ane Italian a French or else in a Spanish sute In this new Metamorphus hee comes bouldlie to the streete and makes his promynad towardes the Court pressing as it were to accompanie his vnacquainted apperrell with a borrowed gesture making the world poynte at his oulde garment furnished with newe fashions till some poore Gentle-man take notice of his owne late pawnded sute Then even then beginnes povertie to make the true owner blushe at the Bastarde behaviour of baisnes it selfe whilst the boy of the Phreprey is sette to attend on his hyrde apperrell and still to remember the stranger to come back and make restitution and that he may leane off the wal and alwayes keepe his cloathes cleane When he circuits the Palace he scornes to be ashamed but needs will intrude himself amongst Gentle-men and Ladies then beginnes Curiositie to inquyre what 's he O sayes one he is a Traveller a man of a most rare wit and of a very quick discourse he is an Heretick Poet who can ryme extempore Mitolat-lynes Stropyat-verses with halting-feete and make any object his subject and more then this he hath the true arte of face painting he knowes the secreet vertue of complections and hee can lay an vpright vermilion collour vpon the pale cheeks of bloudles Ladies What folies and superstitious vanities may the eies of Wisdome beholde in the affronted and damnable customs of wicked mankinde whose mindes are a mirror of mischief a bordell to vyce and an excramentle corruption of all inormities it smels of treason to knock at the doore of a Kings minion so with scretching the long waiting petitionar nay weare his nales to the flesh before he shall be dispatched this makes many mal-contented myndes stand vpon the Thaeater of impatience behoulding the glittering stage of an evill furnished and deformed Court where blinde Forton playes a prologue to the triumph of Time acted with the abhominable sinnes of Envy Pryde Ambition Gluttonie Avarice and Licherie c. But ô how happie is that man whose heart is not polluted with the imperfection of Court whose head is not stuft with a world of fascheries and whose minde is not crost with tormenting refusals This man is he who liues at home voyde of treason secure without feare or danger and most ritch with sweete contentment it is he who scornes to climbe a falling Towre and whose chiefe felicitie is not fixed nor placed vpon vncertaine toyes so very well may it be said HOw blest is he whose happy dayes are spent Far from the Court and liues at home in ease It 's onely he whose ritch with sweete content And builds no nest on top of Caedar trees No storming strife nor yet no Viprich kinde Of treasons gilt doth harbor in his minde He eats that bread which sweating labor yeelds With open doores secure in his repose He walks alone abroad on spatious fields Goe where he please he needs not feare his foes He trades on that which proud ambition brings And scornes the threatning terror of great Kings I grudge to see when many a scurvie Clowne Of no desert traumphs in their desire And from the top of Honor doth throwe downe Heroyk spirits presuming to aspire shame wher 's thy blush caÌ„ heauens conteÌ„t with this To see good Kings deceaued with Judas kis Thou hellish Court where cut-throat flattrie dwels Where simple trueth no kinde of shailter findes Where baser mindes with pride and enuy swels Where rueling hearts are like inconstont winds Where Forton blinde playes to a poultrons chance And makes deceat in glittring robs to dance You painted snakes whose bitter poysning gall With want of pittie plagues the poore mans purse Gasping damnation doth attend you all Ther 's no Relax â—or your Eternall cursse Then curst be Court thou monstrous Map of Hell Where enuy pryde and treason loues to dwell O time what a pretious thing art thou to be thus abusde and wrongde with so many When thou art lost who can finde thee When thou art gone who can recall thee How happie are they who employes thee well and spends the not in hunting idle and vncertaine toyes What a pittie is it to see braue spirites so careles of time and still waisting of their wits in vaine Consuming their youthfull yeares in such slauish service where vertue could never harbour and at last guardond with ingratitude how oft hath the cowardlie flatterer cropen in favor and catched the gallant mans rewarde O but the disgrace of indiscretion pertaines to the distributer not to the wel-deserving man Let the man whose meriet is great put on Patience crosse his armes and smyle at shameles ingratitude what a shame is it for such as are borne to great ritches and yet wants nobilitie O to be noble now in these dayes it is thought to be prodigal and so the hearts of higher powers are transformed in the hearts of avaritious vsurers who makes their gould their God he houlds his hand fast his blinde pryde and voluntarie forgetfulnes thinks every man bound by duetie to serue and doe his vtermost without so much as thinks how shall braue men in this miserable extremitie liue or keepe goode cloathes on his back seing his service is all his revenues Poore man he is forst to goe seek his forton be some other meanes Because when he goes to the warres every Capitaine will be his Comrad and if his courage deserue honor he shall get it and what he hath by hazard is sweete content he gets elbo-roume to eate his meate he needs not lay downe his cloak in vaine to sit at the great-mans table for if there wants roume he must stand like the pillar of salt which Lots wife was turned in or else steale to his cloak and stay for the latter meate where never yet was ceremony of sitting downe for he that comes first sits first and then sits like one flightred in rops if he holde not his hand on his trinsher hee may be robd whilst he drinks if he eates at leasure he may be sure to rise with an empty belly if he be hungrie he must swellow all with vncivilitie and put himselfe in perrell of chocking I think the stomack of a latter-meateman and the stomack of a dog must be very like of disgesture and their throats of a like measure for they without vse of their teeth swollows all At hunting after the Deere
breast-plate of righteousnesse What should hinder vs to fight against our owne infirmities having such a Captain to encourage vs and fight for vs to strengthen vs to holde vs vp and helpe vs. Our Saviour sayes You are they who haue stoode with me in my temptations and therefore I prepare for you a Kingdome And I pray thee heare good Keader what a Kingdome even to be pertataker of his owne glory to sit crowned with him in all eternall joy and happinesse but our infirmities and weaknesse and want of faith and our strengthlesse hearts and our great faintnesse hath made our Captaine Christ to say You haue left me in time of temptations this lets vs see how feeble wee are of our selues and that without the helpe of God wee are nothing nor can doe nothing Our omnipotent God diminished the Camp of Ierubaall and with a very small number made him overcome the great strong armie of the Midianites least Ierubaall should haue said It is the strength of man hath woone the victorie and so taken away the honor glory power from God Non nobis domine non nobis sed nomine cuo da gloriam O man base thy pride for of thy selfe thou art naught else but a miserable and strengthlesse worme and all thy resolutions are but meere folly for behold the foolish hearts and thou shalt see what course and what straunge decree they will make to them selues What vowes and promises sealed with oathes will they make to performe wonders but O let the foolish man heare what the wisedome of God sayes Many deuises are in a mans heart but the counsell of the Lord God shall stand Thou mayest flatter thy selfe with many faire promises but all in vaine because God almightie must be the chiefe actour of all things This made the Apostle Saint Paul say I am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ which strengthneth me and when it pleases God to lay a crosse vpon the shoulders of any Christian that he may be glorified and to be a chaine of loue to bring thee to him and to keepe thee fast with him how will he helpe thee to beare thy Crosse how will he draw the forward and how will he peace and peace releeue thee and set thee free is it not written Our God is faithfull and he will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength Hee will lay no more on thee then thou art able to beare he will not suffer one haire of thy head to perish he sayes I chastice them whom I loue for the Lord your God doth try and proue you to know if you loue your Lord God with all your heart and with all your soule Now in this meane time of his aduersitie what comfortable speeches and what great assurance giues he by his Prophet Dauid He called on me sayes he and I heard him when he is in trouble I am with him and I will deliuer him and set him free and I will glorifie him Now when a man or woman is burthened with any worldly crosse can he goe to a better or can he goe to a more loving and wiser Counsailer to discharge the burthen of his griefe to then to our Lord Jesus Christ who knowes what is meetest for the Intellectum tibi dabo et instruam te in wia hac qua gradieris firmabo super te occulos meos J will sayes he giue thee vnderstanding and I will teach thee how and what way thou shalt winne free of thy trouble and I shall ever fixe my eyes vpon thee Now wilt thou but looke on all the great rulers and principalities in this world From the mighty and ritch Monarch to the base and poore begger And tell me who can say he hath no Crosse beleeue me not any for that man hath not beene nor for the present is not but he hath vexation a griefe and a continuall crosse What although hee appeare to the eyes of this worlde most content in earthly glory in ritches or authority yet for all that before night that day was never but hee had somwhat to repent him selfe of Then thou who art crost wil thinke in thy heart and say O this man or woman are happie they haue no tribulation they haue no fighting with this world their minde is in peace and quietnesse they liue secure and are crowned Kings of their owne desires O foole thou art deceaued for what is all our chiefest joy in this vale of miserie euen nothing else but a sunne-shine pleasure bringing nothing with it but a grievous storme of infinite cares O but what remedie euen this must be thy onely remedie to say with the Prophet Dauid Tribulationem dolorem inueni nomen domini inuocaui In the time of my tribulation and griefe I called vpon the name of the Lord hee is the true Phisitian that must heale thy sores and be assured he will say to thee as hee said to S. Paul in his great temptations Sufficit tibi gratia mea My grace is sufficient to strengthen thee to keepe thee and defend thee in thy greatest conflict and to be a strong and mightie bulwarke against all temptations and aboue all things let vs that are sinners and grievous offenders of GOD thinke and assure our selues that it is onely our owne iniquities and wicked life which procures our crosse of tribulation O then let vs not murmure against GOD but let vs looke to our owne sinfull life that is the onely originall of all our miseries how ought we then to repent for it is onelie sinne displeases GOD and nothing can please him but repentance and mourning Heere I will set thee downe this comparison Take eye-salue and applie it to any feastred part of thy bodie it will neither helpe nor releeue thee of thy paine but take that eye-salue and applied to thy eye it will helpe and releeue thy eye Euen so take mourning and applie it to the losse of ritches it doth no good applie mourning to the losse of friends it doeth no good applie mourning to the losse of honour it doeth no good but applie the teares of mourning to thy feastred soule it will doe good it will bathe thy feastred soule it will embalme and mollifie her wounds and giue thee a true comfort in thy sweete Redeemer Iesus Christ It is onely he who will heare thy lamentations consider thy distresse and exhaust vp thy remēbrance in his mercy When thou art wearied faints he is the true fountaine who will refresh thy wearied spirit he calls vpon all that are fatigated and oppressed If any man be thirstie let him come vnto me and hee shall haue drinke How joyfull may the thirstie sinner be to haue accesse to come and drinke of the true fountaine of life heare yet againe what sweete consolation hee powres in thy heart by his Prophet I haue afflicted thee alreadie and I will not afflict thee againe As he
Lesse travaile farre would gaine eternall joy Which sweet Reward all earthly paines exceeds But thou art mad and in thy madnesse strange To quit thy God and take the devill in change At threatning ever senslesse deafe and dumb Thou never lookes on thy swift-running-Glasse Nor terror of the Judgement for to come But still thou thinks thy pleasure can not passe All is deceit and thou hast no regard Gods wrath at last the sinner will reward To pray to God why then thou art asham'd For sinne in thee shall suffer seandalies Thy rusty filth of conscience shall be blam'd Besides thy soule hath spoil'd her faculties Thus doth the deuill so hold thee still aback Euen to the death and then thy soule doth take Alas poore soule when God did first thee frame Most excellent most glorious and perfit But since thou in that carnall body came Thy favour 's lost spoil'd is thy substance quite O that thou would repent and turne in time God wil thee purge clange thee of thy crime God is a God of vengeance yet doth stay And sparing waites if thou thy life will mend With harmlesse threatnings oft he doth assay And oft he doth sweet words of comfort send If thou repent his anger will asswage If not he will condemne thee in his rage The sonne of God he for thy sinfull sake To saue thy soule with care he did provide Mans filthy nature on him he did take That he both cold and hunger might abide He many yeers on earth great wōders wrought Still persecute and still his life was sought When as his time of bitter death drew neere The agony was so extreame he felt That when he pray'd vnto his Father deere In sweating drops of bloud he seem'd to melt Nail'd on the Crosse he suffer'd cruell smart vvhen as they pierc'd his hands his feet his hart Great torment more was laid on him alone For thee and all mankind who will beleeue Thou was not bought with siluer gold nor stone But Christ his life and precious bloud did giue O let not then his bloud be shed in vaine Whil'st thou hast time turne to thy God againe THE SORROVVFVLL SONG OF A CONVERTED SINNER JOB 7. CAP. I haue sinned what shall I doe vnto thee O thou preseruer of mankinde LEd with the terrour of my grievous sinnes Before Gods mighty Throne I do compeare The horrour of my halfe-burst heart begins To strike my sinfull soule with trembling feare Where shall I seeke secourse or finde redresse Who can my fearefull tort'ring thoughts devorce Who can me comfort in my great distresse Or who can end the rage of my remorce I at compassions dore hath begg'd so long That I am hoarce and yet can not be heard Amids my woes sad silence is my song From mirthlesse-me all pleasure is debard O time vntimely time why was I borne To liue sequestred solitar alone Within a wildernesse of Cares forlorne Which grants no limit to my mart'ring Mone My mart'ring Mone with wofull words doth pierce The aire and next from hollow Caues rebounds This aequiuox my sorrow doth rehearse And fills my eares with tributarie sounds These sounds discends within my slaught'red hart And there transform'd in bleeding drops appeares Next to my eyes drawen vp with cruell smart In water chang'd and then distill'd in teares My teares which falls with force vpon the ground Jn numbers great of little sparks doth spread And in each spark my dolefull pictures found J in each picture tragick stories read I read Characters both of sinne and shame Drawne with the colours of my owne disgrace In figures black of impious defame Which painted stands in my disastred face I breathlesse faint with burthen of their woes Such is my paine it will not be expell'd Doe what I can I can finde no repose All hope of help against me is rebell'd Gods mercie 's great I will expell dispaire With praying still I shall the heavens molest Both night and day vnto my God repaire He will me heare and help my soule opprest The thought of hell makes all my haires aspire Where gnashing teeth sad sorows doth out-sound Where damned soules still boiles in flaming fire And where all endlesse torment doth abound Had they but hope it might appease their griefe That in ten thousand yeares they should be free But all in vaine despaire without reliefe Gods word eternall most eternall be When as our Christ in Judgement shall appeare Cloath'd with the Glory of his shining light And when each soule the trūpets sound shal heare They with their corps must com before Gods sight The Angels all and happy troups of heaven Incirkled rounds theatred in each place A reck'ning sharp of eu'ry one is given Before the Saints and Gods most glorious face The sloathfull sinner then shall be asham'd Who in his life would neither mend nor mourne To heare that sentence openly there proclaim'd Goe wicked to eternall fire and burne And to his blessed company he sayes The Angels to my Kingdome shall convoy With endlesse mirth because ye knew my wayes Come rest with me in never-ending joy O let me Lord be one of thy elect And once againe thy loue to me restore Let thy inspiring grace my spirit protect With thee to bide and never part no more Once call to minde how deerly I am bought When thy sweet corps was spred vpon the Rood Thy suff'ring torment my saluation wrought Thy paines thy death and shedding of thy blood O seeke not then my soule for to assaile Against thy might how can I make defence Thy bleeding death for me will naught auaile Jf thou should damne me for my lewd offence Try not thy strength against me wretched worme I am but dust before thy furious winde Nor haue I force to bide thy angry storme Then rather farre let me thy favour finde I Caitiue on this earth doth loure and creepe I prostrate fall before the heavens defaite On thee sweet Christ with mourning tears I weepe To pittie this my weake and poore estate My poore estate which rob'd of all content And nothing else but dolours doth retaine The treasure of my griefe is never spent But still in secret sorrow I complaine Heare my complaint mark wel my words ô Lord Thou searcher of all hearts in euery kinde Thou to my true conuertion beare record And sweepe away my sinnes out of thy minde I sacrifice to thee my Saviour sweet And patient God who gaue me leaue to liue My sighing-teares and bleeding heart contreit I haue naught else nor ritcher gift to giue Thou God the Father thou created me And made all things obedient to mans will Thou sonne of God to saue my soule didst die And Holy ghost thou sanctifiest me still Thou Father Sonne thou holy Ghost divine On my poore soule let your ritch glory shine FINIS TO THE ESTATE OF VVORLDLIE ESTATES Tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in illis EAch hath his Time whom Fortune will aduance Whose