my confession and the humble petition for fauor which I present vnto thee For I come not into thy presence to boast of mine owne righteousnesse but of thy mercy and louing kindnesse 3. If thou shouldest keepe a register of our offences and shouldest call vs to an account who were able ô my God to endure the rigour of thy iustice What day of my life is there but would deserue an age of torment Thou mayest in a maner inflict all the paines of hell vppon mee and yet the greatest part of mine offences will remaine vnpunished 4. But notwithstanding that men doe offend thee yet thou lettest not to receiue the sinner which comes vnto thee with confession in his mouth and contrition in his heart He hath no sooner looked towards thy mercy but hee feeles it to worke in him to breakâ— and dissolue sinne which had frozen his heart with feare and horror The punishment which did hang ouer his head runnes backward from him and carries away with it this wretched carefulnesse which tormenteth the consciences inflicted with sinne This is the reason ô Lord why I would neuer forsake thy law but haue alwayes waighted till it might please thee to shew mercy vpon mee For hee who ill aduised doth despaire in his sinne and abandons his soule as lost dooes like the abhominable vsurer who because hee hath susteined some losse in his goods doth therefore depriue himselfe of life 5. My soule hath not done so for so soone as shee hath felt thy heauie hand vpon mee which exacted a part of the punishment which my sinnes had merited shee did still for all that keepe whole the hope which shee had in thy promise Euen when thy blowes fell heauie on my back I cryed out vnto thee Lord God thy will bee done yet giue mee as much strength as affliction Measure my punishmeÌ„t by my strength and my torments encreasing augment my courage thou hast ô Lord done so 6. Let all Israell then from the day breake vntill darke night hope in his God let them expect succor from him alone For his helpe is ready vnto those which call vpon him in integrity of conscience and purity of heart It matters not how great and fearfull the misery is for so soone as the Lord hath vnderstood the cry of his seruants euen so soone do they feele themselues deliuered 7. For hee aboundeth in mercy hee is infinitely good to those which haue recourse vnto him For if our sinnes surpasse all measure his mercy exceeds all thoughts We haue deserued a long and greeuous captiuity loe he deliuers vs and sets vs at liberty We haue blinded the eies of our vnderstanding behold he comes and enlightens them O Israell thou hast offended the Lord thou hast derided his law thou hast played with his commandements thou hast forgotten his benefits which he hath bestowed vpon thee He hath drawne thee forth of a miserable bondage he hath fed thee with the bread of heauen hee hath caused fountains of water to gush forth of the barraine rocks only to giue thee drinke he chose the most delicious garden of the earth for thy dwelling place he made his couenant with thee hee gaue thee his wil in keeping and thou hast conspired against his honour committed whoredome with strange Gods troden his lawe vnder thy feete thou hast in a word deserued more punishments then hell can affoord And hee neuerthelesse offereth himselfe fauourably vnto thee he will redeeme thee from the bondage of sinne where-vnto thou wert willingly bound with the price of his owne bloud Behold hee himselfe payes their ransome which did betray him and takes vpon himselfe the punishment for our sinnes and payes the forfeiture of our offences With what wordes shall wee giue thee thankes Open then my lippes my God my Creator my Redeemer to the end that my voyce may bee spent and mine heart enflamed with a burning affection to praise and thanke thee and cast me downe in the knowledge of my selfe to the end to exalt mee in the knowledge of that holy mysterie whereby wee are re-incorporated into thee and re-integrated into thy allyance for to enter into this blessed societie of glory in the which all those shall triumph which shall bee pertakers in the merite of the passion of thy well beeloued Sonne the true and onely Sauiour of the world Domine exaudi vocem meam Psalme 142. MAn ô Lord is at the last weary of all things continuall running puts him out of breath too much looking vpon a thing dazels the eyes a thundring noyce troubles the hearing but the more my voyce cryeth vnto thee the stronger it is my courage is the more encreased and my praier is the more pleasing vnto mee Therefore do I euery day begin a fresh to cry out ô Lord hearken vnto my prayer and giue eare to my supplication for all my comfort consisteth in praying vnto thee ô my God It is my prayer ó Lord which coniures thy clemencie to expiate my sinnes not by the rigor of the punishment but by the effect of grace which thou hast granted vs by the which thou abollishest by thy soueraigne and absolute power the memory of our offences 2. Enter not then into iudgement with thy seruant ô Lord giue him not ouer to the rigor of the law for of all liuing creatures which shall appeare before the face of thy rigorous iudgement not one shall bee iustified none shall escape that fearefull condemnation whose paine is not onely terrible but eternall in his terrour Alas ô Lord who is able to saue himselfe in thy presence It is thou who art offended it is thou who wilt accuse vs thou hast seene our offenâ—es and canst witnesse against them it is thou which shalt iudge vs. When the accuser shall bee the witnesse and the witnesse shall bee the Iudge what shall become of the offendor what excuse can serue to iustifie him But ô Lord I will not trust to that I will shield my selfe vnder thy fauour and oppose it to thy iustice Thy fauour is obteyned by the acknowledgment of our offences by the humiliation of our mindes loe I prostrate my selfe before thee laying open my sinne ô Lord haue pitty vppon mee 3. My sinne ó my COD the chiefe enemy to my soule hath in such sort hurried and beaten mee downe as I now grouell vpon the earth not daring to looke vppe vnto heauen for so soone as I lift vp mine eyes I see the light which presenteth to the day such and so many faults which doe accuse my conscience I also doe sodenly feele shame in my guiltie countenance which makes mee holde downe my face to the ground my face vnworthy to looke vppe to heauen the Lord whereof it hath so greeuously offended my face which is not valiant enough to cast vppe his eyes towards those places which haue so many lightning flashes prepared to roote out guilty offenders 4. My spirit then hath conducted mee into darknesse and hath buried
returning vnto thee but thou diddest meete mee I did no sooner say that I would confesse my misdeeds but thou diddest grant mee pardon I did no sooner know what punishment belonged to my sinne but thou forgauest it I tooke the roddes in hand to chastice my flesh and thou tookest them from mee To bee short I thought that thou wouldest haue proclaimed war against mee and thou offeredst mee a charitable reconciliation Oh how much more rather ô Lord doost thou pardon then punish Can a good Father more louingly receiue his Childe which beggeth his pardon then thou hast receiued mee when I did cast my selfe at thy feete Mine heart also leapeth for ioy and boyleth with an holy heat to praise thy name it reioyceth in the fauor which thou hast shewed it accusing none but it selfe for what is past and cryeth out it is I which willed it it is I which haue done it it is I which tooke pleasure therein but my God was mercifull vnto mee 7. How could he haue refused me his mercy seeing Christ Iesus is my Aduocate and thy Saints whose prayer is so deere vnto him haue prayed doe pray and will continually pray vnto him for mee They are those who make intercession for mee who procure his fauour for mee who implore his goodnesse for in those prayers which they powre out for thy vniuersall Church I hope to haue my part They haue need alas to intercede for mee seeing that the impiety of my heart hath in such sort blinded mine vnderstanding by her euill thoughts as my soule could not looke vp towards heauen to lift vp her hand to him who onely can and will saue it what remained for mee more but that those whom thou drawest neere to thy selfe and whom thou hast receiued into the sacred consistory of thine eternity should beseech thee to haue pitty vppon mee Vpon me who a cheife enemy to my selfe haue neuer could nor would haue prayed vnto thee for mine offence I doe now then comfort my selfe for that thou hast opened mine eyes to see the lothsomnesse of my conscience for that thou hast mollified my heart to make true contrition to lodge therin If it hath not beene so soone as it shold it hath not at the leastwise beene so late but thou hast vouchsafed to receiue mee as thou art wont to doe those who let slippe no time of repentance 8. For those which make haste to sinne and do willingly neglect repentance when they perceiue their faults and haue meanes to doe it deferring till their liues end to craue thy mercy louing kindnesse and to make a deluge of their eyes they are in great danger of deceiuing themselues and true repentance cannot afterwards enter into their hardned hearts their sorrow will be like that of desperate people and thy mercy prooue deafe to their too late repentance 9. But I runne in time to thee as vnto the refuge and end of my hopes to my comfort in tribulation which hath enuironed mee in the same manner as the feare of death sezeth vpon him that is appointed to some shamefull punishment Cause mee then now to taste the pleasure which that man feeleth in his heart who is freed from Irons deliuered out of prison and defended from the punishment wherein his enemy hath a long time held him captiue And on the contrary let the enemy of my soule blush for shame when hee shall perceiue mee so deuoutly to craue the assistance of my God who with the onely twinckling of his eye can deliuer me from the voluntary bondage which I vowed to damnable voluptuousnesse at such time as I drank the sweet honney of delicious pleasures which it presented vnto mee with a deceitfull hand in the loathsome cuppe of this world 10. Alas when I call to minde the time that thou diddest thus returne vnto mee and when with that eye of mercy thou madest a signe vnto me of pardon mercy and saluation it seemeth vnto mee that I doe verily behold a cleere sunne-shine to arise amiddest the stormes and tempests of the sea who by little and little perceiuing the clowdes bringeth back a cleere and calme season and vniteth the raging waues of the water Euery houre I seeme to vnderstand that sweet and gracious word when thou diddest say Feare no more for behold my spirit shall direct thy pathes and shall not lose the sight of thee thou shalt walke now vnder his conduct who bringeth in pure cleane soules into my glorious kingdome So soone as I heard this word I fixed mine eyes on my guide like the attentiue Pilot on the shining starre that directeth the course of his Nauigation O God! how sweet shall that rest bee which I shall enioy after that I haue walked in those wayes which thou hast taught mee I which went astray out of the path which leadeth to thy holy Tabernacle I was already entred into the thick forrest of this world where such doe easily loose them selues who to enioy tho pleasure and sweetnesse of the shades doe flye from tho light of the day which should direct them in their iourney for soone dooth the fearfull face of night afright them and deliuers them for a prey vnto wilde beasts that cruelly teare deuoure them I did already wander in this Labyrinth and I was hopelesse to get forth of it but that thou diddest put the thred into my hand which brought mee out of this dangerous prison Be hold I am now at liberty to doe homage and seruice vnto that GOD which did deliuer mee to present vnto him his image pure and vndefiled and to acknowledge all those fauors which it hath pleased him to bestow on mee to proceed from his onely goodnesse Hee hath not onely heard mee aboue his other creatures giuing mee the vse of diuine reason but hee hath likewise among men lifted mee vp into a throne of honor and magnificence so that there was nothing left to perfect my happinesse but onely to bee able to know it and after that I had forgotten my selfe he did enlighten me by his holy light and gaue mee time and will to bewaile my life past and to amend in time to come 11. Doe then like mee that are my friends and haue recourse in time to his mercy for he himselfe calleth you into the way of saluation and bee not like to the stubborne Mule which kicketh against the spur hee wanteth reason knowledge and iudgement 12. For a bit is put into his mouth and he doth continually feele the spurre in his side In like manner if at the first warning which the Lord giues you to returne into his wayes you doe not obey his will hee will raine vppon you showers of calamities which will make you more miserable then misery it selfe 13. You see the starres which twinckle in the firmament the sand which lyeth on the Sea shoare but neither hath the sea so much sand nor the heauens so many starres as there are punishments prepared for the obstinate
Their miserie hangs ouer their head misfortunes follow them at euery steppe vntill they haue throwne them head-long into that gulph the onely thought whereof is fearefull to all those which do remember it whose easiest places of retreate are full of cryes groanings and lamentations Where paine is without end griese without remedie repentance without mercy where death is immortall the body liuing but to dye and the soule to suffer where the soule feeles nothing but her sinne and the body but his punishment On the contrary those which couer themselues with the Lords fauour which make his mercy their buckler who haue no other hope but in his goodnesse who follow his comandements and are iealous of his will and pleasure what felicitie is there but they may attaine to what precious thing is there in heauen but shall bee opened vnto them They shall sitte side by side with their God and beeing enuironed with glory so much happinesse shall be heaped vpon them as the soule of man is not able to conceiue the least part thereof much lesse can my barren tongue expresse it 14. I will then reioyce ô my God in the hope of such and so many benefits as thou reseruest in heauen to crowne the iust withall Vnto this ioy I inuite you all which trust to the wordes of our Sauiour which loue iustice and righteousnesse there doth the reward of your labours attend you there you shall be placed in honor and glory there shall you exchange the sharpe thornes of this world for flourishing Lillies of all eternity Oh then shall the sweate of your afflictions finde most sweete rest Gold comes not forth of the flames in the Furnace more pure and shining to bee stamped with the Image of a great Prince and then to serue for the adornment of some rich cabinet as the hart of that man which loueth his God shall be drawne pure and cleane from the miseries of this world to be inuironed with splendor and glory What day can now displease mee in this world who shall hinder and stay me from entring into the howse of the Lord for to liue in his seruice vpon what day of my life shall I ceasse from bewailing those sinnes which kept me forth of his fauor vnite then in me ô my God these two contrary passions ioy and repentance to the end that like as the pilgrim who hath lost his way in a desert reioyceth when hee beholds the dawning of the day and yet for all that cannot forget the obscure darkenesse out of the which hee is yet scarce come nor lay aside his feare of so troublesome a night euen so haue I alwayes abhorred my sinnes past and haue neuerthelesse a certaine and liuely hope to enioy that eternall happinesse which thou hast purchased for vs by the price of the bloud of thy deere Sonne Iesus Christ. Alas how great is this loue when the Maister spareth not the life of his childe to redeeme his seruant Beeing then formed by thy hand redeemed by thy bloud and purified by thy mercy I offer my selfe vnto thee for a sacrifice of obedience reiect mee not ô my God Domine ne in furore Psalme 37. O Lord I must needs returne againe vnto thee and begin a new to implore thy mercy for thine anger seemeth to bee newly kindled against mee Alas my God wilt thou punish mee in thy wrath and cause me to feele the violence of thy iust furie which my sinnes haue stirred vp against me the torch consumed by fire falleth into ashes and I being deuoured by the heate of thine indignation shall vanish away and nothing will be left of me but onely smoake 2. For I see ô my God that thou hast let fly the sharpest arrowes of thy vengeance vpon mee thou hast touched mee with thine hand and thou takest it not of from me I feele remorse and terror in my conscience which doe astonish and bruze me like flashes of lightning and claps of thunder miseries come vnto me by heapes and one mishappe brings on another warre is no sooner ended but the plague assaileth mee and dâ—ath at the last bereaues mee of the deerest pledges which I haue in this world In what then ô my GOD shall I take comfort shall it bee in my selfe 3 Alasse there is no whole member about mee the disease hath pearced euen to the marrow of my bones there is no part about mee but doth reproch me for my sinnes and endures the punishment thereof I languish in my sorrow and no man comforts mee myne eyes serue mee for none other purpose but to behold my misery and my soule but to acknowledge my misfortune 4. I looke round about mee and as much as the eyes of my body and soule can discerne of the time past I see nothing aboue beneath nor on each side of me but sinne which compasseth me about and mine iniquites which crush and presse me downe they are heaped vpon my head like an heauy burthen and behold they smother me 5. How shall I resist them what strength haue I to defend my selfe seeing that my body falleth in peeces corruption runnes from it on euery side mysoares are no sooner shut but they open againe and if my body bee ill my soule is much worsse it is all confounded and trembleth for feare 6. And as sicknesse vndermines my body which is ready to die euen so doth sorrow my soule and steales away the strength thereof and as a sharp cold doth freeze and wither the tender new bud in the blosome euen so doth the finger of the Lord which hath touched my soule discourage it and make it to languish 7. But Alasse my God! what courage can I haue when I behold my selfe couered with wounds and that there is no part of my body free from greefe and that besides my disease my licentious pleasures present them-selues before me which reproch my sinne and deride my vanity I say to my selfe must I needs dippe my life in the honney of so many delights to steepe it afterwards in the gall of such bitter anguish where art thou now ô deceitful voluptuousnes which diddest melt my soule in the sweere licour of thy pleasures ô what a draught dost thou now leaue mee 8 Now ô Lord haue I not endured enough hath not my humility sufficiently chasticed my pride if I haue sinned thorow foolish presumption I haue since then fallen vpon the ground and couered mine head with ashes with mine owne arme I haue preuented my punishment I haue cleft my hart with cries and melted mine eies into teares and yet thy wrath continewes 9 It may be ô Lord that thou hast not perceued my laments thou who in the twinckling of an eye lookest thorow heauen and earth whose sight pearceth the very bottom of our hearts ô LORD thou hast read my thoughts and knowest mine intents what haue I craued but thy mercy wherein did I hope but in thy goodnesse wherefore haue I made a publicke profession of
repentance but to condemne my selfe if my tongue hath not liuely expressed my desire alasse Lord thou knowest what wee would haue before we haue thought thereon It is sufficient to lift vp our harts vnto thee and forthwith thou grantest our petitions 10. But wherefore ô Lord dost thou delay to giue me the holy comfort which thou hast promised me alasse I am hable to do no more my hart faileth me my sences are troubled my strength forsaketh mee my sight waxeth dimme and my run away soule is already vpon the brinkes of my lippes 11. All my friends stand about me and doe already bewaile my death they haue no hope of my health they take care for my buriall and question with them-selues where is the helpe he expected from his God wher is the fauor which he promised to himselfe from him 12. Flatterers are departed from me they did thinke to deuide my spoiles they would haue preuented my fatal houre so troblesome am I to the whole world in the state wherin I stād 13. They rounded one another in the eare and made a thousand tales of me they did daily inuent new practises against me and thought on nothing so much as to betray me he is said they vpon his death bed he wil neuer rise vp againe what doe we feare wil the shaddow of his bones bite vs 14 And I as if I had beene deafe made as though I heard nothing and like a dumbe man I answered not a word my patience was my buckler and my constancy my rampier 15 Euery one that sawe me so patient in mine aduersity did say this man for a certaine is dumbe when he is taunted hee replies not could he indure all these indignities if any feeling of courage or reputation were left him Hee must needs bee guilty for innocence is euer bold in her owne defence yet all this did not mooue me 16. Wherefore I trusted in my God and am assured that he will helpe me Let the world bend it selfe against me let heauen and earth conspire my downefall so long as I haue his aide I shall alwaies conquer By the breath of his mouth hee created all things and by his breath if he please he can destroy them I will fight vnder his banner and I am assured of victory 17 I haue often-times saide vnto them reioyce not at my misery though I am tormented and afflicted braue me not for the Lord is long enough to reach you trust not to his long patience for though hee hath feete of woll his armes bee of Iron If he once lift them ouer your heads ô yee impenitent soules he will crush you in such sort as there shal bee no more remembrance of you 18. As for my selfe I haue handled the rod I haue imprinted vpon my shoulders the condemnation of my sinne I haue O Lord appeared before thee with teares in mine eyes repentance in my mouth and sorrow in my heart I haue fought with my selfe for feare least myne enemies should triumph ouer me 19. I haue openly confessed my fault I made my sinne manifest in time I tooke care to run vnto thy mercy in due season 20. But the more I humble my selfe before thee to draw of this running water out of the fountaine of thy grace which streameth from thy goodnesse the more doe mine enemies oppresse mee their number doth daily encrease they strengthen them-selues on euery side and foresee not the tempest which will crush them in peeces They kindle by their pride the furnace of thy wrath they despite thy power which to their destruction they shall soone make proofe of In a word they being secured against heauen and earth doe wallow in their filthy pleasures and rase out as much as in them is the marke of diuinity which thou hast imprinted in their soules and shut their eyes at the hope of saluation which shineth on them out of thy word 21. I do not ceasse ô my God to admonish them but they pay me euil for good and turne into laughter all that which I doe to please thee and to giue them good example they doe slanderously traduce mee vp and downe the streets and lay a thousand wickednesses to my charge I confesse ô Lord that I beginne to loose my patience 22 But my God strengthen mine infirmity and forsake mee not by any meanes otherwise I should fall like a little childe into the first pitte I come at Encrease strength and courage in mee ô Lord as much as thou hast afflicted mee giuing mee firme constancie as often as I shall stand in need thereof no lesse then a charitable mother who so soone as shee heareth her childe crye doth straight wayes giue it the dugge 23. Nourish me then ô Lord with the milke of thine holy charity to the end that beeing in some sort strengthened I may day and night run on in thy paths to attaine saluation the hope whereof shineth in thy promises And if sinne come and stand in my way I will open the floud-gates of mine eyes and will not close them againe till I haue drowned it in my teares Miserere mei Deus Psalme 50. HAue pitty vpon me ô my GOD according to the greatnesse of thy louing kindnesse and by thine immense mercy pardon the punishment which I most iustly haue deserued For if thou expectest that my fasts watchings and prayers should make satisfaction for my sinnes alas ô Lord that wil neuer be Mine offence beeing measured by the compasse of heauen and earth surpasseth the greatnesse of the whole world who then can enuiron and wholy blot it out but only thy holy mercy which is by so much greater as thy righteousnesse exceedeth ours It is thy mercy ô Lord which cricleth the whole vniuerse which keepeth fast together the parts of the world which shake and are ready to fall vpon our heads to bury with vs in their ruine the memory of our sinnes to turne away thy sight from our ingratefull disloyall and disobedient generation which disadvoweth her birth creation and conseruation frō thee Let then this mercifull goodnesse which shineth in thy diuinity aboue al thy other vertues spred it selfe now vpon me not in a sparing manner but prodigally and without measure And as thou diddest once cause the waters to ouer-runne the tops of the highest mountaines for to smother and ouer-whelme the wicked cause in like manner a torrent of mercy to ouer-flowe me not O Lord to drowne but to bathe and purifie mee 2. And be not satisfied with once clensing mee doe not tell mee that thou hast regenerated and washed mee in the bloud of the chaste and innocent lambe for notwithstanding my purenesse then thou shalt now finde mee foule and deformed I did plunge my selfe in a deep filthy vault and am so durty and disfigured as thou wilt no more know mee I doe sometimes question with my selfe whether I am hee whom thou diddest create with thine owne hands or no but my heart beeing confounded and ashamed
to comprehend the greatest wonders of the diuinity but eschewing the day-light of knowledge he went groaping vp and downe in the dennes and caues of ignorance and blockishnes and remained therein all his life-time hatching this miserable ritches and at the last is become like to a bruite beast For as a beast â—eigheth after his prouender and takes no care but how to feede euen so this man would not stir but for the necessities of the body nay he would scarcely vse that wealth which he had so much coueted being heerein much worse then all other beasts whose vnbridled appetite is satisfied by the vse of those things which they desire 13. O how scandalous and infamous is the life of such people what share haue they in this world or in the next but only shame in this and paine and torment in the other Let them now please themselues in their owne discourse let them grow proud in their wealth let them now a little call to mind the speeches they were wont to vse when they esteemed no man but themselues and their money and held all other men in contempt 14. Behold they are haled into hell like sheep to the slaughter death hath deuoured them and there is nothing left but their bare boanes which rotte in their graues 15. The iust man who with patience endured their pride his turne is now come loe his time is to raigne and he is now at his ease He riseth vp by the breake of day and after he hath giuen thankes vnto God he goes to behold the place where one of those miserable wretches dwelt the place where he was wont to braue and tiranize ouer the world and saies softly to himselfe praised be God who hath clensed the earth from this filth and hath giuen place vnto those which blesse his name This wretch is rotten and his glory with him He is now in torment and no man helps him let him remaine so hardly for death vnto him is a going on but not a comming back 16. As for my selfe ô Lord. I know very well that I must dye the sinne of our first parent hath bound vs to this debt it is the reward of his disobedience we must returne into the earth from whence we came Yet for all that ô Lord thou shalt redeeme me from death and deliuer me from the hands of hell when it would seaze on me Thou wilt not suffer me to goe downe so low thou wilt set me at liberty at the entry of the dore and wilt be satisfied that I should know without suffering the punishment of my deserued bondage and captiuity But what shall be the price of my redemption shal it be the goods of the earth the aboundance of gold and siluer Not so ô Lord. Thou thy selfe shalt be the price of my redemption thou shalt giue vp thine owne body to death to the end to deliuer my soule from hell thou shalt put on the sorrowes of the graue to the end to cloath me with the ioyes of immortallitie I will then hence-forward ô my God haue none other wealth but thou possessing thee I shall enioy the whole world louing thee I shall be in thee and thou in me and being so thou wilt bring thither all the wealth of the world all the strength all the glory of the world and wilt fill mee with an other manner of wealth then that of these poore wretches they know thee not their riches is but the fruite of their sinne which with their sinne shall perrish 17. Wee must not be amazed to see them sodainly wax riche nor account them happy for that if they doe abound in false honor which they hunt after and that they are loden with this vaine and fleeting glory which is nothing but a shew we must not wonder at it much lesse enuie them for it 18. For so soone as they shall kisse the earth and bee clothed with their winding sheete they shall carry away nothing with them but the cloth that couers them nothing shal follow them but their shadow Nay I beleeue that wil leaue them also for the light which causeth the shadow wil faile them insteed of these magnificent shews pompous solemnities wherewith they scared little children grief sorrow anguish pouerty misery shall wrap them about and cast them into the lake of Brimstone 19. And not without cause they tooke their pleasure in this life their happinesse was in this world they obteined what they wisht for wealth came to them by heapes greatnesse and felicitie was a burthen to them they loued none but such as inriched them they made much of none but those which encreased their reuenues they are dead haue nothing left them in the next world for they made no prouision of the wealth that is currant there they satisfied themselues to haue sufficient riches for this earthly life that is now ended and they are in pouerty They desired honor but it was vaine and fleeting which depended onely on the opinion of fooles they had it but they could not well tell how to keepe it They would needs sitte on the top of the wheele it turned round and threw them head-long downe Happy are they which can sitte at the foote thereof constant and vnmooued and behold in safety how it turnes about 20. But these miserable wretches did not so they willingly mounted the top from whence they fell into hell they are now of the number of their fathers they found their Ancestors there from whom they drew their birth and manners they imitated their vices and after death they pertake their punishment They learne but too late and when repentance is vnprofitable what it is to lift themselues vp against God and to resist his glory They learn what it is to afflict the iust to oppresse the poore to deride the afflicted They are confined in darknesse and the light shineth no more before their eyes They heare nothing but horror and gnashing of teeth they breath out nothing but sighs grones they do not moue vp and down but in feare and ttembling 21. When these wretched mad-men were in honor they knew not what it was and became like beasts without vnderstanding But alas this is no true comparison for when beasts die death takes away their feeling of sorrow as well as that of pleasure but these wretches which wold not know wherein their happinesse consisted who would not looke vpon eternall light who stopped their eares at the spirituall word their feeling shall remain for the subiect of their tormeÌ„ts their soule shal liue perpetually to coÌ„ceiue their misery and they shal for euer languish Quam bonus Israel Deus Psalme 72. HOw great is the goodnesse of our God how certaine is his helpe to those which waite on him to those I say who neuer turned away their thoughts from his mercy who holding the eie of their soule fixt on his prouidence haue neuer let slip the hope which they ought