Conscientia mille testes O but heare in the end what is prepared for such wicked and insolent sinners who hath such pleasure in this world with their abhominations procures the heavie wrath of God even this is prepared for them Cruciabuntur in saecula saeculorum in stagno ardente igne sulphure they shal be tormented for ever ever in a burning lake of fire brimston O that the horror of this sētence might make vs mark our owne blindnes and amend our beastly life Nol ti fieri sicut equus et mulus quibus non est intellectus Be not like the horse or the Mule which hath no vnderstāding as the Prophet would say be not so brutish nor so voyd of reason nor yet set not thy saluation to such a small reckoning O thou reader I will request thee all mankind ever to remember and hold this most worthy and infallible sentence printed in thy heart Hoc momentum vnde pendit aeternitas This short life is the very moment whereon dependeth all eternitie either the eternall joyes of heaven or else the eternall paines of hell O J say againe remember this true sentence and haue a continuall care of this moment and spend it not in such idle vanities Agree with thine aduersarie quickly whiles thou art in the way going with him least thine aduersarie deliuer thee to the Iudge and the Iudge deliuer thee to the jaylor and the jaylor cast thee in prison where thou shalt not come out till thou haue payed all How carefull should we be in this little moment of our life to prevent the intollerable and endlesse burning paines of hell What would the damned soules in hell doe if they were in this world againe how would they spend this moment to escape that vnspeakable torture that ever-burning Gehenna where nothing else is but goashing of teeth and everlasting horrour yea and worse than the tongue or heart of man can tell or thinke out of the which part there is no redemption Good Christian Reader againe I will request thee and all sinners to print this in the depth of thy heart And I my selfe I confesse to be a most greevous sinner when I thinke vpon the losse of pretious time it shrills my wearie soule with griefe it wearies my dayes and disturbs my rest with that holy Prophet Dauid I crie to God with a repenting heart O Lord remember not the sinnes of my youth nor my ignorance but according to thy great mercies remember thou me euen for thy goodnes sake O Lord The workes of our Lord God are great and wondrous they are incomprehensible and yet his mercies exceedes all his stupendious workes therefore once more let vs consider so neere as wee can the great works of God the creating of all things The heauens sayes the Prophet Dauid sets forth his glory and the firmament shewes the workes of his hands The earth the seas and all living creatures therein the strange course of every thing in heaven in earth the naturall inclination of all living creatures Look on the seas how they are limited that they shall not passe their bounds but keepes their due course Looke on the creation of mankinde he hath made vs according to his owne image and of the verie dirt and slime of the earth hath he created and formed vs he hath also made vs subject to many infirmities of Nature the filthinesse of our flesh the excrementall corruption of many sundry and strange diseases which are naturall and insident both to man and woman And what would this carcase of ours be if it had not the change of cleane cloathes it would be naught else but a masse of vermine and with time the smell of our flesh would be loathsom and so in the end wee would putrifie and consume to naught O man why is all this done onely to base our pride and God hath done it to let vs see what stuffe wee are made of and what bath our good God done more Within this earthly vessell of our body he hath placed a soule made of a devine and heavenly substance adorned with all her faculties and garnished with reason The Prophet Dauid sayes Little inferiour to the Angels And besides all this he hath cast vnder our feete all kinde of other creatures and aboue all his workes that work of vdspeakable loue that miraculous worke of our redemption and yet the mercie of our Lord God goes farre aboue and farre exceedes all his wondrous works for the holy Prophet Dauid sayes The Lord is good and kinde to all and his mercies are aboue all his great and wondrous works And heare what our good loving God sayes more with his owne mouth The mountaines shall remoue the hills shall fall downe but my mercie shall not depart from thee neither shall I breake the couenant of my peace saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee What great and true confidence may we then haue in Gods mercie he sayes againe by the mouth of his Prophet The Lord doth attend the sinners conuersion to the end he may take mercy on him and thereby be exalted Yet heare more what God speakes to Ezechiel the Prophet Say vnto them as I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the sinner should turn frō his sinful life liue And farther with what great cōpassion goes he on to allure perswade his people to convert O sayes he Turne you turne you from your wickednes for why will you perish and die O you house of Israell How many kind loving perswasions doth our loving God giue vs to draw neere and come home to him What gentle kind corrections what large and great space of repentance what wonderfull sweet Parables of our Saviour Jesus Christ in the Evangell Of the good sheepheard who brought back the sheep vpon his shoulders which had gone astray what joy and feasting makes hee with his friends and of the honest woman when shee findes her lost peace of siluer And the pittifull father with teares of mercie compassion receaved his forlorn sonne with what joy and gladnes did hee embrace him Here doth our sweet Saviour Iesus shew what great joy is in heaven at the convertion of a sinner Our loving God again entring in more conference with the sinner he begins to reason with him Thou sayest that I am ritch and encreased with goods and full of substance and that I haue need of nothing and doest thou not know how poore thou art how wretched how miserable how blinde and how naked thou art Then our Saviour goes on with sweet perswading speeches to allure the sinner saying I counsell thee to buy of me gold tried be the fire that thou mayest be made ritch and white rayment that thou mayest be cloathed and that thy filthie nakednesse may not be seene and anoint thine eyes with eye-salue that thou mayest see And
cover villany invent mischiefe and bring forth treason it betrayes beauty and makes loue mercinarie it corrupts justice and with damnable deedes damnes the soule of mankinde This desire of ritches hath made and still makes many a man to hazard all there is nothing but the worldling will doe for gold even all in all This made that heroyick and learned Poet crie out Quid non mortalia pectora Cogis auri sacra fames What shall I say to thee who is contented with sobrietie and caries truth in thy heart when thou seest the great abuse of ritches it makes thee desire no more then is sufficient to maintaine thee with all yet for all this thy good deedes perchance can not purchase it thy Lord or Maister enranks thee with the deceaved sort and so forgets thee O thou had I wist what an excellent plaister art thou for the incurable disease of repentance What a great griefe is it to the well-deserving man who hath a promise to be rewarded and becomes ashamed to importune his debter but O when he stands in his sight what a loathsome booke becomes he to desired forgetnes which yeelds naught else but flattering smiles and never performd promises Now I speake to the young aspiring gallant learne in time to beware at other mens harmes Provide for age and sicknes Looke on the aged Conrtiers who hath spent their youth in waiting on they goe scambling like Butchers dogs in Lentron they are like old cart-horse like out-worne hounds and the very scoffe of time Therfore when thou looks on the Anatomie of time hath considered the secrets thereof O how deere should it be to thee how should thou behaue thy selfe in this time to provide for the time to come if thou be poore who wil care for thee suppose thou art of the most rare wit in the world adorned and made perfit with all the chiefe principall gifts of nature enricht decoird with the aditions of Art yet for all this if poverty hant thee few or none shal esteeme of thee now in thy youth-head I counsaile thee to thinke well on the time past consider the time present haue a care of the time to come Fronte Capelata est Sed post Ocasio Calua SWeet louely flower in gallant flourish faire Whilst beautie 's pray'd doth youthfull fields decore Take time in time for time in time is rare Once past and gone it neuer comes no more Than take this time so long as it 's in store And hunt not toyes to perrill thy estate Wise may thou be but yet be wise before Thou shall repent and then it is to late Deere friend beleeue I wish thy sad annoyes Times altring Fates may turne them all in joyes Learning hath no Micaenas blinde Auarice hath banished Charitie good workes now a-dayes doeth no good it is only naked faith that serues the turne O happy is that man who can doe for him selfe and puts no trust in the pinching mercie of great mens liberalitie for my owne part I say O That I might then should I liue content And not complaine on Fortunes wotthlesse worth What 's gone let goe it 's I must needes repent Whilst silence sad my sorrowes shall set forth My outward shew can not bewray my hart I smile but none can Iudge my inward smart How shall I chuse but pitty the distressed estate of other men when Memorie calls my owne deere-bought experience to a reckoning thē revolues the great volumes of Fortunes strange Enigmatizing Characters painted with the ruthlesse pensil of time whose tragicall Map is still out-stretched before my eyes where I finde all the flourish of my fruitlesse hopes lying Winter-blasted and scattered with the mercilesse stormes of ingratitude Si ingratum dixeris omnia dixeris WHilst I did hazard for vncertaine toyes Vaine flatt'ring hope expeld my present feares O haplesse I who for momentall Joyes Must pay long paine with sad repenting teares This inward griefe my burthened soule now beares With outward shew I striue to make it light But when the course of by-past time compeares And Tragick-like out-spreads before my sight Euen then I giue my rigours rage all right With passion strange transported here and there I spend the day and wast the wearying night Imparting plaints vnto the idle aire O what remedie time past hath no remorse Then must I needes endure this paine perforce I thank my God who with his out-stretched armes hath borne me through seas over land giving his blessed Angell charge of me who never left me in all my farre and wearisome journeyes so that in every course and hazard of my travailes his eyes of mercie hath ever shined on me and many times hath he delivered me when despairing dangers did threaten my life All honour and glory be to thee my God and giue me grace that my experience of time past may governe the time te come O this is a perrillous time the time of mischiefe and miserie the latter dayes full of calamitie now is the age of deceit when the father doth oppose himself against the sonne the sonne against the father brothes and sisters and all are at strife every one labouring how to deceaue his friend and every one seeking how to betray his neighbour Bonds Seales Obligations Sureties all can not serue the turne to maintaine truth if thou haue to doe with a man of greater worth then thy selfe then be sure he will minas thee and so pay his debts with threatnings Wilt thou appeale him before a Judge with new invented shifts of Law he will out-wearie thee with briberie he will begger thee and thou shalt never be the better O thou wicked oppressour and thou false and partiall Judge what shalt thou answer to the head Justice of heaven when God sayes by his Prophet Ieremie Ego sum Iudex testis I am both Iudge witnes O sayes the wicked man in his hart I feare not God therefore I can not loue him with my soule nor yet can I loue my neighbour because J envie his good estate and covets his ritches and would wrack him so J owne no duty to God at all nor loue to my neighbour I scorne spurne treds on the lawes of God O let me never thinke on that terrible fearful day of Judgement nor of the horrible and endles burning paines of hel I wil altogether forget it because it will make me despare take away this frivolous word Religion why because it keeps me from my pleasures and doeth imprison all my fleshlie liberties the foolish man saieth in his heart there is no God He that is vnjust let him be vnjust still saieth Christ and let the deceiuer be still deceitfull let him dwell in his abhominations and triumph in all kinde of wickednesse For behold I come shortlie and my rewerde is with me to rander euerie man as he doeth deserue The custome of sinne and continuall vse makes sinne pleasant aboundance of
sicknes many a languishing disease which is lade before mankinde Oppression when thy betters doeth abuse thee taks thy wealth thy lands puts the widow and the fatherles to begry Lose of friends when they who shuld help thee are gone hes no body to comfort thee in thy destres Ship-wrack when thy substance is lost by sea thy life indangered Banishment when thou in a strange country becomes a poore stranger far from thy own soyle thou liuest an out-cast and thy enemies injoyes thy ritches at home Prison when the crosse of rancountring misfortunes doth imprison many a man within a Jaill or casts him in chaines within a Galies triumpht over with Raskals and as it were the very resting place of all wrongs when a gentle heart is forst to harbor patience and when revenge in a gallant breast turns coward O this earthly hell which hes no other Musick but locking of doores the noise of irons and chains the heavy complaint of distressed prisoners lockt with bonds in misery consuming in stink and filthines This said the Apostle S. Taul Remember them that are in bonds as if ye wer in bonds with them so that every one aught by charitable works to haue compassion on the poore distressed prisoners Saith not the Prophet Dauid with great grief of hart Let the sighing of the prisoners come before thee O Lord as though he wold say O Lord God consider the great anguish of their hearts take mercy on them and releue their wants how heavy and comfortles is this grievous cros Some again are crost with lose of honor when a man either falles in disgrace and commits some base and filthy fact or when he suffers wrong and can not repare himself the crosse of mariage where there is no peace quietnes nor rest voyde of all contentment and ever barking and so makes the devill smyl at their dissention And what can be said to the crosse of idle loue which hangs on the shoulders of all sortes of people as well maried as vnmaried In this Frenasy many ould dotardes beginnes to renue their declyning age and takes vpon them the apprehension of youth-heid whilst their gray haires and hairles heads reckones vp their yeares and telles the worlde their folly Turpe senilis amor it is more tollerable in youth so that it be not superstitious loue as sometimes to fast from meate and drink watching the nights and sending their lamentations written with bloudie letters railling on crueltie and being alone in their retearing walks they surfat the solitarie deserts with the sorrowfull voice of a discontented minde with weeping eies in splaine of passion O saieth he THe furious force of loues consuming fire No tyme can quench nor thoght can not expell Such is the restles rage of my desire Which makes my wits within my selfe rebell Thus am I wrongd and euer saikles slaine I shift my place but can not shift my paine They ever esteeme their paines worse then the paines of hell such are the sort of penetential lovers who are alwaies Anatomisd with humorous follie yet how often comes it to passe that they who taks most pains to please are most displeasd for it is knowne be vnfallable experience that the duetifull lover in a respected persute is often rejected with many ingratfull disdains For some they are which are Monsters in the womanish sex will hate that man most who loues her best and yeeld her self to a cowardly pultron of no desert And againe we may evidently see how some men of a currish mastish kinde will be most carelesse of that woman who is most carefull of him Such are the vnthankfull discords and interviewing controversies of this frivolous thing which the world calleth Blinde-loue it is not the ritch apparell nor the rare bewtie nor the art of curious engines nor yet is it the gorgeous gesture of a glorious woman which makes the woman it is the good education which brings forth good qualities it is the vertue of the mind which doeth produce discretion makes the woman a perfit woman and that man may truly be called a perfit man who makes wisedome the vnseperable companion of valour whose liberall minde aymes at honour and whose couragious heart treads on feare to conques fame O it is not the externall shew of a Peacocks pride who with the gesture of his painted plumes seemes to threaten Kingdomes it is not the man of personage nor the robust nature neither is it the quantitie but onely the qualitie doth the turne A woman may seeme very coy in braue attire with a faire face and yet a whore a man may be cloathed in fine cloathes he may be very strong of body of a great stature and he may in a fearelesse humor discourse of valour but when it comes to the push of Fortune he may proue naught else but a faint-hearted-coward a turne-back to courage and a runne-away from honour What a world of vanity is it to see a painted fellow that can doe nothing else but court a woman how effeminate will he be and how prodigall will the tongue be to lend vowes to the hart Nec jura retine veneris per juria venti irrita per terras freta longa ferunt How perrillous is it to beleeue a Lover how tempting will their words be and how will they straine them selues to speake with vehemencie Lady Rethorick ever hants the mouth of a Lover and with borrowed speeches of braver wits doeth enlarge their deceit his perjured promises his oathes his vowes his protestations his waiting-on and all his iron sences drawen to feed vpon the actractiue humors of her Adamantall beautie as when the song or lisping speech of a Syranicall wench doth enchaunt his eares the feeling of her too-much tempting flesh doth intangle his touch her perfumed breath doth sweeten his smell the nectar of her lascivious kissing giues delicacie to his taste and her petulant beautie feedes his sight her smile is his heaven her frown is his hell she is the only idoll of his minde for when he should serue God he worships her if hee comes to Church his looking on her behaviour takes away his hearing robs him of devotion and makes him a sencelesse blocke with staring in her face hee learnes the Arte of Phisiognomie his vaine apprehentions will reade a womans thought in her visage and when hee lookes on her hands O then hee becomes a rare Palmister for hee will not spare to reade her fortunes by lynes for heere sayes hee is the true score of death and there goes the score of life from this part comes the venerian score and if this close with that ye may be assured to loose your Mayden-head it is onely this makes the too-much beleeving wenches despaire of their virginitie his braines are tormented with new inventions fancie leades him to a frensie next lunaticke and if hee escape madnesse it selfe hee may thanke GOD. Hee spendes the time in his Chamber
would say there shall not come from me a double tribulation Now good Christian how may thy troubled soule repose vpon this loving and infallible promise Holy and constant Iob in the middes of his torturing griefe cries out to God Although he kill me yet wil I trust in him and to animate thee and to giue the more stoutnes that in aduersitie thou be not overthrowne The royall Prophet Dauid cries to thee with great courage Expecta dominum viriliter age confortetur cor tuum sustine dominum Trust in the Lord and fight manfully our Lord will comfort thy heart and therefore abide his will for the Lord our God will not leaue thee hee will not depart from thee what great confidence hath this holy man had in GOD for in the beginning of this Psalme he sayes Seeing God is the protector of my life who can harme me And againe with great assurance he sayes Si consistant aduersum me castra non timebit cor meum si exurgat aduersum me prelium in hoc ego sperabo Giue whole armies were comming against me I shall not care but hope in God then hee followes with this request I haue sought one thing of thee my God that I may dwell all the dayes of my life in thy house and that I may see the glory and beautie of thy Temple Then when this blessed man begins to thinke vpon the wondrous benefits of God bestowed on him with joy and gladnes of heart he cries out and sayes What shall I render the Lord for all his benefits bestowed vpon me I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord If wee poore ingratefull creatures would meditate vpon the incomprehensible loue of GOD of his long suffering and gentle patience How slow is he to wrath and how swift is he to mercy what wrongs doeth he receaue They haue saieth he repayed euil for good Then when he perceaved their great vnthankfulnesse their dulnesse and hardnesse of heart and that all what he did could not moue his people to turne to him Then he cryeth out in great passion O ye Heauens be astonished at this be affraied and vtterly confounded And yet with more vehemence be his Prophet he sayeth Heare O Heauens and harken O Earth for the Lord hath said I haue nurished and brought vp children and they haue rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his owner the asse knoweth his maisters crib but yet my people knoweth not me Woe be to this sinfull Nation a people loaden with iniquitie a wiked seed and corrupt children they haue forsaken their Lord they haue prouocked the holy one of Israel to anger and they haue gone backwarde What an heavy lamentation is this how grievous was this complaint to the Almighty GOD to make vpon base and filthy wake and worthlesse creeping vermeine of the Earth whom the twinkling of his eie might haue destroyed and with the smallest breath of his anger brought an infinite number of worlds to nothing Who can stand before his wrath saieth the Prophet Nahum or who can abide the fearcenesse of his wrath his wrath is powred out like fire and the rocks and mountaines are broken with his anger How oft hath our sinnes even now in this present age procured that heavy and terrible wrath of GOD even that wrath I say which moues the Mountaines and makes the hilles to trimble Look good Reader and thou shalt see how the sparkes of GODS furious wrath is spred throgh many parts of this world we may with teares houle and lament and with vexation of minde complaine and cry out with that holy Prophet Thine holy cities lywaist Zion is become a wildernesse and Iarusalem a desert the house of our Sanctuarie and of our glory where our forefathers praised thee is brunt and consumed with fire and all our pleasant things are waisted and destroyed How heavily doeth this man of GOD complaine how doeth he bevaill this desolation and destruction and in the bitter passion of his heart he crieth out Wilt thou hold thy selfe still at these things O Lord what wilt thou holde thy peace and afflict vs aboue measure As he wold say wilt thou not take compassion vpon vs and wilt thou not withdraw thy heavy wrath from vs What without all kinde of mercy shall we be vtterlie destroied No not so because in his superaboundant loue and wonderfull great pietie hee comforteth vs and saieth In my wrath I haue punished thee but in my mercie I had compassion thee And yet farther with great regrate he maketh a sweete and comfortable promise Whereas thou hast bene forsaken and hated so that na man respected thee I shall make thee an Eternall glorie and a joy from generation to generation And what more will our GOD of mercie doe And they shall sayeth hee builde the oulde waist places and raise vp the former desolations and they shall repaire all the Citties that were desolate and waist through many generations What great store of Consolation doeth this promise of GOD giue to vs and with what meeknesse of heart doeth he say Indignatio non est mihi I am not angrie wrath is not mine I will freely forgiue thee I will forgett all thy sinnes and cast them behinde my back I shall blot all thy wickednesse out ot my memory and beleeue me I shall never thinke on thine offences any more Haue I any desire that the wicked should dye sayeth our Lord God or shall he not liue if he returne from his wickednnsse And againe he perswadeth vs saying Cast away all your transgressions whereby you haue transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit Let the teares of remorse purge the filth of sinne from our soule O that we in all humilitie wolde consider what and how many earnest perswasions our loving GOD hath laid and still layeth before vs to turne home to him Againe hes our abhominations and wicked life beniched vs from his loue O yet let vs not despare of his mercy Although our sinnes were rid as scarlet God will make them white as snowe Come vnto me all ye saieth our Saviour that are wearie and loden and I will refresh you And then he beginneth to reproue the sluggard Goe labour in my vyne-yarde why stand ye all the day idle Although we come with the last yet we will be rewarded with the first Let vs throwe and cast away al hinders that lats vs and staies vs from GOD. Let vs I say in time mend our life our good GOD will helpe vs he will make all impossibilities possible Marie Magdalen and Marie the mother of Iames all the way how carefull were they to gette the great stone rolled away from the sepulcher dore and how soone they came to the dore there they found the stone rolled and turned away Even so in this happy journey of our conversion Let vs cast away all worldly
cares and take vp our crosse and follow Christ His yocke is sweete and his burthen is light we shall not walke in darknesse Let vs say with S. Augustine Et tu Domine vsque quoquam diu quam diu Cras cras quare non modo quare non hac hora finis est turpitudinis meae O Lord how long wilt thou suffer me thus How long How long shall I say to morrow to morrow why should I not convert now Why should there not be an end of my filthy lyfe even at this very instant And let vs all say with the holy Prophet Dauid O Lord create a new heart in me and renew my spirit and that we May cast off the ould man and put on the new man O Lord giue vs grace hereafter that we may walke circumspectly and not like mad and insolent fooles in ignorance blindnesse and errour that we may redeme the time that we haue spent in sleuthfulnesse and idlenesse Try me O GOD and search my heart saieth Dauid proue me and examine my thoghts Consider if there be any way of wickednesse in me and then O Lord lead me in the way of eternitie I pray GOD let vs never like dogs turne to our vomet stay still with vs O Lord because it is neere the night When S. Peter saies And if the righteous scarcely can be saued where shall the vngodlie and the sinner appeare What a perellous speech is this for vs poore and miserarable sinners who still heapes sinne vpon sinne Therefore deare brother let vs cry O Lord enter not into judgement with vs take all our sinnes and iniquities and bury them in the bleeding wounds of thy dearly beloved Sonne Jesus Christ Let the temporall punishments of this life deliver vs and redeme vs from the eternall paines of hell Let vs all say with S. Austein Hic vre hic seca vt in aeternum parcas O good GOD mollifie our hearts and let vs not be hardned when we heare thy voyce giue vs that strength of grace that the filthy vapors of our sinnes extinguish not thine holy spirit in vs. Da seruo tuo Domine cor docile Giue vnto thy servant O Lord a tractable heart to receaue instruction And O GOD we pray thee to remember thy promise Ad quem respitiam nisi ad pauperculum contritum corde timentem sermones meos To whom will I haue regard or shew my favour but vnto the poore and humble of heart vnto the contreat spirit and to such as trimble at my speeches Thou never yet O Lord despised the sacrifice of a contreat heart So long as the sinner remaines within the darkned and misty vapors of all wickednesse he can not beholde the odeous and vylde leprosie nor the filthy apparell which sinne cleideth his soule with all the devill blinds him but when he reteares himselfe from wickednesse and walkes on the faire way of Repentance or when he stands vpon the Mountaine of Amendement and then lookes forth from the turrat of a good-life beholding the filthy shape and the ougly portrate of sin O how will he then detest himselfe that hath bene so long swatring in that filthie myre in that stinking puddle of sinne putrified with all abhominations and how loathsome will such company be to him thereafter he will eschew them as a contagious pest and say with the Prophet Dauid Discedi te à me omnes qui operamini iniquitatem quoniam exaudiuit Dominus vocem fletus mei Goe from me all ye workers of iniquitie because my GOD hath heard my weeping voice and hath receaved my prayer or else he will intreate the wicked man with gentle perswasions with good examples and loving admonitions to shake off that filthie and contagious habiet which infects the soule and keepes him back and debarres him from the loue of GOD and makes the Death of Christ to be for him in vaine S. Iohn the Evangelest sayeth It is onely to them who beleeveth in him that hee hath given power to be the sonnes and children of GOD. It is most sure that onely want of faith maketh the sinner obstinate he is a lyer and can not beleue in GOD. O thou poore and distressed creature looke vpon thine owne miserable estate how thou gallops post to hell and will not looke back but goeth on thy cairlesse journey When we walke alone on the fields when we walk solitare in our chalmer when we ly in our bed will we but meditate vpon the fearfull and terrible Majestie of GOD whom all the Heavens can scarce containe of his vnspeakable glory of his Almightie power And it is onely this great and Omnipotent Iehouah that we offend To thee onely haue I sinned saith Dauid And let vs remember how for the eating of a sillie apple contrare the Lords commandement he condemned all mankinde and nothing could appease his wrath nor yet ransome the world but the bloud and death of his owne dearly beloved Sonne Jesus Christ When wee thinke on this severitie and of GODS terrible anger against sinne how loath should we be to offend GOD and yet in very contempt of GOD the wicked man will perseveir in all kinde of wickednesse and still deferre his Repentance till at last there shall be no time given him yea not the halfe quarter of an houres minute granted to him Heare how the Prophet Dauid saieth of such men Convertentur ad vesperam famem patientur vt canes circuibunt civitatem And in the evening they shall convert they shall runne about the Cittie and barke like dogs they shall houle for meate but surelie they shall not be satisfied O that in time we wold take heed to this woful speech And what more GOD will mock them and hold them in derifion It is to these that our Saviour will say Nescio vos I knowe you not Why Because you had no Oyle in your lampes And when he hath knowen them and all their wicked deedes which shall be accusers of them and laid open to beare testimonie against them O what will he then say to them Ite malidicti in ignem aeternum Goe you accursed vnto the eternall fire of Hell And besides all this remember the sharpe reckoning must be made when the least idle word we speake we must giue a count of it O GOD according to the multitude of thy mercies be mercifull to vs miserable sinners in that fearfull and terrible day of judgement In time convert vs O Lord and we shall be converted How happie is that man who can withstand the dangers of this life with a well resolved minde and still calles on GOD to assist him in all his actions for the temptations of this world are many and wondrous strong The devill is subtle and we are easily insnared and this our flesh is exceeding subject to many infirmities So that without Gods helpe we are not able of our selues to fight Then with the Prophet Dauid Let vs
miseries Cast vp the Ports of thy vnspeakable pittie to my wearied spirit receaue my soule in thy hands and anoynt her feastred wounds with the blood of thy immaculate Lambe Christ Jesus T 's true indeede this age is very strange For why behold great men of ritch renowne Time comes by turnes with vnexpected change And from their Tower of pride doth pull them downe Then what are we but fooles of selfe-conceate All what we haue stands in a stag'ring state Wee weeping come into this world of cares And all our life 's but battels of distresse Scarse is our prime when wint'ring age declares What weightie griefe our body doth oppresse Bred with sinne borne with woe our life is paine Which still attends vs to our Graue againe Then earthly slime wherein consists thy pride Sith all thy glory goes into the ground That bed of wormes wherein thou shalt abide Thy fairest face most filthy shall be found Our sunne-shine joyes time swiftly sweepes away This night we liue and dies before the day Homo natus de muliere breui tempore viuens repletur multis miserijs CAn thou part from thy best beloved friends to goe in a farre Country and not remember how it resembles the parting from this world to a more strange place When thou rises in the morning what knowest thou will chaunce thee before night And if thou escape the dayes perrill what knowest thou will chaunce before the morning Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum When thou goest to bed remember how it is the verie image of thy graue thy merrie companions are parted thy day being gone and come is thy night thy riotous banqueting is finished and thou in a solitarie retreat puts off thy gorgeous apparrell and strips thy selfe naked to thy shirt so the pleasures of this inconstant world shall part thou shalt be stripped naked of all thy ritches and shalt carie nothing with thee but a simple winding-sheet this shall be and this must be Vt hora sic fugit vita Therefore euery day take a reckoning of thy selfe and euery moment examine thy actions Mark thy behaviour first towards God and next towards thy neighbour Consider how the all-seeing eyes of heaven lookes vpon all thy doings and euer beware of that sinne which thou knowest to predominate most in thee seek by all meanes to oppresse it and overcome it take away all the occasions therof or else it with the rest of thy sins will draw thee to hells fire where nothing else is but gnashing of teeth and eternall horrour When thou hast committed any greevous sinne haue thou a true repentance a vnfained remorse and that thy heart shrill within thee with angry griefe against thy selfe then thou may be assured that the spirit of God worketh in thee for it is a sign of true vnfained repētance when the sinner without all kinde of hypocrisie mends his wicked life making first satisfaction to the great God by fasting and praying making restitution to thy neigbour giue to the poore for Gods cause visite the sick comfort and help the prisoner and giue hospitality to the distressed stranger Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poore that wander into thine house When thou seest the naked that thou couer him and hide not thy face from thine owne flesh For in the poore miserable creature thou seest thy selfe as in a Glasse And what sayes the Prophet shall be thy reward Then shall thy light breake forth as the morning and thine health shall grow speedily thy righteousnes shall goe before thee and the glory of thy great God shall embrace thee c. Thy vpright conscience shal giue thee a great security of thy soules helth thy mercies shal meet thee doubtlesse thy end shall be most happy that blessed Euangelist S. Iohn sayes Blessed are the dead who dies in the Lord because they rest from their labours and their works follow them Now good Christian Reader J must end praying God that every one of vs all may haue an earnest cōsideration of our owne estate what we are where we are and how we shal be heereafter and once more J pray to our Lord God that we may stil remember hoc momentū vnde pendet aeternitas that this little moment of our life is the short space whereon dependeth all eternity of eternall joyes or else eternall paines Jf wee haue bin wickedly enclined let vs with the deepe of our hearts repent and think how the Axe is at the roote of the tree and let vs all endevour our selues with the grace of God to amend our life that our filthie nakednes may not be seene in that fearefull terrible day of judgement Domine secundum actum meum noli me judicare nihil degnum in conspectu tuo egi O Lord judge me not according to my actions J haue done nothing worthy of mercy in thy sight Cloath me with thy righteousnes that I may appeare righteous before thy pittifull eyes Iesus esto mihi Iesus When the thundring voyce of thy Angels shal descend from the heavens and cry out O vos mortui qui Iacetis in sepulchris surgite occurite ad juditium saluatoris O you dead creatures that lies in your graues rise and runne swiftly to the judgement of the Saviour who with all his glorious Saints and triumphing Martirs shall sit in his throne of vnspeakable glory and judge both the quick and the dead to him be all honour power and glory now and for euermore Amen FINIS THE SPIRIT OF GRACE To the wicked sinner ISAY 55. CAP. Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord and our God wil haue mercie vpon him O Man the treasure of Gods glorious eye Thou art ingrate and to thy selfe vnkinde Poore Caitiue wretch who sees and will not see Nor to eternall blisse will turne thy minde Rise sloathfull rise forth of thy senslesse sleepe And for thy sinnes go sigh bewaile and weepe Heare how thy Saviour Iesus Christ doth call Come wearied and you burth'ned both to me Come come sayes he I will refresh you all What sweeter words would thou haue said to thee Thou art that sheep which wādring went astray Christ on his back will bring thee to thy way Thou sinfull man is so with sinne allur'd That pleasure of thy sinne doth hold thee fast Thy wit thy will thy reason all obscur'd And now behold forgets thy God at last Thou art intrapp'd within ten thousand snares And blindlins rins to hell thou never cares The flying motions of thy minde still burnes And forward goes her furie to fulfill Youth and desire whose raging humor turnes To execute the horrour of their ill With no les price thē with thy soule is bought And whē all 's got they are but things of nought Both day and night thou doth thy selfe annoy To worke great mischiefe with thy owne misdeeds