mine elbowe that I may be crowned though I be crossed and saued though nowe sowsed in extreame tyrannie In this is all my hope for surelie of my selfe I am but a vapour a worme I am borne of a woman in sinne a sinfull childe by nature and to my power wage battel with Satanne againste my selfe to mine vtter vndooing O Lorde vnlesse thou regenerate mee and assist me with thy spirit to mine abilitie alwaies to resist the diuel which doo ô gratious God I beseech thee Amen A praier in time of persecution O Lord whither shall I flie or to whom shal I goe I am in Peters ship the winds rage and blow the seas rise and roare the surging and angrie waues dashe against the ship Oh what shal I doe for thou art asleepe O Iesus O maister arise or else I perish Pharao is at my heeles the redde sea before my face how shall I escape whither shall I flie O gratious Lorde make me a waie through the sea before I perish and drown Pharao my deadlie Saule with all his companie Remember thy couenant O God of truth that thou wouldst be with me and al thy tender chickens to the end of the world to couer and saue me them from the roring lion vnder the winges of thy mercie This is the wing that holdeth me vp in the ayre of comfort that I may flie lyke an Egle aloft to the carcase in time of necessitie Lodge me ô Lorde in the bosome of comfort and imbrace me between thine armes in safety that thou being with mee no man may preuaile against mee no not the Dragon with his Aungels whome thou the true Michael didst not only incounter with but also ouermatch in heauen as a valliant Captaine that I trusting in thee and faithfullie fighting vnder thy banners may not despaire of the Conquest Lord and gratious captaine giue vnto me strength to abidè valiantlie all bruntes of this world and neuer to shrink from thee with fainting Peter Amen Another O Gratious god look down vpon me with the eie of thy mercie For I am paled about with miserie and compassed with waters of persecution Assist me O Lorde with thy holie spirit against the furie of the enimie that I neuer fearing the tosting or butchering of this mine earthlie Tabernacle maye euer for the tearme of my daies feare and kisse thee least thou be angrie with mee whoe art able and maiest of thy iustice not onlie destroy this my bodie but also cast my soule into the pitte of hel Giue me grace that I may present my selfe boldly before fleering Herod being persuaded of thy diuine prouidence that thou wilte neuer forsake mee but bee with mee during this my pilgrimage I am better than a pennieworth sparrowe O Lord who cannot die without thy will and pleasure Gard mee therefore with the spirit of boldnes that being asserteined of thy mercie I may without feare confes thee before men and so bee confessed againe before thine Angels in heauen Let no smart of miserie dismaie me let no thornie Saule discourage mee in the race of my profession let no sparkes of crueltie or smoke of biting tyranny choke the confession of thee but pitch about me the tents of thy grace that being vnderpropped I fall not from thee doo this O Lord for thy names sake Amen A praier against the enimies of the truth O Lord and gratious GOD looke vpon the face of thy Churche Iudas doth kisse hir and al to betray hir or rather make hauocke of hir Behold Lorde the teares haue almost choked thy corn and the cockle-sower looketh for a plentious haruest Thou seest this O Lord thou seest it awake therefore and take rhy fan in thy hande to diuide thy corne from the chaffe Gather thy corne into thy garner and with a blaste of thy mouthe scatter the chaffe Purge thy garden O Lorde let no weede growe among thy Lillies let no thorne hedge in thy sauourie rose but fil thy church with the grace of thy spirite least being the fairest of all women she touch the pitch and so be defiled Burne vp the leâ—â—ned and sowre dough of iniquitie but speciallie of heresie which the cocle-prophetes seeke to bake that we may not onelye eate it but also digest it to the great eclipse of thy worde and our owne damnation O Lord conuert them or else restraine them with the bridle of thy iudgement Father forgiue them if it bee thy will or else mowe them downe like haye and let them wither with the grasse If Iudas wil continue in his trecherie or Iulyan in his apostasie if the wandering sheep wil not heare the voice of thee hir shepheard but still wander in the desert of wickednes giue hir to the mouth of the Lyon O Lord least turning to thy little flocke shee corrupt the rest Grant this for thine owne name sake Amen Another IT is thine owne lesson O Lorde Take heed of the leauen of the Pharisees bicause it sowreth corrupteth the marowe of true religion O Lord thou knowest it I acknowledge it that I am a sprigge of withered nature a dead branch of the rotten stocke of Adam what shal I say a naturall man I am so blinded with the mist of ignorance and ouershadowed with the cloud of blindenesse that I cannot do well or wil wel no not thinke wel so vnable I am to aspire to the knowledge of thy reuealed Gospell And howe can I then O Lord take heede of leuened doctrine whoe am altogether leuened and bent to the worse by force of nature O louinge Iesus thou art the eye of the faithfull thou art wisedome it selfe to defeate Satans wilines the sunne of righteousnesse to consume the grosse vapours of ignorance which drowneth our vnderstanding so that thou art the onely starre which shewest vs the deep dungeons of heresies and the only touch stone by which wee maye discerne good dough and sowred leauen that we may beware of them both Endew me therefore with knowledge from aboue that I prouing the spyrits whereof they are may one lie cleaue to thy holie will O gratious God to whome be al glorie Amen A praier for the sicke ODeere Father looke vpon me with the eie of thy mercifull pitie and pittifull mercie behold I am thy handie worke a poore Creature of thine I thanke thee for my former health and I thanke thee also for this thy visitation which I take as a fatherly correction For I haue swarued from the paths of thy commandementes and in my life renounced my vowe at baptisme made vnto thee before thy Church and therfore least as the witlesse sheepe I shoulde straye and so fall into the mouth of Satan I take this thy visitation as thy voice or a sermon of thy grace whereby thou criest Come vnto me O gratious Iesu this is thy woonted goodnesse towards the children of men I am but dust and ashes no better than a worm a stained clout no better than a shadowe a vapor
their ouer-streaming tables But yet O Lord I beseech thee forgiue them and denye mee not the crums of thy grace but looke vppon me with the pitious eie of thy louing countenance Assist mee so O Lorde with thy holy spirit that being alwaies content with my calling I may seeke to serue thee in holinesse and purenes of liuing without feare al the daies of my life Beate me with pouertie beate me O Lord strike wound doo thy good will ô louing God so thou saue mee of thy mercie wherin lieth al the ioy of my soule Giue mee thy grace neuer to misdoubte thy prouidence that neuer doubting of thy fatherly care I may with a gladsome heart endure the end of my warrefare Giue me a contented minde let thy wil be my wil and my will alwaies answerable to thy will that I neuer offende thee but doo my dutie in louing thee wishing well to all the world Amen The Widowes praier O LORD I thanke thee that thou hast scourged me with the death of myne husband He was bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh hee by the couenant of matrimonie was made one bodie with me thou gauest him vnto mee and thou haste taken him from mee blessed be thy name for euer The bandes of death haue sundered mee from him but I hope O Lorde by the power of thy holye spirite that nothing shall bee able to separate mee from thee myne onelye Iesus the onely ioye of my soule put the axe of thy mercie to the roote of wanton nature and cut it off that I doo not marrie the vanitie of this wicked worlde but put vpon mee the garment of innocencie and tie about my hart the iewel of faith that I may onelie marry thee in the couenant of thy heauenlie father louing Iesus and haue nothing to doo with the adulterer the Dyuell the father of deadly fornication This is the only bed of ioy wherein I will sleep O Lord the onlie arke of cōfort where in I wil saile till I shal see thee face to face To whome bee praise and honour both nowe and euer Amen The Tenants praier I Thanke thee O father of Heauen that thou haste made me after thin owne image Thou mightest haue made me a frog a worm a tree but thou hast not doone it O Lorde And what was in cause surelie not my merit for I was not before thou madest me it was thy mercye good Lorde the true mother of all mankind Thou hast not made me a king a ruler a lorde no Lorde but I thanke thee for it thou hast made me a tenant of men but yet in thee that euer I might acknowledge thee i◠them my cheefe Lorde in heauē Giue me grace O Lord to thankefull for this thy wil and dutifullie to walke in my voca tion and giue mee thy grace that as I am a tenant to man so I may alwaies bee a tenant to thee to doo thee seruice to paye thee yeerelie my hourely rent which is a thankfull hart for all thy benefites If man would haue mee to do wrong against right Lorde giue mee of thy grace to consider that better it is to be thy Tennant than mans If the diuel and the worlde entising mee to walke wantonly seeke my destruction giue mee grace O God to consider that al things are sub iect to thine vniuersall power and shal not they obeie how then can they or dare they assault me to hurt me fastening the anchor of my faith vpon so sure and firme a rocke if the fleshe make warre against the spirit to make me seruiceable to sinne minister strength vnto me O Lorde that being thy tenant and a child of thy familie I may winne the field and fighting valiauntlye may bee crowned eternallie with thy sonne Iesus my blessed Sauior Amen The fatherlesse childes praier O Lorde so narrowe is the mouthe of charitie so consumed is the firebrand of Christian loue that although the foxes haue their holes birds their neastes yet haue wee no place to reste our heads on As Pilgrimes wee wander from place to place and are driuen with the winds of pinching pouertie vpon the seas of this worlde to seeke reliefe but alas and woe to the world for it The rich man deuoureth all superfluitie or else hourdeth vppe to fill hys Garners niggardlie so that Lazarus may not onely walke amid the streetes naked but also lie begging at the gates full sore and yet go without the crums which fall from the Table to ease the tune of his necessitie O Lord therfore do I flie vnto thee haue thou mercie vpon me for it is onely thou which fillest with thy blessing euerie liuing thing I am better than a farthing sparrowe O Lorde thou knowest it and I acknowledge it to my comfort Feede my soule with the fleshe of thy sonne and set me drinke of his bloud that seeking firste thy kingdome I may in the end be crowned with glorie and sit at the table of ioy in heauen with thee O Lord grant this I beseech thee Amen A Sword against the feare of death Wherein is liuelie declared with what weapons a Christian souldiour should fight to hold and keepe his own made by the said E. H. The first weapon Consider thy selfe MAN dooth consist of twoe partes an earthly bodie and soule spiritual Thy bodie what is it It is a case of thy soule such a case as is a prison and therefore Dauyd desirous of life eternall and the sight of his master Christ cried out Oh howe long shall I lie in this prison Yea this case of the soule is such a cage of filth as a man of God hath said that no Bocardo noe dungeon no sinke no puddle no pitte is in any respect so euil a prison for this bodie as the body is of the soule For it is suche a case as stinketh in the sight of God a bodye of sinne is this cage of the soule and therefore cried Paule out oh wretch that I am who shal deliuer me from this bodie of sinne Beholde deere Chrystians such an heauie burden was the bodie to the soule that Paule was willing to giue this world a farewel with father Simeon hee wished that hee might depart in peace Oh that we had this courage of Paule or were as godlie wise as Dauid to locke that vpp in the closet of our heartes which they had fullie digested For then wee shoulde haue a wished famine of mourning Christians on rather vnchristian Painims who dooe weepe and waile for the dissolution of this earthie and fraile tabernacle which Dauid longed for and Paule with father Simeon desired Dauid that father of the faith ful and mouth of the holie spirite he was a man after GOD his owne hart whom God had spiced with grace and made of his mercie a vessel of honor He was a piller of mother Sion he liued in the childhood of the Churche when the cloud of the lawe did yet ouershaddowe the
Sinne not obeie him and kisse the sonne least hee be angrie kisse him and obey him for if he be but a little angrie blest are all they that put their trust in him But to make this retraite to sounde more shrill in the eares of slumbring Adam looke vpon the damned spirit of Diues he burneth in hel but whye if not for sinne His toong flameth neyther can hee get a droppe of water to quench it and why but for sin The fire that hee burneth in is vnquenchable his dolefull musicke is gnashing of teethe howlinge weeping and great lamentation his case is curssed for euer and why but for sinne If Diues had knowne that the seruice of the Lorde hadde beene perfect libertie and that obedience to his commandements had beene the pathway to heauen or that his sinful life would haue wrought him such a web of wo or rewarded him with death for his wages in seruing Satan no doubte hee would haue followed as good counsell as hee wished by the dead to be reuealed to his brethren that is he woulde haue sought grace of the Lord that hee might haue obeied him in holines and so be saued But marke ô yee liuing and learne of the dead Diues was a sinner he serued sinne and the old serpent but his seruice wrought his wo euen a wo eternal Now what a tirannous maister is that that so rewardeth his seruant or what a miserable seruaunt is that which reapeth nothing by his seruice but wo But O thrise miserable are we if we will serue the same maister whose seruice in Diues wee see to bee a slauishe thraldome and our wages nothing else but biting myserie So that if the Lorde our Sauiour Iesus Christ by his louing cal be not able to recal vs from sinne yet let the bitter end of Diues and the flaminge torments of his soule damned for sinne bee a sufficient retrait vnto vs. Woe wo was due to him for sin and therfore sinne not This Diues was a rich man God had blessed him with his creatures and these arguments of his loue cryed vppon him Come home by repentance to holines in conuersation he notwithstanding neglected and stil continued a seruant of sinne for the which his seruice he doth now lament in hellish torments and so shall doo for euer Hee shall alwaies howle weep and waile in paine with out ease in sorrowe without comfort in griefe without reliefe and that for euer But O miserable Diues whie didst thou not repente and returne from sinne at the retrait of so manie and so great benefits of the Lord why didst thou not plaie the good steward of thy riches in bestowing something vpon needie Lazarus why wast thou more vngentle and vnnaturall than the verie dogges that licked his sores where was charitye surelye it was frozen it was dead noe better euidence than thyne owne confession which thou makest amidest thine endlesse torments crieng out and sayeng My life was sinful mine obedience was to Satan my paradise was the wicked worlde I neglected the retrait of so manie benefits from sin therefore I lie in paine and so shall doo til I haue paide the vtmost farthing and that is euer Come hither now ye liuing consider in time and bee wise Diues was a sinner and so are you Diues neglecting the retrait from sinne and puttinge off from daie to daie was at lengthe vpon a sudden thruste downe into hell and surely if you do not in time repent but followe his pathes then as his ende was tormentes so shall yours bee For God is no accepter of persons Therfore ô ye liuing consider be wise and if you haue begun the race of Diues repent returne awake least Satan take you napping and the Lord in his iust iudgement suffer him to take your soules frō you and so rob you of all ioye for euer If Diues had known the tyrannie of Satan or the wages of his seruice or the dangerous extremities of carnal securitie no doubt he would haue awaked from sinne and bin as wise before hand to haue prouided for himselfe as hee was to late for his brethren And shall wee knowing the danger of deferring to repent the vilanie of sinne not prouide before hand against such a dangerous tempest as Diues abode and walke wisely but incur the danger of extremitie by sleeping in carnal securitie and perilous seruice of sinne O ye sonnes of men be wise and repent returne from your wicked waies giue the old serpent the slip forsake your old maister sinne bid adieu to all iniquitie if you will not swim in the tormentorie seas of hell with Diues Besides this bitter retrayte from sin there bee other trumpeters of Gods iust iudgments whiche ought continuallie to mooue and effectuallie to persuade vs to forsake the seruice of sinne and Satan The whole world did serue Satan bicause it ouerflowed with sinne therfore beholde it ouerstreamed with water and al the worlde was drowned Here if it please al sinners to put on the spectacles of discretion they may see what it is to serue sinne and what to neglecte the Lordes retraite from iniquitie The whole worlde hauing forsaken the lord God wente a whooring after Satan and marryed it selfe to sinne renouncing innocency of life to folow vice but lo the ende when Satan by sinne had gotten suche a maysterie and by reason of iniquitie was becom a prince of this world beholde the end of all his practises the ruine and destruction of the world And surelie this was the iudgment of the Lorde to destroy them wholie that had neglected to hear his voice in the day of visitation this iudgement is bent against al those that cōtinue in sinne and will not repent Indeed the Lord hath made a couenant and therof he hath giuen vs a certaine sacrament and earnest penie that he for sinne will neuer drowne the world againe but yet the couenant may breed in vs no securitie but rather it is a retrait from sinne forsomuch as it is a couenant betweene the Lord and vs betweene whome no couenant can continue for euer vnlesse wee returne from sinne For although hee hath promised not to destroy the world againe for sinne and this promise shall be perfourmed not because we deserue it but because hee hath promised yet vnles we repent Omnes similiter peribimus We shall al likewise perish He wil drowne vs in wo for euer This flood of torments and hellish lake wherein the damned doo wallowe and wade in vnspeakable paine this floud doth passe the other and vnles we repent and by heartie repentance leape into Noahs arke and so into the bosome of mother Sion there is no saluation for vs. Let vs therefore repent and lament our sinnes and close our selues in the readie arke of Moses least being at the brink of death the waters of hell ouer swallow vs. But to come from the whole world to the part behold Sodom and Gomorrha the