wherewth helhound he Continually poor wretch tormenteth me And bind him lord I thee most humbly pray That he doe never more lead me away As he hath done but that I sinfull may From this fowl Legion totally fall away But 't is not in me nor my power O Lord Except thou pleas vouchsafe to me the word Then please sweet Jesus I thee humbly pray That blessed word of comfort to me say That thou in me and I likewise in thee Shall rest and so for evermore shall be Freed from tentation of that wicked fiend The mortall enemy of all humane kinde Which hurrieth this my weak fleshly mind More wavering much then is th'instable wind Which wandreth like the sun from east to west And when 't comes there then there it doth not rest But roving runs up to the Starry Skies And by and by unto the Deep it dives And mounts again up to the highest ayre But yet can finde no firm fast footing there For though it be even now at hand hereby T is gone again in th'twinkling of an eye For t is so swift as there is nothing can Force it to stay so long as man is man Not much unlike unto that Noah's Dove Which found no footing but in th' Ark above It flies aloft and hovers in the ayre To find that rest which cannot be found there Except thou please vouchsafe to take it Lord As thou hast promised by thy sacred word For to safe keep all whom soever shall Upon the name of our Lord Jesus call Then bend you knees of my most wicked heart Which guideth all this the inferiour part And humbly pray and pray and pray again And in that posture do thou still remain Untill our Saviour please thy suit to hear And to thy prayers vouchsafe to turn his ear And do not thou if so at this repine That he hears not these sinful prayers of thine For many causes doubtlesse there may be That he as yet doth turn his ear from thee And all of them of thee thy self arise Who is at best but onely worldly wise And savours not the things that are above Which do proceed from that good God of love But diving down-wards seldom or ne're heeds That althings good frō heav'n alone proceeds And yet wilt thou unto the earth encline Distasting things are spiritual and divine And when thou seest it's onely reall cause It may be then th'wilt stop and take a pause And pray again yet still thou sinful art Extreamly troubled with a double heart Which boat-man like doth seem to make a shew Of looking upward yet doth downward draw With all its force unto this massie earth Where it at first receiv'd its vital breath And doth so clog the inward spiritual part As it doth yeeld unto the wicked heart And so they both are downward led away From thee their Saviour and their onely stay And runs so fast down Sions steepy hill As that to Babel needs these wretches will Except thou please sweet Jesus lend thy hand And force them both to stop and make a stand And climbe with speed up Sions hill again Which cannot be without excessive pain Unto the heart whose loins are stife and weak And painful climbings forceth them to break Unlesse sweet Jesu thou wilt please to be Their Comforter in this extremity And grant them strength that they may re-obtain The top of blessed Sions hill again Then come sweet Jesu I the humbly pray Come quickly Lord and do thou make no stay For the glasse is now at point to be out-run Then come Lord Jesu come Lord Jesu come And send my soul some speedy present aid Or else deer God it meerly is betrayed By a fawning friend who seems to make a shew That he to it ent'rest love doth owe. And yet indeed its deadliest enemy Who kils it self to make my soul to die O help sweet Jesu help I humbly pray My silly mind from thee thus drawn away By this foul flesh that 's foul in every part Because it s govern'd by a fleshly heart That domineers within my hollow breast And will not let my silly minde take rest For all my members they do so combine As that from heaven to earth they do encline Yea even the head wherein is onely placed The senses all which neither live to taste Nor hear nor see nor scent nor yet to feel Ought what is good but all whatsoever is ill And th' apprehension it doth still project Nothing that 's good but all things good neglect And memory it ever more forgets These blessings great and bounteous benefits Which thou hast pleased in mercy heap on me The very picture of base misery Who cannot think so much as one good thought But it is mixed with something which is nought Nor yet to presse into the Lords presence To pray for ought without some great offence For then and there I often plainly finde My minde is hurried as if with the winde O're all the earth well it know's not where Nor matter 's much so as it be not there Where it should be but alwayes runs astray Like to the blinde man that hath lost his way And is in danger ever for to fall Into a Ditch where he doth lye and crall And cry for help but if there be none by The blind man's likely in the Ditch to ly Then help sweet Jesus help I humbly pray That this my wicked wandring mind may stay And fix on thee and on thy grievous pain To bring it back to that right way again And being there I humbly pray the Lord Vouchsafe to bind it w th strong Sampson's cord When his hair was cut that it may always stay And never more so gad and run astray But ever keep within those blessed bounds To think on thee and on thy grievous wounds How thou endurd'st those bitter pains for me Of all man-kinde a wretch most unworthy Except thou please vouchsafe give me a call As thou did'st Peter or that blessed Saul Who persecuted thee and them were thine Yet at thy call did never once repine But presently he at that call became A painfull Preacher of thy sacred Name Now call sweet Jesu call I humbly pray That I from thee in sin no longer stay But come and wash thy blessed feet with tears Who hath freed me from all those horrid fears Were justly due unto my stony heart If it had had its onely due desert And then I hope my wearied soul shall rest In thee alone by whom 't is onely blest And wait on thee at this thy loving call Before that glorious heavenly Tribunal Where Angels sing 'fore thee continually The praises due to th' sacred Trinity There thou my minde do now set up thy rest For therein shalt thou certainly be blest And in that place be sure to spend thy life And do not prove like Lot his foolish wife But still aspire to mount aloft my soule That thou may'st be one in that
to keep my soul with thee Or else dear God I am sure it cannot be Kept safe on earth where that fierce dragon flies And doth so dazle most of all mens eyes As few are able to behold the sun Except it please the blessed Lord to come And clear their sight that they with joy may see There is no safety but O Lord in thee Then come Lord Jesus I thee humbly pray And make my soul with thee to live and stay Or else good God I can it no where hide Nor here on earth it cannot long abide Within this fleshly mansion of mine Whereon the sun hath never power to shine But by thy leave then let it Lord so be That this thy sun may please to shine on me And shield me safe from that common enemie Who doth envy both thee and them are thine From whom good God be pleas'd keep me and mine We do not prove like to the Gadarens Forsake our Saviour for to save our means But teach us Lord that we may call to minde How 'fore all worlds thou said and so assign'd That man should spend his life-time on this earth Where he at first receiv'd his vital breath And there should serve his maker God Lord As is appointed in his holy Word That when this glasse on earth shall be out-run Then doth an end of all created come And one land then against another rise And all men also arms shall exercise And yet as then shall sorrows but begin To them are clogged with their deadly sin For on this earth must be great tribulation Before that dreadfull day of desolation When shall the glorious sun all darkned be And eke the moon at that day none may see And thâ—â—e bright stars down from the sky shall fal And powrs of heaven shal then be shaken al Whereof our cannons thundring in the aire With fiery flashes flaming out their fire Which sends its smoak up to the starry skies And not unlike to mighty clouds there flies And trumpets eccho sounding every where So as no place with us is thereof clear Are perfect types of that most dismal day When th' trump shal sound loudly cal away All souls on earth their bodies for to take And 'fore the Lamb a perfect reckoning make Of each mans talent which the Lord them lent And for which cause they all were hither sent And then there shall be loud and hideous cries For hils to fall and cover them from th' eyes Of him that doth both see and knoweth all That on this earth was done or did befall Since Adams time for there is nothing can Be hid from him that first did make this man No not the secrets of the best mans heart Tho he the same did ne'r as yet impart To any creature for Jehovah he Doth all things know eke doth all things see This son of man whose glory shall appear Above the clouds of heaven up in the aire Whose glorious greatnesse then shal all men see With thousand millions in his companie Who shal collect from all these the four winds Whom s're have bin even so as he them finds And then laid ope shall be a perfect Book Wherein all flesh shall freely thereon look And each one see as it were in a glasse His guilty conscience telling what he was And then shall he set th'sheep on his right hand And keep his left side for the goatish band And then the King shall say unto the sheep Come now and take the kingdom I do keep For you that are the blessed of the Lord Who willingly obey'd and heard his word And to the wicked then the King shall say Go ye accursed and be you a pray Unto the fire which is in hell prepar'd For cursed Satan and his hellish guard O horrid fear beyond all other fears Whose force even plainly in the face appears VVhich sends its blood unto the secret heart VVho cals for help from every other part And leave the loins supporting so appal'd Like as if death on suddain had them cal'd And thereby they are all so sore aston'd As that they fall down flat upon the ground Where they do differ nought from fearful death But that as yet appears a parcell breath Which for a while a little life retains And in that passion death-like it remains Untill it please the King our blessed Lord To say to me that comfortable word Come now thou blessed hear O do thou hear What difference great between this joy fear To the righthand men come o come you blesd And to the left hand go o go you curs'd O joy beyond all other heavenly joyes Which freeth the heart from all kind of anoys And is thereby so fully fild with gladnesse That it expels from every part all sadnesse And forceth them which even now fell aston'd To leap for joy and skip above the ground And tho w th fear of late they look'd like death Yet now with joy the 're fild with store of breath And those parts which with sorrow then were dumb Do now aloud with joy cry come Lord come O come sweet Jesus I thee humbly pray Vouchsafe be pleased in my weak heart stay And strengthen't so as it may ever stand One of the blessed which are at thy right hand That I may there thy praises ever sing Which o're the earth all the heav'ns do ring O sing my soul and be thou never weary But in thy Saviour be thou alwayes merry And have a care no earthly joy remove Thy fleshly heart from th' heav'nly joy above But therein alwaies do thou take delight And in it spend thy time both day and night O let thy solace ever be therein And it will keep thee from all deadly sin And teach thee loath all earthly things to love And take delight in serving God above O love him love him that thou dead maist live And to thy Saviour be thou sure to give All that which he hath freely given to thee And then shalt thou no doubt his servant bee O blessed Lord where have I this while been Hath not my soul my sweet'st Saviour seen Or 't is some vision did to me appear Whereby it hath discovered plainly where My Saviour sitteth in his glorious throne And judgeth all on earth himself alone And there pronounceth sentence come or go The only words of greatest joy or wo That ever came to any creatures ear To make a difference betwixt joy and fear And then shall sheep and goats both of them see What they have been and what they now shall be And This sort shall of future hope dispaire Any that other not so much as have a care For their downfall but aye shall sit and sing Even allelua to our heavenly king Whose final sentence and pronounc'd decree Shall firmly stand for all eternitie From which herehence there can be no appeal But all must then have either wo or weal. O stay my soul a while and contemplate
world well known O weep O weep that all the earth may see For our great sins how penitent we be O weep O weep let each one of us weep And every one strive from sin himself to keep But my hard heart good God is hardned so It oft forgets the cause of all my wo. O weep O weep let heart and eyes agree That 't is for him who gave his life for thee O weep O weep with tears wash off thy sin If thou intend a new life now begin O weep O weep now spend the night in weeping Which thou art wont to sot away in sleeping O weep O weep both day and night and all Least th' wrath of God do justly on thee fall O weep O weep how great thy cause to weep Because thou wilt not from thy sin thee keep O weep O weep from morning untill night Such weeping may help keep thy way aright O weep O weep spend all thy dayes in sorrow For such in time may help thy soul to borrow O weep O weep let eyes forbear to wink And let thy tears serve for thy daily drink O weep O weep in tears eat thou thy bread And with them likewise water thou thy bed O weep O weep at bed and boord and all And never cease on thy sweet Saviour call O weep O weep now when thy dayes are done Thy tears may help prevent thy death to come O weep O weep let ne'er thy cheeks be dry And all too little till the day thou dye O weep O weep and to thy Saviour say Good God me pardon I thee humbly pray O weep O weep till thou have pardon sent And till such time ne'er cease but still repent O weep O weep to wash thy heart from sin Till it be clean be sure Christ comes not in O weep O weep to cleanse that hollow place Mak 't free from sin and fill it up with grace O weep O weep till Christ shall to thee say Come now thou blessed come and with me stay O weep O weep untill thou hear this saying And mixe thy tears be sure with harty praying O weep O weep till Christ be pleas'd to hear And to thy pray'r vouchsafe to turn his ear O weep O weep with heart and soul and all Untill such time as he shall on thee call For without him thy tears are all but nought Receive me Lord whom thou hast dearly bought For my own strength good God 's of no availe Except thy blood sweet Christ for me prevaile For in my self good Lord help there is none But by thee onely and by thee alone For all my tears cannot me heaven obtaine Except thou please good God with me remaine Then come sweet Jesus and with me reside That I in thee may evermore abide But 't is not in me nor my power O Lord Except thou please vouchsafe to say the word Then say to me that blessed word of Come Without it Lord I am utterly undone Then be thou pleas'd good God on me to call Else heart and tears and soul are wasted all Sweet Jesus send me send me Lord I pray Thy holy Spirit to keep me in the way The way to life I have so long neglected I do deserve of thee to be rejected And justly too except thou so shall please Of thine abundant goodness grant me ease Of this illusion hath me so deluded As I am justly now from heaven excluded But that I know that thou dost not desire A sinners death but rather dost require That he may live and praise thy holy name Who was is now and aye shall be the same Lord finish that the great desire of me That I do never herehence from thee flee But love to follow thy most holy will And by thy help attaine to Sions hill For by thy blood Lord and by it alone I must have help or else I can have none For my hard heart good God is hardned so As it doth deserve this fatal word of Go Except thou please to call unto me Come Sweet Jesus grant that word may be my doome Then call sweet Jesu call me Lord I pray That I in thee for evermore may stay And by thy help I may have strength withstand This fatal enemy of all humane kinde Sweet Jesu help help me good God I pray That I in sin do now no longer stay But at this present I may now begin To make a reck'ning of each several sin And by thy help call this day to account And therein see how those my sins do mount And not ingross them all in one gross sum Lest that their weight my memory may benum But let each hour arraigne its own offence And so the next produce its penitence Make this accompt from morning untill night And well observe thou take thy aime aright From one till two and then from two till three And in that order look thy reck'ning be And when thou hear'st the Artists clock to strike Have care thy natural clock may do the like Observe thy care how great for earthly toyes And then how light it is for heavenly joyes Thou 'lt not forget to know when 's time to eat But this thy care is not for spiritual meat Thou 'lt know by th' clock when 's time to go to bed But when to heaven it doth not trouble thy head All earthly actions by the clock thou 'lt square Then look for heavenly such may be thy care Thou 'lt say the clock hath struck 't is time to go But not to heaven let once thy heart say so If thine occasions rest upon an hour Thou 'lt ask what 's clock at every neighbors door And if thou finde that thy set hour is past I hope thou'lt then redeem it by thy hast Do these for earth with those for heaven compare And look for these as for those be thy care And then no doubt but thou shalt surely finde Thy Saviours sufferings constantly in minde Begin at th' secrets of thy hollow heart And then from thence to every other part And draw thy thoughts into a narrow roome That thou maist gaine this blessed word of Come And call them all unto a strict account Lest let alone they may to millions mount For they are swift and like an arrow flie Once by their aime they 're sure to run awry Then have a care they alwayes aime aright Or ne'er expect that they can come to light Collect them often lest thy memory faile Which if it do thy conscience cannot quaile Examine it for each particular hour What service in it had thy Saviour And then I doubt it easily will appear Thou hast serv'd Satan most part of the yeer For though it seem at present sound asleep Assure thy self a reckoning it doth keep And will disclose all at that doleful day When for thy pleasure hell shall be thy pay Then let thy Centinels alwayes lye Pardue That they may tell when th' enemy comes in veiw Make hast to run and think
me come Was ever comfort heard of like to this Which brings thy soul into eternall bliss Where all the Saints with joyfull noyse accord To sing the praises of the heavenly Lord Who was and is and evermore shall be Till th' end of Time and thence eternally Let all the earth joyn and due praises sing To this our God and glorious heavenly King ' Mongst these my soul do thou set up thy rest Here none abide but them are onely blest Then do thou strive this blessedness to gain That thou with them mayst evermore remain And always joyfull Alleluja's sing To Christ thy Saviour and thy heavenly King Who hath thy soul thus far enlightned so As 't may be freed from that most dolefull wo And wofull word of Go from hence thou curst Of all that ere was heard the very worst Sweet Jesus please for to preserve me so As I may never hear this word of Go Which is so fearfull to my fleshly heart Which makes it grieve and inwardly to smart Come blessed Lord be pleas'd vouchsafe me cure Of this my grievous pain which I endure For very sorrow of this horrid fear More heavy then I am able to bear To think what danger this my soul is in By my long life spent all in deadly sin But that my Saviour pleaseth comfort me When I remember how he dy'd for me And that his coming was for this intent To call me to him that I might repent Then please sweet Jesus sinfull me to call And so as I do never from thee fall But ever worship thee my God and King And with a joyfull heart thy praises sing Amongst that glorious heavenly Angels Quire Whose joys are full beyond all hearts desire And with them sing to thee continually And so shall do for all eternity The worthy praises of that heavenly King Whose wondrous works ore heaven and earth do ring Then sing my soul and ever jovial be The praises due to him that dy'd for thee Let all the earth conjoyn and praises sing To this our God and glorious heavenly King Both Father Son and eke the holy Ghost Who 's God alone and of all might is most And worthy is of all be ever blest And here my soul do now set up thy rest And have a care serve him continually And then be sure that thou shalt never dye Vouchsafe good GOD to this to say Amen SAMUEL BRASSE O Almighty ever-living most mercifull God and to me a most loving and kind Father I the work of thy hands unworthy even the very least of thy benefits unworthy so much as to lift up mine eys towards thy divine Majesty much less worthy to call unto thee for mercy or to receive any mercy thy hands Yet gracious God for that thou hast appointed all them that are heavy laden to come unto thee and thou wilt ease them I most entirely beseech thee of thy abundant goodness to ease me of this burthen of sin vnder which I have spent most part of that time thou hast been pleased to bestow upon me for thy own service soly Lord lay them not upon my soul now at my departure but wash them away w th the pretious blood of thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ bury them in his wounds dear Father that they may never rise up against me either in this life or that everlasting but please good Lord at my death to vouchsafe me this comfort of all others most comfortable Come thou blessed receive the Kingdom I have purchased for thee In full assurance whereof I commend my soul into thy hands Lord keep it there for his sake who so dearly bought it w th his pretious blood in whose Name I make bold to call unto thee in that perfect form of prayer he himself hath taught me saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. To my dear and onely Son WILLIAM BRASS SON these three letters imply three distinct persons Father Mother and Child these their severall offices the Father to educate his child in the fear of God and provide for his livelihood the Mother to assist as a helper the Son to obey both and observe them with a filiall care I thank my God there hath been no neglect of any part since you had your being and now at my departure I have left you this litle Book useful in this woful time of War though not against lime and stone yet against that active Enemy is ever ready upon all occasions to assault you and therein also you may view the infirmities life and by them apply some good use to your own Other wealth I am likely leave but a little since God hath so appointed it should be reft from me by the Sabeans Esteem this as your Fathers last Will read it with deliberation meditation and contemplation there may happily some thing be found in it will redound to your good when I am in grave Keep it in your pocket and peruse it often it may prove more worth then much wealth and as you tender your own good or your Fathers command I charge you upon all accasions which doubless will be many have recourse to the first Lines and in assurance thereof I shall live and die your loving Father Samuel Brasse A Note of the principal Points casually handled in this Book OF our Saviours passion 1 Of the Mind 18 Of Englands broyles 30 Of Moses 25 Of Dooms-day 35 Of joy and fear 37 Of Hell 39 Of lameness 41 Of accompt of time 48 Of repentance 49 Of King David 53 Of dreams 56 Of wonders 59 Of mans frailty 60 Of Peters walk 63 Of Faith 67 Of Angels 72 Of Toby 72 Of the alteration of times 82 Of the Soul 91 Of the Sacrament 93 Of the abuse of creatures 95 Of hunting 96 Of Death 52 Of the Bed 69 Of the Stair to heaven 73 Of the Garden 77 Of Adams fall 79 Of the Sun 82 Of the Spirit 86 Of Jobs patience 88 Of lamentation 89 Of woe 99 Of the Heart 105 Of Peters Cock 108 Of dancing 112 Of dissimulation 114 Of Englands tears 118 Of accompt of sin 122 Of the Prodigal 125 Of Pleasure 128 Of the end of mans creation 134 Of Madness 143 Of Repentance 146 Of our Saviours life 150 Of wandring thoughts 160 Of the use of Senses 220 Of sinfull thoughts 224 The Authors Prayer 229 Reader Some Numbers of the Pages are mistaken in the book but the order of the Contents is rightly observed FINIS
blessed roll Of them are mark'd to follow th' holy Lamb Who for thy sins from highest heav'ns down cam Then follow thou my soul w th speed I say And to thy Saviour do thou alwaies pray That thou in him for evermore may live And to his Name most worthy praises give For all the goodnes he hath given to thee So far beyond thine own expectancie For he hath freely given to thee much more Then erst was in thy wicked mind before To crave of him then do thou sing his praise And his great blessings do thou ever blaze O're all the earth that they may know and see The bounty great of the bless'd Deitie To thee poor man who had a happy place In Paradice but thy own want of grace Did throw the thence even unto the ground Where thou received's that deadly mortal wound Which none can cure but that the blessed Lord Himself did freely of his own accord Say he would send one of the womans seed Should bruise break the wily serpents head Which he perform'd in this his only Son Who from the heavens down to this earth did come And there endured as thou by faith mayst see The torments great of right were due to thee In lieu whereof thy Saviour doth but crave That he thy heart to himself may onely have A poore requitall for his grievous pain Wherein he doth not seek for his own ' gain But onely thine then do thou let him have That is his own which he doth onely crave â—or he hath dearly purchased the same Which all in darknesse did till then remain And into darknesse shall again return And in that darknes evermore shall burn Except it please thy Saviour thence it call For thou dost nought but he alone dost all For thou still dost as hereto thou hast done Forsake both Father and his onely Son To gain a thing which is at best but losse For fairest pleasures are in substance drosse And now being got they are with th' wind now gone So that the pleasure proveth to be none Then fie fond man thus to be drawn forsake Thy Saviour sweet who freely did thee make To be capable of eternall blisse Then do not thou give him a Judas kisse For it was solely in his breast alone To have made thee tree or liveles stock or stone But he did breath upon thy slimy face The breath of life for which his bounteous grace Thou art bound to give him all whatso'r thou hast Who in that posture thee being earth hath plac'd Whereby thou now by faith maist re-obtain The place if thou hast grace in it t'remain And in him trust who hath so deerly bought This place for thee yet thou fond man dost nought But on this earth rest take thy delight And for a bable sell even all thy right And hope of heaven O fie most wicked fie That thou hat'st life and lov'st so well to die Was ever mad-man seen so far bereav'd Of sense as thou who hast thy soul bequeath'd From him that bought it and to thee it gave Then give 't again that thou w th him maist have A blessed place among that heavenly quire Where all enjoy whatsoe'r they doe desire And more then so for ev'ry one of them That dwels with him in that Jerusalem Are fil'd with joy and so shall ever be From time to time for all eternitie To which they cannot with their wishes crave What they do want or what they do not have O thither mount my minde and do thou stay Thy self in that the best and happiest way Which leads to life where thou shalt surely see The glorious face of the sacred Trinitie Without all fear which ne'r yet any one But Moses did and onely he alone Was pent up close within the rockie cliff And there was covered in that stony riff With Gods own hand till he himself past by For none his face could ever see but die Then God withdrew his hand and Moses he The hinder parts of this great God did see O joy that 's far beyond all other joyes When thou behold's with these thy fleshly eys Even every part of the sacred Trinitie Which creature man as yet could never see Stay there my minde and do thou ruminate These heavenly joyes which ne'r determinate And onely Saints and Angels doe enjoy Who are solely freed from all kind of annoy And ever more in his glorious presence live Who for thy sins his life did freely give And yet doth he but even desire thy heart In recompence of this his cruel smart O that he should thus easily be content To take again what he hath onely lent And yet vile wretch dost thou at this repine So as thy heart doth daily still decline From heaven to earth freely there complies With him w th whom there is none deals but dies Then elevate my soul thy self again And strive an Angels glorious place to obtain For this a place of wicked warfare is Where all must strive that care to come to blisse And that they conquer then they may be sure To gain a crown of glory shall endure For evermore and therefore do thou strive And do not thou at thy wicked heart connive Whose nature is to love this massie earth Whereon at first received its vital breath But do thou love the Lord thy God alone And to him onely do thou make thy moan That he may please to elevate thy minde Up to the heavens where thou art sure to find Thy Saviour sitting in his glorious throne Who gladly hears all suites denying none Are made to him then do not thou delay But fast and heartily to thy Saviour pray That he wil please his spirit of grace thee send That thou thereby thy sinful life may mend And do thou strive for to obtain that place Which none can have but onely by his grace Then lift thy heart up to the heavens and say Come sweet Lord Jesus come Lord I thee pray And take my soul good God into thy hands To free it from all these sinful earthly bands Which bind it strongly sore against 't will From what is good to that is ever ill Safe keep it Lord I humbly thee require That it may have what is its soule desire Which is to dwell in thee my heavenly king And evermore thy worthy praises sing Lord keep me there then I am sure to live And hearty thanks to thee shall ever give For all thy goodnesse freely given to me That am unworthy even to lift my eye Up to the heavens the place where thou dost dwell Whose wond'rous works there is no tongue can tell No not so much as th'wind which we do know Doth ore our heads and on us daily blow Yet cannot we with reason comprehend From whence thou dost it daily please to send For he that seeks or goeth about to finde The cause thereof shall surely lose his wind And labour both and therefore do thou see That thou submit
fear Because he saw his Master was so neer And then his want of faith when as he sawe His body like to sink with a little wawe And then his prayer to that blessed Lord Who did preserve him by his onely word Observe my soul this passage seriously There 's in it great and deep divinity The Apostles being in a Ship aboard Upon the Sea they did espy their Lord But not discerning that it should be he They said it is some spirit which we do see But he well knowing this their cause of fear He cryed to them and said t is I is h re And then when Peter did his Master know He did intreat that he might to him go Desirous greatly to be him more nye Whom at some distance he did then espie And so by that it did right well appear His faith had then abandoned all fear For when his Master cryed and bid him come He did not then delay his time as some Do use to do but suddenly he leaped down Into the deep sea and yet did not drown But on the same did stand aloft upright For then his Saviour was within his sight His faith well knowing that there is none can Sink where there is that blessed Son of man And now his faith here hoist him up aloft So as it bore him on the water soft As if it had bin on the Sea dry shâ—aâ—e Because had faith his body then upboare And so presuming still that he had faith Which was sufficient for to keep him safe He went on boldly untill that he sawe A puft of wind did raise a little wawe And then his faith begun within him fail For faith in flesh is oftentimes but fraile And being let but even a little down Wiâ—hin the Sea which now begun to frown His faith was then turn'd into white pale fear Although his Saviour was hard by then neer And then did Peter with himself thus think Without some help I shall be sure to sink And knowing well where help did onely ly He to his Saviour did addresse his cry So he ne're sought for help at th'wooden boat Although she were hard by on Sea a float But on his Saviour solely set his eye And cryed help Lord help Lord or else I dye And then his Lord did reach to him his hand And bid him boldly on the water stand But yet reproved him and thus to him saith O wretched thou can'st have so little faith Why did thou doubt for surely thou dost know My power doth reach unto the deeps below And out of them I 'm able thee to fetch If 't be my pleasure O thou faithlesse wretch Who hast so long been in thy Master school And yet dost show thy self to be a fool Canst thou forget to think what Jonas did When in the Whales wide belly he was hid Or when the Sea did make it self a wall To save all them who on my name did call Or Jordan deep was made like to a sand To bring mine over as on hard dry land Then set thy self to go to school again And do thou learn where all help doth remain That thou mayest not be likened unto them Who never seek for Christ but onely then When they have need and then aloud they cry Help Lord help Lord or I am sure to dye Stay here my soule a while and meditate And with thy self a little thus debate Can it be possible that Peter saw His own good Master yet did not him knaw His thoughts sure then were not with him at home When he did not remember him on whom His heart was alwayes bent to think upon Which was on Christ and onely him alone To serve with zeal untill his dying day Which as he did good Lord grant that I may But when at last he did his Master know His humble heart did then begin to bow And prayed that he might safely come to him To whom before he had vow'd every lim Whom God accepted and strait bid him come Sweet Jesus grant that it may be my doom Then he neglected all that brittle hope Of help might rise out of the wooden Boat Or yet by active laboring of the lim Tho he were skilfull on the water swim Or any other help from earth may rise For by such earthly helps there 's many dies But putting all his trust upon the Lord Who to him now had only said the word Without all fear of greatest danger he Did boldly leap into the raging Sea Which stood as tho 't had been a rock of stone For God himself and onely he alone VVas able and the sea did so command And then did Peter light as on a Sand And walk'd along from imminent danger free As on safe ground untill that proudly he Presuming faith in his own power too much For this presumption overthrows all such As on their own strength onely do relye If that their Saviour please not to be nye For when the winde begun a little blow And force the sea to rise and make a show As if it ment to swallow Peter in Then Peters faith begun to fail with him And he in lieu of faith had then some fear When as the Sea forbore him up to bear And he begun on it a little sink He then himself did of some help bethink To save himself for death was surely there But that his Saviour did even then appear To whom with zeal he did himself addresse And prai'd him pleas he wold vouchsafe to bles Him with some help or else without it he Might surely sink into the raging Sea Now God well knowing th'sorrow was in 's heart VV ch did it self to his Saviour Christ impart He did with speed stretch forth to him his hand And bid him boldly on the water stand O blessed Lord that thou should alwayes be So ne're to them that put their trust in thee Although their sins do prove be ne're so great If they from them do but in heart retreat And turn again and to their Saviour go VVho is onely able and saith no man no. And then had Peter strength of faith again So long as he in Jesus did remain And safely stood on th' wavering sea upright Because he then was in his Saviours sight Now do thou think what joy was Peter in VVhen he repented of his faithlesse sin For God did hear him then most willingly At the very first when he did on him cry O blessed Lord be pleas'd vouchsafe to be On all occasions so ne're unto me As that this Legion thou may'st please to rout which my weak strength O Lord cannot keep out For he hath hereto had on me such power As he still haunts me every day and houre Yea when my heart is set resolved to serve My God and king even then I do observe He 's bustling hard within my bony breast And will not let my silly soule take rest O thou blind soul which art not able see VVhere God is not no good
must we for him provide Hath been your servant and so good a guide And then the son unto the father said We by his means so happy a journey made As I think half of what we have in store Is little enough if it were so much more With all my heart the old man then repli'd For he hath prov'd to us a blessed guide I am content he shall have half we have And more then half if he do more but crave Then call him in and know what is his mind Since he hath prov'd to us so firm a friend Then Tobie call'd and Raphael he obey'd And then unto him thus the old man said We know not how we shall your pains repay But half we have do take with you away It is your own for we do freely give it And more then half if you but please to have it Then he repli'd give unto God the praise For he alone it was that did you raise And he alone it was did this great thing Then be you thankfull and his praises sing For I am but that Raphael one of th' sâ—ven His holy Angels wait on him in heaven And did present to him your liberall alms And praises which you sung to him in Psalms So I am onely but the instrument 'T is he alone who hath me to you sent That I might shew to you his wonders great For I as yet did ne'r take any meat Although I seem'd indeed to you to eat And therefore now give unto God the praise And do you laud his holy name alwayes And fast and pray from praying do not lin That he may keep you from all grievous sin And let your alms be suiting to your store Of lesse give lesse and then of more give more And have a care you to him thankfull be For these great blessings he bestow'd on ye And praise sing praise to him for evermore Who is sole giver of your plenteous store Him serve him praise him do you ever fear And then will he unto your pray'rs give ear And nothing will this good God now deny Then praise sing praise to him that fits on high And look that you do all these wonders write And so did he depart out of their sight Then they down on their bended knees did fall And on the name of th' only God did call That he would please continue's blessing still If so it might stand with his blessed will And al their lives his praises they do sing Whose wondrous works o'r all the earth do ring And thankfull are for blessings he doth send And so continue unto their lives end Observe my soul what was old Tobies care To teach his son the way how to prepare Unto the place which he in heart desired The place was heav'n heav'n alone required And for direction left his son his Will To guide him th' way unto Mount Sions hill For it appears by that his will it self He car'd not much for any worldly pelf So he got heaven he sought not any more For he held that ev'n alsufficient store But few such now when most of men seek wealth And more respect it then they do their health Since want doth make most poore men be dejected And worldly wealth most rich to be respected But thou my soul tho God have made thee pore Fear not to want seeing Christ is at thy dore And will come in if thou wilt but provide An upright heart that he that may there abide For he nor likes nor loves for to be there Where th' heart lives not within its Saviour's fear But if he find a heart which proveth such Then that heart he respecteth very much And loves it dearly and will 't surely keep As one of those his well beloved sheep Here stay my soul for here is perfect love Which cometh solely from Jehova 'bove Then gain this love whats'ere it may thee cost For this love doth of all concern thee most Make use of this and here my soul observe What love it is which doth a man preserve Not love of wealth as some men use to say Nor yet of health as most do use to pray No nor of peace which all the earth desire When war hath set this wicked world on fire But peace of conscience that is aye the best And that my soul hold thou worth all the rest And doubtlesse that shalt thou thy self obtain And in that peace shalt all thy life remain Untill thou change this life on earth and then No doubt but this thy soul shal obtain heav'n There stay my soul and there set up thy rest For heaven of all homes is th' onely best And if thou canst though dearly purchase that No King on earth is seis'd of such a state Then lay out all thou hast for that rich field Where hidden treasure lieth unreveal'd It matters nothing though thou hast no more Thou shalt be rich altho thou beest made poore Stay there my soul do not here hence range But think of heav'n and of this earthly change VVhose soul though bounder'd here on earth with clay Know then no bounders that this soul can stay O what a weaknesse doth abide in me Cannot conceive what this thing soul should be Which ought all other parts in me controul Yet cannot my wit circumscribe this soul Which I well know I have in the somewhere Within my corps yet do not I know where Though each sence have its sev'rall seat beget Yet do not I know which is my souls seat Whereby I see that I my self am such And weaker far then most of men by much Since I with all that little wit I have Where my soul is I can it not conceive For I can neither see nor yet it feel Nor taste nor hear nor yet it seent or smell Still am assur'd and do right well it see That I have now a living soul in me And I do further perfectly it feel And chiefest care is for its onely weal I do it likewise in me also taste And loth I am it should within me waste I well observe my living soul I hear Pray unto God that it may live in 's fear And many a time in soul I use to smell A seent of sin when as it is not well O what a strange and hard Enigma's this Which none doth know but only th' God of blisse For he alone did it unto me give And by him onely it in me doth live For he had power to have made me a stone And then a soul had I had in me none Or if he 'd pleas'd he might made me a tree Nor then had been a living soul in me But he infus'd into this clayie slime A living Soul within his pleasing time I hope with joy shall to him go again And with him ever shall in joy remain And then I hope my weary soul shall rest In him alone by whom 't is onely blest O blessâ—d Lord which diâ— to me it give Grant it may
may to thy soul reveal The secret vertue of his death and blood Which he so shed for thine eternal good Here do thou build here 's good foundation Freed from all danger of inundation The onely rock whereon stands saving health Which is more worth then all this worldly wealth For herein solely's perfect happiness The very essence of all blessedness Here build my soul and do thou build so high That th' building reach above the starry skie Where thy blest Saviour sits himself alone Upon that blessed glorious heavenly throne Which none beholds but them are onely his And by his passion enter into bliss For all th' accursed are from thence thrown down By God above with such a furious frown As they shall ne'er enabled be to see The face of th' sacred glorious Trinitie O fear O fear beyond all other fears The thought whereof my very heart even tears Then if thou wilt this hideous fear prevent Remember th' cause for which was 't hither sent And if thou dost not that thy end forget It may procure a place for thee to sit Among that glorious heavenly angels quire VVhich is thy soul 's it chief and sole desire O be not thou so far then overseen As thou hast all thy lifetime hereto been To sleep in sin and that so securely As though in it thou didst intend to dye But now 't is time to rouze thy self from sleep If thou intend from sin thy self to keep Or else be sure in lieu of sleeping sink Into that horrid fearful place of stink Where thou shalt live depriv'd of heavenly bliss Or sight of heaven where thy sweet Saviour is Then sleep no more but rise and stand and pray And to thy Saviour do thou alwayes say Come blessed Lord vouchsafe on me to call That I do never herehence from thee fall But if I do then call good Lord againe That I from sin my self may now refraine And freely come to thee at this thy call And so in time prevent that fatal fall From whence no hope that thou canst rise againe But ever live eternally in paine Then stand in fear to fall if thou be wise And from thy sleep in hast do now arise And fast and pray and fall upon the ground That blessings may from heaven on thee abound And these thy prayers do thou iterate That they thereby thy paines may mitigate And heav thy soul up to the heavens from whence If not thou must receive due recompence For sin the wage whereof assure thy self is death VVhich thou must pay with loss of deerest breath Then do thou look upon this death againe And see if he be now the very same He seem'd to be when justly thou condemn'd Thy self of sin which did so fore offend Thy God and King who't was did place thee here That thou mightst alwayes live of him in fear And then thou shouldst not need have any care Though death did come and take thee to his share Death hath no power that man at all to harme Who is defended by Jehovah's arme And though that death indeed o'recometh all He onely comes when God himself doth call For God makes death to be his instrument To strike when he by God alone is sent Then make thy suite to thy blest Saviour sweet As 't is thy duty and not all is meet That he will please both thee and thine defend From deadly sin until thy life have end And then fear not for sure thou shalt not miss Of gaining that is thine eternal bliss Which is prepar'd for all that onely cry Upon their blessed Saviour heartily But this most sinful hollow heart of mine Doth stay my soul that it can never shine As it desires but forced is comply With my hard heart which daily doth deny To entertaine ought that shall tend to good But ill it loves like as doth stomack food Vouchsafe good Lord I do most humbly pray Be pleas'd to take this tempter quite away For it is he who maketh me thus blinde And leads this man even up and down with th' winde For wheresoere the winde doth turn to blow That way doth he entice me likewise now O teach O teach me Lord I humbly pray That I in thee may ever live and stay And so to shun each ill occasion Which doth proceed of that illusion Of him is wont and yet still leadeth me To take his bait and so to forsake thee Deceitful bait which did me so entice The apple eate and yield my life the price O wretch O wretch that will so wretched be Was never born a man so blinde as thee Thus to be gull'd as thou hast ever been To loose thy life in lieu of a little sin Was ever sinner seen so fool'd as thou To such a feind as Satan is to bow Yea though thou seest him plainly 'fore thy face Yet thou dost hold it for no great disgrace To be led by him as thou willing art Because he 's harbour'd close within thy heart O call thy wits about thee now at last When all thy dayes are done and life is past Look at thy end thou canst not chuse but see How subtil Satan hath deluded thee Whereby thou now art brought to such a stay As neither devil nor yet this death can fray Thee from thy sin O see man do thou see What is that sweet in pleasing sin can be Whereby th' art brought to be so overcom'd As all thy senses are indeed benum'd For Satan makes thee so insatiate As thy case now is grown be desperate Did ever man by any pleasure gaine When by that pleasure he was in it slaine Is not he mad that will of poison eat Although he have not any other meat Will any drunkard pleasing poison drink When suddain death doth make him down to sink To th' deepest hell and there in it remaine Without all hope of turning ere againe And yet art thou more mad by much then he And wilt not from this thy great madness be Reform'd but still in madness thou runst on Till thou hast gain'd thy self confusion Both of thy body and thy soul and yet Thou wretched dost thy self so far forget As thou wilt not so much as think of th' end For which thy God did to this earth thee send Hast thou thy sense to take a taste of food And difference make betwixt the ill and good And which of them doth best thy pallat please And by thy sense art able judge of these But yet if thou didst know of poison there I hope thou wouldst not take it without fear And yet mad man so taken art with sin Though worse by much then poison be therein As that thou wilt not this thy sin forbear But thou wilt act it boldly without fear Art thou not mad nay further more then so Thou runst from heaven that thou to hell maist go And yet 'twixt these there is a difference great He that is mad hath no tast of his meat And so
whatsoe're he doth thee Unto the Lord who made the heav'n earth And all therein even with his only breath O stay my soul and there do thou admire The wond'rous greatness of that flaming fire Appear'd to Moses in the pillary cloud Which did his chosen children Israel shrewd Untill their sins stir'd up his heavy wrath And then he did as now of late he hath Done to this I le wherein we wretched live To whom his goodnesse did such blessings give As never land on earth had more then we And yet of peace we wretched cannot ' gree So that the son 's against the father's set And father he against the son doth fret And brother ' gainst his brother often wars And so will not let fall these wofull jars Till God shall please that his most heavy hand For to withdraw from o're this sinfull land And give us grace we may in hart repent And yeeld him thanks for his great blessings sent Which we unthankfull did as yet forget And for that cause each brother's blood is set Against it self like as did wicked Cain When as his brother Abell he had slain Sweet Jesus please to stay this thy sharp sword And stead thereof to send thy blessed word That thou thereby mayst beat down growing sin The want whereof hath doubtles only bin The real cause of this our mortall fewd which doubtless doth from our hard hearts proceed Sweet Jesus please to mollifie them so Like Peter's when he solely wept for woe Or like Manasses when he came be bound By Ashurs host who fell upon the ground And gained pardon for his grievous sin Whereby with speed he was restor'd again To Juda's crown and it so long enjoy'd Untill by death he was from thence destroy'd Sweet Jesus grant that we have many such And then without doubt it will help us much To further peace for which we daily pray That thou wilt please in thy great mercy stay This sword of thine and sheath it up again That we in peace may here hence now remain And live like loving brothers in this land VVhich thou hast kept with thine own pow'rfull hand From foreign fos tho now there be none such As we our selves domestick ones by much Sweet Jesus help good Lord we daily pray This bloody war of ours with speed to stay And put us once in happy peace again That we in peace may here hence now remain And praise thy name and that incessantly For giving us this bounteous great mercy And this must thou and onely thou alone Or else Lord Jesus other there is none Can yeeld us help in this our greatest need For now is nothing can stand us in steed But onely thou then come Lord Jesu come Or else deer God we are utterly all undone For them elected to the publique good With purging ill have bred in some ill blood And th' weaker sex it is become so strong T is doubtfull Lord the other sex to wrong So as between two are esteemed extream Most suffer much tho they retain the mean For now ther 's no part of this wretched I le Tho it enjoyed a blessed peace ere while But t is grown now unto a bloody war For many a one thinks their honest neighbor far More quiet then he and so with grief repines At 's neighbours good and then his malice finds Some hole or other in his neighbours coat Tho the quarrel be but for one single groat To make complaint to them that are of power To plunder him by strong hand in an houre For some old wrong as then but newly done Perchance betwixt the Father and the Son O blessed Lord that this the German plunder Which whilom was in peaceful England wonder Should now so well with us be understood As any other usuall English word Whereby revenge in England's grown so rife It tends to take away non-nocents life For Satan o're this Isle bears such a sway As by his wiles he draweth many away From thee that is their only God and King Who are rather bound thy worthy praises sing For all thy goodnes to this wofull land Tho now it feel thy dreadfull heavy hand Sweet Jesus send some blessed Angel down To quell this hellish Satans furious frown And force him Lord as thou was pleased then When he made suit he might go into th' swine Who huried him headlong into the sea Lord drown him there that he n're more have powr To come within this spacious Ile more But we instead of blood may ly and groan In brinish tears and therein make our moan To God on high he will vouchsafe to please This cruell war of ours with peace to cease And then that we who are true English all May all one way on the name of Jesus call Vouchsafe good God that we may so accord In holy service of that heav'nly Lord As tho we differ some of us in part Yet we may all as one agree in heart And let our hearts good Lord in prai'r remain Lest in our sins we wretched may be slain When worthies dare to stand look on death Tho with that look they lose their deerest breath Brave Britains keep your ' forwon antient fame Least antient terrour turn to novell shame And since your valour cannot well be known Untill by you some valourous act be done Then look your swords be sharpe for foreign foe Whose joy 's encreased by our cause of wo's Lest we bewaile this great efflux of blood When t is too late to do us any good And worthies all in time for death prepare Since all in th' end shall fall unto death's share But look you still prefer an honourable death Before a shamefull beastly cowardly life Seeing God alone the day of death doth know But when or where no earthly man can show O then le ts pray and that incessantly To him that lives and shall eternally Come let us sing and all due praises give To him that died that we by him might live And alwayes yeeld praise to his holy name Who was is now and ay shall be the same O let us all with heart due praises sing To this our God and glorious heav'nly king Whose dwelling is above the heavens most high Whereto the best of sinners come not nigh Whose heavy judgement is for to descend Since none come there but they who do ascend Then strive my soul and do thou aye aspire To keep thy self out of that irksome fire Which burns and yet there is no light appears But pain and grief and dreadfull horrid fears Sweet Jesus please to keep my soul from hence And draw it up to th'high'st heavens that thence I may have help for without help from thee There is no comfort in extremitie Then teach me Lord with heart mouth to pray That I in thee may ever live and stay And never more so wander up and down From place to place as I poor wretch have don Sweet Jesus please
brought him back to enjoy that hapybliss Where without doubt his blessed soul now is Then do thou strive to follow this good king And he wil teach thee how that thou shold sing His songs are sweet then do thou use them oft For they will make thy soul to mount a loft Then sing my soul and now lets jovial be Because here 's now choice of good company And keep thee alwaies with such company stil Yet eschew none but them are counted ill Seeing such are aye the very worst of men For they will draw the soul to sin even then When better thoughts are musing in thy minde Then do but mark and thou shalt surely finde In such no good and further thou shalt see Abundant harms come of ill company But yet when such cannot be well eschewed By their example be thou then renewed Unto thy former thought of God again And by that means let all that 's ill remain And so there may good use be made of ill My soul have care that thou observe this still And if thou intend for to retain this good Then go aside that thou maist chew the cud For meat in stomack will not well digest If 't be not chew'd before it come in breast Then think good thoughts and be thou thinking oft For they wil make thy heart within thee soft Such jaculations thou my soul may'st use Here on this earth where most of men do muse On earthly things and all their chiefest care Is how to spend and sometimes how to spare Yet not their time but ev'n their worldly wealth And oftentimes it tends not to their health Here stay my heart and make good use of this And it may help to bring thy soul to blisse For all such meats as do not th' pallate please Go seldome down the throat with any ease And now me think I hear thee say thou fears That God will not be moved with thy tears And that thou hast not time sufficient Wherein thou mayst thy sinfull life repent For that thy sinnes are grown to such a height As they 'r become ev'n numberlesse for weight And they are still encreased every day So as from sin I wretched cannot stay For all my thoughts are such my sin increase And they from ranging cannot be made cease For they ne'r rest upon one stable theam But when I sleep then they do wake and dream And tho I do n't affect this augurisme Because it tendeth plainly unto augurisme Yet do I think I have not so esteemed Of all strange things whereon I often dreamed As they deserve to have place in my mind For by observance I do in them find There is good use if it be well apply'd By him desires in God he may abide For I perceive my thoughts in sleeping such As do not differ from my waking much For then ev'n then when I do what I can They 'l not be guided by this fleshly man Do but observe when two or three are met And for to make a meal of meat are set How many severalls they will treat upon Yet n're a word of Jesus passion Beside some wandring thoughts are then not utter'd But in each brest in private there 's smotherd which to set down would doubtles troublesome bin To one in that of memory were wel seen So as I see my thoughts are without end Till God shall please some bounders to them send As well in day time as in deepest sleep Except it please our Saviour them to keep Who 's onely knowing whatso're is thought Or into mind or day or night is brought And doubtles he doth sometimes them direct That they might us from death or such protect If we were able but to apprehend The secrets which such dreams do comprehend For Pharaoh's servants their dreams sure were such As in mans judgment did not differ much Yet did Jehovah put in Josephs heart The truth to either of their dreams impart So as the Butler was restor'd again And th' Baker he was put to hanging pain And Pharaoh's dreams could no southsayer expound Yet Joseph did tho th' mystery were profound And Josephs own dreams he be'ng yet but yong Did God ordain his fathers life prolong And Pilates wife was certainly inspir'd If Pilate had his help from heaven requir'd For tho expounding be not in mans pow'r Without the help of our blest Saviour Yet doubtlesse he that doth observe but well May by his dreams be able somethings tell Whereby he can conceive the cause t' be such As in this pilgrimage his journy may help much For tho that I in breast do often find Dreames are much diff'ring from my inward mind Yet I conceive I may of them make use And such as shall Gods service not abuse If I have but that heav'nly happy grace For to retain some better in their place For I perceive observance may be such As that the use may make or mar all much Since whilome I have of my hunting dreamed Whereby I saw I hunting more esteemed Then fitting was when I considered well That such excesse did draw down towards hel And sometimes other pleasures have so pleased As in my dreams my heart was thereby eased Yet when I see what was thereof the end And knew it was the enemy did them send I then begun to check my idle thought And cal to mind why they to me were brought Sometimes I see that in my sleeping dreams I 'm drawn away by some strange idle theams And then awaked begin to call to minde How such vain toyes I in my head should finde When my desire is that some better thought Should by the spirit of God to me be brought And for that purpose then begin to pray That God will please these wandring thoughts to stay And settle them upon his onely Son Till he vouchsafe to let his kingdome come Somtimes my dreams they are of better things Yet not so good as that which Angels sings And then for them I give my God the praise That he was pleas'd my thoughts so hiely raise In hope thereby I might receive some good Because of it's retaining likelyhood I often dream of things I cannot think Why they should come into my brain to sink And some which I did never hear before Nor can of them remember any more When they have once past through my fickle minde They often leave not any track behinde So as I see by that my sins bide still Yea though it be even much against my will For sure my soul desires partake of blisse And to be there where my sweet Saviour is Yet still within my claie breast I finde Something 's averse unto my inward minde So I observe it is not in my power Them to restrain no not for one half hour Nor keep them there where I wish they should be Which is deer God w th thee deer God with thee Except thou please good Lord to keep them so As they shall never here hence from
thee go Then keep me Lord shield me with thy wing That under it I may thy praises sing For out of thee good God there is no rest Nor any safety in my fleshly brest For flesh and blood cannot in them contain The thoughts are hourly hatched in my brain Which rovening run and reel from side to side And on no good thing they 'l be drawn abide Sweet Jesus please to bounder them in thee Or else they 'l not be boundered for me But wander often quite without my reach Which sometime causeth in my soul a breach For that by force I cannot them retain That they in thee might evermore remain Call them good Lord and do them firmly bind That I may know with thee I shall them finde For no occasion ever comes amisse To draw my mind from th' heavenly king of bliss O glorious king vouchsafe it so command My thoughts b guided by thine own â—ight hand For it alone most either make them stay Or else good God they 'l not b drawn obay My silly soul within me drooping lies And without help good Lord in hell it dies Then help Lord help let help come w th speed To rouse this soul that liâ—th w th griâ—f half dead And of its health it justly might deâ—pair But that it knows my Saviour is so neer Yea neerer much then th' hart of man can ween But that his wonders have on earth been seen To save his chosen elect children all When in red Sea did wicked Pharaoh fall With all his host and yet did Gods own hand Bring his elected safe y to the land Whose way was after guided by a cloud And hunger staid by heavenly Angels food In th' wildernesse where they did â—eel no cold Nor yet their cloaths did wear or waxen old And had a river brought out oâ— the rock In great abundance with a little knock An Angel ever guiding them their way From all annoy wheres'ere God leâ—s'd they stay And when o're all the face of earth was night Then did the cloud afford to them good light And yet even they for who 's own onely sake That great Jehovah did these wonders make Which they beheld with their own fleshly eyes And many more as great besides all these Did they forget to bear them in their mind Tho in their brests they might them easily find Whereof they were themselves eye witnesses Yet when the Lord did but a while leave these Tho they were these the chosen and elect Whom he alone did to himself select Even them that were the seed of Israel ' Gainst this good God did trait'rously rebell And â—oully too from him did fall away Who was their sole preserver and their stay Unto a God which their own hands did make And this their kind and loving Lord forsake O stay my soule with ravishment admire That God sent not from heav'n consuming fire To burn them all from off the face of earth Whose horrid sins deserved horrid death Yet did this good Lord this vile deed forgive And on repentance suffer them to live And all those blessings they do still enjoy Whereby he freed them from all kind annoy O think O think and do thou think again What weaknesse did in these weak men remain Who left their God and that so suddenly When he left them awhile their strength to try May it be possible that there 's any can Conceive such weaknesse in this creature man Whom God was pleas'd so far before the rest Of all he made this man hath onely blest With a precious soul in some is reasonable Thou of it self it self is far unable To guide it self by that its reasons power If God shall please to leave it one half hour Were these that seed the chosen of the Lord Who said his wonders also heard his word And all of them in compass of their sight Yea more apparent then the sun so bright Least that impression in their inward minde Could not be hid but Satan made them blinde For mortall eyes can have no power of sight When God's away by whoÌ„ they have their light Since that the serpent he did make them so As of themselvs nothing that 's good they know And what is ill they ever like and love But all that 's good it comes from God above Now rest my soul and keep the ever there Where thou art freed from al this worldly care And of his wonders do thou contemplate VVho doth thee thus poor soul illuminate With these good thoughts Odo thou them retain And let them alwaies w th thee stâ—l remain For they will banish those â—hy thoughts are ill Which often use restrain thee of thy will And bring thee this great God and Lord to love Who sends al good things froÌ„ the heav'n above And doth them likewise plenteously bestow On such as are his servants here below Then drooping soul do thou in me revive Now rouse thy self and do begin to live For with Gods help thou maist safely say That chearful hope hath driven dispair away Then put thy trust in him alone that lives And able is and also freely gives Even all good things unto all them that crave And do desire of him good things to have Then fast and pray my soul and do repent And give God thanks for his great blessings sent And then of mercy the deepest sinners sure For that his mercy doth for aie endure From age to age to all of them beleeve That he for them his deerest life did give Make use of this his bount'ous great mercy Bestowed on them deserved well to dy Besides the blessings he them freely gave The like whereof no other Nation have Nor ever had but onely them alone For he such blessings ever gave to none Besides his wonders they did daily see For to preserve them from indempnitie And yet from him ungratefull these did fall And worshipp'd wors then that th'painted wal And wilfully this gracious God forsake Who lovingly did them in mercy take From danger great which was most desperate But that their God himself besides them sate Then live by hope and do thou leave to fear Since God no doubt is all his servants neer That trust in him then faithfully do so My soule and live and to him freely go But stagger not my soul nor do not shrink As Peter did for fear that he should sink When Christ his Master walked on the Sea Whom his Disciples did afar off see And Peter pray'd him that he might do so Then God him call'd and will'd him so to do With that did Peter leap out of the boat And walked along aloft the Seaâ—on foot Untill the winde did cause a little wave And then cry'd Peter good Lord do me save To whom did Jesus then put forth his hand And so brought Peter safe again to land Now thou my soul observe here Peter's saith With willing minde to do what 's Mr. saith Leap into Sea without delay or
makes it so And have I then right end thereof observed And its right use have I therein preserved Hath my delight been always moderate And hath my tongue been also temperate Have I done this for to preserve my health And have I therein injur'd no mans wealth Have I in me a heart that is upright Being ever mindfull I am in Gods sight Have I for these his blessings thankfull bin In th' use of them did I commit no sin Can I forget whenas the wind doth blow 'T is wind that doth support me here below Did I lift up my heart to God on hie Whenas the heavens above I did descrie Have I observ'd the fairest flowers to fade And yet forget why I my self was made Did I see weeds and store of thistles grow And not remember th' cause why they did so Have I this day cast up this dayes account To what a sum my several sins will mount When have I took such pains my God to serve As now I have my health for to preserve And if thou dost it really intend That thou wilt solely in his service spend Then mayst thou say with safety that thou hast This time so spent not to be spent in waste And give him thanks that he hath so thee blest As thou mayst now go home and take thy rest For man ought not to idleness be giv'n Without all doubt in idleness is sin Since all must labour that doe look to live Or else God will to them no blessing give For to the curses God himself doth add Ith'sweat of brows that man should eat his bread And though that all men labour not with th' hand Yet all doe labour with th'unstable mind For its condition is not to be idle And therefore care for it to keep a bridle Lest th' mind doe run out of that narrow way Wherein thou dost desire thy thought should stay For man doth love to keep the plainest street Which broad and beaten is with many feet And then make use of this thy harmless pleasure Since God hath blessed thee with so much leasure And given thee time a perfect reck'ning make Before death come thy life away to take This blessed time if thou wilt so but use it And cursed also if thou dost abuse it For its the use makes difference of the day And different uses doe the most men sway Without respect what may he the right end For which God did to thee these pleasures send But thou my soul have care not to forget The end for which thou here on earth wast set And always keep it constantly in mind And then fear not but thou shalt ever find Good use of all things this good God hath sent Then use thy pleasure without discontent And be not thou unmindfull ruminate Of that which doth in time determinate Both them and thee and that ere long thou must From whence thou cam'st return to be but dust And think my soul and think of this again The end for which thou dost on earth remain Within this fleshly crazie corps of thine Which of it self even daily doth decline Unto the earth from whence at first it came For th' end of all flesh ever is the same Observe this end and hereof be thou sure That on this earth thou canst not long endure And then must thou a perfect reck'ning make Of this thy pleasure which thou here didst take O make that reck'ning here upon this earth Lest death doe come and take away thy breath And then thy corps unto its like must go But thou my soul be sure must not do so For thou shalt then receive thy final doom Which grant good God it may to me be Come O stay my soul and do thou think of this For in it is thine everlasting bliss O think of this and do thou think on 't right And think on 't still think on 't both day and night For now thy pleasure is come unto an end And thou my soul must now thy doom attend Then now O now do thou this reck'ning make And to thy Saviour thee thy self betake Who willingly was plea'd for thee to die That thou for him might'st live eternally O live in him and do him ever lâ—ve Thy Saviour sweet who is in heaven above Let all thy thoughts 〈◊〉 him alone attend Thy labours then in him will only end O happy end of all this earthly pain Whereby thy heavenly Saviour thou dost gain He will make all their labours be but light Who always love to be within his sight Live there my soul and so thou mayst be sure Thy life shall then for evermore endure In height of joy and all true happiness The very essence of all blessedness Stay here my soul and do thou now admire The joyes of that most glorious heavenly quire Where Angels alwayes singing spiritual hymns Th'Archangels and the blessed Seraphims Continually do praise his holy name Who was is now and aye shall be the same There mount my soul and do thou ever stay ' Mongst them in heav'n whose joys do ne'r decay Nor yet admit of that the least decrease But ever live in sight of th'God of peace Then pray to him that he will please to send His peace to thee for world without all end And do thou always give him praise therefore From this time forth and so for evermore But stay my soul remember 'fore thou can Ascend thou must shake off this thing call'd man This case of thine wherein thy soul doth breath And leav 't behind unto this earth beneath Where it shall reap such seâ—d as it hath sown Th' end of all flesh which is corruption Whereby it fears this thing is call'd pale death Because it only takes away this breath For man's of nothing on earth sensible But that which is on earth corruptible And so it comes that he doth nothing fear But that which heart should wish and soul desire For death is such and only terrible To him whose conscience lives insensible The labouring man likes well to go to rest The weary traveller hastes to th' Iune is best The mariner strives to get within the port Yet if there prove in it to be a fort And he no friend then he hath cause to fear And with great terror he will enter there The toiled traveller likewise fears his host Where theevish ruffians haunt and rule the rost The weary labourer doth not lâ—ke that bed Wherein he knows an ugly toad hath bred The heathen they did much desire their death Because they knew not th' Author of their breath For it they held to be their chiefest good Because that God they had not understood For they did dream that when this life was done That th' end of all things was already come But thou my soul I 'm sure thou knowest more Thou know'st thou hast a loving Saviour Who conquer'd death and of himself 't orecame That thou through him might likwise do the same Ask but thy conscience
suffer for the bodies crime Which conscience offer'd often to inform But pride of heart held conscience aye in scorn And would not hear when it made suit to speak For worldly affairs such suits do always break And so the soul is now depriv'd of bliss Or sight of heaven where its sweet Saviour is And that proud flesh of earth at first was made Must to the earth and there a while be staid For crawlers meat till that loud trump shall blow When soul and body both must undergo That final doom by God himself pronounced Because in life this God they have renounced And that most justly doth the conscience tell Depriv'd of heaven and doom'd to th' deepest hel Where they must live but wishing still for death Which they did fear at parting with their breath So what in heart in life was always loathed Will after death in heart he ever loved But not obtain'd as Diver doth thee tell Decreed for ever now to live in hell O eloquent death hath done more in one day Then Moses did with all that he could say Or yet the Prophets by their crying out These eighty years or now neer thereabout Yet all unheard or not in heart believed Till this hard heart of life is like bereaved O powrful death whose presence without speaking Hath done what Prophets could not by their preaching This conscience knows doth at large relate What th' heart hath done and what shall be its fate But out of time because it would not hear That it should come be laid on th' fatal bear Which now stands ready waiting at the dore To carry away who did it scorn before Is this a time then now for thee begin To think in what state thou at death art in For now thy conscience guilty of sin will say That th' weight of it to Topher doth thee sway Without all hope of thee for ere returning Whâ—n th'souls before and in that Tophet burning So all thy helps are surely now but weak If thou didst not in former times bespeak Them at his hands who always willing is And able also to bring thee to bliss If thou hast made the way for it before Or else there 's danger of it at deaths dore Thou foolish man observe the harmless Bee Who summer-time doth fill her downy thie And in her storehouse hoards up plenty of meat Against the time when there is none to get Look likewise on that little creature Ant Who being careful how to prevent want Foreseeing winter to be coming on In time of summer makes provision These little creatures teach thee time well spent In its due time and that with good intent May gain unto thee blessings happily Which shall continue for eternity But th' old man he is blind and cannot see And th'young man he is stout and will not be Correct with death this death which only can As all things else unmake this creature man And that being done then all this massie earth Unable is for to regain him breath And therefore now be sure whilsâ— thou hast power For to remember death comes at an hour When 't is not look'd foâ— like unto the thief When man 's in health and is of full belief That he shall live and so he still expects The length of daâ—eâ— but th'day of death neglects And yet doth know that he 'fore all the rest Who dyeth well thus only shall be blest For if a man were able spend his time Dâ—void of sin or any sinful crime And prove an Atheist but for one half hour And therein comes his blessed Saviour And doth demand what only is his own And roâ—peth there where he hath never sown O what a case may this man now be in Who long liv'd well yet dy'd in deadly sin Since th'tree as 't grows that way it surely fals And as the thief doth come so God he cals For th'foolish Virgins had their final doom For want of oyl shut out of th'marriage room O what a fearful horrid case is this For one houres pleasure lose eternal bliss Then watch my soul and do thou always say Good Lord give us our daily bread this day For after one day filthy worms did eat That precious Manna which was heavenly meat Because that they who every day would have Should every day for daily blessings crave And knew those worms did food of Angels eat Within a while will of the flesh make meat And though thy soul it cannot then be there Yet soul and body are decreed to beare Their share alike at the last reckning day Then do not thou this reck'ning now delay For wretched man this time doth draw fast on Neer unto death by computation And every day thy sins they do increase Time for repentance daily doth decrease And if repentance by grace be obtained There 's satisfaction also must be gained Or else I doubt repentance very much Without repayment cannot prove be such As it should be and then I greatly feare There will no dayes be longer granted there For death is strong and will not be orecome By threats nor treats whenas the day doth come Then thou fond man who seeing thy sick friend Wilt not say to him he is neer his end Till he be likely to yield up his breath And then thou wills him he should think of death Lest that the name of death should fearful be To him that is now at the point to die Then fear this death before he so neer come For 't is too late to do 't at th'day of doom Seeing if deaths warrant shall but once be sealed There is no wealth can cause it be repealed And therefore now have care prevent the worst Lest thou doe hold thy day of birth accurst When hils nor mountains are not able hide But this thy life must then be justly tride By thine own conscience 'fore that dreadful King Who knows and sees even every secret thing And sendeth this his servant powrful death To take away from thee thy dearest breath O then have care thou do thy dayes spend well If thou intend to keep thy soul from hell And be thou often thinking of this death How 't is his office to take away thy breath And do it daily since each day thou may Even lose thy life in that one dayes delay And so by this accustom'd daily count Thou 'lt see thy sins how they decrease or mount And if th' hast wealth thy care is so much more To leave'â— then he that is esteemed poor O living look thou stare upon deaths face That dying thou maist know his comely grace For familiarity will only bring A loving liking of a loathed thing Then thou my soul acquaint thee with this death Before he come to fetch away thy breath For tho his physnomie be pale and grim If daily seen thou 'lt stand no fear of him Then do thou look upon him every day As he were coming to call thee away By so much oftner that thou
dost him see By so much more familiar you will be And do esteem him always as a friend Seeing he may greatly stead thee at thy end Assure thy self he 's stout and will not flie But he is always waiting on thee nie For he is one of whom thou shalt be found Tho thou wert hidden underneath the ground And if thou think from him to run away Then he 's so swift that he will make thee stay O view him love him and him look upon His countnance's comely so 's his complexion Though it be pale yet sweet 't will be to thee But th'hinder parts shalt nere be able see For he doth always forwards towards thee come And never backwards he is seen return He feareth no mans face nor yet his strength But overcometh all whatsoere at length There 's neither King nor Keisar he will spare But all in th' end do fall unto his share Though there be millions of arm'd men in field If he but throw his dart at them they yield There are no guns so great can make him flee For none on earth but only he 's shot-free His dart is always very sharp and keen And flies so fast it cannot well be seen Do but observe the nature of his dart It always aimeth at the very heart The strongest wals that ere with hands were made When he doth come by them he 'll not be staid He hits his mark as well in darkest night As when the sun doth shine tho nere so bright Then do not thou this deaths acquaintance shun From whom the swiftest of all cannoâ— run And who will cause the stoutest stand in fear If of his coming they by chance do hear Make much my soul of his acquaintance then If thou dost love him he will tell thee when He means to come if thou do often use Of him and his condition for to muse O then love thou this death his company well There 's in it more then I am able tell Yet this my soul I do in him observe That his acquaintance may in time preserve From second death which is a kindness such More worth by far then all the earth by much Thâ— make accompt of such a special friend Who is so powerful with thee at thy end As by his means there 's hope thou maist procure A happy life which shall for aye endure Amongst that blessed glorious company Who live and shall for all eternity And evermore the worthy praises sing Of Christ our Saviour and our heavenly King Then thou my soul make now a standing there And yet some more do thou of death enquire Since he is such and of so sweet a nature Whom some esteem to be of horrid feature But by observance I do in him find To thoâ—e that love him he is very kind And th'more I look upon his comely face The better still I like his comely grace As though he scorn'd the greatest earthly Kings Esteeming them to be but even base things And more then so I in him this observe If I have grace my self in time preserve From sin that then he can do me no harm If I do so I do him quite disarm For he no weapons with him bears about But with my own sins he doth beat me out From off this earth where wretched I do live But mine own sins mine own death-stroke do give So as I find if I from sin were free That then were death not able conquer me For now I see 't is only my own sin The wicked harbinger to bring death in Then do thou beat this harbinger but out And then fear not thou shalt put death to rout For if there were no sin within thy heart Then thou wert able take away deaths dart O then my soul hear this O doe thou hear Thy sin 's the cause of all thy greatest fear Then fear to sin and thou art able fray This thing calâ—'d death and force him flie away And if thou leave thy sin thou may be sure Th' art able then the sting of death to cure Then use all helps to leave thy loved sin And let slip none may bring thy Saviour in But set a watch and guard thy heart about To keep thy Saviour and shut Satan out For if thy mind be set on God above And thou resolv'd to follow him in love Then all thy actions which thou dost intend Are helps to bring thee to a happy end And no occasion can come then amiss May help to bring thy soul to th' King of Blisse Nor none let pass without some godly use Which some are wont with wickedness abuse But godly minds are ever apt to good And more for th'souls then for the bodies food Think with thy self how dost thou thee behave Canst go to bed and then not think on grave Since it 's more sure then is thy laid-down bed Shall not that surety enter then thy head Canst thou prepare to go to take thy rest And nought prepare for him hath so thee blest Thou knowst thy sleep may wel be said like death Save only that affoords a little breath Which this doth take and all what else is thine Then think of death and think on 't now in time In sleep no sense no not of greatest pain And so in death if heaven by it thou gain Then aim at heaven let it be all thy care Or else be sure have hell fall to thy share Canst thou uncloath thee to thy naked skin And then forget to cleanse thee of thy sin Hast thou the care thy bed may be made warm And then no care to keep thy soul from harm Canst thou be careful see thy linnen sweet And not remember that thy winding shee Hast thou the sense to feel thy bed is cold And yet no feeling that thou art grown old Canst thou have care thy bed should be made soft And then no care to lift thy soul aloft Canst thou be carefull for thy bodies rest Yet careless how the soul may come be blest Is flesh and blood of more esteem with then Then th' soul for which thy Saviour so did dâ—e Dost thou not know when body goes to grave The soul expects a place in heaven to have Dost pamper flesh for filthy worms to eat And starve thy soul for want of spiritual meat Thou sayst th' art sure of a living soul in thee And yet thy life doth shew it cannot be Shal no occasion slip for th'bodies good And none be found to furnish â—h'soul with food Can any think that man hath any sense Cares all for th'corps and nought for th'souls offence Is flesh and blood with thee of more esteem Then that thy soul whose care is only heaven Those go to ground from whence at first they came But this to God in whom is onely its aim Let conscience say for soul and bodies care How little 's that how great this others share So as it seems thou more esteems of monle Then dost of that thy
taught thee how thou ought to live In serving God and to him praises give Praise him praise him praise him continually Who was so pleas'd for sinfull man to dy Forget not then when canst not see the sun To think how Christ down to this earth did come To gain thee to him and with him to live Then yield him thanks and to him praises give Who did endure the torments due to thee A wretch a wretch a wretch most unworthy Follow his example then thou needst not fear Tho th' Prince of darkness do to thee appear For if he shall he hath no power to hurt thee If thou hast faith fear not Christ will defend thee And grant thee strength for to withstand his powr Tho he assault thee every day and hour But thou must strive and ne'r be drawn to yield For if thou dost be sure to lose the field Expect this Fiend to have him fall upon thee Since he spar'd not thy Saviour who did make thee But carried him into the wilderness Making expression of great holiness For when he fasted had full forty dayes Being hungry then the tempter to him sayes If thou be Christ the Son of God indeed Comand these stones that they may be made bread But he replied Life 's not by bread alone But by the words which come from God each one And yet the tempter did not leave him thus No marvel then if he do so with us But set him on the Temples highest stone And will'd him thence to throw his body down Seeing it is writ his Angels shall protect thee Lest dash of stone at any time may hurt thee But answering he replied this holy word 'T is writ thou shalt not tempt thy God the Lord. Yet still the tempter did not give him over But set him higher where he might discover Even all th' earths kingdoms then within his eyes And th'glory of them did to him descrie And said if he would fall and worship him He freely would bestow them all on him But Jesus then bid Satan to be gone Saying thou shalt worship only God alone And only him none other shalt thou serve Doe so my soul 't will thee from death preserve So Satan left him and the Angels came And fed him then in great Jehovah's name Observe my soul the subtlety of this Spirit Alleadging Scripture ' gainst the meaning of it To private ends his fancy for to please Without respect how it did God displease Then fear the spirit make trial if 't be of God Or else be sure he 'll send his heavy rod To punish such as aim to wrest the truth But cleave to it as did to Naomi Ruth Take th' sacred sense beware of any wresting With holy things be sure there be no jesting Apply not places to thy private sence Lest pleasing thee may give thy God offence Read with great rev'rence when thou readest such An humble heart helps understanding much Make use of this and here observe with care How by ill spirits the Scaiptures wrested are And uses made unto some wicked end The Lord of life me from such spirits defend For these Expositors Scriptures do expound ' Gainst ancient writers men much more profound Who spent their lives in following that profession which is now gain'd by some few mouths possession They studied hard before they could obtain it But some new teachers think but light to gain it And when they purpose to the people preach They think it Gospel whatsoere they teach Without respect what our forefathers told Or what hath been in those the dayes of old As though by nature Learning now were gain'd When God doth know it is by some profan'd But thou my soul such shallow places read As thou maist wade them without any dread And leave the deeps for such have art to swim Whatsoever seas of deeps they do come in Learn no such art but leave 't to them that think No sea so deep wherein they cannot sink The Lord of host deliver me from such thought For his sweet sake hath me so dearly bought And keep me safe from this presumptuous sin And many more which I have lived in For ' spiring minds are seldom satisfied Although their wisdom be but folly tried But thou my soul let others folly teach Thee be content with that 's within thy reach Make godly use of what thy God hath given And by such use thou l't keep the way to heaven Keep that way still let nothing turn thee out Then God will prosper all thou goest about Though for the present he may please to try Lest in affliction thou wilt him deny As that just Job whom Satan could not touch Although the Serpents power did tempt him much But he us'd all temptations to good ends Observe his strength for to withstand his friends Take his example when thou tempted art And have a care thou do perform his part Observe his carriage let his patience move thee To serve thy Maker who entirely loves thee Although he teach thee with his heavy hand He will in th' end give thee thy hearts demand But then thou must not curse thy God and die For if thou dost 't is death eternallie And such a death as cannot be redeemd With all th' earths wealth how much soer esteemd Respect no pleasure nor no cruel pain Whatsoere thou suffer so that heaven thou gain Let no affliction alter thy resolve Altho't be such as life on earth dissolve For that this life on earth cannot be long And then there 's hope thou l't sing a heavenly song Among the Saints where glory doth abound Beyond the reach of th' best on earth are found For earthly minds unable are conceive What heavenly comfort Saints in heaven receive By th' glorious presence of that King of Kings Who doth abhor the sight of sinful things But casts them down to that infernal lake Where all must live that do of sin prrtake Then fear to sin and always it eschew Like death it self lest thou may come to rut And fall to curse the time of thy birth-day And to thy self thou thus lament and say Have I spent full out seventy years in sin Have I this while in them uncareful bin What shall befall me after I am dead What is it I have oft had in my head Have I esteemd this life as if immortal And after death of life to be but mortal Have I so much this wicked world esteemd As of this death I have but only dreamd Have I felt limbs how they grow stiffe and weak And cannot see how fast my life doth break Have I observed that my eyes grow blind And cannot know that even so doth my mind Have I discernd my memory to fail And cannot find my vital parts to quail Have I seen wrinkles in my withered skin And cannot see my life is weak within Have I observd my hair to fall away Yet cannot feel my life is in decay Doth not the baldness of my
no shame to flie Without Christs help thou shalt be sure to dye For there 's no hope thy conscience may forget But all thy sins it will before thee set And when thy conscience shall them so reveal Then shall that Satan to thy self appeal For equal justice he may have his own Then by Jehovah thou shalt down be thrown From out his presence to thee deepest hell And therein doom'd with feinds for ever dwell And thenceforth never be admitted see The glorious face of th' sacred Trinitie Sweet Jesus come and come good Lord in time And with thy blood wash off my sinful crime That it in judgement never rise against me But with thy wing vouchsafe good Lord protect me Help Lord help Lord let help come with speed To comfort him without it is but dead And when that thou hast examin'd th' inward thought Let th' centinels then be all before thee brought To give accompt of their fidelity Lest of their faith there may be jealousie Let none escape till he be soundly tryed Lest any of them with th' enemy have complyed And so it prove lest falshood love may appear Without all pity do thou then cashere And let them have reward to treason due For never think a traitour can be true Since he that yields in hope of any gaine Will stand in fear of no eternal paine And search each hollow in thy private tent For hidden treason from the enemy sent No law of Armes will binde him to be honest To breach of faith he 's ever found the pronest And therein doth he take his chief delight As if no good but doing that 's not right Then be thou chary of these inward friends Are friendly onely for their private ends In all thy actions ever aime at th' end And then by that thou 'lt see whereto they tend A wise man will consider 'fore he go His journeyes cause and also whitherto And if appear some danger in the way And that the profit will not charge defray He ' l take a pause and turn about againe Unto some other may requite his paine Observe that graceless gracious prodigal Who ne'er bethought him till he had spent all And then resolved what was his best to do He would with speed unto his father go And on his knees confess what he had done And humbly pray accept him for his son Whereat his father and most indulgent Was glad to see his lost son so repent And did retaine him into former favour In hope of his thereafter good behaviour Make use of this and do apply it well For such in time may block up th' way to hell So that false steward being in disgrace Because he had some way abus'd his place Bethought himself what then was best be done Whenas his Master thrust him out his room Since he was not inur'd with taking pain And that he could not live without some gaine He did resolve his Master debters call And set down less then by his book did fall Due to his Master hoping by that bout He might finde favour when he was turn'd out Wherein his wisdom was commended more Then theirs of light by our blest Saviour Observe my soul this counsel wise approve It came from him who 's God of peace and love Assure thy self these words fell from his mouth Who is the Essence of all real truth Even God of gods and eke of might is most And were endited by the Holy Ghost Then lay them up in th' closet of thy heart And have a care they do not from thee part Sow not this seed upon that stony ground Where there can be no firme fast footing found Nor yet ne'erhand that common high-way-side Where fowles of th' aire will not let it abide Nor where it may be chok'd with growing thorns Will spring up faster then the growing cornes But look it fall upon that wealthy mold Where every corne may bring an hundred fold That this thy care may prove a perfect token Thou art one of them to whom these words were spoken Lest Esay's prophesie in thee be verified Although thou hear yet still thy ears are tyed And though thou see yet still thy eyes will winke Because they shall not to thy hard heart sink Lest thou shouldst see and to thy Saviour cry That he might heal thee of thy malady O look thou sleep not lest the enemy come And sow some tares among thy winnowed corne And see thy salt be not without its savour Lest thou be cast from out thy Makers favour And have a care to keep this enemy out Who takes delight in ranging th' earth about Avoid such sleep and stand and watch and pray That thou maist drive this enemy far away But without help thou art not able do it Then pray to him who can and 's willing to it Sweet Jesus help this weakness is in me Without thy help Lord I am sure to dye Then help Lord help good Lord help me with speed Without thy help sweet Saviour I am dead For my hard heart good God is hardned so As 't doth not fear this fatal word of Go. O wicked heart art still as aye hast been Sleeping securely in all deadly sin Sweet Jesus help and wake me from this sleep And from tentation good Lord do me keep And grant that when I hear the cock to crow I then like Peter from my sin may go And so conceive that Princely bird was sent To call upon me that I might repent And weep and grieve for all my sins and say Vouchsafe me pardon good Lord I thee pray And call to minde that gracious prodigal And not forget how I have wasted all My life in sin and so resolve this hour To run with speed to my sweet Saviour And on my knees say I have sin'd against thee And then no doubt he will againe retain me And that I may observe that stewards fact Was so commended for a most wise act If I do so I need not be afraid My sute shall faile then not be deny'd Lord sowe this seed upon that fertile mold Where every corn may bring an hundred fold But I am still as hereto I have been O'recome with mine own best beloved sin For all these are not able me remove But I will yet forsake my God above O cursed cursed cursed cursed thou Why didst so long unto this Baal bow What hast thou got for all thy service done I fear thou 'lt finde this onely Thou art undone Stretch out thy hand show thy grath is gotten Thou 'lt see 't at best 't will prove to be but rotten Do but examine where lieth all thy gaine Thou 'lt finde nought left except it be some paine Where rests that profit by thy pleasure taken Even onely in this thou art of Christ forsaken O cursed cursed cursed cursed thou Hast had so much and canst show none on 't now Thou 'lt say th'hadst pleasure where now doth it rest In a guilty conscience boyling
known to be much more And all his other attributes before So as there 's hope if thou hast grace to pray That this foul Satan may be driven away Where he shall ne'er attempt on thee againe If in thy Saviour thou hast grace remaine And to hâ—m onely thou thy self apply Who able is and will most willingly Help all of them that on his name do call If they bring with them heart and soul and all Or else 't is bootless offer to him go For without th' heart be sure he will say no. Then call this heart of mine thou blessed Lord Which thou hast made in me by thine own word Vouchsafe be pleas'd good Lord to call it so As it from henceforth never further go From thee my God my Saviour and my King But ever more thy worthy praises sing And grant good God that though my body trade In earthly things because on earth 't was made Yet that my soul may aye ascend on high And ever love the sacred Deity Then fast and pray and fast and pray againe That thou in sin do never more remaine But herehence hartily thou thy self repent Performing duly wherefore thou was sent Which was to serve thy God and King alway And in his service ever live and stay For all the time that he to thee hath lent Ought in his service to be solely spent Since thou thy self hast many servants had Though some of them have been approved bad Yet thou didst alwayes this of them expect That they should thee and what was thine respect And if they careless disobeyed thee Then doubtless thou wouldst very angry be But if they should ' gainst thee reply in word When thou wast ready smite them with thy sword And though their wages were but very small Yet thou expectedst they should spend even all Their time as thou by order didst direct Or else such servants thou wouldst not protect About thy house but frowning thrust them out And then like vagabonds they went about Reflect my soul a while upon thy self Let conscience say what thou hast done for pelfe And pleasing this soul filthy flesh of thine Wherein is spent most part of all thy time For if thou didst resolve one hour to spare In holy service of thy Saviour there Where Saints should be yet thou that hour didst finde Was long and tedious to thy tired minde Who then had thought of divers several things And not attent to that which angels sings O what a wretched wretched beast art thou VVho seems to man thy knees to God to bow And yet thy heart is all a whoring gone So that thy God indeed hath service none O wretch O wretch with what face canst thou crave Or any spiritual blessings look to have Of him who hath so much encreas'd thy store And doth bestow on thee poor miscreant more Then erst became that heart of thine require Or without shame thou couldst of him desire Yet thou a wretch ungrateful wretch to think Thou art born to live for nought but eat drink And so to do as though indeed there were No place of reck'ning any otherwhere Then on this earth where we do live and see Nought else but what appeareth to the eye Of this our flesh but not of that our faith For it hath often said and to thy soul now saith That thou art blinde and therefore canst not see That thou hast any living soul in thee O wretch O wretch O thou most beastly wretch Hast lived so long and yet thou art to teach That there is now a living soul in thee Which daily doth expect eternitie VVhich on this earth by no meanes can be gotten For earthly things at best are all but rotten O thou my soul shake off this clayie case This case of thine which is so filthy base As to forget that it ought ever live For him alone who did this life it give Yet give he did not but it onely lent And looks to have it to him solely sent For to dispose of as he thinketh best Or go thou down thou curst or come thou up thou blest O think my soul think seriously of this line In thinking of it now spend all thy time A man of reason would esteem of this A theam sufficient for eternal bliss Then ruminate upon this pithy line And keep it alwayes in that heart of thine And it will bring thee to thy way aright Then leave not thinking neither day nor night But bear 't about thee ever in thy minde And thou shalt surely in it treasure finde But if thou think or intend to gaine this treasure Thou must this day give o're all earthly pleasure Or else be sure thou shalt with sorrow prove Thy self accursed by great Jehovah above Then look in time and do thou fear this cursing And lieu thereof do strive to gaine this blessing Sweet Jesu grant that I may here so live As thou maist please vouchsafe unto me give At my departure this my latest doome Blessed of the Lord do thou unto me come O here my soul be sure set up thy rest And keep this alwayes in thy bony breast And write it there thou'lt finde it is so good It doth deserve for to be writ in blood For here thy deerest blood were well bestowed To gaine that blessing in these lines is showed Which thou must either now on earth obtaine Or else thy dayes are all spent but in vaine And if onely so the matter 's so much less Though it were loss of thine eternal bliss But thou in lieu thereof shalt surely gain Both loss of bliss and eke eternal pain O cruel cruel wretched wretched thee That wilt not solely in his service be Who lost his dearest blood and life to bring Thee to be capable of that great blessing Which none can have but onely them alone Who come to gaine it by his passion Then thou my soul his passion so apply As through it only thou maist live not dye Apply it then and do apply it right And it will keep thee alwayes in his sight Who dyed for thee and greatly did desire That he may free thee from th' infernal fire Wherein thy conscience tells thee thou must burn Except thou quickly to thy Saviour turn Then turn thou to him and turn to him so As thou gaine not this doleful word of Go. O fearful saying of all the very worst That erst was heard these words of Go accurst O horrid horrid horrid fearful thing To be cast out from sight of this our king Who lovingly did freely suffer death To bring thee sinner to eternal life Then gaine this life how deer soere it cost For this of all whatsoere concerns thee most Then think of this and think on 't seriously And it will teach thee live most vertuously And then be sure that thou in th' end shalt have What this thy soul can in it soul but crave Then crave it crave it do thou crave with zeal That Christ himself
this thy nature 's such And that thou art not able alter't much Art now become a very naturalist Even such is every sensless natural beast As are the untamed Lion Bear or Bull Or like to that the beastly horse or mule Yet all of these their nature so do heed As bounds of nature they do ne'er exceed For canst thou make a horse by force to eat When stomack doth not serve him to his meat Or canst thou make him 's belly for to fill Or yet to drink if 't be against his will Examine conscience it may chance to say There is some man offended hath this way So as these creatures may right well arise To teach fond man how to become be wise But thou I hope hast more in thee then so Or else hadst thou ne'er been made man I know Thou hast I am sure a living soul in thee But thou being blind this soul thou wilt not see Yet when thy eyes are ope thou plainly dost And careful art that it should not be lost O then have care keep ope these eyes of thine That they may make thy soul within thee shine In sight of him who did it in the make And gave his life even for thy own souls sake Then to him to him do thou freely go And pray that he will please thy eyes keep so Thou maist be bold to look up unto him Without all dread or any deadly sin For he alone it is must thee defend Or else there 's danger great of thee at th' end Then fall before him on thy bended knees Who heart and thought and all thy actions sees And pray and pray and pray to him againe That he will please within thee to remaine And ope thy eyes so as thou maist well see The cruel torments he endur'd for thee And ever have them constantly in minde And then thou shalt not fear to become blind But such thou art and such wilt ever be If that thy Saviour shall a while leave thee Then pray to him and pray continually That he will keep thee for eternity Pray without ceasing do thou never lin Lest that thou enter into horrid sin For if thou shouldst neglect to God to pray Be well assur'd he will no longer stay O stay with me sweet Jesu in my heart That I from thee herehence do ne'er depart But ever praying to thee night and day That in thy service I may alwayes stay With heart and soul and all is in my minde But all of these are apt to become blinde For now my conscience doth me plainly tell That all even all of me is nothing well For that I see my thoughts do love to range And think of things are uncouth and most strange Against my setled resolution quite From what is good to that which is not right And yet O Lord it is not in my power To make them stay no not for one half hour But they are gone I do not well know where Sometimes far off and sometimes also neer And never rest upon one stable theam But often flying out beyond the Realm So as from gadding they 'l not stay for me I know not well what th' cause thereof should be But by experience I do too well finde They 'l not be guided by that is my minde Which solely's set to serve my God and King And evermore to him due praises sing And strive to keep them in that blessed way Nor never wander out nor go astray But then even then my wandring thoughts are gone And that perchance to some strange region And never use ask of me any leave But of my good thoughts they do me bereave Whereby apparently I understand That my own thoughts are not in my own hand Nor is' t in me with force them to restraine Where I desire that they should aye remaine But suddainly they roam and run about To finde that rest which cannot be found out So as I am not able make them stay But they are gadding still some other way For though I strive with heart to make them think What I am writing with this pen of ink Yet 'fore I get but half of one line done They are to seek and from me quite out gone Though I desire with all my very heart That they should stay and not from me depart Till I have done what I in heart desire And what my soul doth in it soul require Which is to cause them rest alone in thee Who hath me made and likewise them in me But sure if God did them unto me send He sent them doubtless for some other end And not to reel and ramble up and down From this to that and then to th' t'other town And never stay where I wish they should be But alwayes running out abroad from me Whereby doth rise a case full of some doubt VVhat this may be which runneth thus about From heaven to hell and then to heaven againe But yet being there will not in heaven remaine Where I desire that they should ever rest Because I know that place is ever blest VVith the glorious presence of my Saviour sweet With whom my heart desires my soul may meet And there to stay and ever with him live Whose goodness did it freely to me give And then I doubt not but my soul shall rest VVhere I desire and do in heart request Thou wilt vouchsafe within me bless them so As they shall never from thy service go In the mean time till thou vouchsafe to say Come thou the blessed come and with me stay Here bide my soul and now set up thy rest For by him solely thou art onely blest And have a care thou from him ne're depart Nor in thy thought nor in thy very heart For this I fear will prove too much in blame Because I am not able th' other tame For if my heart were of it self upright It would not wander nor be out on 's sight VVho freely gave it for no other end But him to serve even world without all end O wretched wretched beast that thou shouldst be Hast lived so long and yet live wretchedly Not minding th' end for which was 't hither sent Forgetful also of thy sins repent VVhat shall I think of this vile ill condition That after so much godly admotion Of weakness great if so I rightly call it But I think rather strength I may so term it For sure I am that it doth o'recome me And by my minde it will not ruled be For I desire with all my very heart My secrets solely to my God impart And in him wholly by true faith confide And in him solely in my soul reside Yet I am drawn I cannot well say how To think of things which I do not know now For such are often got into my thought Which are not worthy of remembring ought If I should have desire them to recall Which is a thing not possible at all And if they could by me be spoke againe As
rest there can be The cause I fear thou hast at all no faith Since faith is such as our sweet Saviour saith T is able make the greatest mountain move Except thou canst procure it from above Sweet Jesus help this want of faith in me Is so apparent unto every eye As each observer may discover well That by my actions I intend for hell Since my faith is not like to Peters tho He saw his Master yet did not him know Nor when he seem'd in sea a little sink He well discern'd it and of help did think Nor when he durst not on the deep sea go Untill his Master did command him so Or when as he his Master did forswear Because his heart was troubled then with fear Nor when his Master he did disobay In sleeping then when his Master bid him pray For tho he did not know him at first sight He heard his voice and apprehended right And when in Sea he did a little sink He had hope rais'd him to the waters brink And when he durst not on the deep Sea go He had faith to think that he might well do so And tho his Master he did thrice deny He did it through the flesh infirmity And when for praying he did fall a sleep It was because his Saviour did him keep O wretched beast look in thy breast thou'lt see That thine to his is infidelitie Confesse a truth dost thou thy Saviour know I fear thy heart within thee will say no Perchance thou 'lt say thou could if should him see O shamelesse man then there 's no faith in thee Since thou didst see him nail'd upon the cross For to refine thee from thy sinfull drosse May be thou'lt say that thou did not him hear T is true indeed or else thou wouldst forbear To peirce his side with every severall sin Which like to darts thou freely throws at him O wretch O wretch hast thou a heart to think If thou like Peter in the Sea should sink That thou hadst faith to raise thee up again Thy conscience tels thee thou shalt there remain And deeper far then that the deepest Sea Where seeming faith wil stand for no good plea Then have a face and faith for to confesse Thy sins are such as well deserve no lesse And then there 's hope thou hast some faith in Be pleased good God vouchsafe this faith to me Speak conscience speak durst t' on deep Sea go I fear thy heart will tell thee truly no But thou wilt say thy Saviour did not call Then hast t'not seen him nail'd on crosse at all For if thou didst thou might both hear and see Him search his arms and loudly calling he Yea thee by name If thou wilt but confesse Thy sins are such as well deserve no lesse Say so my heart and thereof do repent And then thou 'lt see that Christ for thee was sent Now speak a truth hast thou not Christ forsworn Or canst thou say that he for thee was born I fear that truth will in thee justifie Thou dost thy Saviour every houre deny For tho he call and call and call again Yet doth thy heart even still in sin remain And tho sometimes thou dost behold his blood Thou canst not say it doth thee any good For thou at his loud cry forbears to come Sweet Jesus grant that word may be my doom Speak on thou cōscience hast thou Christ obeyd Thou 'lt say thou hast him oftentimes denayd And slept in sin when Christ was not the keeper Peter's was great but thy sin much the greater His Saviour then was praying hard for him And now for thee yet thou 'lt not leave thy sin Tho Peter's fault were much against his mind Yet thou to Satan art in heart so kind As thou wilt follow him tho that Christ say no Blessed Jesus free me from this word of Go. And now do thine with Peter's faith compare Thou 'lt say thy self that they much diffring are And so much differ will thy conscience say As white from blak or this word yea from nay For if thou couldst do th'least what Peter did Then might thou say faith in thy hart was hid But tho thou say that thou hast faith in thee Yet I fear none nor thou thy self dost't see For that Christ saith t is gift of God above And them that have it mountains can remove Which is well known thou art not able do Then cry for help of him who can do so For want of faith is cause of all thy sin Then break thy heart that faith may enter in For broken hearts are they will win the crown Then break thy heart beat presumtion down For this presumption causeth many a sin In hope of time for to repent them of in Beware of Satan such he often useth And with such shifts fond man he oft abuseth Then fly this fiend and fear to come him nye For he is subtill and in carriage sly And doth delight in ranging th' earth about Then hide thee from him lest he find thee out And do thou strive to mount thy self aloft And make thy prayers to thy Saviour oft That he will thee and thy poor soul safe keep Both when th' rt waking and when thou dost sleep For except he please vouchsafe to set the scout Thou art not able keep the enemie out Then please good God to me some angel send VVhom thou thinkst good to my safeguard commend He that did father Abrahams servant guide When he went forth a wife for to provide For 's master Isaack or did Lot preserve From Sodoms plague which it did so deserve Or he that open'd Peter th' iron gate When surely death was doom'd to be his fate Or one of them our Saviour said did keep These little ones as his beloved sheep Or whom thou please to my safeguard command For to preserve me out of Satans hand Sweet Jesus keep me keep me Lord this day From all tentation I thee humbly pray For Satans rage encreaseth every where Because the gen'rall Judgement draweth near Or else that honest angel Raphael Whose company holp that yong Tobias well But doubtlesse Tobies heart was firmly bent For to obey that strict commandement His father gave him long before his death which was that he while there was in him breath Should alwayes set the Lord before his eyes And that his will should ever sin despise And he shall aye observe the Lords commands And duly labour with his fleshly hands And true and just in all his doings prove For such are they whom God doth onely love Then to their actions he will surely send A prosperous and a good successefull end And have a care thou freely alms do give For so must they that do intend to live Enjoy where is their blessed Saviour For none come there that do not pity th' poor Seeing alms is esteemed a goodly gift Before th' most high to them that use to give 't From filthy whoredome do thou safely
keep For all such sins wil cause thy soul to weep Let no mans wages with thee longer stay But have a care each labourer duly pay Besure thou alwayes to an other doe So as thy self desires be done unto Beware thou do not drink till thou be drunk For many such great sins to hell are sunk And be not slow to give the hungry bread Nor cloths to them that do of cloths stand ned Take counsel alwayes of them that are wise In giving counsel be not too precise And of thy mother look to have a care For surely she for thee hath had her share And be thou sure thou do not take a wife Mongst these where I am forced lead my life And look thou duly do observe my will As thou 'lt accompt on blessed Sion's hill Where no excuse for plea will be accepted Nor no mans person for his wealth respected But onely such as seek and serve the Lord And in their lives have care to keep his word And fear not tho God suffer thee made poor So long as Christ thy Saviour's at the door If thou dost fear him and dost fly from sin Then do not doubt he 'l keep thy soul with him Then young Tobias to his father said That this his will in all should be obeyed Then th' old man said that he had talents ten In Gabarels hand who dwelt at Ragues then And will'd him search if he could find a man Might guide him th' way to Ragues if he can Then Raphael he with young Tobias met And told him he was able there him set For he did know that land Media well And the way to Ragues he could also tell Then he that Raphel to his father brought And said that he had found whō he had sought Then th' old man did desire his name And kindred both which was the very same Even with his own and then they both agreed For a guide a day and also to have bread And meat beside and such provision As should be made for Tobie his own son And if you make to me a safe return I 'le add some more for your good service done And now provision being ready made For that great journey th' old man to him said On Gods name go and I shall daily pray That God will send some Angel guide your way But then the mother she begun to weep For her great grief she could no longer keep And wisht the silver might be rather lost Then they should be at any further cost But chiefly sorrowed for her only son For want of whom they utterly were undone But th' old man willd his wife to be content For he well hoped they had no cause repent And then the mother left her sorrowing And with the father fell to hearty praying The travelers now being well set on their way Ne'r Tygres flood they meant one night to stay Where in young Toby went himself to wash And out the river leaped up a Fish And Raphael willed him to put in 's hand And take the fish and bring it safe to land And take out of it Liver Heart and Gall And keep them safe for that these three were all Good for some use then they broild the fish Which proved to them a curious dainty dish Then on they went the way towards Ecbatane Where they intended one night to remain And travelling Toby to his servant said Why is it we have this provision made To keep these intrails I have with me here I wish to know for what good use they were Then Raphael said pray Sir observe w th care How God did these for your great good prepare The Heart and Liver are by nature such As if an ill sp'rite do but trouble much Broile these upon a little pretty fire And they wil quench with speed the sp'rits ire And do but rub the Gall upon the eyes Of them are troubled with the whitish skies Will cure the same and make them very bright And so by that means gain again the sight And the servant he unto his Master said Our journey now is almost well nye made And we shall this night lodge with Raguel VVho 's of thy blood and kindred I can tell And hath no children but one daughter who Is vertuous fair and wise and loving too And there is none for ought that I do know Can marry her but even onely thou For I am sure by th' law of Moses she Of right belongeth solely unto thee And when we 're there I 'le move her father t'it And do not doubt but he 'l be willing t'it And then unto him Toby did reply I doubt dear Raphuel I shall surely dye If I shall but unto her chamber go For of a truth I hard reported so That she seven husbands hath already had And all of them dyed in the brideall-bed And my own parents have no children more But onely me and if so be therefore It be my fortune in this country dye Or in this journey for to miscarry I fear my parents shall such sorrow have As wil with grief bring them unto their grave Then Raphuel he to his Master thus reply'd T is true indeed there have so many dy'd But do not fear for thou hast means to fray That wicked sp'rit and force him fly away And thou dost know that t is thy fathers minde Thou should bestow thy self in thy own kinde Then Iet no cause of fear possesse thy heart But chearfully perform the Bridgrooms part For this night will the match consumate be And this night will the Bride be given to thee And when thou comest into the bridall room Take imbers hot and thereon make perfume Of this the Heart and Liver of the fish And fear not all shall be as thou would wish But look before you do your selves addresse To go to bed pray God he may you blesse And all your acts and look you thankful be For his great goodness he hath given to thee And do not fear for th'll sp'rit hath no power To trouble you or yours for one half hour And I suppose your wife shall then conceive And many children may she happily have By whom you shal be greatly comforted VVhen your own parents may perchance be dead Then Toby did begin to feel in part How he did love the maiden in his heart And when they came unto that Raguels place Did comely Sarah meet them in the face And when with joy they had saluted her She prayed them please go in to her father And then did Raguel say unto his wife This is our kinsman I dare lay my life And quest'on'd them frō whence what they be They answered him captives at Ninive And of the tribe is called Nephtalim Then Raguel said and did reply to him Thou art my kinsman pray thee when didst see That old man Toby in what health is he My father is thank God in health fulright But that said he he hath onely lost his sight Then Raguel