miseries Cast vp the Ports of thy vnspeakable pittie to my wearied spirit receaue my soule in thy hands and anoynt her feastred wounds with the blood of thy immaculate Lambe Christ Jesus T 's true indeede this age is very strange For why behold great men of ritch renowne Time comes by turnes with vnexpected change And from their Tower of pride doth pull them downe Then what are we but fooles of selfe-conceate All what we haue stands in a stag'ring state Wee weeping come into this world of cares And all our life 's but battels of distresse Scarse is our prime when wint'ring age declares What weightie griefe our body doth oppresse Bred with sinne borne with woe our life is paine Which still attends vs to our Graue againe Then earthly slime wherein consists thy pride Sith all thy glory goes into the ground That bed of wormes wherein thou shalt abide Thy fairest face most filthy shall be found Our sunne-shine joyes time swiftly sweepes away This night we liue and dies before the day Homo natus de muliere breui tempore viuens repletur multis miserijs CAn thou part from thy best beloved friends to goe in a farre Country and not remember how it resembles the parting from this world to a more strange place When thou rises in the morning what knowest thou will chaunce thee before night And if thou escape the dayes perrill what knowest thou will chaunce before the morning Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum When thou goest to bed remember how it is the verie image of thy graue thy merrie companions are parted thy day being gone and come is thy night thy riotous banqueting is finished and thou in a solitarie retreat puts off thy gorgeous apparrell and strips thy selfe naked to thy shirt so the pleasures of this inconstant world shall part thou shalt be stripped naked of all thy ritches and shalt carie nothing with thee but a simple winding-sheet this shall be and this must be Vt hora sic fugit vita Therefore euery day take a reckoning of thy selfe and euery moment examine thy actions Mark thy behaviour first towards God and next towards thy neighbour Consider how the all-seeing eyes of heaven lookes vpon all thy doings and euer beware of that sinne which thou knowest to predominate most in thee seek by all meanes to oppresse it and overcome it take away all the occasions therof or else it with the rest of thy sins will draw thee to hells fire where nothing else is but gnashing of teeth and eternall horrour When thou hast committed any greevous sinne haue thou a true repentance a vnfained remorse and that thy heart shrill within thee with angry griefe against thy selfe then thou may be assured that the spirit of God worketh in thee for it is a sign of true vnfained repētance when the sinner without all kinde of hypocrisie mends his wicked life making first satisfaction to the great God by fasting and praying making restitution to thy neigbour giue to the poore for Gods cause visite the sick comfort and help the prisoner and giue hospitality to the distressed stranger Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poore that wander into thine house When thou seest the naked that thou couer him and hide not thy face from thine owne flesh For in the poore miserable creature thou seest thy selfe as in a Glasse And what sayes the Prophet shall be thy reward Then shall thy light breake forth as the morning and thine health shall grow speedily thy righteousnes shall goe before thee and the glory of thy great God shall embrace thee c. Thy vpright conscience shal giue thee a great security of thy soules helth thy mercies shal meet thee doubtlesse thy end shall be most happy that blessed Euangelist S. Iohn sayes Blessed are the dead who dies in the Lord because they rest from their labours and their works follow them Now good Christian Reader J must end praying God that every one of vs all may haue an earnest cōsideration of our owne estate what we are where we are and how we shal be heereafter and once more J pray to our Lord God that we may stil remember hoc momentū vnde pendet aeternitas that this little moment of our life is the short space whereon dependeth all eternity of eternall joyes or else eternall paines Jf wee haue bin wickedly enclined let vs with the deepe of our hearts repent and think how the Axe is at the roote of the tree and let vs all endevour our selues with the grace of God to amend our life that our filthie nakednes may not be seene in that fearefull terrible day of judgement Domine secundum actum meum noli me judicare nihil degnum in conspectu tuo egi O Lord judge me not according to my actions J haue done nothing worthy of mercy in thy sight Cloath me with thy righteousnes that I may appeare righteous before thy pittifull eyes Iesus esto mihi Iesus When the thundring voyce of thy Angels shal descend from the heavens and cry out O vos mortui qui Iacetis in sepulchris surgite occurite ad juditium saluatoris O you dead creatures that lies in your graues rise and runne swiftly to the judgement of the Saviour who with all his glorious Saints and triumphing Martirs shall sit in his throne of vnspeakable glory and judge both the quick and the dead to him be all honour power and glory now and for euermore Amen FINIS THE SPIRIT OF GRACE To the wicked sinner ISAY 55. CAP. Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord and our God wil haue mercie vpon him O Man the treasure of Gods glorious eye Thou art ingrate and to thy selfe vnkinde Poore Caitiue wretch who sees and will not see Nor to eternall blisse will turne thy minde Rise sloathfull rise forth of thy senslesse sleepe And for thy sinnes go sigh bewaile and weepe Heare how thy Saviour Iesus Christ doth call Come wearied and you burth'ned both to me Come come sayes he I will refresh you all What sweeter words would thou haue said to thee Thou art that sheep which wādring went astray Christ on his back will bring thee to thy way Thou sinfull man is so with sinne allur'd That pleasure of thy sinne doth hold thee fast Thy wit thy will thy reason all obscur'd And now behold forgets thy God at last Thou art intrapp'd within ten thousand snares And blindlins rins to hell thou never cares The flying motions of thy minde still burnes And forward goes her furie to fulfill Youth and desire whose raging humor turnes To execute the horrour of their ill With no les price thē with thy soule is bought And whē all 's got they are but things of nought Both day and night thou doth thy selfe annoy To worke great mischiefe with thy owne misdeeds
Conscientia mille testes O but heare in the end what is prepared for such wicked and insolent sinners who hath such pleasure in this world with their abhominations procures the heavie wrath of God even this is prepared for them Cruciabuntur in saecula saeculorum in stagno ardente igne sulphure they shal be tormented for ever ever in a burning lake of fire brimston O that the horror of this sētence might make vs mark our owne blindnes and amend our beastly life Nol ti fieri sicut equus et mulus quibus non est intellectus Be not like the horse or the Mule which hath no vnderstāding as the Prophet would say be not so brutish nor so voyd of reason nor yet set not thy saluation to such a small reckoning O thou reader I will request thee all mankind ever to remember and hold this most worthy and infallible sentence printed in thy heart Hoc momentum vnde pendit aeternitas This short life is the very moment whereon dependeth all eternitie either the eternall joyes of heaven or else the eternall paines of hell O J say againe remember this true sentence and haue a continuall care of this moment and spend it not in such idle vanities Agree with thine aduersarie quickly whiles thou art in the way going with him least thine aduersarie deliuer thee to the Iudge and the Iudge deliuer thee to the jaylor and the jaylor cast thee in prison where thou shalt not come out till thou haue payed all How carefull should we be in this little moment of our life to prevent the intollerable and endlesse burning paines of hell What would the damned soules in hell doe if they were in this world againe how would they spend this moment to escape that vnspeakable torture that ever-burning Gehenna where nothing else is but goashing of teeth and everlasting horrour yea and worse than the tongue or heart of man can tell or thinke out of the which part there is no redemption Good Christian Reader againe I will request thee and all sinners to print this in the depth of thy heart And I my selfe I confesse to be a most greevous sinner when I thinke vpon the losse of pretious time it shrills my wearie soule with griefe it wearies my dayes and disturbs my rest with that holy Prophet Dauid I crie to God with a repenting heart O Lord remember not the sinnes of my youth nor my ignorance but according to thy great mercies remember thou me euen for thy goodnes sake O Lord The workes of our Lord God are great and wondrous they are incomprehensible and yet his mercies exceedes all his stupendious workes therefore once more let vs consider so neere as wee can the great works of God the creating of all things The heauens sayes the Prophet Dauid sets forth his glory and the firmament shewes the workes of his hands The earth the seas and all living creatures therein the strange course of every thing in heaven in earth the naturall inclination of all living creatures Look on the seas how they are limited that they shall not passe their bounds but keepes their due course Looke on the creation of mankinde he hath made vs according to his owne image and of the verie dirt and slime of the earth hath he created and formed vs he hath also made vs subject to many infirmities of Nature the filthinesse of our flesh the excrementall corruption of many sundry and strange diseases which are naturall and insident both to man and woman And what would this carcase of ours be if it had not the change of cleane cloathes it would be naught else but a masse of vermine and with time the smell of our flesh would be loathsom and so in the end wee would putrifie and consume to naught O man why is all this done onely to base our pride and God hath done it to let vs see what stuffe wee are made of and what bath our good God done more Within this earthly vessell of our body he hath placed a soule made of a devine and heavenly substance adorned with all her faculties and garnished with reason The Prophet Dauid sayes Little inferiour to the Angels And besides all this he hath cast vnder our feete all kinde of other creatures and aboue all his workes that work of vdspeakable loue that miraculous worke of our redemption and yet the mercie of our Lord God goes farre aboue and farre exceedes all his wondrous works for the holy Prophet Dauid sayes The Lord is good and kinde to all and his mercies are aboue all his great and wondrous works And heare what our good loving God sayes more with his owne mouth The mountaines shall remoue the hills shall fall downe but my mercie shall not depart from thee neither shall I breake the couenant of my peace saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee What great and true confidence may we then haue in Gods mercie he sayes againe by the mouth of his Prophet The Lord doth attend the sinners conuersion to the end he may take mercy on him and thereby be exalted Yet heare more what God speakes to Ezechiel the Prophet Say vnto them as I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the sinner should turn frō his sinful life liue And farther with what great cōpassion goes he on to allure perswade his people to convert O sayes he Turne you turne you from your wickednes for why will you perish and die O you house of Israell How many kind loving perswasions doth our loving God giue vs to draw neere and come home to him What gentle kind corrections what large and great space of repentance what wonderfull sweet Parables of our Saviour Jesus Christ in the Evangell Of the good sheepheard who brought back the sheep vpon his shoulders which had gone astray what joy and feasting makes hee with his friends and of the honest woman when shee findes her lost peace of siluer And the pittifull father with teares of mercie compassion receaved his forlorn sonne with what joy and gladnes did hee embrace him Here doth our sweet Saviour Iesus shew what great joy is in heaven at the convertion of a sinner Our loving God again entring in more conference with the sinner he begins to reason with him Thou sayest that I am ritch and encreased with goods and full of substance and that I haue need of nothing and doest thou not know how poore thou art how wretched how miserable how blinde and how naked thou art Then our Saviour goes on with sweet perswading speeches to allure the sinner saying I counsell thee to buy of me gold tried be the fire that thou mayest be made ritch and white rayment that thou mayest be cloathed and that thy filthie nakednesse may not be seene and anoint thine eyes with eye-salue that thou mayest see And
with the loue feare and obedience of his subjects he becommeth a King of more kingdomes and so from kingdome to kingdome he groweth to be an imperiall and free Monarch over many Countries for him and his posteritie to possesse for ever in the end he leaues his vertues education his good qualities his vpright justice his mercie his compassion on the poore and his loue to all his people to be a mirrour to the rest of earthly Kings one example to his children and a never decaying Ornament to all his Off-spring then last of all he returneth againe to the earth and his soule cloathed with pure innocent whitenes flyeth vp to heaven in the beautifull shape of a bright winged Angell Who shall ascend sayes the Prophet into the mountaine of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place euen he that hath inuocent hands and a pure heart who hath not in the rage of crueltie sucked the bloud of innocents who hath not suffered the greater powers to oppresse his poore Subjects it is he who extols Iustice and triumphs in mercie O God this man is he whose glorie is great in thy salvation both dignitie and honour hast thou laid vpon him It is thou O Lord who governes all his actions and still instructs his minde what he shall doe Cor regis in manu domini quocunque voluerit inclinabit illud Then thou ô earthly King behold how the great and mightie King of all Kings is thy sure bulwarke his strength guards thee against the malitious mindes of men the poysonnous Calumnie of wicked vipers shall not offend thee nor the subtill hatchers of vnnaturall Treason shall neuer prevaile against thee because God assures thee of thy life in all thy journeyes by day or by night he still sayes vnto thee as he said by the voyce of his Angell to Gideon Peace be vnto thee feare not thou shalt not die How bold may thou be to build vpon this assurance if God be with thee who can be against thee Thy anger is like the roaring of a Lyon he that prouoketh thee to wrath sinneth against his owne soule Who should not tremble at thy furie who should not be afraid to offend thee who dare calumniate a King or yet speake against the vprightnesse of his justice God him selfe giues this straite commaund saying Thou shalt not raile vpon the Iudges neither speake euill of the ruler of the people Then the Apostle Saint Paul tells thee why thou should not doe it Because he is the Minister of God to take vengeance on them that doe euill I say to thee O King Thou earthly God whose ouer-ruling hand The Scepter swayes and doth vnsheath the sword Now seruile Kingdomes stoupes at thy command Who dare controle thy vnrecalled word Thou with great glorie of thy triple crowne Erecks the good and throwes the wicked downe God hath anoynted thee a King and placed thee here on earth to be a God and to doe right to all men without respect of persons God him selfe calls you a God and commaunds you saying Doe right to the poore and fatherlesse doe justice to the poore and needie because I haue said thou art a God And therefore be sure that the great God of heaven will judge you that are Gods on earth remember how he is to craue a most sharpe reckoning at your hands therefore how carefull should thou be ever to discharge thy great and waightie charge which hangs over thy head thou art a ruler of many and many things will be asked of thee respect alwayes the poore more then the ritch and let not the complaints of thy people come to thy eares by the mouthes of thy briberous Minions call the poore complainer before thee stay and heare them with patience and wearie not to examine their wrongs when thy pitty hath pondred their estate Pronounce sentence with thy owne tongue then let thy diligent eye see judgement executed and delay not the poore mans cause nor let no senistrus request recall thy just resolution And so shall the teares of the distressed creatures imbalme thy soule thy righteousnes shall crowne thee and thy mercie shall set thee on the majesticall Throne of Gods eternall glory O remember what thou art where thou art and what thou shalt be as I haue said thou art a King anoynted by God over many people thou art here on earth a Judge and thou art to be called before the tribunall seate of God to giue a reckoning of thy behaviour O then how narrowly should thou looke to thy journey how perrilous is thy Prograce what weightie burthen hangs on thy shoulders what continuall fashires what incomprehensible care and what great memorie craues thy carefull estate With eyes of wisedome governe thy sight about thy selfe and if thou chance to see sheltred vnder thy owne wings the deceitfull parasite the male-contented Mutenar the murmuring whisperer the detracker of honestie the invier of vertue the ambitious oppressour or the vnmercifull briber then if thou finde such caterpillars about thee sweepe them away because they are consuming cankers to thy state bloud-suckers of innocents vessels of treason and sworne enemies to the true Vnion of thy Kingdomes O sayes the great King of wisedome Take away the wicked men from the King and his throne shall be stablished in righteousnes Shake off all kinde of such infectious scabs and purge thy companie of such pestiferous euils keepe ever with the men of truth and place such men in office as feares God and loues thee Let graue and honourable counsailours conduct thee and guard thy selfe with them Commaund thou them as God hath commaunded all you that are Kings Say ye shall haue no respect of persons in judgement but shall heare the small as well as the great ye shall not feare the face of man for the judgement is Gods Thou art the Lieutenant of God therfore thou should looke well to thy officers and how they are enclined A true and faithfull subject who doth the will of his King is worth the halfe of his Kings kingdom O sayes Salomon the joy and pleasure of a King is in a wise servant He putteth the charge of him selfe in his hands he is the pillar of his state and executes the actions of his King with a sincere equitie It is not birth that makes thy subject noble or honourable The originall of Nobilitie is like a small spring which good desert makes the gratefull favour of a King to enlarge to a great river which by bound dutie ought to pay their dutifull tribute to the King their Ocaean but how many are they that becomes ingrate and swels with pride ambition envie treason sedition and emulation they become rebellious flouds overflowes their banks and in dispersing them selues looses their name and becomes ignominious to the world When such men beholds their owne ruine and swift destruction which blinde pride did never looke for then how may
breast-plate of righteousnesse What should hinder vs to fight against our owne infirmities having such a Captain to encourage vs and fight for vs to strengthen vs to holde vs vp and helpe vs. Our Saviour sayes You are they who haue stoode with me in my temptations and therefore I prepare for you a Kingdome And I pray thee heare good Keader what a Kingdome even to be pertataker of his owne glory to sit crowned with him in all eternall joy and happinesse but our infirmities and weaknesse and want of faith and our strengthlesse hearts and our great faintnesse hath made our Captaine Christ to say You haue left me in time of temptations this lets vs see how feeble wee are of our selues and that without the helpe of God wee are nothing nor can doe nothing Our omnipotent God diminished the Camp of Ierubaall and with a very small number made him overcome the great strong armie of the Midianites least Ierubaall should haue said It is the strength of man hath woone the victorie and so taken away the honor glory power from God Non nobis domine non nobis sed nomine cuo da gloriam O man base thy pride for of thy selfe thou art naught else but a miserable and strengthlesse worme and all thy resolutions are but meere folly for behold the foolish hearts and thou shalt see what course and what straunge decree they will make to them selues What vowes and promises sealed with oathes will they make to performe wonders but O let the foolish man heare what the wisedome of God sayes Many deuises are in a mans heart but the counsell of the Lord God shall stand Thou mayest flatter thy selfe with many faire promises but all in vaine because God almightie must be the chiefe actour of all things This made the Apostle Saint Paul say I am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ which strengthneth me and when it pleases God to lay a crosse vpon the shoulders of any Christian that he may be glorified and to be a chaine of loue to bring thee to him and to keepe thee fast with him how will he helpe thee to beare thy Crosse how will he draw the forward and how will he peace and peace releeue thee and set thee free is it not written Our God is faithfull and he will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength Hee will lay no more on thee then thou art able to beare he will not suffer one haire of thy head to perish he sayes I chastice them whom I loue for the Lord your God doth try and proue you to know if you loue your Lord God with all your heart and with all your soule Now in this meane time of his aduersitie what comfortable speeches and what great assurance giues he by his Prophet Dauid He called on me sayes he and I heard him when he is in trouble I am with him and I will deliuer him and set him free and I will glorifie him Now when a man or woman is burthened with any worldly crosse can he goe to a better or can he goe to a more loving and wiser Counsailer to discharge the burthen of his griefe to then to our Lord Jesus Christ who knowes what is meetest for the Intellectum tibi dabo et instruam te in wia hac qua gradieris firmabo super te occulos meos J will sayes he giue thee vnderstanding and I will teach thee how and what way thou shalt winne free of thy trouble and I shall ever fixe my eyes vpon thee Now wilt thou but looke on all the great rulers and principalities in this world From the mighty and ritch Monarch to the base and poore begger And tell me who can say he hath no Crosse beleeue me not any for that man hath not beene nor for the present is not but he hath vexation a griefe and a continuall crosse What although hee appeare to the eyes of this worlde most content in earthly glory in ritches or authority yet for all that before night that day was never but hee had somwhat to repent him selfe of Then thou who art crost wil thinke in thy heart and say O this man or woman are happie they haue no tribulation they haue no fighting with this world their minde is in peace and quietnesse they liue secure and are crowned Kings of their owne desires O foole thou art deceaued for what is all our chiefest joy in this vale of miserie euen nothing else but a sunne-shine pleasure bringing nothing with it but a grievous storme of infinite cares O but what remedie euen this must be thy onely remedie to say with the Prophet Dauid Tribulationem dolorem inueni nomen domini inuocaui In the time of my tribulation and griefe I called vpon the name of the Lord hee is the true Phisitian that must heale thy sores and be assured he will say to thee as hee said to S. Paul in his great temptations Sufficit tibi gratia mea My grace is sufficient to strengthen thee to keepe thee and defend thee in thy greatest conflict and to be a strong and mightie bulwarke against all temptations and aboue all things let vs that are sinners and grievous offenders of GOD thinke and assure our selues that it is onely our owne iniquities and wicked life which procures our crosse of tribulation O then let vs not murmure against GOD but let vs looke to our owne sinfull life that is the onely originall of all our miseries how ought we then to repent for it is onelie sinne displeases GOD and nothing can please him but repentance and mourning Heere I will set thee downe this comparison Take eye-salue and applie it to any feastred part of thy bodie it will neither helpe nor releeue thee of thy paine but take that eye-salue and applied to thy eye it will helpe and releeue thy eye Euen so take mourning and applie it to the losse of ritches it doth no good applie mourning to the losse of friends it doeth no good applie mourning to the losse of honour it doeth no good but applie the teares of mourning to thy feastred soule it will doe good it will bathe thy feastred soule it will embalme and mollifie her wounds and giue thee a true comfort in thy sweete Redeemer Iesus Christ It is onely he who will heare thy lamentations consider thy distresse and exhaust vp thy remēbrance in his mercy When thou art wearied faints he is the true fountaine who will refresh thy wearied spirit he calls vpon all that are fatigated and oppressed If any man be thirstie let him come vnto me and hee shall haue drinke How joyfull may the thirstie sinner be to haue accesse to come and drinke of the true fountaine of life heare yet againe what sweete consolation hee powres in thy heart by his Prophet I haue afflicted thee alreadie and I will not afflict thee againe As he
would say there shall not come from me a double tribulation Now good Christian how may thy troubled soule repose vpon this loving and infallible promise Holy and constant Iob in the middes of his torturing griefe cries out to God Although he kill me yet wil I trust in him and to animate thee and to giue the more stoutnes that in aduersitie thou be not overthrowne The royall Prophet Dauid cries to thee with great courage Expecta dominum viriliter age confortetur cor tuum sustine dominum Trust in the Lord and fight manfully our Lord will comfort thy heart and therefore abide his will for the Lord our God will not leaue thee hee will not depart from thee what great confidence hath this holy man had in GOD for in the beginning of this Psalme he sayes Seeing God is the protector of my life who can harme me And againe with great assurance he sayes Si consistant aduersum me castra non timebit cor meum si exurgat aduersum me prelium in hoc ego sperabo Giue whole armies were comming against me I shall not care but hope in God then hee followes with this request I haue sought one thing of thee my God that I may dwell all the dayes of my life in thy house and that I may see the glory and beautie of thy Temple Then when this blessed man begins to thinke vpon the wondrous benefits of God bestowed on him with joy and gladnes of heart he cries out and sayes What shall I render the Lord for all his benefits bestowed vpon me I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord If wee poore ingratefull creatures would meditate vpon the incomprehensible loue of GOD of his long suffering and gentle patience How slow is he to wrath and how swift is he to mercy what wrongs doeth he receaue They haue saieth he repayed euil for good Then when he perceaved their great vnthankfulnesse their dulnesse and hardnesse of heart and that all what he did could not moue his people to turne to him Then he cryeth out in great passion O ye Heauens be astonished at this be affraied and vtterly confounded And yet with more vehemence be his Prophet he sayeth Heare O Heauens and harken O Earth for the Lord hath said I haue nurished and brought vp children and they haue rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his owner the asse knoweth his maisters crib but yet my people knoweth not me Woe be to this sinfull Nation a people loaden with iniquitie a wiked seed and corrupt children they haue forsaken their Lord they haue prouocked the holy one of Israel to anger and they haue gone backwarde What an heavy lamentation is this how grievous was this complaint to the Almighty GOD to make vpon base and filthy wake and worthlesse creeping vermeine of the Earth whom the twinkling of his eie might haue destroyed and with the smallest breath of his anger brought an infinite number of worlds to nothing Who can stand before his wrath saieth the Prophet Nahum or who can abide the fearcenesse of his wrath his wrath is powred out like fire and the rocks and mountaines are broken with his anger How oft hath our sinnes even now in this present age procured that heavy and terrible wrath of GOD even that wrath I say which moues the Mountaines and makes the hilles to trimble Look good Reader and thou shalt see how the sparkes of GODS furious wrath is spred throgh many parts of this world we may with teares houle and lament and with vexation of minde complaine and cry out with that holy Prophet Thine holy cities lywaist Zion is become a wildernesse and Iarusalem a desert the house of our Sanctuarie and of our glory where our forefathers praised thee is brunt and consumed with fire and all our pleasant things are waisted and destroyed How heavily doeth this man of GOD complaine how doeth he bevaill this desolation and destruction and in the bitter passion of his heart he crieth out Wilt thou hold thy selfe still at these things O Lord what wilt thou holde thy peace and afflict vs aboue measure As he wold say wilt thou not take compassion vpon vs and wilt thou not withdraw thy heavy wrath from vs What without all kinde of mercy shall we be vtterlie destroied No not so because in his superaboundant loue and wonderfull great pietie hee comforteth vs and saieth In my wrath I haue punished thee but in my mercie I had compassion thee And yet farther with great regrate he maketh a sweete and comfortable promise Whereas thou hast bene forsaken and hated so that na man respected thee I shall make thee an Eternall glorie and a joy from generation to generation And what more will our GOD of mercie doe And they shall sayeth hee builde the oulde waist places and raise vp the former desolations and they shall repaire all the Citties that were desolate and waist through many generations What great store of Consolation doeth this promise of GOD giue to vs and with what meeknesse of heart doeth he say Indignatio non est mihi I am not angrie wrath is not mine I will freely forgiue thee I will forgett all thy sinnes and cast them behinde my back I shall blot all thy wickednesse out ot my memory and beleeue me I shall never thinke on thine offences any more Haue I any desire that the wicked should dye sayeth our Lord God or shall he not liue if he returne from his wickednnsse And againe he perswadeth vs saying Cast away all your transgressions whereby you haue transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit Let the teares of remorse purge the filth of sinne from our soule O that we in all humilitie wolde consider what and how many earnest perswasions our loving GOD hath laid and still layeth before vs to turne home to him Againe hes our abhominations and wicked life beniched vs from his loue O yet let vs not despare of his mercy Although our sinnes were rid as scarlet God will make them white as snowe Come vnto me all ye saieth our Saviour that are wearie and loden and I will refresh you And then he beginneth to reproue the sluggard Goe labour in my vyne-yarde why stand ye all the day idle Although we come with the last yet we will be rewarded with the first Let vs throwe and cast away al hinders that lats vs and staies vs from GOD. Let vs I say in time mend our life our good GOD will helpe vs he will make all impossibilities possible Marie Magdalen and Marie the mother of Iames all the way how carefull were they to gette the great stone rolled away from the sepulcher dore and how soone they came to the dore there they found the stone rolled and turned away Even so in this happy journey of our conversion Let vs cast away all worldly
impossible did seeme I haples I once happie I became Now sweetest joy is turn'd to bitter gall The higher vp the greater was my fall What passing Follies are in high Estates Whose foolish hopes giues promise to aspire Self-flatt'rie still doth maske the feare of fates Till vnawars deceiu'd in sought desire This breeds dispare thē force of Fortunes change Sett's high Estates in dread and perrill strange There secret grudge Envie and Treason dwelles There Justice lies in Dole-bewraying weede There flyding Time with alt'ring feates still telles The great Attempts ambitious mindes doe breed They who haue most stil hunts for more more They most desire that most ar choak'd with store Henceforth will I forsake Terrestiall Toyes Which are nought else but shawdowes of deceat What cover'd danger is in earthly joyes When vilde Envie triumphes on each Estate Thou Traytour Time thy Treason doth betray And makes youths Spring in florish faire decay What 's in Experience which I haue not sought All in that All my will I did advance At highest rate all these my witts are bought In Fortunes-Lottrie I haue try'd my Chance So what I haue I haue it not by showe But by Experience which I truely knowe Long haue I searcht and now at last I finde Eye-pleasing Calmes the tempest doth obscure When I in glory of my prosperous winde With white-sweld-sayles on gentle seas secure And when I thoght my loadstar shinde most faire Ev'n then my hopes made shipwrack on dispaire My sight is dark whil'st I am over-throwne Poore silly Barke that did pure loue possesse With great vngratefull stormes thus am I blowne On ruthlesse Rocks still deafe at my distresse So long-sought-Conquest doth in ruin's bost And saies behold thy loue and labor 's lost Since all my loue and labor 's lost let Fame Spit forth her hate and with that hatefull scorne In darke oblivion sepulchrize my name And tell the world that I was never borne In me all earthly dream'd-of-joy shall ende As Indian hearbs which in black smok I spend Al-doting pleasure that all tempting-devill I shall abhor as a contag'ous Pest I 'le purge and clense my senses of that Evill I sweare and vow still in this vow to rest In sable-habit of the mourning blacke I 'le solemnize my oath and vow I make Then goe vaine World confused Masse of nought Thy bitternesse hath now abus'd my braine Avoid thy deu'llish Fancy from my thought With idle toyes torment me not againe My Time which thy alluring folly spent With heart contreat and teares I doe repent FINIS FROM ITALY to SCOTLAND his Soyle TO thee my Soyle where first I did receaue my breath These mournefull Obsequies I sing Before my Swan-like Death My loue by Nature bound Which spotles loue as dew Even on the Altar of my heart I sacrifice to yow Thy endlesse worth through worlds Beginning still begunne Long may it shine with beames most bright Of vneclipsed-Sunne And long may thou Triumph With thy vnconquer'd hand And with the Kindomes of thy King Both Sea and Earth command At thy great Triple-force This trimbling world still stoup's Thy Martiall Arme shall over-match The Macedonian trup's And thou the Trophees great Of glory shall erect The Confeins of this spatious Glob Thy Courage shall detect O happie Soyle Vnyt Let thy Emperiall breath Expell seditious Muteners The excraments of wrath With Honor Trueth and Loue Maintaine thy thre-fold-Crowne Then so shalt thou with wondrous worth Inritch thy ritch Renowne In spight of Envyes pride Still may thy florish'd Fame Confound thy foes defend thy right And spurne at Cowards shame Amidst my sorrowing greef My wandring in exyle Oft looke I to that Arth and saies Far-well sweete Britains Iyle TO THE GHOST OF THE right Honorable JOHN GRAHAME Earle of MONTROIS sometime Vice-Roy of North-Britaine THy meriet great to Honor gaue a Crowne In Invyes-spight thy spotles Faith did shine Thy stately Fame inthrond thy ritch renowne And Deaths triumph hath made thy soule divine Death kild thy mortall Corps But not thy glorious Name Whose life is stil with wings-born-vp Of Honor Faith and Fame AGAINST TIME SONNET GOe Traytour Time and authorize my wrong My wrack my wo my wayting on bewray Looke on my heart which by thy shifts so long Thou Tyranniz'd with Treason to betray My hopes are fled my thoughts are gone astray And senslesse I haue sorrow in such store That paine it selfe to whom I am a pray Of me hath made a mart'red-man and more Goe goe then Time I hatefull thee implore To memorize my sad and matchlesse mone Whilst thy decepts by Death I shall decore My losse of life shall make them known each one So I poore I I sing with Swan-like-song Goe Traytour Time and Authorize my wrong FINIS HIS DYING SONG Circundederunt me dolores mortis pericula inferni in venerunt me NOw haplesse Heart what can thy sors asswage Since thou art gript with horror of deaths hād Thou baleful-thou becoms the Tragick stage Where all my tortring thoughts theatred stand Grief feare death thoght each in a mōstrous kinde Like vgly monsters muster in my minde Thou loathsome bed to restlesse-martred Mee Voide of repose fil'd with consuming cares I will breath forth my wretched life on thee For quenchlesse wo and paine my graue prepares Vnto pale-agonizing Death am thrall Then must I goe and answere to his call O Memorie most bitter to that man Whose God is Golde and hoords it vp in store But O that blind-deceiuing Wealth what can It saue a life or add one minute more When he at rest rich-treasure in his sight His Soule poore foole is tane away that night And strangers gets the substance of his gaine Which he long sought with endles toyles to finde This vilde worlds-filth and excraments most vaine He needs must dye and leaue it all behinde O man in minde remember this and mourne Naked thou cam'st and Naked must retourne I naked came and naked must retourne Earths start'ring pleasure is an idle toy For now I sweare my very Soule doth spurne That breath that froth that moment-fleeting-joy Then fare-well World let him betrai'd still bost Of all mischiefe that in Thee trusteth most Burnt Candle all thy store consum'd thou end 's Thy lightning splendor threats for to be gone O how dost thou resemble Mee that spend 's And sighs forth life in sighing forth my mone Thy light Thee lothes I loth this lothed life Full of deceipt false-envie grudge and strife I call on Time Tim's alt'red by the change I call on Friends Friends haue clos'd vp their eares I call on Earthly-powers and they are strange I call in vaine when Pittie none appeares Both Time and Friends both Earthly-powers and al All in disdaine are deafe at my hoarse call Then Prayer flow from my heart-humbling-knees To the supreame Coelestiall power aspire Shew thou my grief to Heavens-al-seing-eies Who never yet deny'd my just desire Mans-help is nought O GOD thy help I craue Whose spotles-bloud my spotted-soule did saue Then take my soule which bought by thee is thine Earth-harbring-worms take thou my corps of clay O Christ on me eternall mercy shine Thy bleiding wounds wash all my sins away I come I come to thee O Jesu sweit And in thy hands I recommend my spirit FINIS Math. 7. Chap. 21. Psal Pro. 21. Cap. Iudg. 6. Cap. Pro. 20 Cap. Exo. 22. Cap. Rom. 13. cap. Pro. 25. cap. Deutro 1. cap. Pro. 14. Cap. Deutr. 16. Cap. 16. Cap. Luk. 13 Eccle. 26. cap. Pro. 23. Cap. Reu. 22. cap. Mat. 21 Cap. 47 Mat. 7. Reuel cap. 13. 17. cap. Ier. 1. cap. Mat. 10 cap. Reue. 3. cap. Ier. 3. cap. Psal 7. Deut. cap. 32. Exod. cap. 20. 2 Epist 2. cap. 2. Cor. 4. cap. Esay 2. cap. Mat. 5. Eph. 5. cap. Mat. 23 cap. Mat. 7. cap. Mat. 12 cap. Deu. 32. cap. Colos 2. cap. Eccl. 38 cap. 1. Timo. 2. cap. 3. Cap. 5. Cap. 5. Math. 5. Cap. 6. Cap. 1. Cor. 7. cap. Mark 10. cap. Luk. 16. cap. Gen. 2. cap. Cor. 11. cap. Deu. 24. cap. cap. 8. Prov. cap. 5. Prover cap. 7. 1. Tim. 2. cap. Eccl. 26. cap. Esay 49 cap. Iam. 3 Epist Eccl. 25 cap. Eccl. 42 cap. Iudges 14. cap. Pro. 12. cap. Reuel 20. cap. Gen. 6. cap. Pro. 16. Cap. Pro. 15. cap. Pro. 28. cap. Math. 5. Cap. Hebr. 2. Cap. Gen. 1. cap. Esay 5. 4. Esay 30. Cap. 33. Cap. Reuel S. Iohn 3. Cap. 53. Cap. 3. Cap. 1. Corin. 2. Cap. Isay 25. cap. Reuel 7. cap. Reuel 21. cap. Roma 8. cap. Phil. 3. cap. Luk. 19. cap. Apoca. of S. Iohn 21. cap. 2. Cap. Ephe. 5. cap. Iudg. 7. Cap. Prou. 19. cap. Philip. 4. cap. 1 Cor. 10. cap. Deut. 13. cap. Iohn 7. cap. Nahum 1. cap. Iob. 18. cap. Iere. 2. cap. Esay 1. cap. Nahum 1. cap. Esay 64 cap. Esay 60 cap. 61. cap. Esek 18 cap. Esay 1. cap. Math. 20. cap. Mark 16 cap. Ephes 4. cap. Ephes 5. cap. 1. S. Pet 4. cap. Esay 66. cap. 1. cap. Mat. 25 cap. 4. cap. Esay 40. cap. Isay 58. Cap. Reuel 14. cap.