only all he had but himselfe also to buy them thought now high time to bring her vnto his bargaine finding her growne to a Margarites full perfection She stood vpon too low a ground to take view of her Sauiours most desired countenance and forsaking the earth with Zacheus Luk. 9. she climed vp into the tree of life there to giue her soule a full repast of her beauties She departed with Iepthaes daughter from her fathers house but to passe some moneths in wandring about the mountaines of this troublesome world which being now expired she was after her pilgrimage by couenant to returne to be offered vnto God in a gratefull sacrifice and to ascend out of this desart like a stemme of perfume out of burned spices Let not therefore the crowne of her vertue be the foile of her constancie nor the end of her combers a renewing of yours But sith God was well pleased to call her she not displeased to go and you the third twist to make a triple cord saying Our Lord gaue and our Lord tooke away as it hath pleased our Lord so hath it fallen out the name of our Lord be blessed Clara ducum soboles superis noua sedibus hospes Clausit in offenso tramite pura diem Dotibus ornauit superauit moribus ortum Omnibus vna prior par fuit vna sibi Lux genus ingenio generi lux inclita virtus Virtutisque fuit mens generosa decus Mors muta at properata dies orbémque relinquit Prolem matre verum coniuge flore genus Occidit à se alium tulit hic occasus in ortum Viuat ad occiduas non reditura vices OF Howards stemme a glorious branch is dead Sweete lights eclipsed were at her decease In Buckhurst line she gracious issue spread She heau'n with two with foure did earth increase Fame honour grace gaue ayre vnto her breath Rest glory ioyes were sequels of her death Death aymde too high he hit too choise a wight Renown'd for birth for life for liuely parts He kild her cares he brought her worths to light He robd our eyes but hath enricht our hearts Lot let out of her Arke a Noyes Doue But many hearts were Arkes vnto her loue Grace Nature Fortune did in her conspire To shew a proofe of their vnited skill Sly Fortune euer false did soone retire But double Grace supplied false Fortunes ill And though she raught not to Fortunes pitch In Grace and Vertue few were found so rich Heauen of this heauenly Pearle is now possest In whose lustre was the blaze of honours light Whose substance pure of euery good the best Whose price the crowne of highest right Whose praise to be her selfe whose greatest blisse To liue to loue to be where now she is FINIS SHORT RVLES OF Good life by R. S. AN CHO RA. SPEI LONDON Printed for W. Barret TO MY DEARE AFFECTED FRIEND M. D. S. Gentleman AS there is a method and order to be obserued in all artes for the practitioners more facile attayning the effects of his endeuours so is there no lesse vniformity to be propounded in ayming at the true course of vertue the rules whereof albeit they are directorie to the sum of all happinesse yet do worldly courser studies entertaine far more followers whose erring iudgements entangled with dull ignorance cannot rightly preferre vertue nor effectually censure vice For what cleare sighted iudgement will rely eternall affaires vpon the gliding slippernesse and running streame of this vncertaine life or who but one of distempered wits would offer to dissemble with the Amightie decipherer of all thoughts in pretending vertue and pursuing vanitie It is a most seruile disposition that will yeeld the prerogatiue of the soule vnto the body and giue flesh and bloud libertie to determine the course of this life which are in manner but the barke and rinde of a man being that the soule is the soueraigne part ordained to an high end of so peerelesse dignitie and such estimate that not all the gold and treasure of the world nor anything in heauen of lesse worth then the bloud and life of Almighty God was able to buy it Let vs not then iniuriously depriue our soules of the due interest of grace and vertue but account this vaine world with the wares thereof sutable to the shop of idle Marchandise vnto which we haue already beene too long customers the trafficke being toile the wealth trash the gaine miserie and the whole contents thereof detriments in grace pietie and vertue Yours in firme affection R. S. To the Christian Reader IF vertue by thy guide True comfort is thy path And thou secure from erring steps That leade to vengeance wrath Not widest open dore Nor spacious wayes she goes To straight and narrow gate and way She cals she leades she shewes She cals the fewest come She leades the humble sprited She shewes them rest at rases end Soules rest to heauen inuited T is she that offers most T is she that most refuse T is she preuēts the broad way plagues Which most do wilfull chuse Do chuse the wide the broad The left hand way and gate These vice applauds these vertue loaths And teacheth hers to hate Her wayes are pleasant wayes Vpon the right hand side And heauenly happie is that soule Takes vertue for her guide R. S. A Preparatiue to prayer WHen thou doest talke with God by prayer I meane Lift vp pure hands lay downe all lusts desires Fixe thoughts on heauen present a conscience cleane Such holy balme to mercies throne aspires Confesse faults guilt craue pardon for thy sinne Tread holy pathes call grace to guide therein It is the spirit with reuerence must obey Our makers will to practise what he taught Make not the flesh thy counsell when thou pray T is enemie to euery vertuous thought It is the foe we daily feed and cloath It is the prison that the soule doth loath Euen as Elias mounting to the skie Did cast his mantle to the earth behind So when the heart presents the prayer on high Exclude the world from traffique with the mind Lips neare to God and ranging heart within Is but vaine babling and conuerts to sinne Like Abraham ascending vp the hill To sacrifice his seruants left below That he might act the great commanders will Without impeach to his obedient blow Euen so the soule remote from earthly things Should mount saluations shelter mercies wings The effects of prayer THe Sunne by prayer did ceasse his course and staid The hungrie Lions fawnd vpon their pray A walled passage through the sea it made From furious fire it banisht heate away It shut the heauens three yeares from giuing raine It opened heauens and clouds powrd downe againe Ensamples of our Sauiour OVr Sauiour patterne of true holinesse Continuall praide vs by ensample teaching When he was baptized in the wildernesse In working miracles and in his preaching Vpon the mount in garden grones of death At his last Supper
at his parting breath O fortresse of the faithfull sure defence In which doth Christians cognizance consist Their victorie their triumph comes from thence So forcible hell gates cannot resist A thing whereby both Angels clouds and starres At mans request fight Gods reuengefull wars Nothing more gratefull in the Highest eyes Nothing more firme in danger to protect vs Nothing more forcible to pierce the skies And not depart till mercy do respect vs And as the soule life to the body giues So prayer reuiues the soule by prayer it liues R. S. Of the Foundations of vertuous and godly life The first Foundation THe first Foundation of a vertuous life is often and seriously to consider for what end and purpose I was created and what Gods designement was when he made me of nothing and that not to haue a being onely as a stone nor with a bare kinde of life or growing as a plante or tree nor a power of sence or feeling onely as a brute beast but a creature to his owne likenesse endued with reason and vnderstanding also why he now preserueth me in this health state and calling Finally why he redeemed me with his owne bloud bestowed so infinite benefits vpon me and still continueth his mercy towards me The end of mans creation THe end of my being thus made redeemed preserued and so much benefited by God is this and no other that I should in this life serue him with my whole body soule and substance and with what else soeuer is mine and in the next life enioy him for euer in heauen Rules that follow of this Foundation I Was made of nothing by God and receiued bodie and soule from him and therefore am I onely his not mine owne neither can I so binde or giue my selfe to any creature but that I ought more to serue loue and obey God then any creature in this world Secondly I commit a kind of theft and do God great wrong so often as I employ any part of my body or soule to any other end then to his seruice for which onely I was created Thirdly for this I do liue and for no other end but for this do all creatures serue me and when I turne the least thing whereof God hath giuen me the vse or possessing to any other end then the seruice of God I do God wrong and abuse his creatures The second Foundation SEeing I was made to serue God in this life and to enioy him in the next the seruice of God and the saluation of mine owne soule is the most weightie and important businesse and the most necessarie matter wherein I must imploy my body mind time and labour and all other affaires are so farre forth to be esteemed of me waightie or light as they more or lesse tend to the furtherance of this principall and most earnest businesse for what auaileth it a man to gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule Rules that follow of this Foundation FIrst what diligence labour or cost I would employ in any other temporall matter of credite liuing or life all that I am bound to employ in the seruice of God and the saluation of my soule and so much more as the waight of my soule passeth all other things Secondly I ought to thinke the seruice of God and saluation of my soule my principall businesse in this world and to make it my ordinary study and chiefe occupation and day and night to keepe my mind so fixed vpon it that in euery action I still haue it before mine eyes as the onely marke I shoot at The third Foundation I Cannot serue God in this world nor go about to enioy him in the next but that Gods enemies and mine owne will repine and seeke to hinder me which enemies are three the world the flesh and the Diuell Wherefore I must resolue my selfe and set it downe as a thing vndoubted that my whole life must be as a continuall combat with these aduersaries whom I must assure my selfe to lie hourely in waite for me to seeke their aduantage and that their malice is so vnplacable and their hatred against me so rooted in them that I must neuer looke to haue one houre secure from their assaults but that they will from time to time so long as there is breath in my body still labour to make me forsake and offend God allure me to their seruice and draw me to my damnation Rules following of this Foundation I Must prepare my body and minde to all patience and thinke it no newes to be tempted but a point annexed necessarily to my profession and therefore neuer must I be wearied with the continuance nor dismaied with the difficultie considering the malice and wickednesse of mine aduersaries and my professed enmity with them Secondly I must alwayes stand vpon my guard and be very watchfull in euery action seeing that whatsoeuer I do they will seeke to peruert it and make it offensiue to God euen my very best endeuours Thirdly I must neuer looke to be free from some trouble or other but knowing my selfe to be a perpetuall warfare I must rather comfort my sel e with hope of a glorious crowne for my victories then of any long or assured peace with my enemies The fourth Foundation THe thing which these enemies endeuour to draw me to is sinne and offence to God which is so odious hatefull and abhominable that God doth more detest and dislike it then he did the cruell vsage the wounds the torments and the death it selfe that for vs he suffered of the Iewes and it maketh our soules more vglie then the plague leprosie or any other filthie disease doth the body Rules following this Foundation SO carefull as I would be not to wound torment or murther Christ so carefull must I be not to commit any mortall sinne against him yea and so much more seeing that he hateth sinne more then death hauing voluntarily fuffered the one and yet neuer committed the other Secondly when I am tempted with any sinne let me examine my selfe whether I would buy the fulfilling of mine owne appetite with being a Leaper or full of the plague or with death presently to ensue after it If not then much lesse ought I to buy it with the leprosie losse and death of my soule which is of farre more worth then my body The fift Foundation BEing Gods creature made to serue him in this life my body soule and goods and all things any way pertaining vnto me are but lent or onely let me for this end and I am onely a Bailife Tenant or officer to demaund or gouerne these things to his best seruice and therefore when the time of my stewardship is expired I shall be summoned by death to appeare before my Landlord who with most rigorous iustice will demand account of euery thing and creature of his that hath bene to my vse yea of all that I haue receiued promised omitted committed lost and robbed and as
embrace Yet all this waight of sweat drew not a drop Ne made thee bow much lesse fall on thy face But now thou hast a load so heauie found That makes thee bow yea fall flat to the ground O sinne how huge and heauie is thy waight That waighest more then all the world beside Of which when Christ hath taken in his fraight The poyse thereof his flesh could not abide Alas if God himselfe sinke vnder sinne What will become of man that dyes therein First flat thou fell'st when earth did thee receiue In closet pure of Maries virgine breast And now thou fall'st of earth to take thy leaue Thou kissest it as cause of thy vnrest O louing Lord that so doest loue thy fo As thus to kisse the ground where he doth go Thou minded in thy heauen our earth to weare Do'st prostrate now thy heauen our earth to blisse As God to earth thou often wert seuere As man thou call'st a peace with bleeding kisse For as of soules thou common Father art So is she Mother of mans other part She shortly was to drinke thy dearest bloud And yeeld the soule a way to Satans caue She shortly was thy corse in tombe to shrowd And with them all thy Deitie to haue Now then in me thou ioyntly yeeldest all That seuerally to earth should shortly fall O prostrate Christ erect my crooked mind Lord let thy fall my flight from Earth obtaine Or if I needs must still in Earth be shrin'd Then Lord on Earth come fall yet once againe And either yeeld in Earth with me to lye Or else with thee to take me to the skie Iosephs Amazement WHen Christ by growth disclosed his descent Into the pure receipt of Maries breast Poore Ioseph stranger yet to Gods intent With doubts of iealous thoughts was sore opprest And wrought with diuers fits of feare and loue He neither can her free nor faulty proue Now since the wakefull spy of iealous minde By strong coniectures deemeth her defil'd But loue in doome of things best loued blinde Thinkes rather sense deceiu'd then her with child Yet proofes so pregnant were that no pretence Could cloake a thing so cleare and plaine to sense Then Ioseph daunted with a deadly wound Let loose the reines of vndeserued griefe His heart did throb his eyes in teares were drownd His life a losse death seem'd his best reliefe The pleasing rellish of his former loue In gaulish thoughts to bitter tast doth proue One foot he often setteth out of dore But t'other loath vncertaine wayes to tread He takes his fardell for his needfull store He casts his Inne where first he meanes to bed But still ere he can frame his feet to go Loue winneth time till all conclude in no. Sometimes griefe adding force he doth depart He will against his will keepe on his pase But straight remorse so rackes his raging heart That hasting thoughts yeeld to a pawsing pase Then mightie reasons presse him to remaine She whom he flyes doth winne him home againe But when his thought by sight of his aboad Presents the signe of misesteemed shame Repenting euery step that backe he troad Teares done the guide the tong the feet do blame Thus warring with himselfe a field he fights Where euery wound vpon the giuer lights And was quoth he my loue so lightly pris'd Or was our sacred league so soone forgot Could vowes be void could vertues be despis'd Could such a spouse be stain'd with such a spot O wretched Ioseph that hath liu'd so long Of faithfull loue to reape so grieuous wrong Could such a worme breed in so sweet a Wood Could in so chast demeanure lurke vntruth Could vice lye hid where Vertues image stood Where hoarie sagenesse graced tender youth Where can affiance rest to rest secure In vertues fairest seat faith is not sure All proofes did promise hope a pledge of grace Whose good might haue repay'd the deepest ill Sweet signes of purest thoughts in Saintly face Assur'd the eye of her vnstained will Yet in this seeming lustre seeme to lye Such crimes for which the Law condemnes to dye But Iosephs word shall neuer worke her wo I wish her leaue to liue not doome to dye Though Fortune mine yet am I not her fo She to her selfe lesse louing is then I. The most I will the least I can is this Sith none may salue to shun that is amisse Exile my home the wildes shall be my walke Complaint my ioy my Musicke mourning layes With pensiue griefes in silence will I talke Sad thoughts shall be my guides in sorrowes wayes This course best sutes the care of carelesse minde That seekes to lose what most it ioy'd to finde Like stocked tree whose branches all do fade Whose leaues do fall and perisht fruit decay Like hearbe that growes in cold and barren shade Where darknesse driues all quickning heat away So dye must I cut from my root of ioy And throwne in darkest shades of deepe annoy But who can flye from that his heart doth feele What change of place can change implanted paine Remouing moues no hardnesse from the steele Sicke hearts that shift no fits shift roomes in vaine Where thought can see what helpes the closed eye Where heart pursues what gaines the foot to fly Yet did I tread a maze of doubtfull end I go I come she drawes she driues away She wounds she heales she doth both marre and mend She makes me seeke and shun depart and stay She is a friend to loue a fo to lothe And in suspence I hang betweene them both New Prince new Pompe BEhold a silly tender Babe In freezing Winter night In homely Manger trembling lies Alas a piteous sight The Innes are full no man will yeeld This little Pilgrime bed But forc't he is with silly beasts In Crib to shrowd his head Despise him not for lying there First what he is enquire An orient pearle is often found In depth of dirtie mire Waigh not his Crib his woodden dish Nor beasts that by him feed Waigh not his Mothers poore attire Nor Iosephs simple weed This Stable is a Princes Court The Crib his chaire of State The Beasts are parcell of his Pompe The wooden dish his plate The persons in that poore attire His royall liueries weare The Prince himselfe is come from heauen This pompe is prized there With ioy approach O Christian wight Do homage to thy King And highly praise his humble Pompe Which he from Heauen doth bring The burning Babe AS I in hoarie Winters night stood shiuering in the snow Surpris'd I was with sudden heat which made my heart to glow And lifting vp a fearefull eye to view what fire was neare A prettie Babe all burning bright did in the ayre appeare Who scorched with excessiue heate such flouds of teares did shed As though his flouds should quench his flames which with his teares were bred Alas quoth he but newly borne in fierie heates I frie Yet none approach to warme their
my loue my sonne my God behold thy mother washt in teares Thy bloudy wounds be made a rod to chasten these my latter yeares You cruell Iewes come worke your ire vpon this worthlesse flesh of mine And kindle not eternall fire by wounding him which is diuine Thou messenger that didst impart his first descent into my wombe Come helpe me now to cleaue my heart that there I may my sonne intombe You Angels all that present were to shew his birth with harmonie Why are you not now readie here to make a mourning symphony The cause I know you waile alone and shed your teares in secrecie Lest I should moued be to mone by force of heauie companie But waile my soule thy comfort dies my wofull wombe lament thy fruit My heart giue teares vnto mine eyes let sorrow string my heauie lute An holy Hymne PRaise O Sion praise thy Sauiour Praise thy captaine thy pastour With hymnes and solemne harmony What power affords performe indeed His workes all praises farre exceede No praise can reach his dignity A speciall theame of praise is read A liuing and life giuing bread Is on this day exhibited Within the Supper of our Lord To twelue disciples at his bord As doubtlesse t was deliuered Let our praise be lou'd and free Full of ioy and decent glee With minds and voices melody For now solemnize we that day Which doth with ioy to vs display The secret of this mystery At this boord of our new ruler Of old law and Pascall order The ancient right abolisheth Old decrees by new annil'd Shadowes are in truth fulfil'd Day former darknesse finisheth That at supper Christ performed To be done he straightly charged For his eternall memorie Guided by his sacred orders Bread and wine vpon our alters To sauing host we sanctifie Christians are by faith assured That by faith flesh is receiued And Christ his bloud most precious That no wit no sense conceiueth Firme and grounded faith beleeueth In strange effects not curious As staffe of bread thy heart sustaines And chearefull wine thy strength regaines By power and vertue naturall So doth this consecrated food Them symbole of Christ flesh bloud By vertue supernaturall The ruines of thy soule repaire Banish sinne horrour and despaire And feed faith by faith receiued Angels bread made Pilgrims feeding Truely bread for childrens eating To dogs not to be offered Sign'd by Isack on the altar By the Lambe and pascall Supper And in the Manna figured Iesu food and feeder of vs Here with mercie feed and friend vs Then graunt in heauen felicitie Lord of all whom here thou feedest Fellow heires guests with thy dearest Make vs in thy heauenly citie S. Peters afflicted mind IF that the sicke may grone Or Orphane mourne his losse If wounded wretch may rue his harmes Or caitife shew his crosse If heart consum'd with care May vtter signe of paine Then may my breast be sorrowes home And tongue with cause complaine My maladie is sinne And languor of the mind My body but a lazars couch Wherein my soule is pinde The care of heauenly kinde Is dead to my reliefe Forlorne and left like orphan child With sighes I feed my griefe My wounds with mortall smart My dying soule torment And prisoner to mine owne mishaps My follies I repent My heart is but the haunt Where all dislikes do keepe And who can blame so lost a wretch Though teares of bloud he weepe S. Peters remorse REmorse vpbraids my faults Selfe blaming conscience cries Sin claimes the hoast of hūbled thoughts And streames of weeping eyes Let penance Lord preuaile Let sorrow sue release Let loue be vmpier in my cause And passe the doome of peace If doome go by desert My least desert is death That robs from soule immortall ioyes From body mortall breath But in so high a God So base a wormes annoy Can adde no praise vnto thy power No blisse vnto thy ioy Well may I frie in flames Due fuell to hell-fire But on a wretch to wreake thy wrath Can not be worth thine ire Yet sith so vile a worme Hath wrought his greatest spite Of highest treason well thou maist In rigor him indite But mercy may relent And temper iustice rod For mercy doth as much belong As iustice to a God If former time or place More right to mercy winne Thou first wert author of my selfe Then vmpier of my sinne Did mercy spin the thread To weaue in iustice loome Wert thou a father to conclude With dreadfull Iudges doome It is a small reliefe To say I was thy child If as an ill deseruing foe From grace I am exilde I was I had I could All words importing want They are but dust of dead supplies Where needfull helpes are scant Once to haue beene in blisse That hardly can returne Doth not bewray from whence I fell And wherefore now I mourne All thoughts of passed hopes Increase my present crosse Like ruines of decayed ioyes They still vpbraid my losse O milde and mighty Lord Amend that is amisse My sinne my sore thy loue my salue Thy cure my comfort is Confirme thy former deeds Reforme that is defild I was I am I will remaine Thy charge thy choise thy child Man to the wound in Christs side O Pleasant sport ô place of rest O royal rift ô worthy wound Come harbour me a weary guest That in the world no case haue found I lie lamenting at thy gate Yet dare I not aduenture in I beare with me a troublous mate And combred am with heape of sinne Discharge me of this heauy load That easier passage I may find Within this bowre to make aboad And in this glorious tombe be shrin'd Here must I liue here must I die Here would I vtter all my griefe Here would I all those paines descrie Which here did meet for my reliefe Here would I view that bloudy sore Which dint of spitefull speare did breed The bloudy wounds laid there in store Would force a stony heart to bleed Here is the spring of trickling teares The mirrour of all mourning wights With dolefull tunes for dumpish eares And solemne shewes for sorrowed sights O happie soule that flies so hie As to attaine this sacred caue Lord send me wings that I may flie And in this harbour quiet haue Vpon the Image of death BEfore my face the picture hangs That daily should put me in mind Of those cold names and bitter pangs That shortly I am like to find But yet alas full little I Do thinke hereon that I must die I often looke vpon a face Most vgly grisly bare and thinne I often view the hollow place Where eyes and nose had somtimes bin I see the bones acrosse that lie Yet little thinke that I must die I reade the Labell vnderneath That telleth me whereto I must I see the sentence eke that saith Remember man thou art dust But yet alas but seldome I Do thinke indeed that I must die Continually at my beds head An
me and redeemed me in whom all things are possible vnto me and without whom I am able to do nothing thou seest who I am that here prostrate my prayers and poure out my heart vnto thee What I would haue and what is fit for me thou knowest My soule is buried in flesh and bloud and would faine be dissolued and come vnto thee I am vrged against my will and violently drawne to thinke that which from my heart I detest and to haue in mind the poyson and bane of my soule O Lord thou knowest my mould and making for thy hands haue framed me and with flesh and skin thou hast cloathed me And lo this flesh which thou hast giuen me draweth me to my ruine and fighteth against the spirit If thou helpe not ô gracious aide I am ouercome and vanquished If thou forsakest me I must needs faint with all discouragement Why doest thou set me contrary vnto thee and makest me grieuous and a burthen to my selfe Didst thou create me to cast me away Didst thou redeeme me to damne me for euer It had bene good for me neuer to haue bene borne if I were borne to perish Oh most mercifull father where are thy old and wonted mercies where is thy gracious sweetnesse and loue How long shall mine enemies reioyce ouer me and humble my life vpon earth and place me in darknesse like the dead of the world What am I ô Lord that thou settest me to fight alone against so mightie subtill and cruell enemies that neuer ceasse to bid me a perpetuall battaile O Lord why doest thou shew thy might against a leafe that is tossed with euery winde and persecutest a drie stubble Wilt thou therefore damne the work of thy hands Wilt thou throw me from thy face and take thy holy spirit from me Alas ô Lord whither shall I go from thy face or whither shall I fly from thy spirit whither shall I flie from thee incensed but to thee appeased whither from thee as iust but vnto thee as mercifull Do with me Lord that which is good in thine eyes for thou wilt do all things in righteous iudgement onely remember that I am flesh and bloud fraile of my selfe and impotent to resist Shew thy selfe a Sauiour vnto me and either take away mine enemies or graunt me such a supplie of thy grace to enable my defects that without wound or fault by thee and with thee I may ouercome them sweet Iesus Amen A godly deuout prayer O Gracious Lord and sweete Sauiour giue me a pure intention a cleane heart and a regard to thy glory in all my actions Possesse my mind with thy presence and rauish it with thy loue that my delight may be to be imbraced in the armes of thy protection Be thou light vnto mine eyes musicke to mine ears sweetnesse to my tast and contentment to my heart O Iesu I giue thee my body my soule my substance my fame my friends my libertie and life dispose of me and all that is mine as shall be most to thy glory I am not mine but thine therefore claime me as thy right keepe me as thy charge loue me as thy child fight for me when I am assaulted heale me when I am wounded reuiue me when I am spiritually killed receiue me when I flie and let me neuer be quite confounded giue me patience in trouble humility in comfort constancie in temptations and victorie against my ghostly enemies graunt me good Father modestie in countenance grauitie in my behauiour deliberation in my speeches puritie in my thoughts and righteousnesse in mine actions Be my sunshine in the day my foode at the table my repose in the night my clothing in nakednesse and my succour in all needes Let thy bloud runne in my minde as a water of life to cleanse the filth of my sinnes and to bring forth the fruite of life euerlasting Stay mine inclinations from beating downe my soule bridle mine appetites with thy grace and quench in me the fire of all vnlawfull desires Make my will pliable to thy pleasure and resigned wholly to thy prouidence and graunt me perfect contentment in that which thou allottest Strengthen me against occasions of sinne and make me stedfast in not yeelding to euill yea rather to die then to offend thee Lord make me ready to pleasure all loth to offend any louing to my friends and charitable to mine enemies Forsake me not lest I perish leaue me not to mine owne weakenesse lest I fall without recouerie Graunt me an earnest desire to amend my faults to renew my good purposes and to performe my good intentions Make me humble to my superiours friendly to my equals charitable to my inferiors and carefull to yeeld due respect to all sortes Lastly graunt me sorrow for my sinnes thankfulnesse for thy benefits feare of thy iudgements loue of thy mercies and mindfulnesse of thy presence Amen Considerations to settle the mind in the course of Vertue THe first consideration How waightie a thing the businesse of mans soule is Whosoeuer being desirous to take due care of his soule commencing a spirituall course must consider that he hath taken such a businesse in hand that for importance necessity and profit summoneth all other traffickes and affaires of the world yea and to which onely all other businesse ought to be addressed for herein our menage is about the saluation of our soule our chiefe iewell and treasure of which if in the short passage of our brittle and vncertaine life we take not the due care that we ought for a whole eternity after we shall euermore repent and be sorrie for it and yet neuer haue the like oportunitie againe to helpe it Secondly the better to conceiue the moment and waight of this businesse let vs consider what men vse to do for their bodily health for we see they make so principall a reckoning of it they spare no cost nor toyle nor leaue any thing vnattempted that may auaile them to attaine it They suffer themselues to be launced wounded pined burnt with red hot irons besides diuerse other extreame torments onely for this end How much greater miseries ought we to endure how much greater paines and diligence ought we to employ for this health of our soule which is to suruiue when the body is dead rotten and deuoured with wormes And to suruiue in such sort that it must be perpetually tormented in hell with intollerable torments or enioy endlesse felicitie in heauen And therefore of how much greater worth and waight we thinke the soule and the eternall saluation or damnation thereof then the momentarie health or sicknesse of our bodies so much greater account and esteeme ought we to make of the businesse of our soule then of any other worldly or bodily affaire whatsoeuer For what auaileth it a man saith Christ to gaine the whole world and make wracke of his soule If therefore we keepe diuers men for diuers offices about our bodie and many thousands do liue
by seruing and prouiding things for euery part thereof If we spend so much time in feeding refreshing and reposing the same If the greatest portion of our reuenewes be they neuer so large be consumed in the meates pompe sports and pleasures thereof how much more ought we to seeke as many helpes seruices and purueyers for our soule for whose onely sake our bodie was giuen and of whose good the welfare of the body onely proceedeth Thirdly the necessitie and poise of this care of our soule may be gathered of this that all other matters are intreated with men or some other creatures but this businesse of our soule with God himselfe who by how much he is nobler worthier then any of his creatures so much more is the weight of this matter and cannot be dealt with any without him and so much more diligence ought there to be employed therein especially in this time wherein God is still ready to further our endeuours in this behalfe whereas when time is expired condemne he may for our negligence or reward vs for our carefulnesse but not helpe vs any more to alter the state of our soule be it neuer so miserable Fourthly we may gather how materiall and important this matter is by the life of Christ and his Saints who withdrawing themselues from all other worldly affaires thought it work enough to attend to this businesse of the soule and whosoeuer at this day are honoured in Gods Church they are honoured onely in this that they haue with a glorious conclusion happily and constantly accomplished this businesse to Gods glorie and their owne saluation and who so considereth the intollerable tormâ—â—ts of Martyrs the painefull agonies conflicts rough stormes and troubles of all Gods Saints and doth remember withall that they vndertooke them for no other respect but onely for the better bringing this businesse of their soule to an end it will soone appeare how waighty a thing and how precious the saluation of the soule is which they did thinke nothing too deare bought with all the miseries sorrowes and paines that this world could affoord Let vs also consider that whatsoeuer moued them to such care and earnestnesse in this behalfe hath no lesse place in vs doubtlesse then in them seeing that our soule is as deare bought as much worth and created to as great glorie as theirs the danger of our saluation rather more then any way lesse then theirs God hath as much right in vs as in thâ—â— and we as many titles of bond and dutie to serue him as they Finally we are assaulted by the same enemies enuironed with the like hazardes and subiect to as many yea more occasions of sinne and allurements to damnation then they Who therefore seeth not that we are in euery respect to account the care of our soules as important and necessarie to vs as euer it hath bene to any Wherefore let not the wise man glory in his wisedome nor the strong man in his might nor the rich man in his riches saith God by his Prophet Ieremie 9. But let him that glorieth glorie in this that he knoweth me for I am the onely Lord that worketh mercy iudgement and iustice vpon the earth and these things please me saith the Lord. As who would say it is follie and vanitie to glotie and reioyce in any other thing then in the knowledge and seruice of God and procuring mercy and mild iudgement for our soules The second Consideration How we ought to arme our minds against temptations that happen when we seeke earnestly to serue God FIrst seeing this businesse of our soule is of so great moment he that earnestly goeth about the same must offer himselfe vp vnto God and be most ready to endure constantly all the dangers combers and difficulties that shall happen and resolue neuer by Gods grace to be dismayed and beaten backe from his purpose by any trouble or encounter whatsoeuer knowing that glorious and honorable enterprises can neuer be atchieued without many contradictions Wherefore let him perswade himselfe that when he hath setled his mind seriously to follow this businesse Hell it selfe and all the enemies of God and mans soule will conspire against him The flesh to allure him to delights of the senses and to recall to the vomit of his abandoned pleasures The world to entice him with pompes and vanities with ministring occasion of sinne and prouoking by euill examples Yea if that will not serue by terrifying him with persecutions extortions obloquies slanders and torments and with all kinde of disgrace Finally the diuell a professed enemie to all that take care of their soules will seeke to intrap him with a thousand traines passions and subtill temptations leauing nothing that he thinketh may remoue a man from these endeuours tending to his saluation Secondly the case standing thus let that saying of Scripture come to our mind My sonne comming to the seruice of God stand in iustice and feare and prepare thy soule vnto temptation Wherefore he that entreth into the way of life must remember that he is not come to a play pastime or pleasure but to a continuall rough battaile and fight against most vnplacable enemies And let him resolue himselfe neuer in this world to look for quiet and peace no not so much as for any truce for a moment of time but arme himselfe for a perpetuall combat and rather thinke of a multitude of happie victories which by Gods grace he may attaine then of any repose or quietnesse from the rage and assaults of his enemies Let him see and peruse the patterne of his Captaines course who from his birth to his death was in a restlesse battaile persecuted in his swathling cloutes by Herod annoyed the rest of his infancy by banishment wandring and neede In the flower of his age slandered hated pursued whipped crucified and most barbarously misused In the same sort were all his Apostles and all his principall souldiers handled for whom he loueth he chastiseth and proueth like gold in the fornace And therefore no man must thinke it a new thing to be tempted and troubled when he once runneth a vertuous course contrary to the liking of his enemies For The Disciple is not aboue his maister nor the seruant aboue his Lord who as we see had the same intreaty Thirdly lest we should be agaste and discouraged at the expectation and feare of so many discomforts and the vncessant malice of so spitefull enemies let vs remember the words of Elizeus That more stand with vs then against vs. Against the corruption of nature we haue grace Against the Diuell we haue God who will neuer suffer vs to be tempted aboue our force and strength Against the power of hell we haue the prayers of the faithfull Against the miseries of the body we haue the spirituall comfort of the minde which God allotteth in such measure as our necessity requireth and if there were nothing else this were enough to make troubles welcome in