as if she had bene wholly new made when she was onely named For whereas before the violence of her griefe had so benummed her that her body seemed but the hearse of her dead heart and the coffin of an vnliuing soule and her whole presence but a representation of a double funerall of thine and of her owne now with this one word her senses are restored her minde lightened her heart quickened and her soule reuiued But what maruell though with one word he raise the dead spirits of his poore Disciple that with a word made the world and euen in this verie word sheweth an omnipotent power Mary she was called as well in her bad as in her reformed estate and both her good and euill was all of Maries working And as Marie signifieth no lesse what she was than what she is so is this one word by his vertue that speaketh it a repetition of all her miseries an Epitome of his mercies and a memorial of all her better fortunes And therefore it layd so generall a discouerie of her selfe before her eyes that it awaked her most forgotten sorrowes and mustered together the whole multitude of her ioyes and would haue left the issue of their mutinie very doubtfull but that the presence and notice of her highest happinesse decided the quarrell and gaue her ioyes the victory For as he was her onely Sunne whose going downe left nothing but a dumpish night of fearefull fansies wherein no starre of hope shined and the brightest planets were changed into dismall signes so the serenity of his countenance and authority of his word brought a calme and well tempered day that chasing away all darknesse and dispercing the clouds of melancholy cured the lethargy and brake the dead sleepe of her astonied senses She therefore rauished with his voice and impatient of delayes taketh his talke out of his mouth and to his first and yet onely word answered but one other calling him Rabboni that is Maister And then suddaine ioy rowsing all other passions she could no more proceede in her owne than giue him leaue to go forward with his speech Loue would haue spoken but feare enforced silence Hope frameth the words but doubt melteth them in the passage and when her inward conceites serued to come out her voice trembled her tongue faltered her breath failed In fine teares issued in liew of words and deepe sighes in stead of long sentences the eyes supplying the tongues default and the heart pressing out the vnsillabled breath at once which the conflict of her disagreeing passions would not suffer to be sorted into the seuerall sounds of intelligible speeches For such is their estate that are sicke with a surfet of sodaine ioy for the attaining of a thing vehemently desired For as desire is euer vshered by hope and wayted on by feare so is it credulous in entertaining coniectures but hard in gronnding a firme beleefe And though it be apt to admit the least shadow of wished comfort yet the hotter the desire is to haue it the more perfect assurance it requireth for it which so long as it wanteth the first newes or apparence of that which is in request is rather an alarum to summon vp all passions than retreit to quiet the desire For as hope presumeth the best and inuiteth ioy to gratulate the good successe so feare suspecteth it too good to be true and calleth vp sorrow to bewaile the vncertaintie And while these enterchange obiections and answers sometimes feare falleth into despaire and hope riseth into repining anger and thus the skirmish stil continueth til euidence of proofe conclude the controuersie Marie therefore though she suddainly answered vpon notice of his voice yet because the noueltie was so strange his person so changed his presence so vnexpected and so many miracles layd at once before her amazed eyes she found a sedition in her thoughts til more earnest viewing him exempted them from all doubt And then though words would haue broken out and her heart sent into his duties that she ought him yea euery thought striuing to be first vttered and to haue the first roome in his gracious hearing she was forced as an indifferent arbitrer among them to seale them vp all vnder silence by suppressing speech and to supply the want of words with more significant actions And therefore running to the haunt of her chiefest delights and falling at his sacred feete she offered to bath them with teares of ioy and to sanctifie her lippes with kissing his once grieuous but now most glorious wounds She stayed not for any more words being now made blessed with the Word himselfe thinking it a greater benefit at once to feede all her wishes in the homage honour and embracing of his feete then in the often hearing of his lesse comfortable talke For as the nature of loue coueteth not onely to be vnited but if it were possible wholly transformed out of it selfe into the thing it loueth so doth it most affect that which most vniteth and preferreth the least coniunction before any distant coÌ„tentment And therfore to see him did not suffice her to heare him did not quiet her to speake with him was not enough for her and except she might touch him nothing could please her But though she humbly fell downe at his feete to kisse them yet Christ did forbid her saying Do not touch me for I am not yet ascended to my Father O Iesu what mysterie is in this Being dead in sinne she touched thy mortall feete that were to dye for her sake and being now aliue in grace may she not touch thy glorious feete that are no lesse for her benefit reuiued She was once admitted to annoint thy head and is she now vnworthy of accesse to thy feete Doest thou now command her from that for which thou wert wont to commend her and by praysing the deed didst moue her often to do it Sith other women shall touch thee why hath she a repulse yea sith she her selfe shall touch thee hereafter why is she now reiected What meanest thou O Lord by thus debarring her of so desired a duty and sith among all thy Disciples thou hast vouchsafed her such a prerogatiue as to honour her eyes with thy first sight and her eares with thy first woâ—ds why deniest thou the priuiledge of thy first embracing If the multitude of her teares haue won that fauour for her eyes and her longing to heare thee so great a recompence to her eares why doest thou not admit her hands to touch and her mouth to kisse thy holy feete sith the one with many plaints and the other with their readinesse to all seruices seemed to haue earned no lesse reward But notwithstanding all this thou preuentest the effect of her offer with forbidding her to touch thee as if thou haddest said O Mary know the difference betweene a glorious and a mortall body betweene the condition of a momentary and of an eternall life For sith the
silly Eue Heire to thy Fathers foyles and borne to grieue In Thabors ioyes I eager was to dwell An earnest friend while pleasures light did shine But when eclipsed glory prostrate fell These zealous heates to sleepe I did resigne And now my mouth hath thrice his name defil'd That cry'd so loude three dwellings there to build When Christ attending the distressefull hower With his surcharged breast did blesse the ground Prostrate in pangs rayning a bleeding shower Me like my selfe a drowsie friend he found Thrice in his care sleepe clos'd by carelesse eye Presage how him my tongue should thrice deny Parting from Christ my fainting force declin'd With lingring foot I followed him aloofe Base feare out of my heart his loue vnshrin'd Huge in high words but impotent in proofe My vaunts did seeme hatcht vnder Sampsons locks Yet womans words did giue me murdering knocks So farre luke warme desires in crazie loue Farre off in neede with feeble foot they traine In tides they swim low ebbes they scorne to proue They seeke their friends delights but shun their paine Hire of an hireling minde is earned shame Take now thy due beare thy begotten blame Ah coole remisnesse vertues quartaine feuer Pyning of loue consumption of grace Old in the cradle languor dying euer Soules wilfull famine sinnes soft stealing pace The vndermining euill of zealous thought Seeming to bring no harmes till all be brought O portresse of the doore of my disgrace Whose tongue vnlockt the truth of vowed minde Whose words from Cowards heart did courage chase And let in death-full feares my soule to blind O hadst thou beene the portresse to my toombe When thou wert portresse to that cursed roome Yet loue was loth to part feare loth to die Stay danger life did counterpleade their causes I fauouring stay and life bad danger flie But danger did except against these clauses Yet stay and liue I would and danger shunne And lost my selfe while I my verdict wonne I stayd yet did my staying farthest part I liu'd but so that sauing life I lost it Danger I shunn'd but to my sorer smart I gained nought but deeper dammage crost it What danger distance death is worse then this That runnes from God and spoyles his soule of blisse O Iohn my guide into this earthly hell Too well acquainted in so ill a Court Where rayling mouthes with blasphemies did swell With tainted breath infecting all resort Why didst thou leade me to this hell of euils To shew my selfe a Fiend among the Deuils Euill president the tide that wafts to vice Dumme-Orator that wooes with silent deeds Writing in workes lessons of ill aduice The doing tale that eye in practice reeds Taster of ioyes to vnacquainted hunger With leauen of the old seasoning the yonger It seemes no fault to do that all haue done The number of offenders hide the sinne Coach drawne with many horse doth easely runne Soone followeth one where multitudes begin O had I in that Court much stronger bin Or not so strong as first to enter in Sharpe was the weather in that stormy place Best suting hearts benum'd with hellish frost Whos 's crusted malice could admit no grace Where coales are kindled to the warmers cost Where feare my thoughts canded with ycie cold Heate did my tongue to periuries vnfold O hatefull fire ah that I neuer saw it Too hard my heart was frozen for thy force Farre hotter flames it did require to thaw it Thy hell-resembling heate did freeze it worse O that I rather had congeal'd to yce Then bought thy warmth at such a damning price O wakefull bird proclaimer of the day Whose piercing note doth daunt the Lions rage Thy crowing did my selfe to me bewray My frights and brutish heates it did asswage But ô in this alone vnhappy Cocke That thou to count my foyles wert made the clocke O bird the iust rebuker of my crime The faithfull waker of my sleeping feares Be now the daily clocke to strike the time When stinted eyes shall pay their taske of teares Vpbraid mine eares with thine accusing crow To make me rue that first it made me know O milde reuenger of aspiring Pride Thou canst dismount high thoughts to low effects Thou mad'st a Cocke me for my fault to chide My lofty boasts this lowly bird corrects Well might a Cocke correct me with a crowe Whom hennish cackling first did ouerthrowe Weake weapons did Goliahs fumes abate Whose storming rage did thunder threats in vaine His body huge harnest with massie plate Yet Dauids stone brought death into his braine With staffe and sling as to a dog he came And with contempt did boasting furie tame Yet Dauid had with Beare and Lion fought His skilfull might excus'd Goliahs foile The death is eas'd that worthy hand hath wrought Some honour liues in honorable spoile But I on whom all infamies must light Was hist to death with words of womans spight Small gnats enforst th' Egyptian King to stoupe Yet they in swarmes and arm'd with piercing stings Smart noyse annoyance made his courage droupe No small incombrance such small vermine brings I quaild at words that neither bit nor stong And those deliuerd from a womans tong Ah feare abortiue impe of drouping minde Selfe ouerthrowe false friend roote of remorse Sighted in seeing euils in shunning blinde Foyld without field by fancie not by force Ague of valour phrensie of the wise True honours staine loues frost the mint of lies Can vertue wisedome strength by women spild In Dauids Salomons and Sampsons falls With semblance of excuse my errour guild Or lend a marble glosse to muddy walls O no their fault had shew of some pretence No veyle can hide the shame of my offence The blaze of beauties beames allur'd their lookes Their lookes by seeing oft conceiued loue Loue by effecting swallowed pleasures hookes Thus beauty loue and pleasure them did moue These Syrens sugred tunes rockt them asleepe Inough to damne yet not to damne so deepe But gracious features dazled not mine eyes Two homely Droyles were authors of my death Not loue but feare my senses did surprize Not feare of force but feare of womans breath And those vnarm'd ill grac'd despis'd vnknowne So base a blast my truth hath ouerthrowne O women woe to men traps for their falls Still actors in all Tragicall mischances Earths necessary euils captiuing thralls Now murdering with your tongues now with your glances Parents of life and loue spoylers of both The theeues of hearts false do you loue or loth In time O Lord thine eyes with mine did meete In them I read the ruines of my fall Their cheering rayes that made misfortune sweet Into my guilty thoughts powrd flouds of gall Their heauenly lookes that blest where they beheld Darts of disdaine and angrie checks did yeeld O sacred eyes the springs of liuing light The earthly heauens where Angels ioy to dwell How could you deigne to view my deathfull plight Or let your heauenly beames looke on my hell But
this empty Syndon lyeth here to no vse and this Tombe being open without any in it may giue occasion to some mercifull heart that shall first light vpon my vnburied body to wrap me in his shroud and to interre me in this Tombe O too fortunate lot for so vnfortunate a woman to craue no no I do not craue it For alas I dare not yet if such an ouer-sight should be committed I do now before-hand forgiue that sinner and were it no more presumption to wish it aliue than to suffer it dead if I knew the party that should first passe by me I would woo him with my teares and hire him with my prayers to blesse me with this felicity And though I dare not wish any to do it yet this without offence I may say to all that I loue this Syndon aboue all clothes in the world and this Tombe I esteeme more than any Princes monument yea and I thinke that coarse highly fauored that shall succeed my Lord in it and for my part as I meane that the ground where I stand shall be my death-bed so am I not of Iacobs mind to haue my body buried farre from the place where it dyeth but euen in the next and readiest graue and that as soone as my breath faileth sith delayes are bootlesse where death hath won possession But alas I dare not say any more let my body take such fortune as befalleth it my soule at the least shall dwell in this sweet Paradise and from this brittle case of flesh and bloud passe presently into the glorious Tombe of God and man It is now enwrapped in a masse of corruption it shall then enioy a place of high perfection where it is now it is more by force than by choise and like a repining prisoner in a loathed gaile but there in a little roome it should find perfect rest and in the prison of death the liberty of a ioyfull life O sweet Tombe of my sweetest Lord while I liue I will stay by thee when I die I will cleaue vnto thee neither aliue nor dead will I euer be drawne from thee Thou art the Altar of mercie the temple of truth the sanctuary of safeâ—ie the graue of death and the cradle of eternall life O heauen of my eclipsed Sunne receiue vnto thee this silly starre that hath now also lost all wished light O Whale that hast swallowed my onely Ionas swallow also me more worthy to be thy prey sith I and not he was the cause of this bloudie tempest O Cesterne of my innocent Ioseph take me into thy drie bottome sith I and not he gaue iust cause of offence to my enraged brethren But alas in what cloud hast thou hidden the light of our way Vpon what shore hast thou cast vp the Preacher of all truth or to what Ismaelite hast thou yeelded the purueiour of our life Oh vnhappy me why did I not before thinke of that which I now aske Why did I leaue him when I had him thus to lament him now that I haue lost him If I had watched with perseuerance either none would haue taken him or they should haue taken me with him But through too much precisenesse in keeping the Law I haue lost the Law-maker and by being too scrupulous in obseruing his ceremonies I am proued irreligious in losing him selfe sith I should rather haue remained with the truth than forsaken it to solemnize the figure The Sabboth could not haue bene prophaned in standing by his coarse by which the prophaned things are sanctified and whose touch doth not defile the cleane but cleanseth the most defiled But when it was time to stay I departed when it was too late to helpe I returned and now I repent my folly when it cannot be amended But let my heart dissolue into sighes mine eyes melt in teares and my desolate soule languish in dislikes yea let all that I am and haue endure the deserued punishment that if he were incensed with my fault he may be appeased with my penance and returne vpon the amendment that fled from the offence Thus when her timorous conscience had indited her of so great an omission and her tongue enforced the euidence with these bitter accusations Loue that was now the onely vmpire in all her causes condemned her eyes to a fresh showre of teares her breast to a new storme of sighes and her soule to be perpetuall prisoner to restlesse sorrowes But ô Mary thou deceiuest thy selfe in thy owne desires and it well appeareth that excesse of griefe hath bred in thee a defect of due prouidence And wouldest thou indeed haue thy wishes come to passe and thy words fulfilled Tell me then I pray thee if thy heart were dissolued where wouldest thou harbour thy Lord what wouldest thou offer him how wouldest thou loue him Thine eyes haue lost him thy hands cannot feele him thy feet cannot follow him and if it be at all in thee it is thy heart that hath him and wouldest thou now haue that dissolued from thence also to exile him And if thine eyes were melted thy soule in langour and thy senses decayed how wouldest thou see him if he did appeare how shouldest thou heare him if he did speake how couldest thou know him though he were there present Thou thinkest haply that he loued thee so well that if thy heart were spent for his loue he would either lend his own heart vnto thee or create a new heart in thee better than that which thy sorrow tooke from thee It may be thou imaginest that if thy soule would giue place his soule wanting now a bodie would enter into thine with supply of all thy senses and release of thy sorrowes O Mary thou diddest not marke what thy maister was wont to say when he told thee that the third day he should rise againe For if thou hadst heard him or at the least vnderstood him thou wouldest not thinke but that he now vsed both his heart and soule in the life of his owne body And therefore repaire to the Angels and enquire more of them lest the Lord be displeased that comming from him thou wilt not entertaine them But Mary whose deuotions were all fixed vpon a nobler Saint and that had so straightly bound her thoughts to his only affection that she rather desired to vnknow whom she knew already than to burthen her mind with the knowledge of new acquaintance could not make her will long since possessed with the highest loue stoope to the acceptance of meaner friendships And for this though she did not scornefully reiect yet did she with humilitie refuse the Angels company thinking it no discourtesie to take her selfe from them for to giue her selfe more wholly to her Lord to whom both she and they were wholly deuoted ought most loue and greatest duty Sorrow also being now the onely interpreter of all that sense deliuered to her vnderstanding made her conster their demand in a more doubtfull than true
lesson it fell out to be the bitterest part of thy miserie that thou diddest so well know how infinite the losse was that made thee miserable This is the cause that those very Angels in whom all things make remonstrance of triumph and solace are vnto thee occasions of new griefe For their gracious and louely countenances remember thee that thou hast lost the beauty of the world and the highest marke of true loues ambition Their sweet lookes and amiable features tell thee that the heauen of thy eyes which was the reuerend Maiesty of thy Masters face once shined with farre more pleasing graces but is now disfigured with the dreadfull formes of death In summe they were to thee like the glistering sparkes of a broken Diamond and like pictures of dead and decayed beauties signes not salues of thy calamity memorials not medicines of thy misfortune Thy eyes were too well acquainted with the truth to accept a supply of shadowes and as comelinesse comfort and glory were neuer in any other so truely at home and so perfectly in their prime as in the person and speeches of thy Lord so cannot thy thoughts but be like strangers in any forraine delight For in them all thou seest no more but some scattered crums and hungrie morsels of thy late plentifull banquets and findest a dim reflexion of thy former light which like a flash of lightning in a close and stormie night serueth thee but to see thy present infelicitie and the better to know the horrour of the ensuing darknesse Thou thinkest therefore thy selfe blamelesse both in weeping for thy losse and in refusing other comfort Yet in common courtesie affoord these Angels an answer sith their charitie visiting thee deserueth much more and thou if not too vngratefull canst allow them no lesse Alas saith she what needeth my answer where the miserie it selfe speaketh and the losse is manifest My eyes haue answered them with teares my breast with sighes and my heart with throbs what need I also punish my tongue or wound my soule with a new rehearsall of so do lefull a mischance They haue taken away O vnfortunate word they haue taken away my Lord. O afflicted woman why thinkest thou this word so vnfortunate It may be the Angels haue taken him more solemnely to entombe him and sith earth hath done her last homage haply the Quires of heauen are also descended to defray vnto him their funerall duties It may be that the Centurion and the rest that did acknowledge him on the crosse to be the Sonne of God haue bene touched with remorse and goared with pricke of conscience and being desirous to satisfie for their haynous offence haue now taken him more honorably to interre him and by their seruice to his body sought forgiuenesse and sued the pardon of their guiltie soules Peraduenture some secret disciples haue wrought this exploit and maugre the watch taken him from hence with due honour to preserue him in some better place and therefore being yet vncertaine who hath him there is no such cause to lament sith the greater probabilities march on the better side Why doest thou call sorrow before it commeth which without calling commeth on thee too fast yea why doest thou create sorrow where it is not sith thou hast true sorrow enough though imagined sorrowes helpe not It is folly to suppose the worst where the best may be hoped for and euerie mishap bringeth griefe enough with it though we with our feares do not go first to meet it Quiet then thy selfe till time try out the truth and it may be thy feare will proue greater than thy misfortune But I know thy loue is little helped with this lesson for the more it loueth the more it feareth and the more desirous to enioy the more doubtfull it is to lose It neither hath measure in hopes nor meane in feares hoping the best vpon the least surmises and fearing the worst vpon the weakest grounds And yet both fearing and hoping at one time neither feare with-holdeth hope from the highest attempts nor hope can strengthen feare against the smallest suspitions but maugre all feares loues hopes will mount to the highest pitch and maugre all hopes loues feares will stoupe to the lowest downe-come To bid thee therefore hope is not to forbid thee to feare and though it may be for the best that thy Lord is taken from thee yet sith it may also be for the worst that will neuer content thee Thou thinkest hope doth enough to keepe thy heart from breaking feare little enough to force thee to no more than weeping sith it is as likely that he hath bene taken away vpon hatred by his enemies as vpon loue by his friends For hitherto sayest thou his friends haue all failed him and his foes preuailed against him and as they would not defend him aliue are lesse likely to regard him dead so they that thought one life too little to take from him are not vnlikely after death to wrecke new rage vpon him And though this doubt were not yet whosoeuer hath taken him hath wronged me in not acquainting me with it for to take away mine without my cōsent can neither be offered with out iniurie nor suffered without sorrow And as for Iesus he was my Iesus my Lord and my Maister He was mine because he was giuen vnto me borne for me he was the author of my being and so my father he was the worker of my well doing and therefore my Sauiour he was the price of my ransome and thereby my Redeemer he was my Lord to command me my maister to instruct me my pastor to feede me He was mine because his loue was mine and when he gaue me his loue he gaue me himselfe sith loue is no gift except the giuer be giuen with it yea it is no loue vnlesse it be as liberall of that it is as of that it hath Finally if the meate be mine that I eate the life mine wherewith I liue or he mine all whose life labours and death were mine then dare I boldly say that Iesus is mine sith on his body I feed by his loue I liue and to my good without any neede of his owne hath he liued laboured and dyed And therefore though his Disciples though the Centurion yea though the Angels haue taken him they haue done me wrong in defeating me of my right sith I neuer meane to resigne my interest But what if he hath taken away himselfe wilt thou also lay iniustice to his charge Though he be thine yet thine to command not to obey thy Lord to dispose of thee and not to be by thee disposed and therefore as it is no reason that the seruant should be maister of his maisters secrets so might he and peraduenture so hath he remoued without acquainting thee whither reuiuing himselfe with the same power with which he raised thy dead brother and fulfilling the words that he often vttered of his resurrection It may be thou wilt
those vnspotted eyes encountred mine As spotlesse Sunne doth on the dunghill shine Sweet volumes stor'd with learning fit for Saints Where blisfull quires imparadize their mindes Wherein eternall study neuer faints Still finding all yet seeking all it findes How endlesse is your labyrinth of blisse Where to be lost the sweetest finding is Ah wretch how oft haue I sweet lessons read In those deare eyes the registers of truth How oft haue I my hungry wishes fed And in their happy ioyes redrest my ruth Ah that they now are Heralds of disdaine That erst were euer pitiers of my paine You flames diuine that sparkle out your heates And kindle pleasing fires in mortall hearts You Nectar'd Aumbries of soule feeding meates You gracefull quiuers of loues dearest darts You did vouchsafe to warme to wound to feast My cold my stony my now famisht breast The matchlesse eyes matcht onely each by other Were pleas'd on my ill matched eyes to glance The eye of liquid pearle the purest mother Broch't teares in mine to weepe for my mischance The cabinets of grace vnlockt their treasure And did to my misdeed their mercies measure These blazing Comets lightning flames of loue Made me their warming influence to know My frozen heart their sacred force did proue Which at their lookes did yeeld like melting snow They did not ioyes in former plentie carue Yet sweet are crums where pined thoughts do starue O liuing mirrours seeing whom you shew Which equall shadowes worths with shadowed things Yea make things nobler then in natiue hew By being shap't in those life-giuing springs Much more my image in those eyes were grac't Then in my selfe whom sinne and shame defac't All-seeing eyes more worth then all you see Of which one is the others onely price I worthlesse am direct your beames on me With quickning vertue cure my killing vice By seeing things you make things worth the sight You seeing salue and being seene delight O Pooles of Hesebon the baths of grace Where happy spirits dine in sweet desires Where Saints delight to glasse their glorious face VVhose bankes make Eccho to the Angels quires An Eccho sweeter in the sole rebound Then Angels musicke in the fullest sound O eyes whose glances are a silent speech In cipherd words high mysteries disclosing Which with a looâ—e all Sciences can teach Whose texts to faithfull hearts need little glosing Witnesse vnworthy I who in a looke Learn'd more by rote then all the Scribes by booke Though malice still possest their hardned minds I though too hard learn'd softnesse in thine eye Which yron knots of stubburne will vnbinds Offring them loue that loue with loue will buy This did I learne yet they could not discerne it But wo that I had now such need to learne it O Sunnes all but your selues in light excelling Whose presence day whose absence causeth night Whose neighbour course brings Sommer cold expelling Whose distant periods freeze away delight Ah that I lost your bright and fostering beames To plonge my soule in these congealed streames O gracious Spheres where loue the Center is A natiue place for our selfe-loaden soules The compasse loue a cope that none can misse The motion loue that round about vs roules O Spheres of loue whose Center cope and motion Is loue of vs loue that inuites deuotion O little worlds the summes of all the best Where glory heauen God sunne all vertues starres Where fire a loue that next to heauen doth rest Ayre light of life that no distemper marres The water grace whose seas whose springs whose showers Cloth natures earth with euerlasting flowers What mixtures these sweet Elements do yel'd Let happy worldlings of those worlds expound But simples are by compounds farre exceld Both sute a place where all best things abound And if a banisht wretch ghesse not amisse All but one compound frame of perfect blisse I out-cast from these worlds exiled rome Poore Saint from heauen from fire cold Salamander Lost fish from those sweet waters kindly home From land of life stray'd Pilgrime still I wander I know the cause these worlds had neuer hell In which my faults haue best deseru'd to dwell O Bethlem cesterns Dauids most desire From which my sinnes like fierce Philistims keepe To fetch your drops what Champion should I hire That I therein my withered heart may steepe I would not shead them like that holy King His were but types these are the figured thing O Turtle twinnes all bath'd in Virgins milke Vpon the margine of full flowing banks Whose gracefull plume surmounts the finest silke Whose sight enamoureth heauens most happy ranks Could I forsweare this heauenly payre of Doues That cag'd in care for me were groning loues Twise Moses wand did strike the stubburne Rocke Ere stony veines would yeeld their chrystall bloud Thy eies one looke seru'd as an onely knocke To make mine heart gush out a weeping floud Wherein my sinnes as fishes spawne their frie To shew their inward shames and then to die But ô how long demurre I on his eyes Whose looke did pierce my heart with healing wound Launcing impostum'd sore of periur'd lyes Which these two issues of mine â—yes haue found Where runne it must till death the issues stop And penall life hath purg'd the finall drop Like solest Swan that swims in silent deepe And neuer sings but obsequies of death Sigh out thy plaints and sole in secret weepe In suing pardon spend thy periur'd breath Attire thy soule in sorrowes mourning weed And at thine eyes let guilty conscience bleed Still in the Limbecke of thy dolefull brest These bitter fruits that from thy sinnes do grow For fuell selfe accusing thoughts be best Vse feare as fire the coales let penance blow And seeke none other quintessence but teares That eyes may shead what entred at thine eares Come sorrowing teares the off-spring of my griefe Scant not your Parent of a needfull ayde In you I rest the hope of wisht reliefe By you my sinfull debts must be defrayd Your power preuailes your sacrifice is gratefull By loue obtaining life to men most hatefull Come good effects of ill-deseruing cause Ill gotten impes yet vertuously brought forth Selfe-blaming probates of infringed Lawes Yet blamed faults redeeming with your worth The signes of shame in you each eye may reade Yet while you guilty proue you pitty pleade O beames of mercy beate on sorrowes Clowd Proue suppling showers vpon my parched ground Bring forth the fruit to your due seruice vow'd Let good desires with like deserts be crown'd Water yong blooming vertues tender flowre Sinne did all grace of riper growth deuoure Weepe Balme and Myrrhe you sweet Arabian trees With purest gummes perfume and pearle your ryne Shead on your hony drops you busie Bees I barraine plant must weepe vnpleasant bryne Hornets I hyue salt drops their labour plyes Suckt out of sinne and shed by showring eyes If Dauid night by night did bathe his bed Esteeming longest dayes too short to moue Inconsolable teares if
Anna shed Who in her sonne her solace had forgone Then I to dayes and weekes to moneths and yeeres Do owe the hourely rent of stintlesse teares If loue if losse if fault if spotted fame If danger death if wrath or wreck of weale Entitle eyes true heyres to earned blame That due remorse in such euents conceale That want of teares might well enrole my name As chiefest Saint in Calendar of shame Loue where I lou'd was due and best deseru'd No loue could ayme at more loue-worthy mark No loue more lou'd then mine of him I seru'd Large vse he gaue a flame for euery sparke This loue I lost this losse a life must rue Yea life is short to pay the ruth is due I lost all that I had and had the most The most that will can wish or wit deuise I least perform'd that did most vainely boast I staynd my fame in most infamous wise What danger then death wrath or wreck can moue More pregnant cause of teares then this I proue If Adam sought a veyle to scarfe his sinne Taught by his fall to feare a scourging hand If men shall wish that hils should wrap them in When crimes in finall doome come to be scand What Mount what Caue what Center can conceale My monstrous fact which euen the birds reueale Come shame the liuery of offending minde The vgly shroud that ouer-shadoweth blame The mulct at which foule faults are iustly fin'd The dampe of sinne the common sluce of fame By which impostum'd tongues their humours purge Light shame on me I best deseru'd the scourge Cains murdring hand imbrude in brothers bloud More mercy then my impious tongue may craue He kild a riuall with pretence of good In hope Gods doubled loue alone to haue But feare so spoyld my vanquisht thoughts of loue That periur'd oathes my spitefull hate did proue Poore Agar from her pheere inforc't to flie Wandring in Barsabian wildes alone Doubting her child through helplesse drought would dye Laid it aloofe and set her downe to moue The heauens with prayers her lap with teares she fild A mothers loue in losse is hardly stild But Agar now bequeath thy teares to me Feares not effects did set a-floate thine eyes But wretch I feele more then was feard of thee Ah not my Sonne my soule it is that dies It dies for drought yet hath a spring in sight Worthy to die that would not liue and might Faire Absoloms foule faults compar'd with mine Are brightest sands to mud of Sodome Lakes High aymes yong spirits birth of royall line Made him play false where Kingdoms were the stakes He gaz'd on golden hopes whose lustre winnes Sometime the grauest wits to grieuous sinnes But I whose crime cuts off the least excuse A Kingdome lost but hop't no mite of gaine My highest marke was but the worthlesse vse Of some few lingring howers of longer paine Vngratefull child his Parent he pursude I Gyants warre with God himselfe renude Ioy infant Saints whom in the tender flower A happy storme did free from feare of sinne Long is their life that die in blisfull hower Ioyfull such ends as endlesse ioyes begin Too long they liue that liue till they be nought Life sau'd by sinne base purchase dearely bought This lot was mine your fate was not so fearce Whom spotlesse death in Cradle rockt asleepe Sweet Roses mixt with Lillies strew'd your hearce Death Virgine white in Martyrs red did steepe Your downy heads both Pearles and Rubies crown'd My hoary locks did female feares confound You bleating Ewes that wayle this woluish spoyle Of sucking Lambs new bought with bitter throwes T'inbalme your babes your eyes distill their oyle Each heart to tombe her child wide rupture showes Rue not their death whom death did but reuiue Yeeld ruth to me that liu'd to die aliue With easie losse sharpe wrecks did he eschew That Sindonlesse aside did naked slip Once naked grace no outward garment knew Rich are his robes whom sinne did neuer strip I rich in vaunts displaid prides fairest flags Disrob'd of grace am wrapt in Adams rags When traytor to the sonne in Mothers eyes I shall present my humble sute for grace What blush can paint the shame that will arise Or write my inward feeling in my face Might she the sorrow with the sinner see Though I despisde my griefe might pitied be But ah how can her eares my speech endure Or sent my breath still reeking hellish steeme Can mother like what did the Sonne abiure Or heart deflowr'd a Virgins loue redeeme The Mother nothing loues that Sonne doth loath Ah loathsome wretch detested of them both O sister Nymphes the sweet renowned paire That blesse Bethania bounds with your abode Shall I infect that sanctified ayre Or staine those steps where Iesus breath'd and trode No let your prayers perfume that sweetned place Turne me with Tygers to the wildest chase Could I reuiued Lazarus behold The third of that sweet Trinity of Saints Would not abstonisht dread my senses hold Ah yes my heart euen with his naming faints I seeme to see a messenger from hell That my prepared torments comes to tell O Iohn O Iames we made a triple cord Of three most louing and best louing friends My rotten twist was broken with a word Fit now to fuell fire among the Fiends It is not euer true though often spoken That triple twisted cord is hardly broken The dispossed Diuels that out I threw In IESVS name now impiously forsworne Triumph to see me caged in their mew Trampling my ruines with contempt and scorne My periuries were musicke to their dance And now they heape disdaines on my mischance Our Rocke say they is riuen O welcome howre Our Eagles wings are clipt that wrought so hie Our thundring Cloud made noise but cast no showre He prostrate lies that would haue seal'd the skie In womans tongue our runner found a rub Our Cedar now is shrunke into a shrub These scornefull words vpraid my inward thought Proofes of their damned prompters neighbours voice Such vgly guests still wait vpon the nought Fiends swarme to soules that swarue from vertues choice For breach of plighted truth this true I try Ah that my deed thus gaue my word the lie Once and but once too deare a once to twice it A heauen in earth Saints neere my selfe I saw Sweet was the sight but sweeter loues did spice it But sights and loues did my misdeed withdraw From heauen and Saints to hell and Deuils estrang'd Those sights to frights those loues to hates are chang'd Christ as my God was templed in my thought As man he lent mine eyes their dearest light But sinne his temple hath to ruine brought And now he lightneth terrour from his sight Now of my late vnconsecrate desires Profaned wretch I taste the earned hires Ah sinne the nothing that doth all things file Out-cast from heauen earths curse the cause of hell Parent of death author of our exile The wrecke of soules the wares that
Fiends do sell That men to monsters Angels turne to Deuils Wrong of all rights selfe ruine roote of euils A thing most done yet more then God can do Daily new done yet neuer done amisse Friended of all yet vnto all a foe Seeming an heauen yet banishing from blisse Serued with toyle yet paying nought but paine Mans deepest losse though false esteemed gaine Shot without noise wound without present smart First seeming light prouing in fine a lode Entring with ease not easily wonne to part Farre in effects from that the showes abode Endorc't with hope subscribed with dispaire Vgly in death though life did faine it faire O forfeiture of heauen eternall debt A moments ioy ending in endlesse fires Our natures scum the worlds entangling Net Night of our thoughts death of all good desires Worse then all this worse then all tongues can say Which man could owe but onely God defray This fawning Viper dum till he had wounded With many mouthes doth now vpbraid my harmes My sight was veild till I my selfe confounded Then did I see the disinchanted charmes Then could I cut th' Anatomy of sinne And search with Linxes eyes what lay within Bewitching euill that hides death in deceits Still borrowing lying shapes to maske thy face Now know I the deciphring of thy sleights A cunning dearely bought with losse of grace Thy sugred poyson now hath wrought so well That thou hast made me to my selfe an hell My eye reades mournfull lessons to my heart My heart doth to my thought the griefe expound My thought the same doth to my tongue impart My tongue the message in the eares doth sound My eares backe to my heart their sorrowes send Thus circling griefes runne round without an end My guilty eye still seemes to see my sinne All things Characters are to spell my fall What eye doth reade without heart rues within What heart doth rue to pensiue thought is gall Which when the thought would by the tongue digest The eare conueyes it backe into the breast Thus gripes in all my parts do neuer faile Whose onely league is now in bartring paines What I ingrosse they traffique by retaile Making each others miseries their gaines All bound for euer prentices to care Whilst I in shop of shame trade sorrowes ware Pleasd with displeasing lot I seeke no change I wealthiest am when richest in remorse To fetch my ware no Seas nor Lands I range For customers to buy I nothing force My home bred goods at home are bought and sold And still in me my interest I hold My comfort now is comfortlesse to liue In Orphan state deuoted to mishap Rent from the roote that sweetest fruit did giue I scorn'd to graffe in stock of meaner sap No iuyce can ioy me but of Iesses flower Whose heauenly roote hath true reuiuing power At sorrowes doore I knockt they crau'd my name I answered One vnworthy to be knowne What one say they One worthiest of blame But who A wretch not Gods nor yet his owne A man O no a beast much worse What creature A rocke How cald the rocke of scandale Peter From whence From Caiphas house Ah dwell you there Sinnes farme I rented there but now would leaue it What rent My soule What gaine Vnrest and feare Deare purchase Ah too deare will you receiue it What shall we giue Fit teares and times to plaine me Come in say they thus griefes did entertaine me With them I rest true prisoner in their Iayle Chayn'd in the yron linkes of basest thrall Till grace vouchsafing captiue soule to bayle In wonted See degraded loues install Dayes passe in plaints the night without repose I wake to sleepe I sleepe in waking woes Sleepe deaths ally obliuion of teares Silence of passiions balme of angry sore Suspence of loues security of feares Wraths lenitiue hearts ease stormes calmest shore Senses and soules repriuall from all cumbers Benumming sense of ill with quiet slumbers Not such my sleepe but whisperer of dreames Creating strange Chymeras fayning frights Of day discourses giuing fansie theames To make dum shewes with worlds of anticke sights Casting true griefes in fansies forged mold Brokenly telling tales rightly fore-told This sleepe most fitly suiteth sorrowes bed Sorrow the smart of euill Sinnes eldest child Best when vnkind in killing whom it bred A racke for guilty thoughts a bit for wild The scourge that whips the salue that cures offence Sorrow my bed and home while life hath sence Here solitarie Muses nurse my griefes In silent lonenesse burying worldly noise Attentiue to rebukes deafe to reliefes Pensiue to foster cares carelesse of ioyes Ruing lifes losse vnder deaths dreary roofes Solemnizing my funerall behoofes A selfe content the shrowd my soule the corse The Beere an humble hope the herse-clorh feare The mourners thoughts in blacks of deepe remorse The herse grace pitie loue and mercy beare My â—eares my dole the Priest a zealous will Penance the tombe and dolefull sighes the knill Christ health of feuer'd soule heauen of the mind Force of the feeble nurse of infant loues Guide to the wandring foote light to the blind Whom weeping windes repentant sorrow moues Father in care mother in tender heart Reuiue and saue me slaine with sinfull dart If King Manasses sunke in depth of sinne With plaints and teares recouered grace and Crowne A worthlesse worme some mild regard may winne And lowly creepe where flying threw it downe A poore desire I haue to mend my ill I should I would I dare not say I will I dare not say I will but wish I may My pride is checkt high words the speaker spilt My good ô Lord thy gift thy strength my stay Giue what thou bidst and then bid what thou wilt Worke with me what of me thou doest request Then will I dare the most and vow the best Prone looke crost armes bent knee and contrite heart Deepe sighs thicke sobs dew'd eyes and postrate prayers Most humbly beg release of earned smart And sauing shrowd in mercies sweet repaires If iustice should my wrongs with rigor wage Feares would dispaires ruth breed a hopelesse rage Lazar at pitties gate I vlcered lye Crauing the reffuse crums of childrens plate My sores I lay in view to mercies eye My rags beare witnesse of my poore estate The wormes of conscience that within me swarme Proue that my plaints are lesse then is my harme With mildnesse Iesu measure mine offence Let true remorse thy due reuenge abate Let teares appease when trespasse doth incense Let pitty temper thy deserued hate Let grace forgiue let loue forget my fall With feare I craue with hope I humbly call Redeeme my lapse with ransome of thy loue Trauerse th' inditement rigors doome suspend Let frailty fauour sorrowes succour moue Be thou thy selfe though changeling I offend Tender my suite cleanse this defiled denne Cancell my debts sweet Iesu say Amen The end of S. Peters Complaint MARIE MAGdalens blush THe signes of shame that staine my blushing face Rise from
the feeling of my rauing fits Whose ioy annoy whose guerdon is disgrace Whose solace flies whose sorrow neuer flits Bad seed I sow'd worse fruit is now my gaine Soone dying mirth begat long liuing paine Now pleasure ebbes reuenge begins to flow One day doth wreake the wrath that many wrought Remorse doth teach my guilty thoughts to know How cheape I sold what Christ so dearely bought Faults long vnfelt doth conscience now bewray All ghostly dynts that Grace at me did dart Like stubborne rocke I forced to recoyle To other flights an ayme I made mine heart Whose wounds then welcome now haue wrought my foyle Wo worth the bow wo worth the Archers might That draue such Arrowes to the marke so right To pull them out to leaue them in is death One to this world one to the world to come Wounds may I weare and draw a doubtfull breath But then my wounds will worke a dreadfull doome And for a world whose pleasures passe away I lose a world whose ioyes are past decay O sense ô soule ô had ô hoped blisse You woo you weane you draw you driue me backe Your crosse encountring like their combat is That neuer end but with some deadly wracke When sense doth winne the soule doth lose the field And present haps make future hopes to yeeld O heauen lament sense robbeth thee of Saints Lament O soules sense spoyleth you of Grace Yet sense doth scarce deserue these hard complaints Loue is the thiefe sense but the entring place Yet graunt I must sense is not free from sinne For thiefe he is that thiefe admitteth in MARY MAGDALENS complaint at Christs death SIth my life from life is parted Death come take thy portion Who suruiues when life is murdred Liues by meere extortion All that liue and not in God Couch their life in deaths abod Silly starres must needs leaue shining When the Sunne is shaddowed Borowed streams refraine their running When head-springs are hindered One that liues by others breath Dyeth also by his death O true Life since thou hast left me Mortall life is tedious Death it is to liue without thee Death of all most odious Turne againe or take me to thee Let me dye or liue thou in me Where the truth once was and is not Shadowes are but vanity Shewing want that helpe they cannot Signes not salue of misery Painted meat no hunger feeds Dying life each death exceeds With my loue my life was nestled In the summe of happinesse From my loue my life is wrested To a world of heauinesse O let loue my life remoue Sith I liue not where I loue O my soule what did vnloose thee From the sweet captiuity God not I did still possesse thee His not mine thy liberty O too happy thrall thou wart When thy prison was his heart Spitefull speare that break'st this prison Seat of all felicity Working this with double treason Loues and liues deliuery Though my life thou drau'st away Maugre thee my loue shall stay Times go by turnes THE lopped tree in time may grow againe Most naked plants renew both fruit and flowre The sorriest wight may finde release of paine The driest soyle sucke in some moystning showre Times go by turnes and chances change by course From foule to faire from better hap to worse The sea of Fortune doth not euer flow She drawes her fauours to the lowest ebbe Her tides haue equall times to come and go Her Loome doth weaue the fine and coursest webbe No ioy so great but runneth to an end No hap so hard but may in fine amend Not alwaies Fall of leafe nor euer Spring No endlesse night nor yet eternall day The saddest Birds a season finde to sing The roughest storme a calme may soone allay Thus with succeeding turnes God tempereth all That man may hope to rise yet feare to fall A chance may winne that by mischance was lost That net that holds no great takes little fish In some things all in all things none are crost Few all they need but none haue all they wish Vnmingled ioyes heere to no man befall Who least hath some who most hath neuer all LOOKE HOME REtyred thoughts enioy their owne delights As beauty doth in selfe-beholding eye Mans mind a mirrour is of heauenly sights Abriefe wherein all maruels summed lye Of fairest formes and sweetest shapes the store Most gracefull all yet thought may grace them more The minde a creature is yet can create To Natures patterns adding higher skill Of finest works wit better could the state If force of wit had equall power of will Deuice of man in working hath no end What thought can thinke another thought can mend Mans soule of endlesse beauties image is Drawne by the worke of endlesse skill and might This skilfull might gaue many sparks of blisse And to discerne this blisse a natiue light To frame Gods image as his worths requir'd His might his skill his word and will conspir'd All that he had his Image should present All that it should present he could afford To that he could afford his will was bent His will was followed with performing word Let this suffice by this conceiue the rest He should he could he would he did the best Fortunes falshood IN worldly merriments lurketh much misery Sly Fortunes subtilties in bayts of happinesse Shrowd hookes that swallowed without recouery Murder the innocent with mortall heauinesse She sootheth appetites with pleasing vanities Till they be conquered with cloaked tyranny Then changing countenance with open enmities Shee triumphs ouer them scorning their slauery With fawning flattery Deaths doore she openeth Alluring passingers to bloudy destiny In offers bountifull in proofe she beggereth Mens ruines registring her false felicity Her hopes are fastned in blisse that vanisheth Her smart inherited with sure possession Constant in cruelty she neuer altereth But from one violence to more oppression To those that follow her fauours are measured As easie premisses to hard conclusions With bitter corrosiues her ioyes are seasoned Her highest benifits are but illusions Her way 's a labyrinth of wandring passages Fooles common pilgrimage to cursed deities Whose fond deuotion and iole menages Are wag'd with wearinesse in fruitlesse drudgeries Blinde in her fauorites foolish election Châ—nâ—â— is â—er Aâ—â—â—rer a giuing dignity Heâ— choyse of visions shâ—wâ—s most discretion Sith â—â—â—â—th the vertuous might wrest from piety To humble suppliants tyrant most obstinate She suters answereth with contrarieties Proud with petition vntaught to mitigate Rigor with clemencie in hardest cruelties Like Tygre fugitiue from the Ambitious Like weeping Crocodile to scornefull enemies Suing for amitie where she is odious But to her followers forswearing curtesies No winde so changeable no sea so wauering As giddie Fortune in reeling varieties Now mad now mercifull now fierce now fauouring In all things mutable but mutabilities Scorne not the least VVHere wards are weake and foes incountring strong Where mightier do assault then do defend The feebler part puts vp enforced wrong And silent
sees that speech could not amend Yet higher powers must thinke though they repine When Sunne is set the little starres will shine While Pike doth range the silly Tench doth fly And crouch in priuy creekes with smaller fish Yet Pikes are caught when little fish go by These fleete aflote while those do fill the dish There is a time euen for the wormes to creepe And sucke the deaw while all their foes do sleepe The Marline cannot euer soare on high Nor greedy Grey-houn still pursue the chase The tender Larke will finde a time to fly And fearefull Hate to runne a quiet race He that high growth on Cedars did bestow Gaue also lowly Mushrumps leaue to grow In Hamans pompe poore Mardocheus wept Yet God did turne his fate vpon his foe The Lazar pinde while Diues feast was kept Yet he to heauen to hell did Diues go We trample grasse and prize the flowers of May Yet grasse is greene when flowers do fade away The Natiuitie of Christ BEhold the Father is his daughters sonne The bird that built the nest is hatcht therein The old of yeares an howre hath not out-runne Eternall life to liue doth now beginne The Word is duâ— the mirth of heauen doth weepe Might feeble is and force doth faintly creepe O dying soules behold your liuing spring O dazled eyes behold your Sunne of grace Dull eares attend what word this Word doth bring Vp heauy hearts with ioy your ioy embrace From death from darke from deafnesse from dispaires This life this light this Word this ioy repaires Gift better then himselfe God doth not know Gift better then his God no man can see This gift doth here the giuer giuen bestow Gift to this gift let each receiuer be God is my gift himselfe he freely gaue me Gods gift am I and none but God shall haue me Man altered was by sinne from man to beast Beasts food is hay hay is all mortall flesh Now God is flesh and lyes in Manger prest As hay the brutest sinner to refresh O happy field wherein this fodder grew Whose taste doth vs from beasts to men renew Christs Childhood TIll twelue yeares age how Christ his childhood spent All earthly pens vnworthy were to write Such acts to mortall eyes he did present Whose worth not men but Angels must recite No natures blots no childish faults defilde Where grace was guide and God did play the child In springing locks lay couched hoary wit In semblance yong a graue and ancient port In lowly lookes high maiesty did sit In tender tongue sound sence of sagest sort Nature imparted all that she could teach And God suppli'd where Nature could not reach His mirth of modest meane a mirrour was His sadnesse tempered with a milde aspect His eye to try each action was a glasse Whose lookes did good approue and bad correct His Natures gifts his grace his word and deed Well shewed that all did from a God proceed A Childe my Choice LEt folly praise that fancie loues I praise and loue that child Whose heart no thought whose tongue no word whose hand no deed defil'd I praise him most I loue him best all praise and loue is his While him I loue in him I liue and cannot liue amisse Loues sweetest marke laudes highest Theame mans most desired light To loue him life to leaue him death to liue in him delight He mine by gift I his by debt thus each to other's due First friend he was best friend he is all times will trie him true Though yong yet wise though small yet strong though man yet God he is As wise he knowes as strong he can as God he loues to blisse His knowledge rules his strength defends his loue doth cherish all His birth our ioy his life our light his death our end of thrall Alas he weepes he sighs he pants yet do his Angels sing Out of his teares his sighes and throbs doth bud a ioyfull Spring Almightie Babe whose tender armes can force all foes to fly Correct my faults protect my life direct me when I die Content and rich I Dwell in Graces Court Enrich with Vertues rights Faith guides my wit Loue leades my will Hope all my minde delights In lowly vales I mount To pleasures highest pitch My silly shroud true Honour brings My poore estate is rich My conscience is my Crowne Contented thoughts my rest My heart is happy in it selfe My blisse is in my breast Enough I reckon wealth A meane the surest lot That lyes too high for base contempt Too low for Enuies shot My wishes are but few All easie to fulfill I make the limits of my power The bounds vnto my will I haue no hopes but one Which is of heauenly raigne Effects attaind or not desir'd All lower hopes refrainâ— I feele no care of coyne Well-doing is my wealth My mind to me an Empire is While grace affoordeth health I clyp high-climing thoughts The wings of swelling pride Their fall is worst that from the height Of greater honour slide Sith sayles of largest size The storme doth soonest teare I beare so low and small a sayle As freeth me from feare I wrastle not with rage While furies flame doth burne It is in vaine to stop the streame Vntill the tide doth turne But when the flame is out And ebbing wrath doth end I turne a late enraged foe Into a quiet friend And taught with often proofe A tempered calme I finde To be most solace to it selfe Best cure for angrie minde Spare dyet is my fare My clothes more fit then fine I know I feede and clothe a foe That pamp'red would repine I enuie not their hap Whom fauour doth aduance I take no pleasure in their paine That haue lesse happie chance To rise by others fall I deeme a losing gaine All states with others ruines built To ruine runne amaine No change of Fortunes calmes Can cast my comforts downe When Fortune smiles I smile to thinke how quickly she will frowne And when in froward moode She proou'd an angrie so Small gaine I found to let her come Lesse losse to let her go Losse in delayes SHun delayes they breed remorse Take thy time while time doth serue thee Creeping Snayles haue weakest force Flie their fault lest thou repent thee Good is best when soonest wrought Lingring labours come to nought Hoyse vp sayle while gale doth last Tide and winde stay no mans pleasure Seeke not time when time is past Sober speed is Wisedomes leisure After-wits are dearely bought Let thy fore-wit guide thy thought Time weares all his locks before Take thou hold vpon his forehead When he flies he turnes no more And behind his scalpe is naked Workes adiourn'd haue many stayes Long demurres breed new delayes Seeke thy salue while sore is greene Festered wounds aske deeper launcing After-cures are seldome seene Often sought scarce euer chancing Time and place giues best aduice Out of season out of price Crush the Serpent in the head Breake ill
egges ere they be hatched Kill bad Chickins in the tread Fligge they hardly can be catched In the rising stifle ill Lest it grow against thy will Drops do pierce the stubburne Flint Not by force but often falling Custome kils with feeble dint More by vse then strength preuailing Single sands haue little waight Many make a drowning fraight Tender twigs are bent with ease Aged trees do breake with bending Yong desires make little prease Growth doth make them past amending Happie man that soone doth knocke Babels Babes against the rocke Loue seruile Lot LOue Mistresse is of many minds Yet few know whom they serue They reckon least how little Loue Their seruice doth deserue The will she robbeth from the wit The sense from reasons lore Shee is delightfull in the ryne Corrupted in the core She shrowdeth vice in Vertues veile Pretending good in ill She offereth ioy affoordeth griefe A kisse where she doth kill A hony showre raines from her lips Sweet lights shine in her face She hath the blush of Virgine mind The minde of Vipers race She makes thee seeke yet feare to find To find but none enioy In many frownes some gliding smiles She yeelds to more annoy She wooes thee to come neare her fire Yet doth she draw it from thee Farre off she makes thy heart to fry And yet to freeze within thee She letteth fall some luring baits For fooles to gather vp Too sweet too sowre to euerie tast She tempereth her cup. Soft soules she binds in tender twist Small Flyes in spinners webbe She sets aflote some luring streames But makes them soone to ebbe Her watrie eyes haue burning force Her flouds and flames conspire Teares kindle sparkes sobs fuell are And sighs do blow her fire May neuer was the Month of loue For May is full of flowers But rather Aprill wet by kind For loue is full of showers Like Tyrant cruell wounds she giues Like Surgeon salue she lends But salue and sore haue equall force For death is both their ends With soothing words enthralled soules She chaines in seruile bands Her eye in silence hath a speech Which eye best vnderstands Her little sweet hath many sowres Short hap immortall harmes Her louing lookes are murdrings darts Her songs bewitching charmes Like Winter Rose and Sommer Ice Her ioyes are still vntimely Before her hope behind remorse Faire first in fine vnseemely Moodes passions fancies iealous fits Attend vpon her traine She yeeldeth rest without repose A Heauen in hellish paine Her house is sloth her doore deceit And slipperie hope her staires Vnbashfull boldnesse bids her guests And euerie vice repaires Her dyet is of such delights As please till they be past But then the poyson kils the heart That did entice the taste Her sleepe in sinne doth end in wrath Remorse rings her awake Death cals her vp shame driues her out Despaires her vpshot make Plow not the Seas sow not the sands Leaue off your idle paine Seeke other mistresse for your mindes Loues seruice is in vaine Life is but Losse BY force I liue in will I wish to dye In plaint I passe the length of lingring dayes Free would my soule from mortall bodie fly And tread the tracke of Deaths desired wayes Life is but losse where death is deemed gaine And lothed pleasures breed displeasing paine Who would not dye to kill all murdering greeues Or who would liue in neuer-dying feares Who would not wish his treasure safe from Theeues And quit his heart from pangs his eyes from teares Death parteth but two euer fighting foes Whose ciuill strife doth worke our endlesse woes Life is a wandring course to doubtfull rest As oft a cursed rise to damning leape As happie race to winne a heauenly crest None being sure what finall fruits to reape And who can like in such a life to dwell Whose wayes are strait to Heauen but wide to Hell Come cruell death why lingrest thou so long What doth withhold thy dint from fatall stroke Now prest I am alas thou doest me wrong To let me liue more anger to prouoke Thy right is bad when thou hast stopt my breath Why should'd thou stay to worke my bouble death If Sauls attempt in falling on his blade As lawfull were as ethe to put in vre If Sampsons leaue a common Law were made Of Abels lot if all that would were sure Then cruell death thou should'st the Tyrant play With none but such as wished for delay Where life is lou'd thou readie art to kill And to abridge with sodaine pangs their ioy Where life is loath'd thou wilt not worke their will But dost adiourne their death to their annoy To some thou art a fierce vnbidden guest But those that craue thy helpe thou helpest least Auant oh viper I thy spite defie There is a God that ouer-rules thy force Who can thy weapons to his will apply And shorten or prolong our brittle course I on his mercie not thy might relye To him I liue for him I hope to dye I dye aliue O Life what lets thee from a quicke decease O death what drawes thee from a present prey My feast is done my soule would be at ease My grace is said O Death come take away I liue but such a life as euer dyes I dye but such a death as neuer ends My death to end my dying life denies And life my liuing death no whit amends Thus still I dye yet still I do reuiue My liuing death by dying life is fed Grace more then Nature keepes my heart aliue Whose idle hopes and vaine desires are dead Not where I breathe but where I loue I liue Not where I loue but where I am I dye The life I wish must future glorie giue The deaths I feele in present dangers lye What ioy to liue I Wage no warre yet peace I none enioy I hope I feare I frye in freezing cold I mourne in mirth still prostrate in annoy I all the World imbrace yet nothing hold All wealth is want where chiefest wishes faile Yea life is loath'd where loue may not preuaile For that I loue I long but that I lacke That others loue I loath and that I haue All worldly fraights to me are deadly wracke Men present hap I future hopes do craue They louing where they liue long life require To liue where best I loue death I desire Here loue is lent for loue of filthie gaine Most friends befriend themselues with friendships shew Here plentie perill want doth breed disdaine Cares common are ioyes faultie short and few Here Honour enuide meannesse is despis'd Sinne deemed solace Vertue little pris'd Here beauty is a baite that swallowed choakes A treasure sought still to the owners harmes A light that eyes to murdring sights prouokes A grace that soules inchants with mortall charmes A luring ayme to Cupids fierie flights A balefull blisse that damnes where it delights O who would liue so many deaths to trie Where will doth wish that wisedome doth reproue
am no thrall I burie not my thoughts in mettall Mines I ayme not at such fame as feareth fall I seeke and finde a light that euer-shines Whose glorious beames display such heauenly sights As yeeld my soule a summe of all delights My light to loue my loue to life doth guide To life that liues by loue and loueth light By loue to one to whom all loues are tyed By duest debt and neuer equall right Eyes light hearts loue soules truest life he is Consorting in three ioyes one perfect blisse A FANCY TVRNED to a Sinners Complaint HE that his mirth hath lost Whose comfort is to rue Whose hope is fallen whose faith is cras'd Whose trust is found vntrue If he haue held them deare And cannot ceasse to mone Come let him take his place by me He shall not rue alone But if the smallest sweete Be mixt with all his sowre If in the day the moneth the yeare He feele one lightning howre Then rest he with himselfe He is no mate for me Whose time in teares whose race in ruth Whose life a death must be Yet not the wished death That feeles no paine or lacke That making free the better part Is onely Natures wracke O no that were too well My death is of the minde That alwaies yeeld extreamest pangs Yet threatens worse behinde As one that liues in shew And inwardly doth dye Whose knowledge is a bloudy field Where Vertue slaine doth lye Whose heart the Altar is And hoast a God to moue From whom my ill doth feare reuenge His good doth promise loue My Fansies are like thornes In which I go by night My frighted wits are like an hoast That force hath put to flight My sense is passions spye My thoughts like ruines old Which shew how faire the building was While grace did it vphold And still before mine eyes My mortall fall they lay Whom grace and vertue once aduanc't Now sinne hath cast away O thoughts no thoughts but wounds Sometime the Seate of ioy Sometime the store of quiet rest But now of all annoy I sow'd the soyle of peace My blisse was in the spring And day by day the fruit I eate That Vertues tree did bring To Nettles now my corne My field is turn'd to flint Where I a heauy haruest reape Of cares that neuer stint The peace the rest the life That I enioyd of yore Were happy lot but by their losse My smart doth sting the more So to vnhappy men The best frames to the worst O time ô place where thus I fell Deare then but now accurst In was stands my delight In is and shall my wo My horrour fastned in the yea My hope hangs in the no. Vnworthy of reliefe That craued is too late Too late I finde I finde too well Too well stood my estate Behold such is the end That pleasure doth procure Of nothing else but care and plaint Can she the minde assure Forsaken first by grace By pleasure now forgotten Her paine I feele but graces wage Haue others from me gotten Then grace where is the ioy That makes thy torments sweet Where is the cause that many thought Their deaths through thee but meet Where thy disdaine of sinne Thy secret sweet delight Thy sparkes of blisse thy heauenly ioyes That shined erst so bright O that they were not lost Or I could it excuse O that a dreame of fained losse My iudgement did abuse Or fraile inconstant flesh Soone trapt in euery ginne Soone wrought thus to betray thy soule And plonge thy selfe in sinne Yet hate I but the fault And not the faulty one Ne can I rid from me the mate That forceth me to moane To moane a sinners case Then which was neuer worse In Prince or poore in yong or old In blest or full of curse Yet Gods must I remaine By death by wrong by shame I cannot blot out of my heart That grace writ in his name I cannot set at nought Whom I haue held so deere I cannot make him seeme afarre That is in deed so neere Not that I looke hence-forth For loue that earst I found Sith that I brake my plighted truth To build on fickle ground Yet that shall neuer faile Which my faith bare in hand I gaue my vow my vow gaue me Both vow and gift shall stand But since that I haue sinn'd And scourge none is too ill I yeeld me captiue to my curse My hard fate to fulfill The solitary Wood My City shall become The darkest dennes shall be my Lodge In which I rest or come A sandy plot my boord The wormes my feast shall be Where-with my carkasse shall be fed Vntill they feed on me My teares shall be my wine My bed a craggy Rocke My harmony the Serpents hisse The screeching Owle my clocke My exercise remorse And dolefull sinners layes My booke remembrance of my crimes And faults of former dayes My walke the path of plaint My prospect into hell Where Iudas and his cursed crue In endlesse paines do dwell And though I seeme to vse The faining Poets stile To figure forth my carefull plight My fall and my exile Yet is my griefe not fain'd Wherein I starue and pine Who feeles the most shall thinke it least If his compare with mine Dauids Peccaui IN Eaues sole Sparrow sits not more alone Nor mourning Pellican in Desart wilde Then silly I that solitary mone From highest hopes to hardest hap exilde Sometime ô blissefull time was vertues meede Ayme to my thoughts guide to my word and deede But feares are now my Pheeres griefe my delight My teares my drinke my famisht thoughts my bread Day full of dumps Nurse of vnrest the night My garments gyues a bloudy field my bed My sleepe is rather death then deaths allye Yet kill'd with murd'ring pangs I cannot dye This is the chance of my ill changed choyse To pleasant tunes succeeds a playning voice The dolefull eccho of my wayling minde Which taught to know the worth of vertues ioyes Doth hate it selfe for louing fancies toyes If wiles of wit had ouer-raught my will Or subtile traines misled my steppes awry My foyle had found excuse in want of skill Ill deed I might though not ill doome deny But wit and will must now confesse with shame Both deede and doome to haue deserued blame I Fansie deem'd fit guide to leade my way And as I deem'd I did pursue the tracke Wit lost his ayme and will was Fansies prey The Rebels wan the Rulers went to wracke But now sith Fansie did with folly end Wit bought with losse Will taught by wit will mend Sinnes heauie load O Lord my sinnes do ouer-charge thy brest The poyse thereof doth force thy knees to bow Yea flat thou fallest with my faults opprest And bloudie sweat runs trickling from thy brow But had they not to Earth thus pressed thee Much more they would in Hell haue pestred me This Globe of Earth doth thy one finger prop The world thou do'st within thy hand
hearts or feele my fire but I My faultlesse breast the fornace is the fuell wounding thornes Loue is the fire and sighes the smoake the ashes shames and scornes The fuell Iustice layeth on and mercie blowes the coales The mettall in this Fornace wrought are mens defiled soules For which as now on fire I am to worke them to their good So will I melt into a bath to wash them in my blood With this he vanisht out of sight and swiftly shronke away And straight I called vnto mind that it was Christmasse day New Heauen new Warre COme to your heauen you heauenly Quires Earth hath the heauen of your desires Remoue your dwelling to your God A stall is now his best abode Sith men their homage do deny Come Angels all their fault supply His chilling cold doth heat require Come Seraphins in lieu of fire This little Arke no couer hath Let Cherubs wings his body swathe Come Raphael this Babe must eate Prouide our little Toby meate Let Gabriel be now his groome That first tooke vp his earthly roome Let Michael stand in his defence Whom loue hath linkt to feeble sense Let graces rocke when he doth cry Let Angels sing his lullaby The same you saw in heauenly seate Is he that now suckes Maries teate Agnize your King a mortall wight His borrowed weed lets not your sight Come kisse the manger where he lyes That is your blisse aboue the skies This little Babe so few dayes old Is come to rifle Sathans fold All hell doth at his presence quake Though he himself for cold do shake For in this weake vnarmed wise The gates of hell he will surprise With teares he fights wins the field His naked breast stands for a shield His battering shot are babish cryes His arrowes lookes of weeping eyes His Martiall Ensignes cold and need And feeble flesh his warriers Steed His Campe is pitched in astall His bulwarke but a broken wall The Crib his trench hay-stalkes his stakes Of Shepheards he his Muster makes And thus as sure his fo to wound The Angels trumps alarum sound My soule with Christ ioyne thou in fight Sticke to the tents that he hath dight Within his crib is surest ward This little Babe will be thy guard If thou wilt foyle thy foes with ioy Then flit not from the heauenly Boy FINIS Moeoniae OR CERTAINE EXCELLENT POEMS AND SPIRITVAL Hymnes composed by R.S. AN CHO RA. SPEI LONDON Printed for W. Barret The Virgine Maries conception OVR second Eue puts on her mortall shrowd Earth breeds a heauen for Gods new dwelling place Now riseth vp Elias little cloud That growing shall distill the showre of grace Her being now begins who ere she end Shall bring our good that shall our ill amend Both Grace and Nature did their force vnite To make this babe the summe of all their best Our most her least our million but her mite She was at easiest rate worth all the rest What grace to men or Angels God did part Was all vnited in this infants heart Foure onely wights bred without fault are nam'd And all the rest conceiued were in sinne Without both man and wife was Adam fram'd Of man but not of wife did Eue beginne Wife without touch of man Christs mother was Of man and wife this babe was borne in grace Her Natiuitie IOy in the rising of our Orient starre That shall bring forth the Sunne that lent her light Ioy in the peace that shall conclude our warre And soone rebate the edge of Sathans spight Load-starre of all inclos'd in worldly waues The care and compasse that from ship-wracke saues The patriarkes and Prophets were the flowers Which time by course of ages did distill And call'd into his little clowd the showers Whose gracious drops the world with ioy shall fill Whose moisture suppleth euery soule with grace And bringeth life to Adams dying race For God on earth she is the royall throne The chosen cloth to make his mortall weede The quarry to cut out our corner stone Soile full of fruite yet free from mortall seede For heauenly flowre she is the Iessa rod The child of man the parent of a god Her Spousals WIfe did she liue yet virgine did she dye Vntoucht of man yet mother of a sonne To saue her selfe and child from fatall lie To end the web whereof the thred was spon In marriage knots to Ioseph she was tide Vnwonted workes with wonted wiles to hide God lent his Paradise to Iosephs care Wherein he was to plant the tree of life His sonne of Iosephs child the title bare Iust cause to make the mother Iosephs wife O blessed man betroth'd to such a spouse More blest to liue with such a child in house No carnall loue this sacred league procur'd All vaine delights were farre from their assent Though both themselues in wedlocke bands assur'd Yet chast by vow they seald their chast intent Thus had the Virgins wiues and widows crowne And by chaste child-birth doubled their renowne The virgins salutation SPell Eua backe and Aue shall you finde The first began the last reuerst our harmes An Angels Aue disinchants the charmes Death first by womans weaknesse entred in In womans vertue life doth now begin O Virgins breast the heauens to thee incline In thee they ioy and soueraigne they agnize Too meane their glorie is to match with thine Whose chast receit God more then heauen did prize Haile fairest heauen that heauen and earth do blisse Where vertues starre Gods Sunne of iustice is With haughty mind to godhead man aspired And was by pride from place of pleasure chac'de With louing mind our manhood God desired And vs by loue in greater pleasure plac'de Man labouring to ascend procur'd our fall God yeelding to descend cut off our thrall The Visitation PRoclaimed Queene and mother of a God The light of earth the soueraigne of Saints With Pilgrime foote vp tyring hils she trod And heauenly stile with handmaids toile acquaints Her youth to age her selfe to sicke she lends Her heart to God to neighbour hand she bends A prince she is and mightier prince doth beare Yet pompe of princely traine she would not haue But doubtlesse heauenly Quires attendant were Her child from harme her selfe from fall to saue Word to the voice song to the tune she brings The voice her word the tune her ditty sings Eternall lights inclosed in her breast Shot out such piercing beames of burning loue That when her voice her cosins eares possest The force thereof did force her babe to moue With secret signes the children greet each other But open praise each leaueth to his mother His Circumcision THe head is launc't to worke the bodies cure With angrie salue it smarts to heale our wound To faultlesse Sonne from all offences pure The faulty vassals scourges do redound The Iudge is cast the guiltie to acquit The Sunne defac'd to lend the starre his light The vine of life distilleth drops of grace Our rocke
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
my sute is more than halfe a graunt If many drops soften the hardest stones why should not many teares supple the most stony hearts What anger so fiery that may not be quenched with eye-water sith a weeping suppliant â—ebateth the edge of more than a Lyons furie My sute it selfe would sue for me and so dolefull a coarse would quicken pitty in the most yron hearts But suppose that by touching a ranckled sore my touch should anger it and my petition at the first incense him that heard it he would percase reuile me in words and theâ— his owne iniurie would recoyle with remorse and be vnto me a patron to proceede in my request And if he should accompanie his words with blowes and his blowes with wounds it may be my stripes would smart in his guiltie minde and his conscience bleed in my bleeding wounds and my innocent bloud so entender his Adamant heart that his owne inward feelings would pleade my cause and peraduenture obtaine my sute But if through extremity of spite he should happen to kil me his offence might easily redound to my felicitie For he would be as carefull to hide whom he had vniustly murthered as him whom hee had felloniously stolen and so it is like that he would hide me in the same place where he had layd my Lord. And as he hated vs both for one cause him for challenging and me for acknowledging that he was the Messias so would he vse vs both after one manner And thus what comfort my body wanted my soule should enioy in seeing a part of my selfe partner of my Maisters misery with whom to be miserable I reckon an higher fortune than without him to be most happy And if no other meane would serue to recouer him but force I see no reason why it might not very well become me None will barre me from defending my life which the least worme in the right nature hath leaue to preserue And sith he is to me so deare a life that without him all life is death nature authoriseth my feeble forces to employ their vttermost in so necessary an attempt Necessitie addeth abilitie and loue doubleth necessitie and it often happeneth that nature armed with loue and pressed with neede exceedeth it selfe in might and surmounteth all hope in successe And as the equitie of the cause doth breath courage into the defenders making them the mote willing to fight and the lesse vnwilling to dye so guiltie consciences are euer timorous still starting with sodaine frightts and afraid of their own suspitions ready to yeeld before the assault vpon distresse of their cause and despaire of their defence Sith therefore to rescue an innocent to recouer a right to redresse so deepe a wrong is so iust a quarrell nature will enable me loue encourage me grace confirme me and the iudge of all iustice fight in my behalfe And if it seeme vnfitting to my sexe in talke much more in practise to deale with materiall affaires yet when such a cause happeneth as neuer had patterne such effects must follow as are without example There was neuer any body of a God but one neither such a body stolne but now neuer such a stealth vnreuenged but this Sith therefore the Angels neglect it and men forgeâ— O Iudith lend me thy prowesse for I am bound to regard it But suppose that my force were vnable to winne him by an open enterprise what scruple should keepe me from seeking him by secret meanes yea and by plaine stealth it will be thought a sinne and condemned for a theft O sweet sinne why was not I the first that did commit thee Why did I suffer any other sinner to preuent me For stealing from God his honour I was called a sinner and vnder that title was spread my infamie But for stealing God from a false owner I was not worthy to be called a sinner because it had bene too high a glory If this be so great a sinneâ— and so haynous a theft let others make choise of what titles they will but for my part I would refuse to be an Angell I would not wish to be a Saint I would neuer be esteemed either iust or true and I should be best contented if I might but liue and die such a sinner and be condemned for such a theft When I heard my Lord make so comfortable a promise to the theefe vpon the Crosse that he should that day be with him in Paradise I had halfe an enuie at that theeues good fortune wished my selfe in the theefes place so I might haue enioyed the fruit of his promise But if I could be so happy a theefe as to commit this theft if that wish had taken effect I would now vnwish it againe and scorne to be any other theefe than my selfe sith my booty could make me happier than any other theefes felicitie And what though my fellonie should be called in question in what respect should I need to feare They would say that I loued him too well but that were soone disproued sith where the worthinesse is infinite no loue can be enough They would obiect that I stole anothers goods and as for that many sure titles of my interest would auerre him to be mine and his dead coarse would rather speak than witnesses should faile to depose so certaine a truth And if I had not a speciall right vnto him what should moue me to venture my life for him No no if I were so happy a fellon I should feare no temporall arraignment I should rather feare that the Angels would cite me to my answere for preuenting them in the theft sith not the highest Seraphin in heauen but would deem it a higher stile than his owne to be the theefe that had committed so glorious a robberie But alas thus stand I now deuising what I would do if I knew any thing of him and in the meane time I neither know who hath him nor where they haue bestowed him and still I am forced to dwell in this answer that they haue taken away my Lord and I know not where they haue put him While Mary thus lost her selfe in a Labyrinth of doubts watering her words with teares and warming them with sighes seeing the Angels with a kinde of reuerence rise as though they had done honour to one behind her She turned backe and she saw Iesus standing but that it was Iesus she knew not O Mary is it possible that thou hast forgotten Iesus Faith hath written him in thy vnderstanding loue in thy will both feare and hope in thy memory and how can all these Registers be so cancelled that so plainely seeing thou shouldest not know the contents For him onely thou tirest thy feet thou bendest thy knees thou wringest thy handes For him thy heart throbbeth thy breast sigheth thy tongue complaineth For him thine eye weepeth thy thought sorroweth thy whole body fainteth and thy soule languisheth In summe there is no part in thee but is
busie about him and notwithstanding all this hast thou now forgotten him His countenance auoucheth it his voice assureth it his wounds witnesse it thine owne eyes behold it and doest thou not yet beleeue that this is Iesus Are thy sharpe seeing eyes become so weake sighted that they are dazeled with the Sunne and blinded with the light But there is such a shower of teares betweene thee and him and thine eyes are so dimmed with weeping for him that though thou seest the shape of a man yet thou canst not discerne him Thy eares also are still so possessed with the dolefull Eccho of his last speeches which want of breath made him vtter in a dying voice that the force and loudnesse of his liuing words maketh thee imagine it the voyce of a stranger and therefore as he seemeth vnto thee so like a stranger he asketh this question of thee O woman why weepest thou whom seekest thou O desire of the heart and onely ioy of her soule why demandest thou why she weepeth or for whom she seeketh But a while since she saw thee her onely hope hanging on a tree with thy head full of thornes thy eyes full of teares thy eares full of blasphemies thy mouth full of gall thy whole person mangled and disfigured and doest thou aske her why she weepeth Scarce three dayes passed she beheld thy armes and legges racked with violent puls thy hands and feete boared with nayles thy side wounded with a speare thy whole bodie torne with stripes and goared in blood and doest thou her onely griefe aske her why she weepeth She beheld thee vpon the Crosse with many teares and most lamentable cryes yeelding vp her ghost that is thy owne ghost and alas asketh thou why she weepeth And now to make vp her miserie hauing but one hope aliue which was that for a small reliefe of her other afflictions she might haue annointed thy body that hope is also dead since thy body is remoued and she now standeth hopelesse of all helpe and demandest thou why she weepeth and for whom she seeketh Full well thou knowest that thee onely she desireth thee onely she loueth all things beside thee she contâ—mneth and canst thou finde in thy heart to aske her whom she seeketh To what end ô sweet Lord doest thou thus suspend her longings prolong her desires and martyr her with these tedious delayes Thou onely art the fortresse of her faint faith the anker of her wauering hope the very center of her vehement loue to thee she trusteth vpon thee she relyeth and of her selfe she wholly despaireth She is so earnest in seeking thee that she can neither seeke nor thinke any other thing and all her wits are so busied in musing vpon thee that they draw all attention from her senses wherewith they should discerne thee Being therefore so attentiue to that she thinketh what maruell though she marke not whom she seeth and sith thou hast so perfect notice of her thought and she so little power to discouer thee by sense why demandest thou for whom she seeketh or why she weepeth Doest thou looke that she should answere for thee I seeke or for thee I weepe vnlesse thou wilt vnbend her thoughts that her eyes may fully see thee or while thou wilt be concealed doest thou expect that she should be able to know thee But ô Mary not without cause doth he aske thee this question Thou wouldest haue him aliue and yet thou weepest because thou doest not find him dead Thou art some that he is not here and for this very cause thou shouldest rather be glad For if he were dead I it is most likely he should be here but not being here it is a signe that he is aliue He reioyceth to be out of his graue and thou weepest because he is not in it He will not lie any where and thou sorrowest for not knowing where he lyeth Alas why be wailest thou his glory and iniurest the reuiuing of his body as the robbery of his coarse He being aliue for what dead man mournest thou and he being present whose absence doest thou lament But she taking him to be a Gardener said vnto him O Lord if thou hast carried him from hence tell me where thou hast layd him and I will take him away O wonderfull effects of Maries loue if loue be a languor how liueth she by it If loue be her life how dyeth she in it If it bereaued her of sense how did she see the Angels If it quickened her of sense why knew she not Iesus Doest thou seeke for one whom when thou hast found thou knowest not or if thou dost know him when thou findest him why doest thou seek when thou hast him Behold Iesus is come and the partie whom thou seekest is he that talketh with thee ô Mary call vp thy wits and open thine eyes Hath thy Lord liued so long laboured so much died with such paine and shed such showers of bloud to come to no higher preferment than to be a Gardener And hast thou bestowed such cost so much sorrow and so many teares for no better man than a silly Gardener Alas is the sorry Garden the best inheritance that thy loue can affoord him or a Gardeners office the highest dignitie that thou wilt allow him It had bene better he had liued to haue bene Lord of thy Castle than with his death so dearely to haue bought so small a purchase But thy mistaking hath in it a further mysterie Thou thinkest not amisse though thy sight be deceiued For as our first Father in the state of grace and innocencie was placed in the Garden of pleasure and the first office allotted him was to be a Gardener so the first man that euer was in glorie appeareth first in a Garden and presenteth himselfe in a Gardeners likenesse that the beginnings of glorie might resemble the entrance of innocencie and grace And as the Gardener was the fall of mankinde the parent of sinne and authour of death so is this Gardener the raiser of our ruines the ransome of our offences and the restorer of life In a Garden Adam was deceiued and taken captiue by the deuill In a Garden Christ was betrayed and taken prisoner by the Iewes In a Garden Adam was condemned to earne his bread with the sweat of his browes And after a free gift of the bread of Angels in the last Supper in a Garden Chrid did earne it vs with a bloudy sweate of his whole body By disobedient eating the fruite of a tree our right to that Garden was by Adam forfeited and by the obedient death of Christ vpon a tree a farre better right is now recouered When Adam had sinned in the Garden of pleasure he was there apparelled in dead beasts skinnes that his garment might betoken his graue and his liuery of death agree with his condemnation to die And now to defray the debt of that sinne in this Garden Christ lay clâ—d in the dead mans shrowd
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
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
this case for that thereby we purchase an inestimable glory for a short passing combat the comfort whereof neither eye hath seene eare hath heard nor any heart conceiued And on the other side by the same we auoide other intollerable and eternall torments of hell the least whereof passeth all those that can be suffered in the world and therefore is our change most happie that by the paine of a short life auoide the misery of an eternall death and deserue the vnspeakeable happinesse of the life euerlasting For this cause saith Saint Iames Thinke you it all ioy my brethren when you shall fall into diuerse temptations knowing that the triall of your faith worketh patience and patience hath a perfect worke that you may be perfect and entire failing in nothing The third Consideration Of the watchfulnesse and attention required in the care of our soule SEeing this waightie affaire of our soules health is hemmed in and beset with so manifest perils and troubles it standeth vs vpon most watchfully to take heede to euery thought word and deed that passeth lest through the number and subtilties of enemies traines we be often entrapped for it is hard to touch pitch and not be defiled to liue in flesh a spirituall life to conuerse in the world without worldly affections Wherefore as a Legate that is to deliuer his embassage before a great presence of Peeres and Nobles hath not onely regard to his matter but also to his words voyee and actions that all be sutable to his message so we hauing to worke this exploit of our soule before God and all the court of heauen and also before the eyes of those that lay waite to take vs in any trippe ought to be very warie euen in our least thoughts and deeds for feare lest we offend the presence of God and giue occasion of triumph and victorie vnto our deadly foes And for this saith the Scripture Keepe thy selfe very watchfully Secondly to attaine this diligent and attentiue care in all our actions let vs consider what men vse to do that carry great treasure by places haunted with theeues how warily they looke to their way how often they turne about them how many times they prepare themselues sometimes to fight and other whiles to runne away Likewise how warily he walketh and how carefull he is neuer to stumble nor fall that carieth in each hand a thinne glasse of precious liquour through stony and rough places and when we haue marked these mens carefulnesse in these inferior matters let vs remember that much more respect is necessarie in vs whose treasure is more precious then any worldly iewels and yet do we carrie it in earthen and fraile vessels in the middest of so many theeues as there are passions and disordered appetites in vs as there are Diuels in waite for vs and as there are stumbling stones and occasions of sinne set round about vs to procure this attention the most effectuall helpes are these First to thinke how carefull we should be to do all things well if this present day were the last that euer we should liue in this world as peraduenture it may be and that at the end thereof we were to be conuented before a most seuere and rigorous Iudge who according to the desert of that dayes actions should passe the sentence of life or death vpon vs. Secondly to remember that God is in his owne substance power and true presence in euery place and seeth both our outward and inward actions more then we our selues and therefore let vs seeke in euery thing so to behaue our selues that we feare not to haue God a witnesse and beholder of all that we do thinke or say and let vs aske him grace to do nothing vnworthie his fight Thirdly we must consider the carelesnesse of our life past remembring how often we haue fought against God with his owne weapons and abused the force that he hath affoorded in euery part of our body and minde and therefore as Saint Paul warneth As we haue exhibited our members to serue vncleannesse and iniquitie so let vs now exhibite our members to serue iustice vnto sanctification Fourthly to procure this attention it is good oftentimes in the day when we ate about our ordinary actions to vse godly prayers and some verses out of the Psalmes with petition vnto God for his grace aide and assistance for such godly exercises are fewell of deuotion causes of attention foode of the soule preparatiues against temptations and assured helpes to attaine any vertues Therefore it is good to vse them in lieu of sightes and in the beginning of euery chiefe action directing therein our intention and action to Gods glory and seruice and our owne foules good health and fafetie The last Consideration Of the necessitie of perseuerance in continuing watchfull ouer our selues FIrst seeing the summe and complement of all vertue consisteth in the continuance and progresse of it perseuerance of all other things is most necessarie in this businesse to the better attaining whereof these considerations may preuaile First to consider by whose instinct and motion I beganne to take speciall care of my soule and I shall finde that being a thing contrary to the inclination of flesh and bloud and aboue the reach of nature to resolue vpon so painefull and warie a course in hope of a reward and ioy that faith doth promise that I say God onely and no other was the Authour and moouer of my heart vnto it and therefore vnlesse I meane directly to resist God and runne a contrary course to that which he prescribeth I must resolue my selfe to perseuer vnto the end in that which I haue happily begun Secondly the end of this enterprise was to serue God to bewaile my former sinnes and to worke by Gods helpe the saluation of mine owne soule and when I resolued vpon these meanes I was free from passion and as well able to chuse things conuenient as I could at any other time and wholly bent to do that thing which was for my greatest good Wherefore seeing I can neuer aime at a better end nor be in better plight to make a sounder choise my surest way is to perseuer still in my resolution to the end neuer altering my designment vnlesse it be to further my course Thirdly I must consider who is that that would make me forsake it for if God moued me vnto it doubtlesse it is the Diuell would moue me from it for God cannot be contrary to himselfe neither vseth he to alter our minds but onely from euill to good or from good to better therefore vnlesse I meane to yeeld willingly to the Diuell and to follow mine enemies counsell to mine owne perdition I must perseuer vnto the end for with what pretext soeuer the Diuell seeketh to couer his motion sure it is that his drift is to draw me from God and goodnesse and to damne my soule for how can he intend any thing for my good
Father grant me pardon of all my sinnes through the death of thy beloued Sonne Iesus Christ make me to please thee alone grant me to be thy gratefull sonne heire increase in me that iustice whatsoeuer which is giuen me and granted from heauen that I may continue and end my life in the same increase in me that faith which thou hast giuen me kindle my loue of thee and make it more apparent that by thy helpe and the presence of thy grace and the accomplishment of thy holy wil I may obtaine euerlasting life which thou hast promised vs to the end I may praise thee and giue thee thankes in thy kingdome for euer and euer Amen A Prayer to God the Sonne O Thou maker and redeemer of mankind Iesus Christ who saidest I am the way the truth and the life the way in doctrine precept and examples the truth in promises the life in reward I pray thee by thy vnspeakable charitie wherewith thou daignest to imploy thy selfe wholly for our saluation suffer me neuer to wander from thee who art the way neither euer to distrust in thy promises who art the truth and performest whatsoeuer thou doest promise neither to repose or relie on any other thing because thou art eternall life than which there is nothing more to be desired neither in heauen nor in earth By thee haue we learned the true and ready way to eternall saluation lest we should wander any longer in the Labyrinthes of this life Thou didst teach vs exactly how to beleeue what to do what to hope and in whom we ought to rest by thee we haue learned how vnhappie we were borne through our first father Adam by thee we haue learned that there is no hope of saluation except by faith in thee Thou hast taught vs that thou art the onely light that shinest to all men in the desart of this wolrd coÌ„ducting them through the night of their minds from the Egyptian darknesse to that blessed Land which thou promisest vnto the meeke and such as follow thy humility For in vs was nothing but vtter darknesse who neither could see our calamity neither know from whence to seeke the remedie of our misery thou daignedst to enter into the world vouchsafedst to take vpon thee our nature that thy doctrine might disperse the cloud of our ignorance that by thy precepts thou mightst direct our feete in the way of peace by the examples of thy life thou didst limit out a path for vs to immortality and beating it with thy steps thou madest it of a tedious and rough an easie and beaten way So becamest thou vnto vs a way that knoweth no errour in which lest we should be wearied thy bounty with great assured promises vouchsafed to assure vs for who could be wearied that thinketh how in following thy footsteps there is an heritage of eternall life prepared for him Therefore whilst we are in this iourney thou wouldest in stead of a staffe be an assured hope vnto vs whereby we might be sustained Neither was thy goodnesse coÌ„tented herewith but acknowledging the frailty of our natures in the meane space with the comfort of the holy Spirit thou repairest our courages to the end that we may more willingly run vnto thee And as thou being made a way vnto vs driuest away all errour so becoming our truth thou takest away al distrust Finally being made life vnto vs thou giuest heate vnto those that are dead in sinne a life through thy holy Spirit which quickeneth all things vntill all mortality laid aside in the resurrection we may alwaies liue with thee and in thee by reason that thou art vnto vs all in all things For it is eternall life to know the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost to be one true God Wherefore I beseech thee O most mercifull Father to increase faith in me who am thy vnworthie seruant lest at any time I wauer in thy celestiall doctrine increase obedience in me lest I swerue from thy precepts increase constancy that walking in thy waies I neither be allured by the inticements of Satan nor deiected by his terrors but that I may perseuere in thee who art rhe true way to my liues end Increase my faith that possessed of thy promises I may neuer waxe slow in the study of godlinesse but forgetting those things I haue left behind me I may alwaies striue and endeuour for more perfection Increase thy grace in me that daily more and more being mortified my selfe I may liue and be incouraged by thy holy Spirit fearing nothing but thee than whom there is nothing more amiable glorying in none but in thee who art the true glorie of all the Saints wishing nothing but thee than whom there is nothing better desiring nothing but thee who art full and perfect felicitie with the Father and the holy Ghost world without end Amen A prayer to God the holy Ghost HOly Spirit our Aduocate who on Whitsunday didst descend vpon thy Apostles filling their bosomes with charitie grace and wisedome I pray thee by that thy vnspeakable mercie and liberalitie that thou wilt vouchsafe to fill the secrets of my soule with thy grace and water my inward heart with the vnspeakable sweetnesse of thy loue Come holy Ghost from heauen send a beame of thy light Come thou Father of the poore come thou giuer of gifts come thou light of hearts come thou gracious comforter thou sweete guest of my soule my pleasant refresher Come thou Physition of those that faint come thou purger of eies come thou streÌ„gth of the fraile come thou remedie of sinnes come thou doctor of the humble come thou destroyer of the proud come thou excellent ornament of all vertues come thou onely saluation of the dying Come my God adorne a bed for thee in which I may worthily entertaine thee with all thy riches and mercies fill me with the gifts of thy wisdome illuminate me with the benefit of vnderstanding gouerne me with the gift of counsell confirme me with the gift of fortitude instruct me with the gift of science wound me with the gift of pietie and pierce my heart with the gift of thy holy feare O sweet louer of cleane hearts burne inflame all my bowels with the sweete fire of thy loue that being inflamed they may be carried rauished into thee who art the center and finall end of all my good ô sweete louer of â—oly soules since thou art not ignorant that I can do nothing of my selfe nor by my selfe stretch out thy fauorable hand ouer me grant that I may forsake my selfe flie vnto thee mortifie extinguish and dissolue in me whatsoeuer is displeasant vnto thee that in all things thou mayest conforme me vnto thy will that my life hereafter may be a perfect sacrifice in thy sight or rather an offering which may wholly be consumed in the fire of thy loue O who shall giue me the grace that I may at least attaine this chiefe good Looke vpon me ô Lord looke vpon me and see here this thy poore creature my soule sighing after thee day and night how she thirsteth after God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of thy grace When shall I enter into that admirable place of thy Tabernacle that I may attaine thâ— house of my God When wiâ—â— thou fill me with the light of thâ— countenance When shall I bâ— satiate with the presence of thy glory When shall I by thâ—â— meanes be deliuered from aâ—â— temptations and when shall ouercome this frailty of my moâ—talitie O eternall fountaine oâ— light bring me backe againe 〈◊〉 the Abysse of eternall goodnesse by whom I am created that â—ere I may know thee euen as I am knowne of thee and may so loue thee as I am loued by thee that I may see and enioy thee in the societie of all the elect euen as thou also hast seene me from euerlasting Amen FINIS