HYMNES, OR SACRED SONGS, wherein the right vse of Poësie may be espied.

Be Alexander Hume.

WHEREVNTO ARE ADDED, the experience of the Authors youth, and certaine precepts seruing to the practise of Sanctification.

The table followes in the next page.

Ephes. 5. 18. But be ful filled with the Spirit speaking vnto your selues in Psalmes, and Hymnes, and spirituall songs singing and making melodie to the Lord in your hearts.

EDINBVRGH,

Printed by Robert Walde-graue, Printer to the Kings Majestie. 1599. Cum privilegio regio.

The contents of this booke.

  • 1 The Authors Recantation.
  • 2 Of Gods benefits bestowed vpon man.
  • 3 A description of the day Estiuall.
  • 4 Consolation to his sorrowfull soule.
  • 5 Praise for deliuerie of the sick.
  • 6 Of gods omnipotencie.
  • 7 The triumph of the Lord after the maner of men, alluding to the defait of the Spanish Nauie, in the yeare 1588.
  • 8 The humiliation of a sinner.
  • 9 An Epistle to master GILBERT MONCREI [...] Mediciner to his Majestie, containing the experi­ence of the Authors youth.
  • 10 Christian precepts seruing to the practise of Sanctification.

TO THE FAITH­FVLL AND VERTVOVS Ladie, Elizabeth Mal-vill, Ladie Cum­rie, grace, mercie, and peace, from God the father, and from our Lord Iesus Christ.

WHEN I read that Epistle written by the Apostle Ioh [...], vnto an elect Lady (beloued in the Lord Iesus) I cal to mind the Godly & elect Ladies in this our age, which with­in this country ar [...] knowne vnto mee. Of the which number I count you to be one, euen a Ladie chosen of God to bee one of his saincts, and the Godlie daughter of a faithfull father: forthe children of God have their owne marks. Therefore when I first perceaued the spiritual conference, the graue behauiour, the feruent zeàle, and the great sense of naturall corruption, with the strang resistance of the same that was in you: I thinke them as infallible signes of Sanctification: Let no man suspect me of flatterie, for I speake not after the flesh. N [...] ­ther feare I (Sister) that this my commendation puff you vp: for where the spirit of Iesus dwelles, there is humility: But rather that thereby ye shal be stirred vp & incou [...]ag­ed to perseuere, and grow in Godlines. It is a rare thing [Page] to see a Ladie, a tender youth, sad, solitare, and sanctified, oft sighing & weeping through the conscience of sinne. Would to God that all the Ladies of this Land, especial­ly they of the greatest ranke, were of the like modest and godlie disposition: for the most part of them we see, to delite mair in couetousnes & in oppressiō of the puire for the intertainement of their pride, or else to spend their dayes in chambering, wantōnes, decking of their bodies in delicat feeding, and in satisfying their lustes, nor to haue ane incorrupt and holie hart, with a meik aud quiet spirit. Araying themselues in cumly apparel, with shame­fastnes and modestie, and with good workes, as the Apo­stles of Iesus Christ hath commanded them. 1. Tim. 2. 9. 1. Pet. 3. 3. Let such women remember that a day they shall appeare & giue a compt before the judgement seat of Christ, and shall receaue a rewarde in their bodies ac­cording to their workes. I would wish them to haue this weightie saying of the Apostle euer recent in memorie, as a dicton: Shee that liues in pleasure, is dead vvhile shee li­ueth. 1. Tim. 5. 6. But yee liue more in murmuring and in paine: Therefore yee shall rejoyce eternallie. Now to come to the point, hauing composed in my youth a few songes in verse to the glorie of God: seeing the custome of men is to dedicate their workes to their fauorites and patrones: Shall it not be lawfull to me also, after the ma­ner of men, to present vnto you (a faithfull and beloued Ladie) a part of my little labours? And sa meikle the ra­ther, because I know ye delite in poesie your selfe; and as I vnfainedly confes, excelles any of your sexe in that art, that euer I hard within this nation. I haue seene your compositiones so copious, so pregnant, so spirituall, that I doubt not but it is the gift of God in you. Finally, be­cause so little a worke as this is, requires a short epistle, I [Page] take my leaue, not doubting but my good meaning shall be fauorablie accepted. Continue (good Ladie & sister) in that Godlie course which ye haue begun: let nothing be done vpon ostentation. Loue your Husband: haue a modest care of your familie, and let your cheefe care be casten vpon the Lord Iesus, who will recompense vs at his comming. To God therefore the Father, & our Lord Iesus Christ, be all praise for euer, Amen. At Logie the 16. of Februarie. 1598.

Your brother in the Lord Iesus, Minister of the Evangell.

Alexander Hume

To the Scottish youth.

AS It is a thing verie customable vnto thee, O cu­rious youth, greatūly to delite in poesie, ather by playing the parte of a poet thy selfe, or by exerci­sing thy spirit in reading and proclaiming the compositions of other men: So is it as common to thy indiscreit age to make a chuse of that naugh­tie subiect of fleshly and vnlawfull loue. In such sort that in Prin­ces courts, in the houses of greate men, and at the assemblies of yong gentilmen and yong damesels, the cheife pastime is, to sing prophane sonnets, and vaine ballats of loue, or to rehearse some fabulos faits of Palmerine, Amadis, or other such like raueries & such as ather haue the art or vaine poetike, of force they must shew themselnes cunning followers of the dissolute ethnike poets, both in phrase and substance, or else they shall be had in no repu­tation. Alas for pittie! Is this the right vse of a Christians talent to incense the burning lustes of licentions persons by such euill ex amples and allurements? Art thon (O miserable man) well oc­cupied, that day & night busies thy braine to invent these things which may foster the filthie vice and corruption that naturallie is seased in the harts of all men? Was ii to this end, that thy mak­er sent thee in the world, to be an instrument of wickednes? or hes he giuen thee such gifts, and viuacitie of spirit, to be ex­ercised in vanitie, and prouoking others to vncleannes? knowes thou not that thou must render account of euerie idle word that proceedes out of thy mouth? And that thy vngodlie conuersa­tion banishes the spirit of GOD from thee? suffocats thy gude giftes, rottis thy conscience, and makis thy GOD to become ane Enemie against thee, What count thinkes thou to giue vnto the, [Page] iust and fearefull iudge of the world (who doubtles will craue it of thee, thou knowes not how suddainely) that hath employed thy time, and abused his good giftes after this manner? I think the cōsideration of it the more terrible, because sometime I delighted in such fantasies my selfe, after the maner of riotous young men: and vvere not the Lord in mercie pulled me a backe, & wrought a great repentance in me, I had doubtlesse run forward and em­ployed my time & studie in that prophane and vnprofitable ex­ercise, to my owne perdition. For vvhat seekes man by that kind▪ of studie? nothing but a name, but a vaine praise, and an vnde­serued commendation. Why shuld thou not then (aspiring youth) rather bestowe thy gude gifts to the right vse, to wit, to the glory of god, and to the weil of thy brethren? which thow sall do when by thy poesie or prose thow declares the mercie, the iustice, the power, the providence, the wisedome, the holines, the gudenes, or wondrous works of thy God vnto the world: Whereof thow may haue so large a field in the scriptures, that al thy pithie words, thy figures of Rhetoricke, thy subtile argumentes, thy skill in phy­sicke, metaphysicke, mathematicke, or morall philosophie, shal not be sufficient to expres the dignitie thereof. Would thou intreat of prodigious miracles? luke the bookes if Genesis and Exod, or the workes of our sauiour, of the Prophets and Apostles? Would thow haue a subiect of valiant deids of armes? read the buikes of Iosua and the Iudges. And of the Kings of Israel & Iudah? Wald thou haue store of wise sentences, read the Prouerbs, and Ecclesiastes? walde thou haue a subiect of loue? looke the song of songs, of the loue betuixt Christ and his kirk. Would thow reioyce, or lament praise or disprais; comfort, or threaten; pray, or vse imprecation Imitat the ald Hebrew Dauid in his Psalmes, as a paterne of all heavinly poesie. In a word, the high & holy mysteries, & felicitie of the life to come, conteined in the auld & new testament, may be a more noble and worthie subiect, vvhere vpon the hole cun­ning and Eloquence of mans loftie Spirite should be employed [Page] nor vpon these trifles, & sensuall villanies. But thou will perad­uenture say, that such a subiect is ouer graue, and that a light & merrie matter were more agreable to yong folks: I answere thee, that indeede vanitie and corruption are most agreeable to a cor­rupted nature: But let that mirrines wherein is sinne, be far from all good Christians. But if thou would meditate on this spirituall subiect, and exercise thy selfe in the Law of the Lord with conti­nuance, thou should with time alter thy fleshlie affectiones, and nourish thy spirituall gifts: In such sorte, that thou shal detest that which is sensuall and brutish, and delight in that which is holie and pleasant in the sight of the Lord, and by thy example shall sturre vp others to doe the like: Heirefore, I haue heere set downe before thee, a few spirituall songs, begun in my youth, and prose­cuted in my wraslings with the world, and the flesh, whereby thou may cleerely see what aboundance of good matter is offered, which the most parte of Poets foolishlie reiectes, and dedicates their hole studie to things moste vile and contemptible. Farther, I contemne not the moderate and trew commendation of the vertuous, & no­ble actes of good men: nor yet the extolling of liberall sciences: But thou hast notable examples in the French toong set foorth by Salust of Bartas. Onely thus much haue I written in rude Scot­tish and hask verses, to prouoke the more skilfull in that art to flee higher, and to encourage the meaner sort to follow. To the effect, that the spirits of men in all their actions may be applyed to the right end, euen to glorifie God, who must euer sanctifie & prosper the interprises of his owne. At Edinburgh the 9 day of de­cember. 1594.

Thy louing friend,

Alexander Hume

A Sonnet of Loue.

NOt lawfull loue, bot lecherie I lacke:
Not women wise, but witlesse I disdaine:
Not constant trueth, but tromperie I detract:
Not innocence, but insolence prophaine:
Not blessed bands, but secreite working vaine:
As Pyramus and Thisbe tuike on hand,
As Iason and Medea made their traine,
As Daemophon and foolish Phillis fand,
As Hercules at Iolëes command,
Which like a wife for loue sat downe to spin.
And finally all follie I gainstand,
Which may allure the heart to shame or sin:
Beware with vice, be not the cause of ill,
Sine speak, & sport, look, laugh, & loue your fill.

THE HYMNES, AND sacred songs, of Alexander Hume.

His Recantation. I.

ALace, how lang haue I delayed,
To leaue the laits of youth?
Alace, how oft haue I essayed,
To [...]aunt my lasciue mouth?
And make my vaine polluted thought.
My pen, and speach prophaine,
Extoll the Lord, quhilk made of nocht,
The heauen, the earth, and raine?
Skarse nature yet my face about,
Hir virile wob had spun,
Quhen als oft as Phoebea stout:
Was set agains the Sun:
Zea, als oft as the sterie flames,
Arise and shine abrod,
I minded was with sangs and Psalmes,
To glorifie my God.
Bot ay ye cancred carnall kind,
Quhilk lurked me within,
Seduced my hart, withdrew my mind,
And maid me sclaue to sin.
My sensis, and my saull I saw,
Dehait a deadly strife,
Into my flesh I felt a law,
Gainstand the law of life.
Euen as the falcon high, and hait,
Furth fléeing in the sky,
[Page 3]With wanton wings hir game to gai [...],
Disdaines her callers cry:
So led away with liberty,
And drowned in delight,
I wandred after vanitie,
My vice I giue the wight.
Bot (Lord) now from thy haly throne,
Bow downe thy luifing eye,
At last I mourne, I make my mone.
I turne my selfe to thie.
Oh: If this fragil flesh vncleane,
Had neuer had na lust,
Or that I had not formed bein,
Of filthie wormes and dust.
Ah: if I neuer had bin thrall,
To these infirmities,
Quhilk causes men so oft to fall,
In foolish fantasies:
Or had nocht had a sinfull hart
Ingraffed in my breast,
Quhilk makes me from my God depart,
Ilk houre of day at least.
Then shuld I haue from sin bin fr [...],
And neuer séene the graue:
Bot (Lord) be mercifull to me,
I knaw not what I craue.
Thy wonders are not wrought to please,
Mans foolish appetite,
Bot as séemes gud into thine eyes,
And for thine owne delite.
For to our wauering wit, thy warks,
Maist secreit are not shawin,
And to what end thy wisedome marks,
To catiues is vnknawin,
Euen things unpossible (think we)
Thy prouidence diuine,
[Page 4]Brings them to pas as pleaseth thée,
And all the praise is thine.
Bot suffering Lord to anger slaw,
[...]sal. 103. [...]
To mercie reddie bent,
Mair glad on sinners grace to shaw,
Nor thay are to repent:
That Zoar sa [...]'d for luife of Lot,
Gen. 19. 21
And cause of Godly men,
Wald haue remitted Sodoms spot,
And Gomorah for ten.
Gen, 18. 32.
That was to wraik in fortie dayes,
the men of Niniuie,
Ionah. 3. 4 [...]0.
Bot when they left their wicked waies,
Forgaue them fatherlie:
That did not from thée plaint thine eares,
Nor yet the vile dispise,
Iohn. [...]. 32, 12. 3. Math. 26. [...]o. 75.
Of Magdalene, nor Peters teares,
Quha thee denyed thrise.
Avert thy wraith, my saull reléeue,
Within my body bun,
My gréeuous sinnes of grace forgiue,
Throw Iesus Christ thy sun:
Thy halie sprit in me let rest,
To teach me what to craue,
For why? thy wisedome knawes far best,
Whereof I mister haue.
Grant that these instruments of shame.
Quhilks dayly do offend,
May serue and sanctifie thy name,
Unto my livis end.
Bot sen so lang as in the race,
Of mortall men I rin,
I cannot of my selfe, alace?
Abstaine fra vice and sin.
Zit neuer suffer me to fall,
So déepely in disdaine,
[Page 5]That there na farder hope at all,
Of mercie may remaine:
Or may be frustrate of the fude,
Whereof thy sain [...]s are sure,
Or of that blist beatitude,
Which euer sall endure.
Oh, let me not the merites lose,
Of my redéemer deare,
Bot when I waill with wéeping vos [...],
Lord, to my plaint giue eare.
Ye though I oft decline from thée,
And gréeuously doo fall,
Let Iesus bitter death ay be,
Ane recompense for all.
O mightie God? quhilk for thy gloir,
May animat the stains,
And make the sowking babes adore,
Psal. [...]. [...].
Thy maiestie atains:
That maid thy Prophets months reveill,
Thy mysteries grit to cum,
And did the tung inutile heill
Luk. 1. [...]4. 1. Sam. 16. 11. 12.
Of Zacharie that was dum.
That gaue thy seruant Dauid king,
A scepter for a staffe,
Syne made him sacred Psalmes to sing,
a hundreth and a halfe.
And thine Apostles preaching sweit,
With vertue did inspire,
And send them downe thy haly spreit,
Act, [...]. [...].
In clouen tungs of fire.
Lift vp mine hart, my lips disclose,
My tendered tung vntie,
Then sall my singing saull reioyce,
And flée aboue the skie:
Blis thou my work, be my support,
My teacher, and my guyde,
[Page 6]Then sall my mouth thy praise report,
Through all the world so wide,
Then sall my sacred pen delite,
Induring all my dayes,
Thy wondrous works in verse to write,
Fiue hundred diuers waies:
Euen on my iolie Lute, by night,
And trimling trible string,
I sall withall my minde and might,
Thy glorie gladlie sing.
Then they that sall thy puissance heir,
And tender clemencie,
Sall mooued be with lui [...]e and feare,
To praise and worship thée:
Zée when my spirit is past away,
Among the godlie gostes,
Yet sall the reader sigh, and say,
Blist be the Lord of hostes.

Of Gods benefites bestowed vpon man. II.

MY saull is reueist vp fra me, my reson is berest,
my sensis are astoneist all, my mind hir vse hes left,
My memorie is quite confusde, transported is mine hart,
My spreit is in ane extasie, as I were to depart:
When as the gratious gifts of God profoundly I perpend,
Beleifing ay to compas all, bot can not find ane end:
I maruel mair the mair I muse, the mair I knawledge craue,
Of hid and halie things, the mair my selfe I doo disceaue:
Maist like a man qu [...]ilk dois behald, the face of Phoebus bright,
And thinks throgh earnest luking lang, to perse it with his sight,
His optik beims trenspersis nocht, his ve wing is in vaine,
The fers reflex his dimmed sight, repousis back againe:
Sa when I cannot comprehend with weake & wauering thoght,
[Page 7] [...]or penetrat gods mightie warks, sa weill & wisely wrought,
I am compelled then to cry, O Lord, thy gifts are good,
My dull capacitie they pas, I am but flesh and bloud.
Great God, thy giftes are infinite, euen granted vnto man,
Whereof a part I sall recite, as truely as I can:
Exhause my prayer and thy praise, shaw me thy lifelie light,
Thy benefits, and bountie baith, that I may sing aright.
When Lucifer the Prince of pride, first interprised euill,
And from his happy hie estate, was changed in a devill,
Great was the number, and the fall of his vnhappie sect,
Quhilk fearefully from heauen to hell, the Lord he did deiect:
Their was na light of day as yet, nor shining beims so cleare,
The Moone yet in the firmament, nor sternis did nocht appeare,
Their was na earth to foster fruits, nor for the fishes seyes,
Na subtile fire, nor hailsome air, to flurish flowres or treis,
Nor finally, man was not made, na beast nor créeping thing,
Na skaillie fishes in the fluds, nor foull that flies on wing,
With pure immortall creatures clear, and sangs of Angels bright
The maiestie of God was praist, with louings loud on hight,
Bot yet his great beneficence, qubilk euer mair hes bein,
But mesor large and infinite, the heauens could not conteine,
Abundantly deborded all, and flowing heir, and there,
Maist plenticusly replenist all, extending euerie where,
Euen be his wisedome, and his word, sa wondrouslie of nocht,
Iohn, 1.
This machin round, this vniuers, this vther warld he wrocht:
He creat first the heauen, the earth, and all that is thairin,
Genes. [...].
The swelling seas, the fire, and aire, sine man deuoid of sinne.
Necessitie it mooued him nocht, nor hope of future gaine,
Sic passions falls not in the Lord, but in his sicht ar vaine:
Bot for his pleasure and his praise, his precepts to fulfill,
And last in peace for to possesse, his high and holy hill,
Genes. 2. 7. Geues 1. 26
A perfite comelie corps of man, he made of earthly dust,
The vther part like to himselfe, trew, holie, wise, and iust:
This lifely Image of the Lord, can not defaced be,
Na creature the creator knawis, nor worship can, but he:
In earth nane this character hes, saif onelie man him sell,
Quhilk maks him master ou'r the beasts, & ou'r the deuills in hell.
Luk. 9. [...]
[Page 8]Than in his deadlie visage wan, he braithed braith of life,
Gen. 2. 7▪ [...] 22.
And gaue him of a weaker sexe, to pleasour him a wise,
Twa liuing and Immortall sauls, he blissed with his grace,
Syne placed them in Paradise, a peerles pleasant place,
Cen. 1. [...],
Quhat sall I all the gifts recount, qubilk cannot numbred be▪
Mair nor the glistering sternes of heauen, or sands into the sea?
Quhilk with the Lord indued hes, baith Adam and his kinde▪
Sick beantie of the bodie rare, sick graces of the mind,
And for externall benefits, all things heare vnder heauen,
To pleasour, and to profit man, bes he not fréely gevin?
The gifts of the bo­die.
A séemely membred microcosme be number, and be waight,
Be measour, and proportion iuste, he maid erect and straight,
And euerie member maid to haue a certaine sympathie,
Amangs themselues, and with the heauens a decent harmonie,
Quhilks dois their office execute, maist promptlie but delay,
As Instruments and organis prest, thy will for to obay:
Sa sharp the senses they are all, intrinsick, and without,
That easely man may decerne of euerie darkesome doubt:
The eyes sa reddie are to sée, so bissie to behald,
With bemming blenks, & persing luiks what sa the fantasie wald
The eares erected ar to heir, and quicklie to conceaue
Ilk liuelie voice, Ilk speech, Ilk sound, & knawis then be the leaue
The smelling nostrels quick of sent, thay smell or they come neir
All odors, quhilks the eyen, nor eirs, can neither sée, nor heir.
Of euerie substance sapient, the sapor and the taist
If it be ather gude or bad, the mouth will try in haist.
The helping hands appointed ar to graip, to feill and tuitche,
And diligent in doing ar qubair euer thay may reitche,
The Lord hes placed pith and strength within the bains & nerfs,
Agilitie into the blude 'quhilk spilt the bodie sterfs.
The feit ar swift and members meit, for to susteine the rest,
And spedilie will pace and run quhair sa man likis best.
All this externall qualities, and graces corporell,
Albeit they be batth great and gude, zit vthers dois excell,
How far the pure immortall saull in substance dois surpas,
The mortall, caduck, carnall corps (a lowrd and brukill mas:)
Als far the functions of the saull surmounts the bodyis micht,
[Page 9]The puissance, and perfection baith, the science, and the slight,
For all these actions lodge in man, dois from the saull proceid:
Quhilk once dissolued fra the corps, the bodie is but deid.
Euen as the fire dois animat, and poussis in the air,
A weightie & materiall ball, rebounding here and thair,
Bot when the flames extinguisht are, downe fals the machin round
Sa when the actiue saull is gain, the bodie goes to ground.
The gift of the minde.
The mightie God he gaue to man, a swift and agile thought,
Quhilk like a foull vp through the skies, from earth to hevin hes sought,
A strong imagination [...]ixt, ilk figure to consaue,
A quick revoluing reasone rype to rewle all the laue,
A memorie for to conserue, quhilk like a the saure déepe,
All things conceaued in the heart, dois weill retaine and kéepe.
I wonder at the wit of man, whome God hes made so wise,
That all things spéedefull for his vse, he promplie can deuise,
That can the present time obserue, and call to mind the past,
Confer and prudently espy, the future cumming fast.
The naturall course and causes all, of euerie thing he knawes,
What moues the mighty thunderclaps, & windie tempests blaws
What maks the feareful flauches of fire, & lightnings in the skies
And why the shill and fréesing frosts, the waters déepe vpdryes,
And how the hard congealed yce, dissolued is againe,
What forms the haile, the stormy snawes, & sounding showres of rain,
Why thik infectiue mists sa marke, ore hails the earth and air,
And why the silver drops of dew, down fals in wedder fair,
Why oft the earth, quhilk of it selfe, is stable, firme, and steif,
With trimling and with awfull quaiks, in twa is like to cleif,
Why many diuers he wes appeirs, into the heauenly bow,
And why the caging Ocean seas, dois onely fleit and flow,
Why Sodainely the Sun by day, is priuate of his light,
And why the shining Moone at full, indures eclipse by night,
Why monethly the Moone renewes hir hew, and hornes so paill,
Why monethlie hir fowie face is round, & lightned haill,
Why whylome in the firmament, strange tailed sterns appeiris,
Why whilome sindrie shaps of beasts, and flaming strie speiris:
He knawes the restles course and race of all the planets seauen,
[Page 10]The influence and order great, of all the hoste of heauen:
The forme and fabrik of the earth, and ample vniuers,
He knawes the force of euerie flower, of euerie plant and gers,
The vertue of all kinde of fruits, and euerie vegetal,
The properties of precious stanes. and mettals mineral,
He knawes the strange instinctions all, of everie brutall beast:
Of fishes and of flichtring fouls, and reptils which are least,
The rauenous and the raskall rout, wilde, venimous, & tame,
The hideous monsters meruellous man knaws them be their name:
And to be short, he knowes him selfe, & his originall,
That he mon die, and after death the heauen inherit sall.
The Lord hes be his word, his will reveild vnto his awin,
And made his counsaile, & his court to mankinde clearly knawne,
He Adame lent a libre will to follow what he list,
And with his holy spirit, and grace his chosen dois assist:
Man hes a fragrant freshe ingyne all science to invent,
A faire and flowing facund tung, till vtter his intent,
And all are giftes, and graces great which with the liuing Lord,
But meriting a mortall man diuinely hes decord.
I long to loue thy larges (Lord) and prudent prouidence,
But now [...]f force I mon procéede, Lord prosper my pretence.
How worthie are the sonns of men, and Adams catiue kinde,
That thou (great God) should them regarde, or haue so much in mind,
Such thing is fantasie to frame, & pansing vain procures
For what is all the vnivers, and liuing creatures?
All nathing worthie of themselues, but as thou list of loue,
With graces them to dignifie, and highly to promove:
Man is a wark which thou hes made, sa is the sunne and moone,
Thou hes him plac'd aboue the rest, thy holie willbe done.
With earthlie pleasures manifold, man compast is about,
Externall benefites Deut 28. [...].
He pleased is in comming in, and glad in going out,
Ilk beautifull and pleasant sight, he pleasure hes to see,
In hearing hes he not delite all kinde of facetie,
Ilk symphonie and séemely sound is pleasant to his eir,
Trew sapience and science baith, his hart delits to leir,
In smelling euerie savour swéete he pleasour hes perfite,
[Page 11]In taisting euerie daintie dish, he dayly hes delite,
To reason he reioysing hes, to learne, to teache, and talke,
He recreation takis to read, to run, to ride, and walke,
By nicht to ly and softly sléepe, to rest and to repose,
His helper to behald and treit he suirly may reiose,
And as the Lord hes institute to kiss hir pleasant face,
Ane propagation for to make, in loue hir to imbrace.
The ioy, the welth, the mirth of man & pleasour to compleit,
Psal. [...]. 5. [...]. Gen. 1 2 [...].
All things beneth the voult of heuin ar sterned vnder feit,
He is maist like ane God on earth, for God he gaue him charge
Ou'r euerie bald and brutall beast, that feids in forrests large,
ou'r euerie [...]ing feathered fowle that swif [...]st is of slight,
Ou'r euerie swimming finned fish with shyning scales sa bright:
our euerie litil creiping thing, or vther animant,
That in the sea, the fire, or air, or on the earth dois haunt:
the fiers and hardy Elephant, the horsses swift and strang.
as brutalls braue and bellicose, the battles from amang,
From dangers they his bodie beir, or quhair he list to passe,
The Camell bears his charges great, the Mule and simple Asse,
the busie beufs, laborious beasts they teill the fertile ground,
Least man with wearines, and wark in bondage suld be bound:
all venneson, and vther wilde they serue him at his neid,
The scheip, the nolt, & naughtie wormes they do him cleith & feid
the little friand fish in flude, and dentie volatil,
Quhilks shedds the waters, & the winds, he traps them at his wil
Baith cruell and abased beasts that hants in banks and bewis,
In denns, deserts, or cauerns deip, for pastime he persewis.
Not onely ou'r the beasts on earth mans power dois extend,
Math. 10. 11 Luk. 9. 1.
But ou'r the Dragon, beast of beasts, a subtile serpent kend,
Above the deuill his deidlie fa, and frowart suries fell,
God gaue him might and moyen baith be force them to expell,
For thocht that enemie fell and fierce the state of man invyis,
And aye in wait him to deuore maist like a Lyon lyis:
Yet all the fellon feinds of hell that trimble fast for feare,
And stoups when as the awfull curs, & dreadful dume they heare,
Pronounced by the mouth of man, against that bailfull band,
[Page 12]The rebels nather dow, nor dare the word of God gain-stand,
The secreits of religious rites, the sacred sacraments,
The blist Evangell maist of all, the tormentors torments.
But now flie far away, fra me ye cursed cateifs all,
The wark of mans [...]dempti­on.
Increduils hence ga hide you hie, the cluds are like to fall:
A mysterie high and halie baith, I sing without delay,
Ye misbeléeuers bide abacke, flie (fugitiues) away.
My lips delights not now in lies, vaine fictions I refuse,
The booke of God sall be my guide, the holie ghaist my muse.
When subtile Sathan had deceaued, the tragile femall Eue,
Gen. 3. 6. 19. 23.
Who made the sinles man consent, defended fruict to preue,
Till e it against the Lords commaund, and gréeuouslie offend,
He banisht was from blis to baill, to hell and death but end:
The Lord of mercie mesourles, man to redéeme againe,
[...]ohn. 1.
From Sathan sin, and second death, from hell and endles paine:
Downe sent the word, which with himselfe had coeternall bein,
In essence with the father God, and deitie diuine,
Which was before beginnings all, or times were yet begon,
Begotten of the father God, and called is his Son,
Be whom al kind of things were made, within the machin roun [...]
The onely Son of God (I say) descended downe to ground,
And for the foule offence of man, the father thought it good,
Be vertue of the holie gaist, to make him flesh and blood.
Sa great a wonder was not heard, sen first the warld began,
The onely sonne of God to be, both verie God and man,
Euen of a virgin to be borne, to suffer death and shame,
The sacrifice for manly sin, Christ Iesus is his name,
Which on the third day after death, arase foorth of the graue,
And gloriously past vp to heauen, the séede of man to saue,
Where at the right and holy hand, of God [...]mnipotent,
He intercessor sits for sick, as truely shall repent,
Quhilk puts their hope into his death, and praises God therfore,
They shall receaue eternall life, and crowned be with glore:
All graces he will giue to sick, as dois him feare and serue,
And all without desert, for what can wormes and dust deser [...]?
Na nathing (Lord) bot all proceids, and flowed first from thée.
[Page 13]O mortels: sen we merit not, yet let vs thankfull be,
Acknowledge what societie sure, it pleaseth God to haue,
With all the humaine kinde and how, he loues it by the laue:
For men on earth the marke of God, & Image bright he beares,
And Christ in heuen the nature weak, of man be waild & weares,
Christ vanquisht death, the devill & hell, & hes supprest their heid,
He surely is the sauiour swéete, of sinfull Adams seid.
Lord, lose not thy redéemed flock, Christs death were then in vain
Bot let thy fauour and thy grace, with mortals ay remain:
And thou (O man) with all the gifts, where with thou art indued,
Extoll the Lord, let ay his praise, and glorie be renewed,
Thy domicile and dwelling place, Christ Iesus hes prepard
Aboue, quhilk blis but end salbe thy last and best reward,
The word and couenant of the Lord, his promisses are sure,
Mans ioy and mercies of the Lord, for euer shall indure.
But now my lips, and thou my Lute ming melodie amang
Againe vnto the mightie God, go sing a newar sang,

Of the day Estivall. III.

O Perfite light, quhilk schaid away,
The darkenes from the light,
Gen. 1. 4. 16,
And set a ruler ou'r the day,
Ane vther ou'r the night.
Thy glo [...]ie when the day foorth flies,
Mair viuely dois appeare,
Nor at midday vnto our eyes.
The shining Sun is cleare.
The cre­puscule mantutni [...]
The shaddow of the earth anon,
Remooues and drawes by,
Sine in the East, when it is gon,
Appeares a clearer sky.
Quhilk Sunne perceaues the little larks,
The lapwing and the snyp,
And tunes their sangs like natures clarks,
[Page 14]Ou'r midow, mure, and stryp.
Bot euerie bais'd nocturnall beast,
Na langer may abide,
They hy away baith maist and least,
Them selues in house to hide.
They dread the day fra thay it see,
And from the sight of men.
To saits, and couars fast they flée,
And Lyons to their ven.
Oure Hemisphere is poleist clein,
And lightened more and more,
While euerie thing be clearely sein,
Quhilk seemed dim before.
Except the glistering astres bright,
Which all the night were cleere,
Offusked with a greater light,
Na langer dois appeare.
The golden globe incontinent,
A descrip­tion of the morning.
Sets vp his shining head,
And eu'r the earth and firmament,
Displayes his beims abread.
For ioy the birds with boulden throts,
Agains his visage shein,
Takes vp their kindelie musicke nots.
In woods and gardens grein.
Up braids the carefull husbandman,
His cornes, and vines to see,
And euerie tymous artisan.
In buith worke busilie.
The pastor quits the slouthfull sleepe.
And passis forth with speede,
His little camow-nosed sheepe,
And rowtting kie to [...]eede.
The passenger from perrels sure.
Gangs gladly foorth the way:
Breife, everie liuing creature,
[Page 15]Takes comfort of the day,
The subtile mottie rayons light,
At rifts thay are in wonne,
The glansing thains, and vitre bright,
Resplends against the sunne.
The dew vpon the tender crops,
Lyke pearles white and round,
Or like to melted silver drops,
Refreshes all the ground.
The mystie rocke, the clouds of raine,
From tops of mountaines skails,
Cleare are the highest hils and plaine,
The vapors takes the vails,
Be garied is the saphire pend,
With spraings of skarlet hew,
And preciously from end till end,
Damasked white and blew,
The ample heauen of fabrik sure,
In cleannes dois surpas,
The chrystall and the siluerpure,
Or clearest poleist glas.
The time sa tranquill is and still.
That na where sall ye find,
Saife on ane high, and barren hill,
Ane aire of péeping wind.
All trées and simples great and small,
That balmie leise do beir,
Nor thay were painted on a wall,
Na mair they mone or steir.
Calme is the déepe, and purpour se,
Yée smuther nor the sand,
The wals that woltring wont to be,
Are stable like the land.
Sa silent is the cessile air,
That euery cry and call,
The hils, and dails, and forrest fair,
[Page 16]Againe repeates them all.
The riuers fresh, the callor streames,
Ou'r rockes can softlie rin,
The water cleare like chrystall seames,
And makes a pleasant [...]in.
The fields, and earthly superfice,
With verdure gréene is spread,
And naturallie but artifice,
In partie coulors cled.
The flurishes and fragrant flowres,
Throw Phoebus fostring heit,
Refresht with dew and siluer showres,
Casts vp ane odor swett.
The clogged busie bumming beis,
That neuer thinks to drowne,
On flowers and flourishes of treis,
Collects their liquor browne.
A descripri on of the midday.
The Sunne maist like a spéedie post.
With ardent course ascends,
The beautie of the heauenly host,
Up to our Zenith tends.
Nocht guided be na Phaeton,
Nor trained in a chyre,
Bot he the high and haly on,
Quhilk dois all where impire.
The burning beims downe from his face,
Sa fervently can beat:
That man and beast now séekes a place
To saue them fra the heat.
The brethles flacks drawes to the shade.
And frechure of their [...]ald,
The startling nolt as they were made,
Runnes to the rivers cald.
The heards beneath some leaffie trie,
[Page 17]Amids the flowers they lie,
The stabill ships vpon the sey,
Tends vp theirsails to drie.
The hart, the hynd, and fallow deare,
Are tapisht at their rest,
The foules and birdes that made thée beare,
Prepares their prettie nest.
The rayons dures descending downe,
All kin [...]lis in a gleid,
In cittie nor in borrough stowne,
May nane set foorth their heid.
Back from the blew paymented whun,
And from ilk plaister wall:
The hote reflexing of the sun,
Inflams the aire and all.
The labowrers that timellie rai [...]
All wearie saint and weake:
For heate downe to their houses gaise,
Noone-meate and sléepe to take.
The callowr wine in caue is sought,
Mens brothing breists to cule:
The water cald and cleare is brought,
And sallets steipt in vle.
Sume plucks the honie plowm and peare,
The cherrie and the pesche,
Sume likes the rime, and London beare,
The bodie to refresh,
Forth of their [...]keeps some raging bées,
Lyes out and will not cast,
Some vther swarmes hyves on the trées,
In knots togidder fast.
The corbeis, and the kekling kais,
May scarce the heate abide,
[Page 81]Halks prunzeis on the sunnie brais,
And wedders back, and side.
With gilted eyes and open wings,
The cock his courage shawes,
With claps of ioy his breast he dings,
And twentie times he crawes.
The dow with whisling wings sa blew,
The winds can fast collect,
Hir pourpour pennes turnes mony hew,
Against the sunne direct.
Now noone is went, gaine is mid-day,
A descripti on of the euening.
The heat dois slake at last,
The sunne descends downe west away,
Fra thrée of clock be past.
A little cule of braithing wind,
Now softly can arise,
The warks throw heate that lay behind,
Now men may enterprise.
Furth fairis the flocks to séeke their fude,
On euerie hill and plaine,
Quhilk labourer as he thinks gude,
Steppes to his turne againe.
The rayons of the Sunne we sée,
Diminish in their strength,
The schad of euerie towre and trée,
Extended is in length.
Great is the calme for euerie quhair,
The wind is sitten downe,
The reik thrawes right vp in the air,
From everie towre and towne.
Their firdoning the bony birds,
In banks they do begin,
With pipes of reides the iolie hirds,
[Page 19]Halds vp the mirrie din.
The Maveis and the Philomeen,
The Stirling whissilles lowd,
The Cuschetts on the branches gréen,
The ere▪ puscule ve [...]pertine▪
Full quietly they crowd.
The gloming comes the day is spent,
The Sun goes out of sight,
And painted is the occioent,
With pourpour sanguine bright.
The Skarlet nor the golden threid,
Who would their beawtie trie,
Are nathing like the colour reid,
And beautie of the sky.
Our West Horizon circuler,
Fra time the Sunne be set,
Is all with rubies (as it wer)
Or Rosis reid ou'rfret.
What pleasour were to walke and sée,
Endlang a riuer cleare,
The perfite forme of euerie trée,
Within the déepe appeare?
The Salmon cut of cruifs and creils,
Up hailed into skowts,
The bels, and circles on the weills,
Throw lowpping of the trouts.
O: then it were a séemely thing,
While all is still and calme,
The praise of God to play and sing,
With cornet and with shalme.
Bot now the birds with mony schout,
Cals vt [...]er be their name,
Ga Billie turne our gude about,
Now time is to go [...]ame.
[Page 20]With bellie fow the beatres beliue,
Are turned fra the corne,
Quhilk soberly they hameward driur,
With pipe and lilting horne.
Throw all the land great is the gild,
Of rustik folk that crie,
Of bleiting shéepe fra they be fild,
Of calues and rowting ky.
All labourers drawes haue at even,
And can till vther say,
Thankes to the gracious God of heauen,
Quhilk send this summer day.

To his sorrowfull saull, conso­ lation. IIII.

Jmmortall Spirit, my best, maist perfite parte,
Why dois thou thus thy selfe consume with caire?
O noble chieftain of my manly harte,
Why art thou thus with thought ou'r-set sa saire?
Why is thy gréefe augmented mair and mair?
Why art thou sad, and sorrie to the dead?
Why art thou almaist drowned in deepe dispaire,
And comfort nane can finde, nor na remeid:
Heare in the flesh thou taistis the paines of hell,
Thou vthers helps (my saull) now cure thy sell.
My hart is faint, my flesh consumes away,
Within my vaines the bloud is skant and cald,
My bains thy bow, my strength dois cleane decay,
My haires are schyre and gray, yer I be ald,
My march it melts, my febill limbs thy fauld,
My skin is drie, my hide hes lost the hew,
My force it faillis to do the thing I wald,
My bewtie faids, my face is paill and blew,
[Page 21]My sight is dim, for sunken ar mine eies
How in my head, and all throw thy diseis.
Into this lyfe thow knawis their is na rest,
But daylie paine, inconstancie and grief,
For quhen thow alwayis vois attend the best,
Perchance sall come the greatest new mischief:
Thow knawis thy stay, and onely trew rel [...]efe,
Quhair thou in thrall hes comfort fund before,
Imbrace thy God with prayer and beleife,
And in the end thow sall triumph with glore:
Beware, and wise thy fa [...]s the nocht be gile,
Losse not thy right for suffring heare a quhile.
Thow hes not yet bein threttie yeirs and ane,
Into this fleshlie prison resident,
And lo the halfe néereby the space is gane,
Quhilk to remaine héere nature hes thée lent,
Yée natures course the Lord he will prevent,
And call thee ham [...], if that he thinke it good:
Or if he length this life, hald thée content,
And be commander of the flesh and blood:
While thou art heart (my saull) see thou contend,
This point of time in worthie warks to spend.
Though thou a stranger be, and thinks great lang,
Anone thou sall pas to thy natiue land,
The hiest iudge he will reuenge thy wrang,
His sentence sure the earth can nocht gainstand,
The day is neare, the hour it is at hand,
The mightie God will come without delay,
Deliuer sall his awin afflicted band,
And from thine eyes sall wipe the teares away:
Hope and reioise, for in the midds of strife,
[...]eu. [...]. [...].
Thou sall be sure of comforte in this life.
And in the ende when death would thée devore,
Hir mortall stang sall nocht take halde on thée,
Bot be hir meanes she sall the quite restore,
[Page 22]Unto thine awin eternall libertie,
With little paine thou sall dissolued be,
Furth of the bands of flesh where thou art bound,
Sine like a foull aloft sall swiftlie flie,
And leaue the bodie breathles on the ground:
With agile wings thou sall transcend the sky,
In sepulchree the corps sall sleiping ly.
The angels sall with singing thee convoy,
Throw aire and fire vp to the heauens sa bright,
Where thou sall dwell in blis and perfite ioy,
With happie sauls and messengers of light,
Frée from the thoughts and sorrowes of the night,
Uoide of all care, calamitie and feare,
For of the Lord thou sall inioy the sight,
In whome all grace, and pleasour sall appeare.
With Christ thy head thou happie sall remaine,
1. Thes. 4. 14.
To iudge the dead, while he returne againe.
O happie death to life the readie way,
The ende of greefe, and salue of sorrowes all,
O pleasant sleepe thy paines they are bot play:
Thy coup is swéete, although it taste of gall,
Thou brings the bound, and wretched out of thrall,
Within the port sure from the stormie blast,
For after death na mischiefe may befall,
Bot wo, wan-chance, and perrels all are past,
Of kindely death nane suld affraied be,
Bot sick as hope for na felicitie.
The day sall come when all the planets seauen,
Mat. 24.
Sall lose their light, and mightie influence,
The glistering starnis, and powers of the heauen,
Their force sall faile, and haill magnificence,
The saincts of God sall suffer violence,
The common course of mortall things sall stay,
The liuely word sall get na audience,
For pittie, loue, and lawtie sall decay:
Then sall the Sonne of man be sene descend,
[Page 23]Quhilk to all things sall put a finall ende.
It sall be then as in the dayes of Noy,
When mortall men continued in their sin,
Mat. 24▪ 1 [...]
They builde, they wed, thay [...]rinke, they liue [...] ioy,
Into the arke while godlie Noy went in:
Yet feare sall fall to heare the awfull din,
To sée the ende and suddaine change of all,
The giltie minds avaisedly sall rin,
And wish the hils for feare on them to fall,
Bot vppright men shall clearelie vnderstand,
Their sure releefe, and comforte is at hand.
The heauens aboue with noise shall passe away,
2. Pet. [...]. [...]
And be dissolued with hett consuming fire,
The elements sicklike that latter day,
Shall melt with heat and tyne their faire attire,
The sea and earth, and all this haile impire,
Sall be brunt vp, and euerie thing shall burne,
Contain'd theirin, flesh, bodie, bain, and lyre,
Man maid of ashe to ashes sall returne:
Bot God the Lord, whose promissis are trew,
For heauen and earth hes height vs vthers new.
Isa 65 17 66. 22. Reu. 21▪ 1 [...]
Who can devise? or yet he words expres?
What hart can think? or high ingine invent?
The maiestie the perfite holines,
The glorie great, the beautie excellent,
The shining light, the heauenly ornament,
The day, the way, or yet th'appointed place,
Of Christs d [...]scense, downe throw the firmament,
Psal. 110. 1. 1. Cor. 15. 25
When all his foes shall fall before his face?
No (Lord) our wit na higher can atteine,
Nor be thy word is set before our eine.
As fierie flauches with suddaine thundring thuds,
Mat 24, 27
And glansing gleims, shines all the world throughout:
Sa sall the Lord appeare into the cluds,
1. Thes. 4. 16. Mat. 24. 3 [...]
With leaming light, and with a suddaine shout,
The angels cleare shall compas him about,
[Page 24]With mightie sound the trumpets blast sall blaw,
The dead sall heare, and rise all in a rout,
And all that sléepe in Christ sall thether draw:
1. Cor▪ 15. 23. O [...]id. 1. M [...]amor. fab, 7. 1. Cor. 15. [...]5.
Then thow (my saull) this body sall resume,
To méet the Lord and sée the day of dume.
Sum sayis that Pyrrha women made of stains,
Aud men were formed be Deucalion.
But certainely of deid corrupted bains:
A livelie corps that day sall rise anone,
Yea be the word, and wark of God alone,
As kindly corne cummes of the rottin seid,
Or flowres reverts that withered were and gon:
Sa sall all flesh reu [...]ue that taisted deid,
Be sea or land, sen first the warld began:
This may the Lord, quhilk of dust creat man.
[...]. Thes. 4. 15. 1 [...].
Quhen all the dead obeyed hes the blast,
And clad themselues with immortalitie,
Then sall proceid the liuing at the last,
Quhilks sall not sleip, nor yet dissolued be,
But in ane clap and twinkling of ane ey [...],
1. Cor. 15▪ 51. 52. 53.
They sall be chang'd, and all transformed new,
An substance pure, apt for eternitie,
Cleane, incorrupt, and of ane heauenly hew:
Swa baith the quick and dead sall them prepare.
Syne mount and meit Christ Iesus in the air.
The iudge maist Iust with iustice sall proceid,
[...]. Thes. 4. 17.
Quhair na defence, nor cautele, sall availl,
Na butie, blude, nor riches sall remeid,
But welth and wit, friends, force, and all sall faill:
Quhen all the warld sal be convened haill,
Before the throne, that feirfull sight to se,
His a win elect the Lord sall then out-waill,
Ma [...]. 25. 31
At his right hand quhilks sall all planted be.
Then sall he say: Cum haue your right reward,
My blessed flock quhilk was for you prepard.
But at the left, and on the vther hand,
[Page 25]In qua [...]king dread, in miserie and wo,
The [...] troup of climinals sall stand,
To whome the dume sall be pronounced so:
Mat. 25. 41
O ye accu [...]st into the hels ye go:
For vglie devils a iust prepared [...]yre,
Ye knew me not, therefore I know ye no,
Pas to be cast in euerlasting fire:
In dying death ye wéeping sall remaine,
And gnashing téeth, into the endles pai [...]e.
O tyrants proud, O stinking wormes and dust,
O infidels and libertines prophain,
Ye obstinate and Iudges maist vniust,
Remord ye nocht to heare this speiking plain?
Or think y [...] not that Christ shall cum again,
Though for a time he patiently you spair?
O brutall beists, your thoghts are false & vain,
Your punishment it is reserued thair:
Watch and b [...]ware the dyet is vnkend,
Mat. [...]4. 36
Stoup & repent while ye haue grace to mend.
Then thou my saull with great triumph and glore,
With saincts assembled on the vther side▪
Sall take the corps quhair thou was first before,
Unto the high and holie cietie wide,
With melodie we sall all thither glide,
Sing and reioyce even as the Lord hes said,
Into that blis and lasting life to bide,
Prepaird for vs before the earth was laid:
So when the Sun [...]es finisht everie thing.
To God maist high he sall re [...]it the ringe.
Bot now my hart within my bowdin breist
I feill reuert and wondrously reveif,
My saull siklike hir sorrowing she hes ceist,
And of my sang a perfite Ioy can preif:
The life to come so firmely I beléeue,
That though all flesh to death were redy boun
I should be sure the Lord wald me releeue,
[Page 26]Thought all the warld were turned vp-side downe:
Lord, hallowed be thy holy name diuine,
For power, praise, the reigne, and all is thine.

Thankes for deliverance of the sicke. V.

Q [...]hy dois my silent tung repose, and hald her peace?
Quhy dois my voice, the worthie praise of God, from singing cease?
My [...]outhfull lips that suld pronounce, ar closed night and day.
My mouth is sealed vp as though▪ I had nathing to say,
Behald with mony holocaust, and vndeserued glore,
The pagane blinde his mightles God, and idole dois adore:
The altar with the blude of beasts, is sprinkled be t [...]e Iew,
He makis a smuike, and smelling sweet for payment of his vow.
And suld not I, an impe of Christ, rede [...]ed from my sinne,
Ane sacrifice of thankes present: But quhair sall I begin:
For quhy? our God in all respects, is infinite perfite,
Yea, more diuine nor Man can think, conceiue or yet indite,
All gude, all iust, all wise and trew, all mercifull, and kinde,
Almightie, strang, and liberall, all prouident in minde.
Yet as I haight, so sall I hald, to magnifie the Lord,
Quhilk h [...]s the pyning patient, againe to health restord.
The wonderfull and diuers meanes can not be fullie shawin▪
Quhairby the Lord the wicked wraikes & conquisis his a win:
Be w [...]ire, be want, be losse of freinds, be greeuous thought and care,
Be seruitude, be lang exile, [...]e sicknes sharpe and sare.
The Monarch great, the tirant proud, the liuer insolent,
Quhen [...]e the mightie hand of God, as air dis [...]ase is sent,
For all their force ano [...]e they faint, they ar deiected law,
From all societie and game, themselues they do withdraw:
Maist like the Deare quhilk wonted is, with gun, or deadly dart,
Flies from the heard to sum desert, quhair he may lie apart:
[...]ust, luxurie, [...] deintie fair, they raik not by a leik,
Na mi [...]th nor earthlie vanitie, [...] pleasant to the seik.
[Page 27]Quha wald not in his heauie plight, and cruell pining paine,
All worldly wealth and glore r [...]nunce, to haue his health againe?
The bew [...]full wald lose his hew, the strang wald quite his strength.
The rich his store his threasor great, and [...]ertile lands of length:
The burning maist ambitious breist, wald quite his noble fame,
And be content without renoum, to lead his lise at haine.
Bot all in vaine the bir [...]ist gold, nor heapes of siluer bright,
The stately staines, the iewels rich, nor buildings huge of hight:
The braue dependers mon [...]e ane, nor highest dignities,
May not their duyning maister mend, nor yet his torment [...]ase:
The precious drinks medicinall, sum sweit, sum bitter sower,
Nor minerals may not prolong his loathsome life ane hower:
Whome God a [...]is be his iudgement iust, appointed hes for deid,
Na medicine, na elixir, nor mon [...]e may reme [...]d.
When irefullie Antiochus, from Persia lute draw,
Into [...]is rage he made a vow, the Iewes to ouerthraw,
Agains the sa [...]les saincts of God, to turne his cruell face,
And make Ierusalem for Iewes, a common buriall place:
Bot in his pride the Lord him smote, while he was thither bown,
With sick disease that from his couche, for faintnes he fell downe:
Sick bitter paine remediles his bowels did deuide,
That of his flesh the men about, might nocht the stinke abide:
And nocht appeased was the Lord (a fearefull thing to heare)
While be the naughtie worms his corps consumed was inteir.
The Lord sicklike when least be weind, maist iustly maid to fall,
The thryse extreme Herodian pride, be litil vermine small,
While be did persecute the k [...]rke, and li [...]es of preachers sought,
They gréedily deuord him quich, and eate him vp to nought,
With vnkouth, and in [...]ura bill diseases wonder fell,
Euen from the earth the Lord cuts of the wicked that rebell.
Bot as the sicknes iustly sent confounds the fais of God,
Sa serues it to his seruants of a néedefull whipping r [...]d:
For luke as when the little childe, gainstands the fathe [...]s will,
Ca [...]s downe his face with froward lookes, and [...] dois ill:
The wise and louing father then, puts to his gentill [...],
And for his weill with aw [...]ull boast layes on the byting wand,
[Page 28]Quhill tawnd with strypes, the tender chilo, with sobs and monse tesre
And reuthfull skreikes cryes oft alace, Gods mercie fa [...]er deare,
[...]a when the children of the Lord, transgreised hes his law,
And blinded with their awin delights, their dewtie dois misanaw,
He takes the rod and sicknes sends, the punishment of sin,
And strikes the flesh with torment sair, externall and within:
Quhill all def [...]it the sickly saull, vnfeinedly repent,
Sine on this waies, vnto the Lord direct his heauie plent.
I mon confes (O mightie God) I haue offended thee,
And iustly through my great trespas, deserued hes to die,
In seruing thée I haue bin slack, I haue vnthankfull béene,
My cheritie was growin cald, my life it was vncléene:
For quhilk I féele thy sellon wraith, against me kendled het,
How can I lift, my head and hart with sicknes are ouerset,
I taist na kinde of fude by day, I take na rest by night,
The figour onely of a man, but onely force or might:
Bot (Lord) when thou art boune to strike, quha dow abide thine yre▪
Thou knawis that I am fraile, therefore forbeare me I desire,
Forgiue me anis, restore my strength, reléeue me of this paine,
And all that mis I sall amend, and sall not sin againe,
All this and mair with broken voice, and hands to heaven out-spred,
The Godly patient he powrs out, vpon his carefull bed:
The highest God from heauen benalds, and is content to sée,
The sinner earnestly repent, and to his mercie flée:
Then be his halie helping hand, he raises from the dust,
The pure afflicted faithfull saull, intending to be iust,
He makes the physicke take effect, the slummers soft he geifis,
The force quhilk did before decay, from day to day reveisis:
While to the glorie of the Lord, and ioy of his elect,
He fullie to their health restore, them whom he did deiect:
The godly Hezekiah king, was sick in great distres,
And be the Prophete wairnd, that he sould neuer conuales:
Bot when he called to the Lord, and wept with bitter teares,
The God of health withdrew the rod, and to his plaint gaue eares:
The morning thrise had nocht renewed hir heauenly ornament,
When to the temple of the Lord, to worship he vp went,
[Page 29]And thrise fiue belthie happie yeares, were granted him so least,
In signe whereof, that he such heichts might constantly beléeue,
The Sun retird haill ten degrées from Occident till East.
What vails the waters of the wols, or pardons of a preist,
O pilgrim blind, what can the bains of men prolong thy dayes?
That God is gever of the health, whome sun and Moone obayes.
Right sa the iust and suffring Iob, a mirrour to the rest,
Iob. 11 [...]. &. 2. 7. [...]. 4▪ 1. 7▪ 17 &. 42. 10.
Was he nocht sair with byles, and bruiks, and pou [...]rtie epprest?
From head to héele with botches black, his bodie was [...],
Contemnet be his wise and friends, the ashes were his bed:
Yet when the Lord him tryed had, his health he did restore,
And purchast to himselfe thereby, an [...] euerlasting glore.
This then we see: the mightie God, the crosse of sicknes sends,
Unto his a win adopted sonnes, to mony diuers ends,
Now as a plegue, now as a pruife, that man may clearely knaw:
How he is weake, and of himselfe cannot fulfill the law,
Now as a prick to call to minde quhat evill is, and good,
To mooue the [...]ull forgetfull heart, demerst in flesh and blood.
What bitter teares? what inwart fighs? what servent prayers déepe?
Be sicklike meanes the Lord drawes out, of them that are a sléepe?
Euen as beforce forth of the flint, is forst the fyrie spreit:
Or as the Bée, out of the weids, extracts the hony sweit,
[...]ne hundreth heauenly thoughts, the sick will meditate in minde,
Contemne the world, and mans conceits to wickednes inclind,
[...]iuinely with themselues discourse, of mony pleasant thing,
Quhilk they forget, and in their health, to minde could neuer bring.
O gratious rod, whereby the Lord and man are reconcealed,
O happie sicknes of the flesh, whereby the saull is healed,
O meruellous great mediciner, and soueraine mediceine,
Quhilk be the bodie to the s [...]ull, dois mightilie atteine.
Of sicknes sower the end is swéete, for be these sharp diseasi [...],
[...]e wunds the senseles harts of men, quhilk pleasor cauteris [...]:
[...]ot mightely he raises vp the faithfull when they fall.
I haue béene seik, and to the Lord did airly cry and call,
Quhilk euer did exhause my voice, and healed me with spéede,
[...]boue my wit he did prouide, and send me helpe at neede:
[Page 30]Nocht onely me [...]e did reléeue, when I was sair affrayed.
Bot also from the dure of death, even them for whome I prayed.
He is the rare physician wise, the trew Medicinar,
In Chirurgie of per fire skill, the traist Apothecar:
And all that falsely is asseryued to Esculapius,
To Zoroast, till Apuleie or to Democritus:
He can performe in ver [...]e deede, he can the dolor swage,
Restore the health prolong the dayes, renew the widdered age,
Reuiue the dead, and sins forgiue, the onely source of all,
Quhile I may last (O liuing Lord) thy praises sing I sall.
I sall thée vlis quhill vitall braith within my breist remains,
Quhill I haue memorie or wit, or heate within my vaines,
For all thy gifts and graces great, thou granted hes to me,
With thankfull heart this sacred sang, I dedicate to thée:
Lord, try me nocht with sair assalts, least suddainely I slide,
Bot if thou try, augment my strength, sick tryall to abide:
And syne to serue and worship thée, I presentlie intend,
God giue me grace to perseuere vnto my liues end.

Of Gods omnipotencie. VI.

O Euerie liuing warldly wight,
Awake and dres your selfe with spéede:
To serue and praise the God of might,
From whome all bountie dois procéede:
For gif ye drift, and still refuse,
The heauens and earth will you accuse.
The brutell beasts but ony [...]ryse,
They willinglie his voice obay:
The creatures that bes na life,
Soto forth his glorie day by day:
The earth, the aire, the sea, and fire,
Ar subiect all to his impire.
The heauen it is his dwelling place,
The earth his littil fute-stule law,
Mat. 5. 34 85.
His warks are all before his face:
Of hearts the secreits he dois knaw,
[Page 31]And euerie thing as in a glas,
He seis before it cum to pas.
The swift and actiue sterie spreits,
The Cherubins of substance pure,
They walk amang the bolte streits,
[...] King. 2 [...] 19 Iob. 1. 6.
And makes him daylie seruice sure:
Yea, at all times they readie stand,
To gang and cum at his command.
When Ionah in the sea was cast,
Ionah. 1. 7. 15. 17. &. [...]. [...].
By Lot, for safetie of the leaue,
A mightie Quhaill did fellow fast,
Prepard the prophet to receaue:
Quhilk at command did him deuore,
Sine brought him safely to the shore.
And as Eliah lurking lay,
Lang solitar by Cherith side,
2. King. 1 [...] 5. 6.
The rauens left their common pray,
His sustenance for to prouide,
As they were charged him to féede,
They brought him daylie flesh and bread.
Quha learned Balaams brutall asse,
Num. 22. 23.
The angell of the Lord to knaw?
A foote she forward wald not [...],
That way where she him standing saw,
Bot spake that maruell was to see,
Against hir maisters crueltie.
The roaring lions fiers and fell,
Dan. 6. [...]. 22. 23. Mat. 8. 28.
Brought vp and baited ay with bloud,
They spard the godly Daniell,
Expos'd to them in place of fude:
Sa fishes, fouls, and rauenous beists,
Of God maist high they hald the heists.
The verie devils dare nocht [...]ebell,
Against his Maiestie and might,
The spreits vncleane he did err ell,
Forth of the pure possessed wight,
[Page 32]Quha but his priuiledge diuine,
Durst na way enter in the swine.
Into the prophets mouthes the spreit,
[...]. King. [...]. [...]1.
Of lies could neuer enter in,
Quhile he did licence first intreate:
Of God the Lord, for Ahabs sin,
Quhilk be that meanes did him entyse,
His awin defait till enterprise.
His halie statute to fulfill,
And potent power to declaire,
The massiue earth reposis still,
Suspended in the cessill eire:
And at hir dew appointed houres,
Brings forth maist pleasant fruits & floures.
Quhat thing is fiercer nor the sea?
Mair raging nor the awfull déepe?
Quhilk back retird at his decrie,
And dois her bounds and marchis keepe:
Gen. 1. 9. [...] Exod. 14. [...].
Syne at his charge apart stude by,
To make his hoste a passage dry.
Without the subtile air but dout,
Na plaint nor liuing thing may left:
Therefore it cleaues the earth about,
And is in euerie place possest,
Then as his godlie wisedome wald,
Decernes the seasons hett and cald.
The brimstane and the burning fire,
Maist sudenely from heauen fell downe,
Gen. 19. 24
For to consume into this yre,
Baith Sodome, and, Gomorrah towne:
Bot in the firie furnace he,
Preserued safe the children three.
The mightie winds blaws to and fra,
Dan. [...]. 23.
From euerie airth be day and night,
[Page 33]We heare them thudding by vs ga,
Yet not conceaues them with our sight:
Bot in a clap the Lord to please,
Their blasts they quietly appease.
Like flocks of fowls the clouds aboue,
Furth flies and couers all the sky:
Againe they suddenly remooue,
We wat not where nor reason why:
Bot till obey his holy law,
They poure out rain, sharpe haile, and snaw.
Behald the fearefull thunder crack,
And fierie flauchts sa violent,
Appeares nocht in the cloudis black,
Quhile be the highest they be sent:
The harts of men are dasht with feare,
Sik lights to see, and claps to heare.
The heauen sa high, sa cleare of hew,
Declares his power passing weill:
Sua swift of course ay recent new,
Revoluing like a turning wheill,
Nane knowes whereof the globe is made,
Quhais be autie at na time dois fade.
He made the Sun a lampe of light,
A woll of heate to shine by day,
He made the Moone to guide the night:
And set the starnis in gud array,
Orion, Pleiads, and the Vrse,
Obserues their dew prescriued course.
O Poets: paganes impudent,
Quhy worship ye the planets seauen?
The glore of God be you is spent,
On Idols and the hoste of heauen,
Ye pride your pens mens eares to pleis,
[Page 34]With fables and fictitious leis,
Your knowledge is bot ignorance,
Your cunning curiositie:
I finde your facund eloquence,
Repleete with fekles fantasie:
Ye neuer knew the lively rod,
Nor gospell of the sun of God.
He is aboue Mercurius
Aboue Neptunus on the sea,
The winds they knaw not Eolus:
Their is na Iupiter but he,
And all your Gods baith great and small,
Are of na force for he is all.
Bot sonnes of light ye knaw the trueth,
Extoll the Lord with heart and minde,
Remoue all stayes and sluggishsleuth,
Obey his voice for he is kinde:
That heauen and earth may witnes beare,
Ye loue that God which bought you deare.

The triumph of the Lord, after the manner of men. VII.

Alluding to the defait of the Spanish nauie [...] in the yeare, 1588.

TRiumphant Lord of armies and of hostes,
Thou hes subdu'd the vniuersall coastes:
From South to North, fom East till Occident,
Thou shawes thy selfe great God armipotent:
O captaines, Kinges, and Christian men of weir,
Gar harraulds haist in coats of armor cleir,
For to proclaime with trumpet and with shout:
A great triumph th'vniuers throughout:
For certainely the Lord he will be knawin,
[Page 35]And haue that prayse quhilk iustlie is his a win.
O yee that wuns amang the pleasant feilds,
Quhair fertile crofts their yearly profite yealts,
And all that heigh vp in the hieland dwells:
Amang the mures, the mountaines, and the wells,
And yee that in she forrest fare remaine,
Far from the burghs, ga to the burghs again:
Baith man and maides, put on your garments gay:
And ornaments made for the holy daie,
Leaue of your wark, let al your labour be:
This braue triumph, and royall feast to se.
Let cities, kirks, and euerie noble towne.
Be purified, and decked vp and downe,
Let all the streets, the corners, and the rewis,
Be str [...]wd with leaues, and flowres of diuers he wis,
With birke, and lawrell of the wod [...] is wild,
With [...]auendar, with Thime, and Cammamild:
With Mint and Medwortes séemelie to be seen,
And lu [...]kin Gowanes of the medowes gréen,
Let temples, staires, the porchis, and the ports,
And windows wide quhair luickers on resorts,
With tapistrie be hung, in Turkie sought,
With claith of gold, and siluer richly wrought,
Let euerie place, and palice be repleat
With fine perfume, and fragrant odors sweat,
Suffumigat with nard and cinnamon,
With myrhe, and muste, camphyre, and bdellium,
With incence frank, Aloes, Calamus,
With Saffran, Mastick, and Iuniperus.
Expose your gold, and shyning siluer bright,
On couered copbuirdes set in opin sight,
Ou'rgilted coups, with carued couers clear,
Fyne precious stains, quhair they may best appear,
Lawers in ranks, and siluer baissings shine,
Saltfats outshorne, and glasses chrystalline.
Make scaffalds clare for cumlie comedies,
[Page 36]For pleasant playes, and morall tragedies:
All to decore with ioy, and ane accord,
This new triumph, and Sabboth of the Lord.
Right as the poynt of day begins to spring,
And Larks aloft melodiouslie to sing,
Bring foorth all kind of instruments of weere,
To ga before and make a noyce cleer:
Gar trumpets sound the awfull battalls blast,
On dreadfull drumms gar strik alarum fast,
Mak shouting shalms and persing phiphers sh [...]ll,
Clean cleaue the cluds, and piers the h [...]est hill,
Cause mightily the weirly notis breik:
On hieland pypes Scots, and Hibernik,
Let heir the shraichs of deadly Clarions,
And syne let of a volie of cannons,
Quhill quhat for reick, rude rummishing, and reard,
The heauens resound, and trimbling take the eard.
L [...] enter sine in proper painted carts,
The buting rich, brought from the fardest parts,
And ample pray quhilk great Iehouah wan,
From his [...], sen first the warld began.
Their s [...]ll be sein the ensigneis displayed,
Bright baners braid, and standdards weill arrayed,
Sum white and reid, sum yeallow, grein, and blew,
Quhilk God perforce out of their handes threw:
The portrators of euerie vanquest towne,
Of Cittadells, and rampiers of renoune,
The lifely forme of fousseis large and déepe,
The modalls great of castills eith to keep,
The forme of forths inuincible to se,
Of mightie walls, and ramforst towers so hie,
Demolist all, into a birdis nest:
With great and iust artailzerie celest.
Sa sall be seen the figoures of the flots,
With fearfull flags, and weill calfuterd bots,
Of gallays swift, and many gallias,
[Page 37]Quhilk through the seas but perrell thought to pas,
Faire seemely shippes of four, fiue hundreth tuns,
All furnisht full of fire warks, and of guns,
Quhair [...]f be force their was sum captiues led,
Sum cleane defait, sum fugitiues and fled:
Yet from the Lord na way could finde to flie,
Bot in their flight were tossed on the sie:
The waitering wals, and raging windie blast,
Maid vp their towes, and caus'd them hew their mast,
And sine were cast for all their brags and bost,
Sum on a schald, sum on ane yrin cost,
Sum gaid in tua buird on ane forrain lan [...],
Sum on a rok, sum on a whirling sand,
Quhile nane were safe vnperisht to be found,
Bot men and all went to the water ground.
Let follow nixt in ordor to be sein,
Their armour cleare, and warlike wapins schein
Hard halecrets, helmets, and hewmonts bright,
Ticht habe [...]schons, habriks, and harneis light,
Murrious for men of fute, and shining sheilds,
Barding for horse appointed for the fields,
Gantlets ou'rgilt, wambraissis gainand weill,
Corslets of pruit, and mony targe of s [...]eill,
Sum varneist bright, sum dorred diuersi [...]e,
That men may muse sic precious gei [...] to sée.
Th' [...]lk samin wayis, exemple for to giue,
Draw in on [...]eaps their armour offensiue,
Great ordinance, and feilding peices fell,
Muskets maist meit with men of armes to mell,
Hagbuts with lunts, Pistolles with rowets fine,
Swift [...] darts deuisd be great ingine,
Crosbowes of waight, and Gnosik gainyeis kein,
Strang pousing picks the charge plaist to sustein,
Bunshes of speirs, and Launces light, and lang,
Steill ax, and masse, for bardèd horsses strang,
Fyne arming swords, and vther grunding glaues,
[Page 38]Quhilk maid na stead when they were rendered slaues,
Their guns misgaue, theirspeirs like buinwands brak
Their fainted hearts for feare retird aback.
Their thresours rich, wherein they put their trust,
To all the warld salbe maid manifest:
Let men expres appointed be to beir,
Their siluer heaps in plaits of siluer cleare:
Their siluer wark, and precious ornament,
Sall follow next in order subsequent,
Not to their praise, but to their shame and scorne:
Their [...]uinzied gold, in baissings sall be borne,
Of moltin gold discovered to be sein:
With precious stains quhilk fed their gréedie [...]in,
Their goldsmith wark and vessells of great waight,
Token sick sooles agains the Lord to fight.
Let publikely be caried throw the townes,
The diadems, the scepters, and the crowns:
And honored swords of many puissant king,
Whom Iah our God down from their throne did thring
Besides these things vse all the meanes ye may,
To sanctifie the Lord that solemne day:
For great Pompeie, nor Paull Emilius
Marck Antony nor Caesar Iulius
The Scipioes the hardie bretheren twa,
Nor nain in Rome triumphed neuer sa.
When on this waies the buiting is inbroght,
And all their force declared to be nought,
The emperors, and kings sall ga behinde,
That greater nain was [...]n the earth to finde.
As men defait [...]led all in dulefull black,
In coschis traind with slander, shame, and lack:
Their children young, and minzonis in a rout,
Drest all in [...]ule sall march their cos [...]h about,
With bitter teares, with sighes, and courage cald:
When they their Lords in sik estaite behalo,
Their counselors sall gang with drerie cheir:
[Page 39]And count their wit to be b [...]t sollie mere.
The multitude then diuersly sall deim,
And of that fight sall diuerslie esteim:
For sum sall r [...]n and gase them in the face,
And sair be waile to see them in sick case,
Yea they that wisht their wrack and death before,
Their miserie sall mein and pittie sore.
Bot sum sa soone as they them see ga by,
Sall heaue their hands and make a mightie cry,
Deride their force and shout into thir e [...]r:
Take their the kings quhilk made the Lord the weir.
Ane vther sorte sall s [...]ch, and whisper thus,
Heare is behald a matter maruellous:
Their monarchs great con [...]ided in their strength,
And thought by force to win the world at length:
To way the hils, and right vp to the skies,
Bot now their pride and puissance broken lyes:
Kings are bot men, men are bot wormes and dust,
The God of heauen is onely great, and iust.
Bot now I leaue the ordor and array,
Of men defait and entring of the pray:
Ou'r whome the Lord triumphed hes or now,
And sall triumph for he hes maid a vow,
To put his fais to flight and open shame,
To purchase him a praise and lasting name.
I will the forme now summarly set downe,
How Christian Kings, and captaines of renowne,
Sall enter in the burghs that holy day,
What they sall doo, what they sall sing and say:
Their perfite ioy and pleasour to expres,
To magnifie the might and holines
Of God the Lord the great triumphe [...] strang:
The chastiser of wickednes and wrang.
Euen sik (I say) as Ioue our God erected,
As instruments and messengers directed,
To woork his wark, and fight into his field
[Page 40]Sall armed be that day with spear and sheild,
Baith horsse and sute in weirlike maner drest:
In glittering geare quhilk brauest is and best,
All weill arrayd in squadrons, troups and bands,
Maist muster-like: syn, in their doughtie hands,
Ilk man a palme, and laurell branch sall beare,
The proper signe of victorie in weir,
And on their heads sall haue their laurell crowns:
Sa sall they march and enter in the towns,
As conquerers, and soldarts of the Lord,
Quhilk valliantlie with courage and accord,
Were reddie bent till execute his charge,
And fight beneath his blissed banner large.
The musicke then, and heauenly harmony
Of instruments accorded in a kie,
Maist musicall and delicate to get,
Sall their be heard together sweitly set:
As clarshons cleare, douce friddonning of flutes,
The viols swift, and finest Venus lutes,
Ioynd with the voice of men; and breisting boyes,
Quhais measour iust sall modulat the noyse:
That Cleopatra in her gallay gay,
Nor fingars on sainct Cecils holy day:
Empedocles the wise Sicilian,
Nor Orpheus the craftie Thracia [...],
Phylirides, nor skilfull Arion,
Nor famous lute of cunning Amphion,
Struike neuer note so pleasant to the eir,
Nor sang sa sweit as they that sall be heir.
Bot quha pretends the puissance to declare,
Right as it is, or enters to compare:
The glore of God with that of mortall men,
Sail tyne bot time, and tyre his painefull pen,
Als far as light, the darkenes dois deface,
Or hell is from the highest holy place,
Als far as sclaues are from the stait of Kings,
[Page 41]Or widdring weids, from euerlasting thinges:
Als far his might surmounts the might of man,
His Pompe and pride, and all the craft he can.
The Romans [...] quhilk had the earth our thrawin,
At their triumphs in chariots great was drawin,
Be diuers beasts quhairin they tuik delite,
For sum were train'd be horsse of coulor white,
And sum be harts contrarie to their kinde,
Be cruining Bulls of heigh and hautie minde,
Be Elephants, and sum be Lions laide,
In claith of gold and finest purpor claid.
But he quhais wraith consumis like burning coles,
Quhilk turnes the heauens vpon the stable poles:
Hes left the earth, and rydes vpon the sky,
Na mortall eyes may face to face espy
The Lord, and live: his chariots are of fire,
He makes the earth to trimble in his yre,
Great Iesus Christ con [...]ucts his armie stout,
The angels bright they compas him about:
His maiestie the tounes can nocht conteine,
Yet is, and hes be power present bein.
Heaue vp therefore (yée christian men of weir)
Your hands, your hearts, your eyes, and voyces cleir,
Unto the high and great triumpher strang,
That solemne day sine let this be your sang.

The song of the Lords souldiours.

O King of Kings, that sits aboue,
Thy might, thy mercie, and thy loue,
T [...] works are wonderfull to tell,
In earth thy name mot praised be,
And in tha holie placis h [...]e,
For nane is like thée but thy sell.
Upon the firmament thou ryds,
[Page 42]And all the world diuinely gydes,
To hell thy power dois extend,
Men may imagine, men may deuise,
Men may conclude and interprise,
Bot thou dois modifie the end.
This day we magnifie thy name,
For thou hes put till open shame,
And turnd thy fellon fais to flight,
Their Idols and their armies greit,
Their force availd them not a whit,
Their towers & towns hes felt thy might.
Thou staid the tower of Babylon,
Gen. 11.
Unbuilded higher be a stone,
Though Nimrod thought to reach to hea­uen,
The toungs of men were so confused,
That they their foolish wark refused,
And sundrie through the earth were driuen,
Exod. 13. 21. & 14. 17, 28.
God send to guide his armie right,
A cloude be day, a fire be night,
And led them safely through the sie,
For all King Pharaos pride and bost,
His chariots, horsmen, and his host,
Were drownd and fand na way to flie.
Of Iericho he bruisd the wall,
And quickly maid it [...]latling fall,
Ios. 6.
When as their preists their trumpets blew,
The people maid a mightie shout,
When they had past the towne about,
And sa the citie ouerthrew.
Fiue Kings he chaist at Gibeon,
Iosh. 10.
And as they fled to Beth-horon,
With haile he flew them by the way,
The Sun and Moone at his command,
Into the lift he maid to stand,
To make the Amorites a pray.
Quha ever hard of armour sick,
[Page 43]Qnhat bullets euer flew sa thick,
As haile stains fell downe in that schower?
Na gunners could that bartsene clenge,
They knew not whome on to reuenge,
Bot gazed on the heauenly tower.
Be Ioshua he wrought thir things,
And vainqueist ane and threttie Kings,
As Iorden rins on euerie side,
Iosh. 12.
Quhilk may all kings example giue,
Sa lang as men on earth may liue,
In God the greatest to confide.
He baith de visde, and wrought the déedes,
Of Gideon against the Medes,
Iudg. 7.
And strake the multitude with feare,
Thrée hundreth men defait their campe,
With trumpet, pitcher, and with lampe:
That was a stratageme of weir.
He strength and manheid by the laue,
Iudg. 14, 15, &, 16, 1, Sam, 17, 22. 27. 2. Sam, 5, [...],
To Samson, and to Dauid gaue,
Quha maid the Philistims to fall,
His a win he mightelie susteins,
Be wonderfull and vnkouth meanes,
To shaw that God is guide of all.
The puissant King of Syria,
2. Kings. 7.
Quhen he beseig'd Samaria,
The God of battels succours send,
For in that camp was hard sick din,
Of carts and horse quhilk séem'd to rin,
That nain durst bide to sée the ende.
Quhen proud Saneherib blasphemed,
Invincibill his puissance séemed,
Zit hame with shame he turn'd againe,
Nine score, fiue thousand on a night,
2, King, 1 [...]
Were smote by them that tooke the flight,
Sine be his sonnes, himselfe was slaine.
In weir the Lord giues victorie,
[Page 44]From time to time, as we may see,
Be meanes vnluked for of men:
As he was then, sa is [...]e now,
Though faithles folk will neuer trow,
Quhile be experience they ken.
He is the mightie God of weir,
He strykes his f [...]es with suddaine feir,
Quhen they appeare maist strong & stout,
The harts of Kings are in his hands,
He breakes their legs and bloudy bands,
And brings his purposis about.
Euen in our dayes haue we not sein,
The wicked fall before our ein,
Into their hetest cruell rage?
The greatest dukes and kings annoynted,
We saw them lastly disappointed,
And get their weill deserued wage.
As wax is melted by the fire,
Psal. 6 [...]. 2.
Sa be the Lords consuming yre:
The might of man mel [...]s cleane away,
To sick as constantlie beléeues,
He courage and good succes giues,
And will not sée their cause decay.
Though for a time the proud preuaile,
Their glas will run, their force will faile,
Unto the Lords eternall glore:
And when before our fais we fall,
Be sure our sins are cause of all,
Quhilk we suld earnestly deplore.
O Iah our God: be thou our guide,
In battails be thou on our side,
And we sall nather fall nor flée,
Through Christ thy sonne our sins forgiue,
And make vs in thy law to liue,
That we may praise and worship thée.
[Page 45]The great triumph this way sall take ane end
And all the hoste sall to the temple wend,
A [...] custome is in well arrayed ranks,
With sacrifice of prayers and of thanks:
The soldarts stout sall all receaue reward,
For lo, the Lord the banket hes prepaird:
To féede his boste with heauenly liuelie fude,
Euen with his sonne Christs bodie and his blude:
Quhat suld the gifts that lasts bot for a space?
Or drinking of the riuer Euphrates?
The woll of life (as happie men and blist)
Reu. 21. 6.
They sall anis taist, and neuer mair haue thrist.

The humiliation of a sinner. VIII

THe weight of sin is wondrous great,
Quha may that gréeuous burdin heir?
My God maist humblie I submit,
Myselfe before thy hienes heir:
Oh: rewthfullie incline thine eir.
Unto my pittifull complent:
Thy punishment, and plagues retire.
From me pure pyning penitent.
Quhen darkenes hes the heauen revest,
Bot ather Moone or Starnie light,
Quben man and beast are at their rest,
Throw secreit silence of the night,
I woltring like a woefull wight,
Still waking in my bed I ly.
My sins presents them in my sight,
Oh harken, Lord, for helpe I cry.
My pans [...]ng dois augment my paine,
Because I cannot be excused,
I am sa oft relaps againe,
Into the sin quhilk I refused,
[Page 46]Thy clemencie I haue abused,
Be leading of a wicked life,
My spreit within this flesh infused,
Is like to perish in the strife.
Ah: to my sais then sall I yéeld?
And all thy mercies great despair?
Ah: sall I now giue ouer the field?
And neuer looke for mercie mair?
Quhilk hes sa oft baith lait and air,
Sung praise to thée with ioyfull hart,
No Lord, preserue me from that snare,
And let this cuppe from me depart.
I haue assurance of thy spreit,
Mat. 11, 28
That thou the laidned will reléeue,
Quhilk cums to thée with heart contreit,
And in thy bountie dois beléeue:
My féebill faith, O Lord, reuiue,
For though my sinnes be like the sand,
Zit thou art abill to forgiue,
And raise me with thy helping hand.
Quha can vnfeinedly repent?
Quha can from wickednes abstein?
La, 5, [...]1, Iohn, 6, 44
Unles the grace be to him lent,
To sigh and sob with wéeping eyn?
Your prayer profits not a prin,
Except the same from faith proceid:
Let faith and grace in me be grein,
That I may turne to thée in neide.
Lord with my selfe I am displeased,
And wearies of this burding fast,
Thy wraith therefore let be appeased,
Forget my foule offenses past:
I feare, I faint, I am agast,
Quhen I perpend mine [...]win estait,
Bot this reléefe I find at last,
My penitence is nocht to late.
[Page 47]Albeit thou be ane vpright iudge,
Thou art my father not the les,
My buklar and my sure refuge,
My onely comfort I confesse:
Haue pittie on my great distresse,
Cast nocht me catiue cleane away,
Thou knawes the invart heauines,
For sin I suffer euerie day.
This then (my God) of grace I crane,
With humble heauie heart of thée,
My sins are like me to deceaue,
Bot let me not deceaued be,
Take not thy helping hand frame,
For I am fraill and imperfite,
Giue me not ouer to drowne and die,
Into my fleshly hearts delight.
Thy working Spreit let me assist,
Into this fellon fechting fell,
That I may valiantlie resist,
The flesh, the warld the diuell and hell,
My secreit sins from me expell,
My nature is corrupt thou knawes,
Make me to practise and foorth tell,
Thy precepts, praise, and holy lawes.
Thir gifts, I grant, I merite not
For I in sin, was borne and bred,
Bot Jesus Christ he hes me bought,
From death even with his bloud he shed,
His merits hes me fréelie fred,
Make me thereof participant,
Let me be with his iustice cled,
And counted thy redéemed sainct,
Nocht he, but I, hath death deserued:
Nocht I, but he, dois merit grace,
For me, nought for himselfe, he sterued,
With thee to purchase me a place,
[Page 48]Throw him I am in happie cace,
Euen with thy Godhead reconceiled,
To thée, through him, whome I imbrace,
Be praise▪ quhilk hes these ioyes reveiled.
Heere endes the Hymnes.

ANE EPISTLE TO Maister Gilbert Mont-creif me­diciner to the Kings Majestie, wherein isset downe the experience of the Authors youth.

MY tender friend (Montcreif medicinar)
To kings is kend thy knawledge singular
Thou shawis thy selfe be practise evident:
Of natures warks obseruer diligent,
Thy quiet life and decent modestie,
Declares thy cunning in philosophie:
Sen first we were acquaint I [...]and thee kinde,
Sum medicine assigne me for the mind,
My sicknes be the symptome sall appeare,
Unto my discourse, if thou list giue eare.
O happie man is he (I haue hard say)
A faithfull friend that hes with whom he may,
Of euerie thing as with himselfe confer,
As I may do (disert mediciner)
Qu [...]en pubertie my freedome did inlarge,
And Mercurie gaue place to Venus charge,
I knew not yet the wavering vame estait:
Of humaine kinde, I knew of na dehait,
Na lurking hait, inuie, nor cursed stryfe,
[Page 49]As followis fast our short vnhappie life:
I traisted not, beléeue me weill (Montcreif)
The bitter paines, the sorrowes, and the grief,
Nor miseries quhilk daylie dois betide,
And compassis mans life on euerie side.
Bot like a chaste and pudick virgine clein,
Inbrought to bide where she had neuer bein,
Into the house of women, let for hyre,
Quhen she behalds all pleasour at desire,
A lostie troup of Ladies in array,
Sum on a luth, sum on a si [...]tre play,
Some sangs of loue begin and swéetely sing,
And minzionlie sung dansing in a ring,
A louer here, discoursing all his best,
Ane vther there, delighting all the rest:
The buir [...]s decorde with daintie dishes fine,
With diuers drogs, and wafers wet in wine:
A none to dwell the maide dois condiscend,
Incertaine quhat sall be her catiue end.
Swa inexpert yet at that time and houre,
I felt the swéete, but had not cund the sowre
I thought that nocht was able to remooue,
From men on earth, trueth, equitie, and loue,
Nor banish▪ from their hearts humilitie,
Reuth, pittie, ioynd with affabilitie,
Bot that the force of reasone suld maintein,
The binding band quhilk lastinglie hes bein,
Be nature knit, and ordoned till indure,
Mens amitie and friendship to make sure.
For this I oft reduced and brought to minde:
How sall men be but vntill vther kinde?
Lo, all the wichts that in this valley wuns,
Are brotheren all, are they not Adams suns?
Quhy suld a friend his friend and brother grée [...],
Sen all are borne of a first mother Eue?
Upon this earth as in a cietie wide,
[Page 50]Like citizens we dwell and dois abide:
And nature hes preferd vs to the beasts,
Be prenting reason d [...]iplie in our breasts:
The barbar rude of Thrace or Tartarie
Of Boheme, Perse, of weirly Getulie,
Of barrain Syrt, and wastie Scythia,
Of Finland, Fresland, and of India,
Of reason they ar made participant,
With them quhilk dois the ciuill cities hant:
The facund Greec, the learnd Athenian,
The Roman stout, the rich Venetian,
The Frenshes franck of great ciuilitie
Ar [...]blist all to this societie.
Then with my self I reasond on this sort,
If this be trew quhilk trulie I report,
How mekill mair sall loue and lau [...]ie stand
Amang the pepill natiue of a land,
Quhilk dois imbrace, obey, and onely know,
A kirk, a King, a language and a law:
Or sick as in a citie doie remaine,
Particepant of pleasour and of paine:
Or of a race hes lineallie discended
And hes there time and life together spended:
All this and mair I tosted in my thought,
And these effects to se I dowted nocht:
As for my part I plainely did pretend,
My life in peace, in ioy, and ease till end,
Into the way to walk and happie rod,
Preseriued be the law and word of God,
To loue my friend and neighbour as ray sell,
With lippes but lies the simple treuth to tell,
Till euerir man to to keep my promise dew,
And not but right but rigour to persew,
From vice to flie, and vertue till imbrace,
Ane vpright heart to haue in euerie case,
Contending hearts againe to reconceill
[Page 51]Was my pretence, and tender ay their weill,
To fortifie my friend in time and néede,
With good report, with counsell, and good déede:
And finally what reason taught to craue,
I thought to doo, and ay the like receaue.
Bot thoughts are vaine, my labour was bot lo [...]
He counts againe, that counts without his host.
Through tract of time quhilk swiftlie slides away,
And sundrie sights occurring day by day,
At last I learnd to marke, and clearely ken,
The course of mortall things, and mortall men,
The maistres sharpe of [...]uiles experience,
I sée the wit the nature and the mind,
Of warldlie wights to wickednes inclind,
And naturallie ane austere frawardnes,
The hardened hearts of mortall men posses.
Behald na realme, na cietie nor estait,
Ar voide of strife, contention and dehait,
Ilk man his so, like roaring Lions kein,
Waitis to devore with rigor tygerrein:
How few regards we daylie may espie,
Their fallowes los, if they may gaine thereby:
Sa hautie minds fulfilled with disdaine,
Sa déepe deceat, sik glosing language vaine,
Mens doubill tungs are not ashamed to lie,
The mair they heght, the wors to trust they be,
Particular gaine dois sa ma [...]s reasone blind,
That skars on earth ane vpright can I find,
Sa poysoned breasts with malice and invy
Sum deadlie haitis, and cannot shaw you why.
O monstrous beast (inuie) O cruell pest?
Quhair thou remainis their is naquiet rest,
Thou waists the bains, thou blaickenes flesh & blood,
Ay glad of ill, ay enemie to good,
Thou vexed art to see thy brothers weill,
[Page 52]Quhilk vailis thée nocht, nor harmes him neuer a deil.
I try na trueth, nor na fidelitie,
I sée na reuth, nor na nobilitie,
Na tender loue, nor humble gentlenes,
As first they say, our fathers did profes,
Bot [...], bot rude austeritie,
Bot [...]einzed fraud, and féebili vncourtesie.
Quhen that I had employed my youth and paine,
Foure yeares in France, and was returned againe,
Ilangd to learne, and curious was to knaw:
The consuetude, the custome and the Law,
Qu [...]airby our natiue soile was guide aright,
And iustice do [...]e till everie kind of wight:
To that effect thrée yeares, or neare that space,
I hanted maist our highest plaiding place,
And senat quhair great causses reasoned were,
My breast was brus'd, with leaning on the bar,
My buttons brist, I partely spitted bloud,
My gowne was trald and tramped where I stood,
Mine eares were deisd with maissars cryes and din,
Quhilk procutors and parties called in:
I dayly learnd, bot could not pleased be,
I saw sick things as pittie was to sée.
Ane house ov'rlaid with proces sa misguided,
That sum to late, sum neuer was decided,
The pure abused ane hundreth diuers layes,
Postpond, differd with shifts, and meere delayes,
Co [...] sumde in guds, ov'rset with greife and paine,
Zour aduocate man be refresht with gaine,
Or else he faints to speake or to invent
A gud defence or weightie argument,
Ye spill your cause, ye truble him to sair,
Unles his hand annointed be with mair.
Not ill bestowed, he is consulted oft,
A gude deuise is worthie to be cost:
Bot skaffing clarks with couetice inspired,
[Page 53]Till execute their office man be hyred,
Na cause they call vnles they hyrelings haue,
If not, it sall be laid beneath the laue,
Quha them controls, or them offends, but dout,
Their proces will be lang in séeking out,
In greatest néede sum peeces will be lost,
And then to lait fund on the parties cost,
In euerie point they will be slack and lang,
The minuts of the proces may be wrang,
For acts, decreits, they man haue double prise,
If their he hast, but [...]yre they make it nice:
As sangu [...]sugs quhilk finds the féeding gud,
Cleaue [...] to the skin quh [...]le they be full of blud,
Quhile all the vaines be bludles, dry and tume.
Na vther wayes the simple they consume.
The agent als man haue his wage provided,
Least all the cause in absence be misguided:
He will let passe on wilfull indignation,
Agains the actor ane stollen protestation,
The poore defender if he lacke expenses,
Sall tyne his cause perhaps for null defences,
The peeces shaw he will, and cause reveill,
For greater gaine be he not pleased weill.
And thought the Lords suld take gud heid thereto,
Yet are they laith to make the house adoo:
"The censor is impropre to correck,
"That in himselfe hes ony kinde of bleck:
Euen they themselues the ordor partlie sp [...]ls,
With bringing in of heapes of bosome bils,
Their oulks about on friends they doo bestow.
With small regard of table or of row.
Alace: s [...]ck Lords had néede of reformation,
Quhair iustice maist consists in sollistation,
Zit all sollistars cannot iustice haue,
Bot s [...]ck as may acquit them by the laue,
A Lord, an [...] Earle, or a wealthie man,
[Page 54]A courtier that meikill may and can,
Without delay will come to their intent,
Howbeit there cause it be sum deill on sklent:
Bot simple sauls, vnskilfull, moyenles,
The pure quhome strang oppressors dois oppres,
Few of their right or causses will take kéepe,
Their proces will sa lang lye ou'r, and sléepe,
Quhill often times (there is na vther bute)
For pouertie they man leaue of persute.
Sum senators als weill as skaffing [...],
Are blinded oft with blinding buds and bribes.
And mair respects the persone nor the cause.
And finds fòr diuers persones diuers laws,
Our ciuill, cannon, and municipall,
Suld equallie be ministred till all:
They mon shaw fauour to their awin dependers,
Quhat sa they be persewers or defenders,
I faint to tell their pervers partial pactions,
And how they are diuided all in factions,
Confederate haill with subtiltie and slight,
A way to vote in voting wrang or right.
O men in whome no feare of God is Iudged:
O faithles iudges worthie to be iudged:
Eshame ye not, or stand ye not in aw,
Lawes to profes and erre agains the law,
O members méete, for meere iniquitie,
Of Rhadamanth or Minos court to be.
The haill abuse were our prolixt to tell,
That councill house it is maist like an [...] hell,
Where there is thrang ay feare, and awfull cryes,
Where on the bar without puir parties lyes,
As on the riue of Acheron for sin,
Awaitting fast quhile Charon take them in:
Where euerie man almaist is miscontented,
Quhair sillie sauls are gréeuouslie tormented,
Ay sorrie, sad, ay plung'd in paine and greife,
[Page 55]Pen siue in heart and musing of mischeif
Their bowells, entraills, with the robbed row [...]
Of gredie Harpyes, they ar rugged out.
To lead that kinde of life I wearied fast,
In better hope I left it at the last,
And to the court I shortlie me addrest
Beleeuing weill to chuse it for the best:
But from the rocks of Cyclades fra hand
I stru [...]k into Carybdis sinking sand.
For reuerence of Kings I will not strine
To slander courts, but them I may descriue,
As learned men hes them depaint before,
Or neare the suith, and I am wo therefore.
In courts (Montcreif) is pride, in vie, contention
Dissimulance, despite, disceat, dissention,
Feare, whisperings, reports, and newsuspition,
Fraud, treasone, lies, dread, guile, sedition,
Great gréedines, and prodigalitie,
Lusts sensuall, and partialitie,
Impudencie, adulterie, drunkinnes,
Delicacie, and slouthfull idilnes,
Backbiting, lacking, mocking, mutenie,
Disdainefulnes, and shameles flatterie,
Meere vanitie, and naughtie ignorance,
Inconstancie, and changing with mischance,
Contempt of all religion, and devotion,
To Godlie déeds na kinde of perfite motion.
These qualities in generall I say,
Into all courts are commoun everie day:
I néede not now sick properties apply,
Thou knawes our Scottish court als weill as I▪
Our princes ay, as we haue heard and sein,
Thir mony yeares infortunat hes bein,
And if I sould not speike with flattring tung,
The greater part bot sluggishly hes rung,
Our Earles and Lords for their nobilitie.
[Page 56]How ignorant and inexpert they be,
Upon the priuie counsell mon be chused,
Or else the King and concill ar abused,
And if the Prince augment not ay their rents
Quhat is their mair: they will be mal-contents.
[...]uhat suld the court quhair vertue is neglected?
Quhair mon of spreit sa litle ar respected?
Quhilk is to be lamented all the mair,
That few of learning suld take keip or cair,
As Cicero of Iulius Caesar sayis
Euen in his time, gouernement, and dayis,
Quhilk easily excells all vther Kings,
In learning, spreit, and all scholasticke things.
Sum officers we se of naughtie braine,
Meere ignorauts, proud, vicious, and vaine,
Of learning, wit, and vertue all denude,
Maist blockish men, rash, riatons, and rude:
And flattering fallowis oft ar mair regarded:
A lying slaue will rather be rewarded,
Nor they that dois with reasons rule conferre
Thair kinde of life, and actions, least they erre,
Nor men discreit, wise, vertous, and modest,
Of galland spreit, braue trew and worthie trest,
Quhilk far from hame ciuilitie hes sein,
And be their maners shawis [...] they haue bein:
Quhilk haue the word of God before their eyes,
And weill can serue but cannot princes pleis:
For sum with reason will not pleased be,
But that quhilk with their humour dois agrée.
Hes thow not heard in oppin audience,
The purpos vaine, the feckles conference,
Th'informall reasons, and impertinent
Of courtiours: quhilks in acco [...]ttrement
Wer gorgians, maist glorious, yong and gay:
Bot in effect compare them weill I may
Till images, quhilks ar in temples set,
[Page 57]Decorde without, and all with gold ou'r [...]ref,
With colors fine, and carued curiouslie,
The place where they are set to beautifie
Bot when they are remarked all and sum,
They are bot stocks and stains, bos, deid, and dum.
Bot now the court I will not discommend,
I may it meane bot may it not amend.
As for offence of speach I nathing feare it,
For vpright men thereby are nathing deirit:
And sick as are with wickednes bewitched,
I sussie not how viuely they be tuitched.
And if perhaps sum wald alleadge that I,
Haue this inuaid on malice and mute,
As he whome in the court few did regarde,
And got na gaine thereby nor na reward,
I grant that may be trew, bot quhat of that?
I little gaine deserued, and les I gat:
Bot men behald his hienes royall trine,
His palaces, and their apparrell fine,
Behalde his house, behald his yearely rent,
His seruants heir if they haue cause to plent,
Obserue this realme throughout from east to west,
From south to north, if any be opprest,
Quhilk iustice lacks, behald the common weill,
Then iudge if I be writer fals or leill.
Bot sick as sould it mend, let them lament,
I hanted court to lang, and I repent.
These cursed times, this wors not irone age,
Where vertue lurks, where vice dois reigne and rage
Where faith and loue, where friendship is neglected,
Contagiouslie with time hes me infected:
As vthers are, of force sa mon I be,
How can I do bot as men doo to me?
In bordels vile a virgine chaist and puir,
Be tims with time a vile effronted huir:
A trew man taine with pirats on the sea,
[Page 58]Is ferst to take a part of piracie.
O sentence suthe: I say for to conclude,
I [...] companie corrupteth maners gud.
Trew Damons part to play I wald me bind,
Bot Pythias kinde yet can I neuer find:
Loue mutuall wald be, for all in vaine,
I fauaur shaw, if nain I finde againe.
My heart is stane within, and yron without,
With triple bras my breist is set about,
For when of strife, and great mischance I heare,
Of death, debate, they doo me little deare:
For vthers harme me tuitches not at all,
Swa I be frée, quhat rak I what be fall?
The line of loue almaist I haue forget it,
For why, think I, to nain I am adbettit.
Not threttie times as zit the shining s [...],
His carrier round and propre course hes r [...],
Sen nature first me buit to ioy his light,
And yet I walt ( [...] wish I might)
Dissolued be, renewed, and be with Christ,
Or flesh to fardar sollie me intist:
I feare the warld, I dread allurements sair,
And strang assaults corrupt me mair and mair.
Let Sathan rage, let wickednes incres,
I thank my God I am not comfortles:
My comfortlo, my haill felicitie,
Consicts in this, I may it shaw [...]o thée:
To serue the Lord, and on his [...] repose,
To sing him praise, and in his [...] reiese,
And ay to haue my mind lift vp on hie,
Unto that place quhair all our ioy sall be:
My life and time I knaw it is s [...] short,
That heare to dwell I think it bot a sport:
I haue delightin heart maist to behald,
The pleasant works of God sa manifolde,
And to my minde great pleasour is indeede,
[Page 59]The nobill writs of learned men to reed:
As Chremes had, I haue ane humaine heart,
And takes of things humaine na little part,
Be word and writ my minde I make it plaint,
To fekfull friends, and they to me againe.

Christian precepts seruing to the prac­ tise of Sanctification.

INterprise nathing [...] thou first call vnto the Lord to bles it, and to blesso the [...], and then refer the succes theirof to him.

Sa soone as ony of thy interprises hes taken effect, inconti­nent run and thank thy God.

Beware of presumption, selfe loue, and vaine ostentation, whatsoeuer good or great work thou accomplise, for thou may knaw it is the Lord that woorkes by thy hand, & not thou: see­ing thou hes had expertence of thine awin weakenesse and in­sufficientie.

Beware thou iustifie not thy self in thy hart: for thou knaws that thou cannot abstaine fra sinne, nor cannot be saued with­out the meere mercie of God shawin in the righteous merits of Iesus Christ.

Instruct and teach thy children and seruants, albeit they be few in number [...] the feare of God, as though thou had a great house and familie.

When thou hes the command of God reueiled be his word that thou sold doo ony thing, obey thou cuer the command, and let it be a rule to all thy actions, how vnappearant soeuer it be, or far against thy heart, setting aside baith thy awin affections, and all worldlie respects: for quhair God speakes, neuer speire onie f [...]rder question, Because he knawes that quhilk thou knawes not.

Giue thou find thy desire extream earnest in any matter, be­ware thou execute not thy desire, vnles thou haue a speciall warr and of Gods word, that thy desire be agreeable to his will: for the deuill enters in be our inordinat appetits & affections.

[Page 60]When then art in doubt if that quhilk thou art to doo or say, be gud or euill: performe it not vntill thou be resolued.

In doing thy affaires vse diligence and he quick: for thou knawes what hurt and grief thy flawnes and stouthfulnes hes wrought thée.

Because thy corruption is great, exercise thy selfe in the law, of the Lord continuallie, by reading, and bearing his word prea ched, least thou rowst like yron: fast, pray, sigh, wéepe, singe, me­ditate, and confer with gude men of spirituall things.

Albeit thou be not lang in ane estait, Bot now hett, now cauld in Religion, be not therefore discouraged, for sick is thy weakenes, and sa being the single eie of thy minde be direct to­wards God, that thy intention be to please him, and that salua­tion be thy end through faith in Iesus Christ: quhat rach what befall vnto thée? follow foorth thy course and resolution constant lie in seruing God vnto the ende of thy life.

Because it is not possible that thy wit or memorie can be a­bill to comprehend all things néedefull, and all gud precepts, ex­cept they be sanctified: Therefore craue that thy heart may be circumcised and clenged, that the halie Ghaist may dwell in thée and put théein remembrance of al things according to our Lord Iesu Christs promise.

His thou néede of ony thing? pray to God for it.

Wald thou reteine and héepe the good thing quhilk thou hes receaued? Be thankfull to God for it.

Finds thou thy selfe dull and sensuall, and wald haue thy heart stirred vp to prayer and to praise God, humble & heate downe thy body by fasting. Remember on the day of iudge­ment, call to memorie the Lords benefits bestowed on thée, and how he at ony time hes preserued thée from dangers of bodie or of Saull: Singe with thy mouth, and lift vp thy minde and af­fectiones vnto him.

To make thée stand in aw when thou art ouer secure and iol­lie, remember thy awin weakenes, thy monstrous sinnes, and foule defections, and how the Lord at ony time did chastise thée for them.

[Page 61]Althought thy prayer appeare to be without effect, yet cease not from praying, for if thy petition be lawfull, and that thou submit the granting thereof vnfeinedly to the will of God, be sure that at length thou sall ather get thy desire, or else content ment, as though thou had gotten it.

To make thee charitable towards all men, thinke that they with whome thou has to do are of the number of the children of God. And quhen thou speakis of the dead, think that they are in Christs Kingdome, & this wil make thee bridle thy tounge.

Sa soone as euer thow fallis in trouble, ather outward, or of the mynd, incontinent haue first refuge to God for reliefe, cra uing counsell of his mouth, & therafter seeke lawfull meanes to be releeued: for begin thou first to seeke worldlie helpe, thou art out of the right waie? therefore séeke first to God, and soone to God.

Beware thou séek not comfort in outwarde thinges, where their is na soliditie nor trew comfort: for quhen it is past it brings greater grief with it: The solide & trew comfort then is in spirituall things, in auoiding the societie of men, and pro­phane company, in acquainting thy selfe with thy God by pray er, by reading, meditation, teaching, hearing of the word prea­ched, conferring of spirituall things, and in doing of charitable warks.

Also gif occasion serue, frequent often the Lords supper? Quhilk is the Sacrament and seale of Gods promise, appointed for thy comfort and confirmation of thy faith: In doing where­of thou declares thy obedience and thankfulnes to God. Their fore remoue all impediments whatsumeuer quhilk may debar thée from that holy action.

Gif thou wald es [...]hew anger, passe by a multitude of iniuries and offences that are done thée: for gif thou marke narrowlie euerie feulte and oftence that is done, it sall not be possible to be lang in patience.

East thy selfe to a certaine calling and vocation, that thou be not lowse and without a craft: And in chuising thy vocation, [Page 62] (because it is a thing verie hard & difficile) first [...]rane earnest­ly the direction of God, that thou may ch [...]se the best: Secondly, consider to what vocation thy hart is maist inclinet: And third ly, consider gif God hath indued thée with gifts meet for that calling quhilk thou likes off, And thereafter make election of it.

Hauing chosen a vocation, apply thy heart to thy vocation, and wearie not of it, nather goe about to auoid and cast it off: Bot willingly, and not by constraint imbrace it, he diligent in it and [...]lyte in it.

Be teraperate although it be neuer so painefull to thee that thereby thou may be humbled, & made [...] of t [...]y [...]uety, least thou wounde thy conscience, and become prophane, and harden thy heart be doing the contrare.

Quhen thou art in perplexitie & knowis not qubat to chuse, intrinche thy selfe, and flee to the throne of [...]ace to seeke reso­lution.

Thinke not that thou by thy industrie, convoy, or diligence, art able to accomplishe onye [...]ude thing: Therefore, craue the Lords blessing to thy affairs, and wait paciently vpon him.

Walk with grauitie, integritie, and with ane vpright heart in all thy actions: and not craftely, feircely, or wilfully, bot with out [...]retting, murmuring, or vpbraiding.

Be silent and modest, and not light, revealing thy griefe, im­perfection and weakenes to euerie man least thou be despised: But poure out thy griefes before the Lord, and lament thine e­stait to him.

After well doing, beware then of presumption, walke warili [...] modestlie, and sadly, and be not [...]olly nor intemperate: For tem tation will not cease anie long time, bot thou man suffer in ear­nest, and not for the fashion.

Be bene volent till all men, and patient towards all, suffe­ring euerie thing patiently for Christs sake and after his ex­ample.

[...]auaile to be familiar & acquainted with thy God, be pray­er and meditation, and walk with him.

[Page 63]Quben thou art sorowfull, or ioyfull, consider qubere fra the sorrow, or the ioy procéeds, if they proceid from warldlie causes, thy [...]row then is euill, and thy reioy [...]ng vaine, b [...]t if thou be sorrow full for thy sinne, thy sorrow is good and Godlie: And if thy ioy be grounted vpon God, and arise vpon [...]ne inward per­swasion of his fauor, and remission of thy sinnes through the merits of Jesus Christ: Ther [...]o thy [...]oysing [...]w & happie.

Remember that nothing can come vnto thee but b [...] Gods prouidence and permission w [...]y [...]hen sul [...] then beare e [...] thing [...], seeing it is the [...] wa [...]k?

The Lorde is able to [...]oo [...] aboue all that we aske or think: why suld thou then be carefull, or a ver [...] ­tious?

Studie earnestly to be temperate of thy mouth: for intempt­rancie hurts the memorie and the iudgement, [...]ores the spiti­tuall gift, makes the heart fat and sensuall, banishes bea [...]enke thoughts and meditations, and makes men vnable for any gu [...] exercise.

Be continuallie occupied ather in the [...] seruice, or [...] thine a win vocation, for the negle [...]ing the [...]of wounts the conscienser?

Gif the Lord haue giuen thée any reasonable maintenence of thy a win, haunt not meikle the tables of v [...]er men.

Kiframe t [...]y t [...]nge from cu [...] speaking, [...]rawarb or [...]ilthy speaking, where by the conscience is wonder sull [...]e wounded, & the spreit [...]f Christ that [...] in v [...] s [...] [...].

Cra [...]e of God a large and liberall [...], for a gnew [...]us, and pinc [...]ing heart iu matters of small importance is odi [...]us.

M [...]ole not thy selfe with [...]risle matters, and be not earnest in [...], for that is mechanick.

Endeuor thy selfe to haue thy mind [...]abill in thy prayer and meditation, & suffer not the s [...]min to be interrupted with valn [...] thoughts or naughtie actiones.

[...]e not bitter, fraward, earnest, or offended for trifles.

Studie not nor pause not meikle on the feeding of the flesh, nather be cu [...]us for the bellie, bot be thou s [...]ber, and [...] [Page 64] pleased.

If thou be a pastour, or a teacher, where euer thou cummis, let thy secreit purpose be to conqueis sum to Christ.

Be ware thou lightlie nocht, nor dispise not vthers, bot ra­ther consider how lowrd & grose thine awin imperfectionres at.

Where euer thou art iniured, or heirs words vtte [...]ed to thy reproch or griefe, incontinent perswade thy selfe that it proceids [...]ra God, & that he has stirred vp the speaker or iniurer against thee. Therefore considder if thou he iu [...]lie quarreiled, and then take it as a chastisement for thy sin: Bot if thou be falsely & vn­iustly quarrelled, then think it is done by God to try thy faith & patience, wherein thou suld reioyce and receaue comfort.

In taking thy resolutions, and in doing thy affaires, doo that quhilk may best please God, & may best serue to the expedition of thy turne, to the weill of thy neighbour, and thine awin com­mendation: Not regarding for a small coast, or halding in of tra­uell.

Beware thou be not exercised in vaine and childish things, and be not giuen to thy pleasour or satisfying of thy lustis: spe­ciallie quhen thou hes Gods turne in hand: for that quenshis the Spirit.

Be not opiniater & wilfull in trifill maters, or ouer precise in things indifferent, least thou séeme indiscreit & sawcie: bot ra­ther yéeld to the desire and will of vthers.

Beware of the first and sudden motions of the minde, quhilk (as the Philosophers alledges) it is not in mans power to resist therefore séeke thon the power of the Spreit of God, that they breake not out or thou be war, bot that thou may halde in, qubill thou reason with thy selfe.

Craue light of God in all thy particulars, that thou be not guided be the light of nature, and ditement of flesh and bloud: Bot be the spiritual light of gods word and his Spreit: for it is a great difficultie to knaw what is best to bee chosen in all our particulars, and to discerne betwéen the light of nature, & the light of the Spreit of Iesus.

Learne to be sad, silent, sober, and sanctified: hauing thy [Page 65] [...]ind eder lifted vpward, and pausing on heauenlie things, and not on cartblie and base things.

Remember daylie on the death thou mon die, on the count thou hes to make to God, and on the rewarde quhilk thou art to receaue thereafter, either of ioy, or of torment euerlasting.

P [...]nse déeply and consider with thy selfe what kind of thing Eternitie is,

Albeit thou knaw thy selfe to bee subiect in sick sort till oni [...] vice or sin, that thou cannot abstaine from it: Neuertheles cease not to fight against it, & to make resistance, for giue thou cease to resist, thou giues ouer the christian battell: Therefore, at least be sorrie for it, take purpose daylie till amend, and though thou fall this day, think weill to rise againe the morne, and sa foorth continually follow out that course vnto thy liues ende: Crauing grace ant strength dayly of God to resist it: then may thou be assured that he in his awin time will remooue it, and de­liuer thée from the tyraunte thereof.

It may be that ane euill spreit follow vpon thée, and rage in thine affections, seauen yeares, twenty yeares, fourtie yeares: yet for all this thou [...] nocht dispaire of thine esta [...]t: For gif thou make enie resistance, thou art not his obedientseruant, bot his prisoner, thou art led captiue to [...]n: ot giue thou obey him willinglie and with a gladnes, without any reluctation or regrait, thou art then his slaue & seruant. Therfore consider not only the euill quhilk the [...] hes d [...]ne, but also if thou be displeased with the doing thereof.

Be sure of thine election, and that thou art in the fauour of God, whereof thir are infallible markes.

First, when thou art come to the trew knawledge of Christ and the veiw of his death and resurrection, by the light of the E uangell.

Second when the Lorde suffers thée not to slip without cor­rection for thy sinnes committed against him.

Thirdly, When thou knawes thine a win wants and imper fections, and art sorry for them.

Fourthlie, Whèn thon hes [...]ne earnest houger and a thirst, for righteousnes and perfection.

[Page 66]Fiftlie, When thou hopes assuredly aday to obtaine through Christ Iesus, that quhilk thou hungers & thirsts for in this life.

Think not that thou art able to attaine vnto perfite halines in this life: for in vs there is na perfectiō, bot our sufficiencie is from God. The greatest perfectisn then, that man can attaine vnto during the course of this life, is, to bee of a life vnreprouable, or without sklander in the sight of men: To hait sin, and to loue righteousnes, to loue the appearance of Christ Iesus: And some time to taist and séele a part of that heuenly ioy & peace of Consci­ence, arising vpon hope quhilk the halie ghaist works in the saule and is called the earnest or erlis [...]mne of the Spireite, wherby we ar sealed to saluatió. Bot this sense of ioy remaines not alwaies, bot is rare and induces not onle long space albeit all the faithfull féels it not alike, bot some ofter, some sin [...]illar: some in a greter, some in [...] smaller measur [...]. Alwaies, the trueth is that the maist part of the childre [...] of God are ofter subiect till a féeling of feare and wraith in this life, nor of ioy and peace.

Thinke not that thou art sufficientlie mortified, and speaned [...]om the world, quhil [...] thou he so well acquainted with thy God that albeit thou were spoiled of friends, force, and of euery warld ly comfort, thogh thou were contemned of all men, & that every thing appeared to go against thée: yet not the les thou wald not be discouraged, bot wald be assured to finde comfort in the Lord.

To knaw thy a win nature, take béede how thy mind is occu­ [...]red when thou art solitarie, and frée from all externall affaires: If altogither on earthly and carnall things, thou art yet earthly and carnall: Bot if on spirituall & heuenly things, it is the wark [...] of the spirit. Also examine thy selfe what thou wald doo if thou were in prosperitie, and had liberty to doo what thou lust: If thy inclination be to séeke riches, hono. s, estimation of men, to enioy thy pleasor, or to reuenge thy quarrels: certifie thy selfe thou art yet in nature: Bot if thy intention be to glorifie God, and to bee exercised in euery maner of good warke: then he assuced thy rege­neration is begun.

FINIS.

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