DEarely beloued Country­men, both you I meane, which loue and imbrace righteousnesse wyth your whole hartes and soules, and you also, which open your eares, and lift vp your eyes to vanities, and seeke after leasings, I beseeche you in Gods cause, and your owne behalf, to worship the holye one of Israell with a true, zealous, and syn­cere worshippe, and to repent you speedily and hartily of all your vyle and abhominable transgressions, committed before the face of that onely wise God, who most cleerely [Page] seeth al things: And then wil I say vnto you Londoners, as S. Paule wryteth to the Romaynes, the Co­rinthians, and other nations: Grace to you and peace, from God our father, & the Lord Iesus Christ. You know wel ynough, good Countrymen, wyth what notable and singular, and thrice happy blessings, the father of heauen hath blessed and endowed you, his adopted children, and inhe­ritours: you knowe what great ri­ches and treasures of bodye & soule he hath bestowed freely and boun­tifully vppon you: he it is, which graunteth and giueth you so ioyful, so prosperous & peaceable a realme: he it is which preserueth our moste vertuous and renowmed Prince Elizabeth: he it is, which continuneth his careful regard and kindnes daylie and hourely towardes you: and he it is which will not the de­struction [Page] and death of a sinner, but wysheth him to become a new and regenerate man, and so consequent­ly liue. Wherfore lift vp your heads and harts, O ye good Citizens of London, remember what good cō ­mandementes your godly and reli­gious Prophetes and Preachers haue deliuered you: remēber what they haue told you of the ouerthrow of proude Babylon, of wicked Ni­niue, of lasciuious Sodoma, and o­ther famous Cities, of infamous A­sia, and then too, learne this lesson, or rather prouiso of me your poore brother in Christ, that vnlesse you cast away your iniquities far from you, and bannish your cankred and corrupt imaginations, and circum­cise the sensuall appetites and vn­reasonable perturbations of your mortall bodies, you shalbe, (looke for it) euen like one of them, & then [Page] without all doubt immortall confu­sion will ouerrunne and lay waste your most stately and goodly buyl­dings. What slug and dromedarie is there amongst you, that will not prepare himselfe lustily to the bat­taile, when he heareth the drum or trumpet sounde alarum, and pro­claime open war? and shall y^e Lord of Hostes thunder aloude from his euerlasting throne of Maiestie, and will you, or dare you yet lie fast a­sleepe in the filthy puddle of cursed Adam your forefather, and neyther awake, nor arise? If the Lion roa­reth terribly in the wylde forrest, can the little beastes chuse but be a­fraide? And shall the mighty and in­uincible Lyon of the tribe of Iuda, roare ouer his chosen children and subiects, and shall not this same vile dust and ashes of ours fal in peeces with a sorrowfull contrition? God [Page] is your good king, therefore trust in hym wyth a true, faythfull, and duetifull obedience: God is your graund captaine, & vnder his ban­ner you shall easily vanquishe and captiuate the monstrous armies of Satan: God is your louing father, take heede and beware, least other neighbour Countries steale awaye your blessings frō you, whilest you hunt after wandering flesh, in this worldly forrest: God is your wise schoolemaister, and one whyle hee teacheth you with gentle instructi­ons and soft precepts, sweeter than honny, and the honny combe, ano­ther time he intreateth you sharply, and correcteth you for your mani­fold offences. He is both mercifull & seuere, he is both patient & angrye, nowe hee appeareth vnto you in white garments, and his saints re­ioyce about him with Oliue braun­ches [Page] in their handes, and anone he descendeth from aboue in a boiste­rous and fierce whirlewind, and in a tempest mingled with lightnings and coales of fyre. What shoulde I say more? He selleth you all goods without siluer or golde, and yet you wil not harken vnto my voyce, saith the Lord of Hostes. How long will you flee, when I follow you, howe long will you stop your eares, when I call you? saith the Lord of hostes. O London, London, Londō, heare what the Angell of God hath writ­ten in the iudgement seate of the Lambe, I haue made Thamesis like vnto the Riuers of Paradise, Euphrates, and Tigris are not to bee compared with it, her streames are of siluer, and her sandes of gold, her springs are water of life, and who so drinketh of them, shall not be a­dry: her bathings make the blinde [Page] to see, the lame to goe, the dumbe to speake, the deafe to heare, & I haue remoued all hinderaunces which woulde stay hir pipes & conduites, the venemous poyson of the great Dragon could not infect it, nor the hotteissuinges of any Serpentes could defyle it▪ my Rulers delighted to rowe in her with Barges, & my Seers builded their houses neere vnto her, she hath beene Queene of all Riuers, because her vertues and effectes are incomparable. Where­fore my Ministers and seruauntes haue I sent in to her, to cast their nettes and catch of her fish, I lon­ged to eate of that broode, and to be serued with her young fishes at my Table, but they laboured all night, and tooke nothing. For Thamesis is made a dwelling place for water Snakes, shee is full of infectious woormes, shee shall no more be cal­led [Page] the Queene of waters, if I send once agayne, and receiue no fish of her, she shall bee made like the dead­ly waters of Gomorrha, sayeth the Lorde of hostes. Nowe my good Countrymen, can you heare thys Embassage and Reuelation, and not marke it? Or can you marke it, and not remember it? Then laye it closely vp in your breastes. Goe to, for Gods sake, and your owne sake, let vs laye our heades and ioyne handes together, let vs sende our humble supplication, and letters of submission vnto our mercifull God, and craue a pardon of his Grace, least he come sodaynly in his wrath, and vexe vs in his sore displeasure. Hee hath sent manye myracles a­mong you, my beloued brethren, to chastē your vnchast misdemeanors. Do you not remember that horrible punishment, wherewith he puni­shed [Page] a sister of yours in Woodstreet who very desperately forsweared her selfe in bargaynyng? For as her periurye stincked in the nostrels of the Lord, so her periured tongue be­came as her fundament. A great example, and notable Admonition, for all buyers and sellers, not to lye, and forsweare, and face, and glose, to gaine the fraile and corruptible money, and loose the penny of eter­nall life. Yet for all this Gods an­ger ceaseth not, but his hande is stretched out still. Doe you not re­member that Lea an olde man in London, dwelling in Byshopsgate streete, blasphemed the sacred name of God, and forsweared himselfe in the Guildhall? Which haynous trespasse begat in him so forcible a compunction and remorse of con­science, that like to that mad Caine and furious fratricide hee cruellye [Page] shortned his owne dayes, and so wounded his bowels with a rustye knife, that presently without repen­taunce hee gaue vp the Ghost. A worthy Caueat for all such, as doe prophanely, and vnreuerently take Gods holy name in their mouthes. Yet for all this Gods anger ceaseth not, but his hande is stretched out still. For when Mystres Saunders a Tenaunte of yours, had a long tyme acquainted her selfe wyth the conueyaunces and deuises, where­with vnhonest Gossyps are famili­arly accustomed, God woulde for­beare her payment no longer, but brought her and her wicked compli­ces and adherentes to the gallows, that all other amorous strumpets, and whoorish bloudsuckers might see a fayre warnyng before theyr eyes. Yet for all this Gods heauye wrath ceaseth not, but his hande is [Page] stretched out styll. Doe you not re­member, what Tokens haue been sent you within fewe yeeres? By blazing tayles of Starres in the Firmament, by fierie exhalations and excursions in the Element, by extraordinary diseses & infirmities, by shaking your Theatre, by other and other sygnes of dislikyng and rebuking your inordinate kynde of liuing. Yet for all this Gods hea­uie wrath ceaseth not, but his hand is stretched out still. Do you not re­member that most dreadfull and tragicall Earthquake, which cau­sed the huge and solide foundation of the Earth, to shake and totter vp crepple? Beware least the same and downe lyke a drunken man or Earthe gape suddainely and swal­low you vp quicke, as Corah, Da­than & Abyram were deuoured for gainesaying the omnipotent worde [Page] of God, which descended from the holy hill of Sinai. Yet for al thys, gods anger ceaseth not, but his hād is stretched out still. Do you not re­member the infortunate and horri­ble mischiefe, that so lately befell to them, which had more desire and delight to visite Paris garden, than Paules Crosse, & to heare the beast­lye cryes of Beares & Dogs, rather than the comfortable voices of gods preachers, which pronounce y^e glad tydings of the gosple? the people sat downe to eate and drinke, and rose vp to play, and many men & women were partly killed, & partly maimed in one hower. Learne therfore and take heede, for there is a plague gon out from god, & his hand is stretched out still. For marke, I praye, what a rare and lamentable Example he shewed vpon two adoulterous per­sons the thirde daye of February, [Page] being Sūday, in the yere of Christ 1583. Ther was a man aboue three score yeres old, named William Bru­star, who had bin somtimes of a rea­sonable wealth, (carying presently a great countenance of honestie) hee was by occupatiō an Haberdasher, who either by licentious & prodigal spending or ydle labouring, or gods curse (for he was by credible reporte lately become an vsurer) fell into so low an estate, that the Parishioners where he dwelt, because he had born al offices amongst thē, & had bin in good countenaunce and credite, al­lotted and assigned him a chamber ouer the porch on the southeast part of Sainct Brydes church by Fleetstreet, rather than he shoulde be destitute of a dwelling place. This Brustar had put away his owne wife vppon a disagreement whych happened be­twixte them, at two sundrie times, [Page] for he woulde neuer agree with hir, and oftentimes, whē the neighbors reprehended him for vsing hir so hardly, he made aunswere, that the ende of them both shoulde proue, whiche was moste faultie, hee or his wife, & as I am crediblye enformed, he retayned a woman whiche was one Breames wife, whome hee bee­fore hadde bayled oute of Bridewell, vnder a pretence to reforme hir vn­natural manners, and bring hir to goodnes, but it proued cleane con­trarie, for they two oftentimes met vnlawfully and vngodly togither, and incurred therfore the danger of God and man. Yet neuerthelesse I am enforced of necessitie to except y^t holy, holy, holy, pope of Rome, who hath neither shewed himselfe like to God in goodnesse, nor to man in wisdome and gouernement, but ra­ther a seducing and erronious spi­rite, [Page] in blasing his false and vnlear­ned Kalenders, as shal, God willing be hereafter proued more at large, & in sending his newfound pasportes, his Turkish and Mahomatical li­cences, his vnreasonable beastes the Buls, his fond writs (for thus it is auouched by a constante reporte of many) wherein he willeth and per­mitteth his deuoute shauelings, and Catholike children, and sanctifyed comminaltie, and royal generation, to keepe a wife or concubine for ech hand or leg: his holynesse might do wel to amend this first institution, & now bequeath a maide Marrian to euerie member, that so hee maye haue many sciences & goodly impes of his so godlye and blessed stockes. But let him alone, hee is hatching more cockatrices egs. If Brustar had beene an inhabitaunte of Rome, as hee was of London, he might haue [Page] receiued an Absoluote for all his vil­lanies, and played the Bigamus at his pleasure by auctoritie & priuiledge. Upon sunday last in the afternoone a litle before euening prayer, the pa­rish being assembled togither to the seruice of their Lorde and Maister Christ Iesus, espyed a smoke some­what vnlike common smoake, to is­sue out of Brustars chamber: they by & by suspecting some harme, made no smal haste to his dore, which they found fast shut: then the neighbors caused a ladder to be set to his chā ­ber window, where they found his key, neuerthelesse they burst open the dore: when they were entred in, beholde what a grieuous spectacle the Lord had laide before their eies, to make reporte thereof vnto theyr brethrē & fellow citizēs. Brustar that olde fornicatour lay starke deade on a settle by the beddes side, his right [Page] thigh and right arme, which often­times hadde imbraced this harlot, were burned with fire, and specially the outside of his arme, which verie straunge to see, was burnt vp to the elbowe, and yet his sleeues not peri­shed. And the womā his companion had a semblable reward for hir wā ­ton abuses, for she also lay deade by him bending ouer the smal panne of coales towards him, and hir heade on his right thigh, so that the skirts of hir garments were burnt, hir ar­mes were burnte to the bones, the neather partes of hir bodie burnt to the breaste, and al hir hinder partes to the shoulders, very horrible to be­holde: both hir legs were burnt, sa­uing hir lefte foote from the anckle downeward. A straunge euente that so small a fire shoulde consume so much flesh, the tenth part wherof had bene able to drench and quenche [Page] euerie coale in the panne. (A wonder not much vnlike that which happe­ned at the burning of one Gardiner in Spaine, a sparcle of whose fyre set on fire a goodly tall faire shippe of the kings, lying then in the hauē, as you may reade more plentifullye in Maister Foxes Ecclesiastical Hy­storie.) With the horror of whiche strange sight, was ioyned, so strong and stincking a sent of the consumed flesh, that those that entred y^e cham­ber were wel nigh stifled therewith. Concerning these persons, you heare howe lewdly and vngratiously they missused the holy Sabaoth, & what a requiem god gaue them for their la­bour. You see the guerdon of carnal concupiscence: you see how the lord of heuen and earth maketh the same element to succour the good, and cō ­sume the euil: you see, I beleue, as si­gnificant & cleere an instant against [Page] whorehunting, as any age, or time, or place can afourde you: yea tho­ughe you consider the fire of So­dome, of Nadab and Abiahu, who offered straunge incense before the Lorde, of Elias whiche consumed two chiefetaines with their fifties, of Ananias, Azarias, and Mizael, whiche consumed their tyrannous persecutors in the flame. And wyl you yet returne back to your beast­lye and fylthie lusts, as the dog doth to his vomit, o yee sonnes & daugh­ters of London? will you not yet leaue to foster and entertaine those tripping dames, those pery wigged prickmidainties, those sodomitical libertines, those ruffiā baudes, those curled masking roysters whyche runne like vntamed heifers tho­rough hedge and ditch, and ouerrū other mens groundes and gardēs, which liue by the spoyle and hauock [Page] of sobrietie and continency, whiche care for nothing more thā their bel­lies, & things belōging to the bellie, well seene in secreates and priuities of states, as youre thrice excellent English poet hath truly reported of you in his Speculum Tuscanismi, wherin is contained a perfect resēblance of harebrainde natures & omnisidian counterfaites, which runne eftsones into all regions, to buy extremities, to borrow new fangled qualities, & beare about them at once y^e head of a Numidian Tuscan or wilde I­rish, the brest of a sauage Bear and Leopard, the armes and winge of those Manucodiata, whiche birdes as Cardane reporteth, do flie continu­ally in the ayre, hoping at the last to make their nestes in the sunne, but they are faine to buylde them in their owne backes▪ and fall downe to the earth without feete, when [Page] they haue doone. Let all suche loose from among you, Oh my people, saith the Lorde of hostes: a­waye wyth them, eyther bend them to vertue, or breake them in theyr vices sayeth the Lorde of hostes. For what agreement hathe synne wyth righteousnesse, or God wyth Belial, or heauen with hell? know you not that youre bodies are the temples of the holye Ghoste, and wyll you suffer them to bee made, naye but will you your selues make them the sanctuaries of harlottes? vnderstande you not that comman­dement, whiche was sente from GOD, Thou shalt not commit ad­ulterie? And againe, Thou shalt not co­uet thy neighboures wyfe? wyll you learne still, and be neuer the wiser? wyll you needes bee like darnell, and wilde oates in the Wheate fielde of God, and bee throwen in­to [Page] that vnquenchable lake of brim­stone, and endlesse misery? for per­swade youre selues, that neyther whoremaisters, nor fornicatours, nor incestuous persōs shall be made partakers of the heauenly Hierusa­lem. You see that God would haue this harlots prankes knowne: for neither hir face, nor the attire of hir heade was so muche as once scort­ched, that it might the more certain­lye be reported in London: see how suche a mans daughter, such a mās wife, suche a mans concubine came to hir ende, vnlesse we repent, wee shall likewise all perishe, euerie mo­thers childe of vs, euerie vnhonest liuer of vs, euerye dalying Dali­la of vs shall come to noughte. Why mighte not GOD as iust­lye haue executed hys rigorous sentence vppon vs miserable sin­ners [Page] that we are, as vpon this ney­bour of ours? for wee are all gone out of the way, wee are all become vnprofitable, ther is none of vs that doth good, no not one.

Lette vs call to minde, howe the widow Barnes in Cornhil, intending to defeate an orphane of his right, in a rage by Gods secreate determina­tion, threw hyr self headlong out of a window, & cruelly ended hyr diue­lish life: let vs take heed, by prayer & fasting, leaste the diuell prouoke vs to madnesse, as hee didde one Berrie in the Counter of the Poultrie. It was that Sathan, that deuou­ring Lyon, which incited one R. Tod to slay Maystresse Skinner at saincte Katherines: and Maistresse Amye Middleton to martyre & kill hir maid with ouermuch beating and wyth heauie cudgelles.

[Page]Let vs imprint these feareful ex­amples in our minde, and think not within your selues, that they were greatest offenders, vpon whom the tower of Silo fel, for except we re­pent, we shal al like wise perish: Let vs not say among our selues: rushe, all is wel, peace, peace, we saw whē Gods wrath tooke the wings of the winde, and flew into the vttermost partes of the world: for he wil come in a daie, when we are not aware of him, and in a moment wil he come, and finde vs beating our fellow ser­uants, and giue vs a portion in the land of the dead. My people of Lon­don is like to a childe, yea, euen that goodly people, the people of Londō, is like a dead block vpon the moun­taines, saith the Lord of hostes. For if I beate them with my yron rod. they forgette it, and when I strike, they feele me not. How long shall I [Page] forbeare my vengeaunce, and beare with your infinite enormities, whi­che dayly come beefore my presence, saith the Lord of hostes? My house is called the house of prayer, but yee haue made it a Tabernacle and inne of Gomorrheans, saith the Lord of Hostes. I sent my Angell wyth a sling and two stones, to scare you in my sonne Christs Church, saith the Lord of hostes. But if you will yet remaine like vncircumcised Phili­stines, I will sende a two edged sword, to strike of the heads of your proud and disdainful Goliahs, saith the Lord of hostes. And because I could not find one Phinches emong you, I was constrained to be bothe iudge and tormentour my selfe, and I smote Brustar and hys Concubine wyth fyre, wherewith they would haue warmed themselues, as some­tymes I dydde choake the Israe­lites [Page] with quailes, when they would haue slaked their hunger, saieth the Lord of hostes. Thus I haue tour­ned their mirth to mourning, their ioy to annoy, their pleasure to pain, and wyll you not yet harken to my call, saith the Lord of hostes? where­fore I will yet punishe you seauen tymes more for your manifolde ini­quities and treasons, whiche you haue rebelliously raised againste me: so that you shall fetch no more of the golde of India and Ophir, you shal not haue your ships fraughted with the swete spices of Arabia any more, you shal haue many losses by lande and by sea, manie submersions and shipwrackes shall empouerish you, and hee that escapeth the waues, shal be taken of the pestilence, and he that auoideth the plague, shall bee apprehended of the ennimye, and [Page] one neighbour shall spoyle and en­dammage another, one frende shall betray an other, & there shal raigne a great desolatiō ouer you, saith the Lord of hostes. But if you wil take the tokens for a faire warning, and worship towarde my holye temple, and lay aside your proude flesh, and put of your gorgeous apparel, and sende awaie youre cawles, youre Moonelike tires, youre perfumes, bracelets, muffiers, bonets, tablets, earerings, vayles, wimples, cod­peesed dubblets, crisping pinnes, glasses, lawnes, and other allure­mentes and lullabies of follye and incontinencie, whyche are snares of forraine nations to intrap you withall, and keepe my holydayes arighte, and learne my testimo­nies to obserue and followe them, and worship my preachers as you [Page] oughte to doe, nothing shall be too deare for you, your houses shall bee fylled with all manner of store, your oxen shall be strong to labour, there shall be no decaye, no leading into captiuitie, nor no complayning in your boundes: then aske and haue, then knocke, and it shall be opened: I wil preuent the trecheries of vn­trustie nations, I wil tame the stiffe neckes of the hautie Magnify­coes, the north winde shall not hurt you, nor the Souldan shal doe you harme, your foes rounde about you shal behold your prosperous estate, they shall gnash wyth theyr teeth, & pine away, the desire of the vngodly shal be like the grasse on the house toppe, which wythereth before it is plurked vppe, Themesis shall be bet­ter esteemed than Tyberis, and I wil blesse hir ylande with all increase and I will satisfie hir poore with [Page] breade, and hir Saintes shal dwell with me, & feede at mine owne Ta­ble, & sing Alleluia in al hir circuites and dominions, saith he which is, which was, and is to come. What saye you, brethren and fathers? whether hadde you rather liue with quiet consciences, and to keepe house with GOD, than to wast your bodies, your substaunce, and soules in wantonnes, and repente when al is gone. You know the old prouerbe, Too late to spare, when all is spent, and who counteth not him a foole, that shutteth the stable doore, when the steede is stolne? whiche of you hath not heard how that Ouid y^e poet was bannished as farre as Moscouie, by Octauius Augustus an heathen Emperoure, for wri­ting his bookes, of the Arte of Loue: and will you, which are Christians, suffer so many youthes vnder your [Page] noses to practise continuall experi­ments & interluds of the Arte of bau­derie? I perceiue it is too too true, which your English Homer hathe written:

Good God what a vile indigni­tie is this, that Archelaus a miscreant in a graue and politike regard shold burne all bookes and Epigrams of loue, which he could come by: and y^t you which bear the titles of chri­stians, and yet scarce haue one spark or title of christianitie, will permitte sycophanticall Applesquires, and brothely baskets to warme them at your fires. Hee that toucheth Pitch shal be defyled with it, one il sheepe infecteth the whole flock:

[Page]Bethinke you therfore, my louing Countriemen, and remember, that the haughtie minde of Alcibiades marred all Athens: that the fonde louetrickes of Alexander broughte Troy to an ouerthrow: that for the fornication of the sonnes of Seth with the daughters of Caine, wel­neare al mankinde was destroied by the vniuersall deluge: that for the outrage of concupiscence, both Si­chem, and the house of Emor, and almoste all the tribe of Beniamin was broughte to vtter ruine and subuersion, that the people of Isra­el were striken, and carried into cap­tiuitie for coupling with straunge women, that greate mortalitie hap­ned by pestilence, by famine, and by sworde, for the onely adulterie of king Dauid: and let this exam­ple of William Brustar and hys lewde Woman, be as effectuallye [Page] weighed and scanned of vs, as for y^e rarenes it ought to be: & God who hath alwaies blessed your Citie hy­therto, wil blesse it stil: to whose gracious & fatherly protectiō I cōmēd you. Now, if al these prodigious Euents may not moue you to turne ouer a leafe, and take a newe lesson, hearkē I pray what Religiō hir self speaketh vnto you from hir highe Tribunal seate. Come vnto me, yee children of Thamesis and Britaine, my armes you see are open to enter­tayne you, my heade is incly­ned to kisse you, come, and you shall possesse mee in peace. Oh that you woulde giue loue for loue, for your good will is better than Nectar, & Britannia hyr name is vnto me, as a most pleasāt ointment. Thus it is meete that I your Lorde and Sauiours spouse shoulde be welcome vnto you, wyth [Page] timbrels and flutes, and cimballes, & a Venite exultemus. The vocie of youre Osanna maketh me hartily to reioice, the gladsome salutations of youre lippes, sound sweeter in mine eares, than anie instrumentes of Musicke in your Land. As the rose is among the thornes, so is my beloued Albion among al genealogies of men. Lay thy right hand vnder my heade, and let thy left arme holde mee: for my delight is to sit vnder thy healthfull shadowes, and the pomegranates which growe in thy garden are my best comfort. I traueled many yeres and indictions aboute the Coun­treys of Bohemia, and Praga: I soiourned in the shoare of the Ger­mane sea, I walked through the re­gions about Nilus, and passed by Sicilie, and by Uenice, and visited all the daughters of Europa. Yet none is so toothesome to my mouth, [Page] nor so fauourable in mine eye, as the yongest syster Albion is. We will buylde a siluer bulwarke vppon hyr walles, wee wyll fasten hyr doores, wyth bourdes of Cedar trees. I haue sette my seale vppon hir heart, because shee is a well locked garden, and a liuely fountaine runneth from hyr. I am blacke wyth iourney­ing in manie Kyngdomes, but I am not ill fauoured O yee ofspring of Sion: I come to you wyth Happinesse in one hande, and Eterni­tie in another, take not one but both of these and wee will keepe togea­ther for euermore. Make oure foundations of Marble, our play­sterings of Golde, and oure pyl­lers of Iuorie, so shall the Kyng reioyce in thy beautye for he is thy Lorde from aboue, and o­bey thou hym. Buylde vppe our Gates of Brasse, and lette Veritie [Page] keepe the entraunce: lette Charitie bee oure Schoolemaistresse: and lette Humilitie syng Hymnes and spirituall Songes: lette Patience beare the burthen of the Crosse beefore vs: lette Prayer be watch­man in oure strong Towers: and then Magnificat, shall daylye bee sung of vs, and hee onelye shal bee gloryfyed, whyche ruleth aboue: lette vs for the instru­ction of oure chyldren haue the Actes and Monumentes of the holye Woorthyes, portrayted euen vppon oure Pallaice walles: and then also the destruction of Saule wyl terrifye them from co­uetousnesse, the magnifycence of Iosua and Dauid will also hear­ten them in the waye of godli­nesse, the blessing of Gideon wyll likewise exhort them to destroye all [Page] prophane & Madianitish idolators, the fortitude of Sampson wil em­boulden them againste millions of ennimies, the zeale of Iohn wyll teach them to hinder the encrease of the vngodly rout of Baal, the cou­rage of Ionathan wil bid them ne­uer to fly touche in Gods cause, the fayth of Abraham will exhort them to trust in Gods promises, the mira­cles of Moses wil make them wor­ship the power of God, the vertues of Iob, of Noah, of Daniel, of Io­seph, of Iacob, of Iudas Macha­beus, of Debora, of Iudith, of A­quila and Priscilla, wil enforme thē of pacient, prouident, manly, wise, and honest proceedings, and teache them the feare of the Lorde, which is the beginning of perfect wisdom. And to withdrawe them from the footesteps of transgressours, the pi­cture of Caines autophonie, of An­tiochus [Page] & Herodes Pthiriasy, Ana­nias periurie, Pharaohs obsti­nacie, Simon Magus sorce­rie, Diues his gluttonie, wyth manye other notable narrations should bee set forth before their eies. So the vanitie of Sciences Magi­cal coulde not delude them, nor yet al Iulianistes, al Lucianistes, al he­retiques shoulde once remoue them from their assured hope in Christe. For hee that keepeth Israel shall not slumber nor sleepe. They shoulde bee builded vpon the rocke whiche ney­ther stormy winds, nor gret flouds, neither earthquakes, nor pyrotech­nies may vndermine and ouercast. Wee wil keepe them from gadding Dinahs, from muffled Thamars, from ambitious Nimrods, from adulterous Absoloms, frō holow­harted Achitophels, from trayte­rous Iscariots, and from y^e whole [Page] traine and troupe of wicked offen­ders. And as for this example of Brustar, it shal be registred in y^e chro­nicles of Gods iust iudgemēts, whi­che teacheth vs to detest and abhorre the licentious excursions of the bo­die, and to hate that preternaturall luste of olde age, and to pray against sodayne death. And nowe lette vs humbly beseech our soueraigne king of heauen and earth, to looke on vs wyth the eyes of his mercie: not to cut vs off so shortely, that al time of remembrance be denied vs: to grant vs his grace in suche measure, that wee may be readie with our lamps, when the bridegroome commeth, & enter with him into eternall ioyes, which God for his Christes sake ac­complish in due season, to whome al wisedome and power and goodnes bee ascribed for euermore. Amen.