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HElp here, O Lord of Saboth! Loe bring thy succours hither. The enemies invade thy Sanctuary to pollute the same; they seeke the sacred fires to extinguish them; they violate the Altar of Holocauste to ouerthrow 〈◊〉〈◊〉; they bring in strange and foraine incense, sacrilegiously to burne to their Numensa 1.1 Send downe thy auxiliary bands from heauen; the confederate host of An∣gels, those spirits, which weild and
brandish thine armes; els certainly al things wil demolish and vtterly perish: Traynes are set on euery side, nette and snares laid euery where. God gingerly and take heed if you be wise. Here the world that chea∣ting and perfidious Mounte-banck fete forth his wares, to sals, precious indeed and specious to the eye at first, but whem you heed them bit∣ter, alas meer trumpery and coun∣terfeit stuff. The purse this pedlery merchant shewes you, beleeue me, is puffed vp with wind rather then filled with coyne. The diadems glit∣tering al of gold, or rather glasse, amid the few and bastard gemm's, affright with thornes and briars. The cheynes of gold or iewels take which you wil, like iron fetters, ho∣nour not, but onerate, and straightly bind. What apparel? The Silk-wor∣mes excrements, with vs being rare,
and scarce, are therefore deare; for with the Thracians long a goe, these silks haue been but little worth; nor wil they like vs, if not wrought; or interwouen with gold and glitter here and there, with sparckling gemmes. But to what end? forsooth to shroud our nakednes and defor∣mity with a precious mantle. With these allurements then the world seekes to intice to it the hart, and to that end promises huge mountaynes of gold, but yet performes besides the blasts and fickle winds of words, euen iust nothing. For what law can he keep or true fidelity, that wants them both? It is much for it to afford one a vulgar fame, to puffe an empty breath of a little glory which by and by scarce sensible, it blowes another way. For as often as you purchase the grace, not of the vulgar only, but euen of Princes also
with the least offence it is suddainly snatched away from you and leaues you gaping after it, with a light smatch only.
Help, help againe O Heauen! Behold here a new enemy at hand the Stygian Dragon, as anciently as subtlily trayned vp in this field, that Serpent I meane now so long since cast downe to helb 1.2 from Heauen and that degree of dignity he aymed and aspired to. The De∣uil, I say, that Calumniatour, as∣sayes to rush into thy hold, and that he may hauock and disturb al things rangeth vp and downe like a fel Lyon in a horrible māner, that with his dreadful roaring if he crush not the hart altogeather, at least he may shake it shrewdly. Imagine him an Aspike, his throat to swel with poy∣son his tooth already fastened in the wound, the very venome now ready
to come forth, where the soule is as good as dead already. Conceiue him a Basiliske: this as king of ser∣pēts, is more pernitious then the rest, as he, which with the only eyes ins∣pireth death, like a theif enchāts the eares with a false whistle and gently distils into the hart a pest with al: When being gotten in soaking the humour thence he pines it vp, and kils it quite? Or shal I cal him a Cro∣cadille? You haue then a sworne ene∣my no lesse of our saluation then of the heauēly Court, for he faines our human teares, puts on our effects to deceiue the better. Nor doth Proteus so transforme himself into euery figure, as this pragmatike of the world turnes and winds himself euery way into each slight. Nor doth this warriour vse alwayes the same weapons or manner of fight for now he takes prosperity for armes, and
now aduersity; nor leaues he any tyme or place for truce or respite. Help therefore, ô you Citizens of heauen, help I say! In this combat the Anihonyes, the Hilarions, and the rest of Moncks, most stout Cham∣pions, tremble, sweat, and chaunge ther colour; who surely were not ignorant of the forces of this Aduer∣sary. Is the Casket of the hart re∣pleat with celestial riches? with pride and presumption of mind he breakes it open, steales the treasure. Is the hart emptie and void of the riches of vertues and the ornaments of diuine graces? with despair he at∣tempts to perpetrate any horrible fact; and alwayes bends the artyl∣lery on that side he notes to be wea∣ker then the rest, where he batters sore and shakes the wal, while hap∣pily the soule attends the lesse or makes the lesse resistance. And
holdst thou thy peace yet, ō God of Hosts? nor sendst thou as yet, thy subsidiary spirits, with Michael their inuincible Captain, to appose a new and stand against this Pest, to chace, pursue, to put to flight, and then so bound to cast it into the inmost dun∣geon of Hel, where being once shut vp, there may appeare no way for it, to issue forth?
Ay me poore wretch! the exter∣nal forth thus foyled, the enemy begins to rage at home, the flesh re∣bels and proud for the good successe of the noble victoryes got vpon those stout aduersaryes of hers, tos∣seth the warlike fire-brands of con∣cupiscence, here the fires are more dreadful farre then were the Gre∣cians flames. Water, water, I cal for? Rayn down from Heauē whole clouds of graces, O the only prop, and stay of my hart, my God; quēch
with diuine showers, those fiery weapons, fordged with the hellish coales;c 1.3 wherewith this impu∣dent brat of Vulcan, Venus wicked imp, lasciuiously armed dares to assalt this hart; which thou thy self wouldest haue for Palace, Tower, and Temple.
Leuit. 10.
Isaye. 14.
Ephes. 6.