A sinfvll Mans Solace Most sweete and comfortable, for the sicke and sorowful Soule: Contriued, into seuen seuerall Daies Conference, betweene Christ and a carelesse Sinner. Wherin, euerie man, from the highest, to the lowest: from the Richest, to the poorest: and aboue all, the sorowfull Sinner: maye take such sweet repaste of Resolution, to amendment of lyfe, and confirmation of Fayth: that (in respect of the Heauenlie Solace, therin faithfully remembred:) all the pompes and pleasures of this wicked worlde, shall be plainely perceiued to be meere miserie. Writeen by Iohn Norden |
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THE TVESDAY,
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 | A sinfvll Mans Solace |  |
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THE TVESDAY,
or second daies conference betweene Solace and the sinfull man.
VVherein (after long perswasion) & (vnderstāding by many examples of the iust iudgement of God against worldly minded men, and the greedy desire of wicked gaine,) beginnes to consider that hee hath greatly erred, in reposing his trust in transitorie riches, and in his aboundance, to sell the ende of all happines: And falles into a kinde of dispaire, wherein he vttereth his griefe, and afterward receiueth comfort, Solace, shewing himselfe to be Christ, &c.
Oh sinfull soule of mine sing forth,
the dolefull tunes of woe:
Let sobs & sighs, let trickling teares
from thee like fountaines floe.
[25]
let sorrow beare ye swaie:
Let Solace passe, for thou hast loste,
thine health and wonne decaie.
Oh worth, oh worth mee, wicked wretch
wo worth ye day wherein,
That my rebellious mind did giue
the first consent to sinne.
Wo worth the day wherein I was,
seene first of womans eye:
Would God my life had ended when
I first began to crie.
Then should not thus my silly soule
bene wrapt in irkesome woe,
Nor it haue felt the carefull thrall
that now is forste to showe.
My heart should not haue harborde woe
nor cōscience cause to weepe:
That nowe in griefe doth groane to see,
it selfe in torments deepe.
But then, ten thousand times I had
bene happie in my death:
Ten thousand times vnhappy now
that I enioy my breath.
Wherefore prepare oh graue in hast
to take thy share of mee:
26
I yeeld mee now to thee:
For all my pleasures now are gone
my mirth to mourning cheere
Is chaūged quite: my ioyes are past,
now gryping griefes drawe neer:
That greeue my silly soule so sore,
my corps consume full fast.
Oh death deny mee not therefore,
but take mee hence in haste:
The God that sits in Christal skies
hath cast mee cleane away.
No hope of helpe, no hold I haue,
good death make no delay,
No pardon due for my desert,
my sinnes deserue to die:
I linger like a lothsome wretch,
in deepe dispaire I crie.
Come death, & end my doleful daies,
deferre it not, make haste,
I loth to liue, yet dread to die
all hope of helpe is past.
Solace.
Oh wretched man, what is ye cause
thou mournest thus in woe?
[26]
why doste thou sorrowe so?
The thrall is great that thou poore wretch
doste seeme to sorrow in,
Shew me ye cause: be of good cheare
I sollace men in sinne.
The sinful-man.
See the corruptiō of nature that imputeth the cause of his griefe to him that would cure his deadly disease.
was yeasterday with mee:
He was the cause of this dispaire,
Yea, none the cause but hee.
Solace.
[OMITTED]
[27]
Oh, say no more, I am vndone,
I crie, but all in vaine:
In deede I am in darkenesse deepe,
thy words augment my paine.
Solace.
Thou art deceiued, in deede I am,
the Solace that will ease:
This doleful plight of thine wt speed
and wrath of God appease.
I am that lambe of God that came,
by God my fathers heste:
By death for true repenting soules,
to purchase lasting reste.
Although thy sinne the Scarlet doe
in rednes farre surpasse,
My death shall make thy soule as white
as whitnes euer was.
Wherefore, returne to me in haste
amend what is amisse:
I am the God that pardons him,
that true repentant is.
Therefore giue care attend vnto,
these comforts of my will:
Beleeue, amend, doe not dispayre,
conuert thy selfe from ill.
the Solace that will ease:
This doleful plight of thine wt speed
and wrath of God appease.
I am that lambe of God that came,
by God my fathers heste:
By death for true repenting soules,
to purchase lasting reste.
Although thy sinne the Scarlet doe
in rednes farre surpasse,
My death shall make thy soule as white
as whitnes euer was.
Wherefore, returne to me in haste
amend what is amisse:
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that true repentant is.
Therefore giue care attend vnto,
these comforts of my will:
Beleeue, amend, doe not dispayre,
conuert thy selfe from ill.
[OMITTED]
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Art thou in deed that Christ so pure,
whome Iudas did betray:
[29]
as sacred scripture say?
Solace.
Ye I am he that hung on crosse,
fast nayled to the tree:
A sacrifice, to pacifie,
my fathers wrath for thee.
The sinfull man.
Wo worth me then, for thou art hee,
whome I offended soe:
That in dispaire I languish here,
a wicked wretch in woe.
Oh let the mountaines fall on mee,
to hide my sinne from thee:
Let death approach, let gaping graue,
take nowe their due of mee:
I dare not looke on thee, whom that
my sinne offended so,
No, no, thou wilt not pardon mee,
thou art (of right) my fo.
And Sathan seekes as erst yu saydst,
to winne my soule from thee:
I am content, to his request,
I willingly agree.
I can not now reuoke againe,
my promise readie past:
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I must be his at last.
Solace.
[OMITTED]
The sinfull man.
A great conflict I feele in deede,
a fight of furious fiends,
Within my minde: a troope of foes,
whome subtile Sathan sends.
Who with dispayre doe so beset,
and ransacke all my will:
That nothing can appease the rage,
that pricks mee forth to ill.
Wherfore (I know) no boote to seeke
to shunne my raging thrall:
For Sathan binds mee to attend,
when he or his doe call.
Solace.
[OMITTED]
[30]
Oh, worth mee wretch: then I am none
of whom saluation came:
For I haue disobeyd thy will,
and led my life in blame.
And rest in Sathans bands a slaue,
by due desert I die:
Oh death make haste, my Soule, in sinne,
for thee is forste to crie.
Solace.
[OMITTED]
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Oh what should I poore sinner doe?
whose sinnes surpasse the sand
In number, which the surging seas
and waues haue cast on land.
No wit, no wisedome, or good will,
doth rest within my brest,
Thy wordes are all in vaine to me,
I am bereft of rest.
And know not how to winne again
thy fauour which is lost:
In dolefull plight I striue in vaine,
to yeeld vp guiltie ghost:
[34]
of which it first begun:
My soule where it deserues to be,
an wofull ghost vndun.
Solace.
Wilt thou (oh man) continue still
so hard of heart in woe?
Refusing so the fruites of grace,
that from my mercie floe?
Whereby thou mayst, at libertie
be set, from force of foe:
Reclaimd from sinne and Sathans will,
to rest no more in woe.
Repent therefore (I say) repent,
turne thou to me in haste:
Giue eare vnto me once againe,
be yet reformde at last.
Thou shalt perceiue that I forgiue
all sinners when they crye:
Not wishing any sinfull soule
in such dispaire to dye.
so hard of heart in woe?
Refusing so the fruites of grace,
that from my mercie floe?
Whereby thou mayst, at libertie
be set, from force of foe:
Reclaimd from sinne and Sathans will,
to rest no more in woe.
Repent therefore (I say) repent,
turne thou to me in haste:
Giue eare vnto me once againe,
be yet reformde at last.
Thou shalt perceiue that I forgiue
all sinners when they crye:
Not wishing any sinfull soule
in such dispaire to dye.
[OMITTED]
[35]
Oh Solace doth thy mercy, so
abound to pardon me?
Although like stinking filthie cloath
my life appeare to thee.
If Sathan held me not in band,
fast linckt in fetters fell:
Who roares like raging Lyon, whē
I doe determine well.
Full faine I would returne to thee,
whose mercy now I see:
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the meanes to murther me.
Solace.
[OMITTED]
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Oh Solace, I appeale to thee,
in heart I doe request:
That yu wilt shewe the perfect path,
to thy surpassing rest.
I doe perceiue from Sathan thou,
by death hast set mee free:
But tell me what I must beleeue,
and doe to come to thee.
He labours yet within my brest,
and faine would haue me gone:
[38]
in fine, wilt shewe me none.
For I am his, (he sayes) and he
will haue me in the end,
Good Solace (if thou can) doe thou,
this cause of mine defend.
Solace.
[OMITTED]
[40]
Oh passing comfort now I feele
renue in me againe:
Me thinkes I heare that Sathan saies,
now is my labour vaine:
Which I and mine haue had wt him,
that now conuerted is.
Me thinkes I heare him rage, yt I
should take the way to blisse:
But let him fret and fume his fill,
and doe his worst to me:
I doe not force: my sure refuge
good Solace is in thee.
True comfort doth begin I see:
encrease it more and more:
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to vexe my soule so sore.
And shew what I must doe in haste,
because the night is nye:
For I intend to follow thee
good Solace, till I dye.
Solace.
[OMITTED]
[41]
The ende of the Tuesdayes Conference.
| A sinfvll Mans Solace | |