GOOD COUNSEL

Sir I will ask you a question by your favour what would you with the minstrel do? If that be the matter, I promise you sure I am the more soryer that it should so be, For there is no such pasting, y e time a pointed in y e scryp ture Nor yet thereunto it does not agree, I wish that you would so use your liberty, To walk as you are bound to do, According to the vocatio ̄ , which God hath called you to, Then I perceive you have for gotton clean, The promise that you made unto knowledge and me you said such fleshly fruits should not be seen, But to Gods word your life should agree Full true be the words of the prophet Osey No verytie nor knowledge of God is now in the land. But abominable vices hath got the upper hand. Then shall this land enjoy great quietness & rest And give unto God most hearty thanks therefore, To whom be honour, prase and glory for evermore Show me your name I pray you heartily And then I will my mind express Moses in the law exhorteth his people, As in the book of Deuteronomy he does plainly write, That they should live obedient and thankful, For infect these words he does resyte: All you this day stand before the Lords sight, Both princes, rulers, elders and parents, Children ̄ wives, young & old, therefore obey his commau ̄ de me ̄ ts To enter with God peace and alliance, Promising that they would him honour, fear & serve All kind of people were bound in those covenants, That from his law they should never swerve, For God uses no percialitie. You surely, or else God will withdraw His mercy from you, promised in his covenant, For except you live under his obedience and awe, How can you receive the benyfites of his testament? For he submetteth himself to be a servant, And his Master's commau ̄ deem ̄ to will not fulfil nor regard According as he hath done, is worthy his reward. My name is called good counsel, I pray God guide you with his gracious assistants Unto y e knowledge of his truth, your ignorance to undo That you may be one of those numbered christians Which followeth the lamb whither he does go, The lamb Jesus Christ, my meaning is so, By sure faith & confidence, in his bitter death & passion, The only price of our health and salvation. First of all it is most expedient. That you exercise your self in continual prayer, That it might please the Lord omnipotent, To send unto you his holy spirit and comforter: Which will lead you every day and hour Unto the knowledge of his word and verytie Where in you may learn to live most christianly. Full true be these words, which Christ him self did say He that seeketh shall surely find. Be hold youth now rejoice we may For I see knowledge of God, verity stand here behind knowledge entereth. He is come now to satisfey your mind In those things which you will desire, Therefore together let us approach him never. Be these words which unto you he does express He teaches that you ought to have a steadfast faith With out it is impossible doubtless, To please God, as Saint Paul say: Where faith is not, godly living decayeth For whatsoever is not of faith, say. S. Paul, is sin, But where a perfect faith is, there is good working to Gods word you must only incline, All other doctrine clean set a part. Here you shall reseaue Christ's testament To comfort your conscience when need shall require To learn the contents there of, see that you be diligent The which all Christian men ought to desire For it is the well, or fountain most clear Out of the which does Spring sweet consolation To all those that thirst after eternal salvation. With this thing you must neither flatter nor jest But steadfastly believe it every day and hour And let your conversation opi ̄ lie protest That of your heart it is y e most precious treasure And then your godly example shall other men procure To learn and exercise thesame also I pray God strengthen you so for to do A youth youth, whither dost thou run? Greatly I do be wail thy misrable estate, The tyrrible plagues, which in Gods law are written, Hang over thy head both early and late: Oh fleshly capernite, stubborn and obstinate, Thou hadst lever forsake Christ thy saviour and king Then thy fleshly swinish lusts, & abbomynable living. The devil hath you dysceiued which is y e auctor of lies And trape you in his snare of wicked hypocrye, Therefore all that ever you do devise Is to maintain your fleshly liberty For this thing most chiefly I do complaye: Have you not professed the knowledge of Christ's gospel And yet I think no more ungodliness does reign, In any wicked Heathen, Turk or infidel: who can devise that sin or evil, That you practise not from day to day yea and count that nothing but a jest or a play, Alas, what wantonness remains in your flesh? How desirous are you, to accomplish your own will what pleasure & delight have you in wickedness? How diligent are you your lusts to fulfil? S. Paul say that you ought your fleshly lusts to kill But unto his teaching, your life you will not frame Therefore in vain you bear a christians name. Rede the .v. to the Galathians, & there you shall see That the flesh rebelleth against the spirit And that your own flesh is our most veter enemy, If in your souls health you do delight: The time were to long now to recite, What whoredom, oncleanes and filth communycacyon Is dispersed with youth, in every congregation To speak of pride, envy, and abominable oaths They are the common practises of youth, To advance your flesh, you cut & jag your clothes, And yet you are a great gospeler in the mouth: What shall I say, for this plasphemyng the truth I will show you what Saint, Paul does declare In his epistle to the Hebrews, and the .x. Chapter. For him say he, which does willingly sin or conse ̄ to After he hath received the knowledge of the verity Remaineth no more sacrifice, but a fearful loki ̄ g for jud geme ̄ to And a trrible fire, which shall consume y e and uersary And Christ say that this blasphemy, Shall never be pardoned nor forgiven, In this world, nor in the world to come Alas alas, what I have wrought and done? Why youth, art thou fallen into desperation? What man pluck up thine heart, and rise, Although thou see nothing now, but thy condemnation yet it may please God again to open thy eyes: Ah wretched creature, what dost thou surmise? Thinckest not that Gods mercy does exceed thy sin? Remember his merciful promises & continued ̄ fort Thy self in him A fair vessel unfaithful and faint hearted, Dost thou think that God is so merciless, That when the sinner does repent, and is converted, That he will not fulfil his merciful promises: Lo, where he comes even here by, Therefore mark his sayings diligently. The Lord by his prophet Ezechiel sayeth in this wise plainly Here en treth God des merci full promi ses. As in the .xxxiii. chapter it does appear. Be converted Oh you children, and turn unto me, And I shall remedy the cause of your departure, And also he say in the .xviii. chapter, I do not delight in a sinners death, But that he should convert & live, thus the Lord say, The prodigal son as in Lycia we rede which in vicious living his good doth wast, As soon as his living he had remembered, To confess his wretchedness he was not aghast, wherefore his father, lovingly him embraced, And as right joyful, the text say plain Because his son was returnen again. For as much as God hath created you of nothing, Unto his own likeness, by spiritual illumination, It is unmeet that you should lead your living Contrary to his godly determynacyon, Saint Paul unto y e Ephesians giveth good exhortacio ̄ Saying, walk circumspectly, redeeming the time That is to spe ̄ worser it well, & not to wickedness incline Becausy they are required of all christian men, As the necessary fruits of true repentance. Now let us make our supplications together For y e prosperous estate of our noble & virtuous queen, That in her godly proceedings she may still persever, Which seeketh the glory of God a above all other thing. Oh Lord endue her heart with true understanding. And give her a prosperous life, long over us to rain, To govern & rule her people as a worthy servant. All prase be given to that Lord of might, which hath appointed you hither at this present hour For I trust you will so instruct youth a right, That he shall live according to Gods pleasure Though your elders were blind, doubt not you therefore For Saint Peter say, vain is the conversations, Which you receive by your elders traditions, For this continued ̄ versation of youth, y e lords nam be prased Let us now depart for a reason. Exit your whole conversation I may well accuse, As in my conscience joust occasion I find. Therefore be not offended, although I exprese my mind In thy wickedness continue no longer, But trust in the Lord without any fear, And his mersifull promises shall shortly appear I would believe if I might them hear,