TIME Complaining, giveth a most godly admonition, and very profitable Instruction to England in this our dangerous Time.  
Whereunto is added a comfortable prayer to be used in this Time. By JOHN CARPENTER.  Eccl. 3. 1. Every thing hath a Time, yea all that is under the Heaven, hath his convenient season. NON SOLO PANE VIVET HOMO: Luke 4 Verbum Dei manet in aeternum: 
I with   printer's device of John WIndet 
Imprinted at London by Thomas Orwin,   

To the Worshipful mine especial good friends, John Wal rond of Bovy Esquire, & to Mistress jane W. his wife the blessing of of God be multiplied and continued.  
THE great desire and godly delight, which I know to be in you both, to hear, read and meditate in the Law of GOD, with that blessed man, whom David describeth: the bringing up of your children with Abraham in the way of the Lord, and the exercising of your family in godliness, with your worthy examples unto others, and virtues thereunto correspondent (besides your manifold friendships towards me, your poor neighbour): have often times moved me to praise GOD for you, and to commend your happy lot: And at this time to unfold some part of my grateful good will, by sending unto you this little token (the complaint of Time). I beseech you to accept it gladly at my hands, in regard of my good will, chief in respect of the thing itself, which (though as brief a Jonas Sermon to Ninive) expresseth great matter for instruction, admonition, exhortation, commination, and consolation, in all piety. The Lord make us thankful for his gracious benefits, and so to use the happy Time of our peace, that our great prosperity, beyond other Nations, may rather further us, than hinder us in that good course of godliness which we have begun, to the attaining of eternal life in Christ jesus. And that howsoever all the world be affected, we may fully resolve to serve the Lord as Josua did, with our families: and not forget to pray unto GOD with Hester and her Maidens. Then shall we enjoy the benefit of our blessed time with Hezekias, and obtain that safete iagainst our enemies, which other godly have obtained by the mercy and loving kindness of our good God. To whose blessed protection I commend you and yours. London, this last of June, 1582.  
Your W. Poor Neighbout and friend in Christ jesus john Carpenter.   

To all true English hearts: faith, peace, thankfulness, and all godliness is wished in the Lord our Saviour.  
THE greater your benefits are, which ye have received from the Lord (dear brethren) the more should be your thankfulness unto him: and having much forgiven you, ye should with Mary also love much, ye have enjoyed a most blessed & long time of peace and prosperity, under our most gracious, godly and sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth, whom GOD long preserve: and through her Christian government, such excellent blessings, both for the body and the Soul, as the like no nation under Heaven at this day doth enjoy, for which the Lord expecteth your thankful hearts and faithful love towards him. But alas, your long peace & prosperity hath brought too many men into such a careless security & contempt of the true Religion so long used amongst you, that thereby the opportunity of so blessed a time is justly occasioned to lament, and to wish rather an end of her course, than that her continuance should yield long Liberty to such men, so to abuse the Lord & his creatures, by their horrible sins and iniquities. As the old Israelites recompensed their long peace with all kind of ungodliness: so have English men rewarded the Lord evil for good, to the great grief of his Soul, the sorrow of the true English hearts, and abuse of his blessings. The benefit of their time also they either do not know, or have forgotten it: for they endeavour not to use her, but every way to abuse her, and waste out the time in their worldly vanities, which being once let gone, is never recalled again. Neither may you think, that only the Lord is grieved, yourselves are sorry, and Time lamenteth: but that also all the Creatures of GOD (as Paul testifieth) 
Ro. 8.  which senie for man's use, feeling how monstrously they are abused by them which should in godliness use them with thankfulness, do altogether in one harmony & consent groan & sigh for speedy deliverance, not willing, as it were, to serve any longer to the benefit of ingrateful men. And that, were it not, for your sakes which trust in your Lord (as in josua his house under so gracious a princess) which pray heartily to the Lord even in the night when others sleep, which perform true fidelity and obedience to GOD and your Sovereign: it could not otherwise be, but that the treacheries conspired, and horrible plagues threatened against us would take effect: which yet the ungodly consider not, and therefore they endeavour neither repentance nor holiness of life, nor use time, nor to take time thereunto. Howbeit, I beseech you, for the tender mercies of Christ, that you hold on, as ye have begun in faithfulness and true obedience to GOD and your Queen, to live in unity and love within yourselves, and to fight against your enemies with that Spiritual Armour which Saint Paul hath appointed you. Then shall ye be stronger than your enemies, 
Eph. 6.  be they never so many, and be able to beat down the very hammer of the earth to his shame & confusion. Then shall Goliath fall down before David, & Senacherib before Hezekias yea Sisara shall perish before Deborah, Haman before Hester, and proud Holofernes shallbe slain by a woman's hand. The Lord give us his grace, to redeem the time because the days are evil, to know the time of our visitation, and what belongeth to our peace, to seek the Lord, whiles he may be found, and pray unto him now whiles he is near: that we may thereby enjoy the benefit of our happy time, that the true hearted may rejoice in spirit, that the Creatures may be willing to serve for our comfort; and that the Lord may be moved thereby the sooner to lead us to his everlasting peace through Christ jesus our Lord Amen.  
Rather yours then mine own in Christ. I. C   

Time complaineth, for that she is so vainly consumed of worldly men, as weary of continuance.  

WHen high jehove did men embrace  
In Paradise, with great good will,  
Then Lady Time had pleasant face,  
And did with him rejoice her fill:  
But when man fell, and sinned sore,  
She wysht to die, and live no more.   

O worthy power, that me began,  
And framed man a Saint of joy  
But oh alas to sinful man,  
That did procure his own annoy▪  
Which caused Time to loathe his lore,  
And wish to end, and be no more.   

Yea, though the Lord hath proffered peace.  
In Christ his son, for all his crime:  
Yet Lo alas, men still increase  
Their faithless facts, and waste out Time.  
And should not Time, then wish therefore,  
To leave her life, and live no more.   

Although it be man's proper crime,  
Which doth deserve the chief dispraise:  
Yet every man cries out of Time,  
And saith, how evil are these our days?  
As if Dame Time, and days began,  
This noisome harm to every man.   

What ears can hear to be belied?  
What tongue would taste the bitter gall?  
What nose would poisoned airs abide?  
What sight would see his lofty fall?  
What sense can serve to daily pain?  
And how should Time men's sins sustain?   

Old▪ Hevah cracks God's right decree:  
By Satan's shifts, and Adam falls.  
Now Cayn kills Abel cruelly.  
The sons of Seth to lust be thralls,  
Cham can disclose his father's shame:  
And breasts do burn in Sodom's flame.   

The daughters both of aged Lot,  
Can frame a fraud for soire Sire:  
And Absalon, now feareth not,  
His father's heart to set on fire.  
Now Esau voweth jacobs' blood,  
And joseph's brethren think no good.   

Such are the sins that swell and sway,  
In woeful wretched worldly place:  
These be the dolours of this day,  
That frame by fraud Time to deface:  
And these be they (alas) which stand  
Now entertained in every Land.   

Ah wretched wights, may Time therefore,  
With grief complain, with sorrows cry:  
Why should I live, and any more,  
Myself unto such bondage tie?  
Should worldly men thus God requite  
Ingratefullie with such despite?   

Should England now give to recoil,  
And yield to that which God doth hate?  
Then England shall full shortly toil,  
and groan her griefs and staggering state:  
Except Repentance timely turn  
From her the wrath, which now doth burn.   

For lo, the instruments of Ire  
Are ready priest, and draw them nigh:  
The Lion, Wolf and dragon dire,  
The Foxes with the Assyrian fly,  
The satires, fawns, and spirits of hell,  
Do stand and dance where men do dwell.   

Therefore (O Land) thy languish fly,  
Be wise in Time, look well about,  
Repent with ancient Niniveh,  
Yer God do blot thine honour out:  
Else Lady Time yet will implore,  
That she might sleep, and wake no more.   

Then shall thy friends lament thy lost,  
Then will thy foes clap hands and joy:  
Then may men's minds be rend and torn,  
And pleasant places lodge annoy:  
Then Lady Time no more will turn,  
To build the walls that foes shall burn.   

O Gracious God that lodgest love  
In breast divine with mercies hie,  
With pity yet this people prove,  
And save our souls from misery.  
Grant Grace and Time, as erst of yore  
That we may praise thee evermore.   


Though mirth & pastime have their tides,  
when peace and safety Sway:  
Yet now the Time exhorteth men,  
to weep, to fast, to pray.    
FINIS.   

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Here followeth a very profitable dialogue between Time and England: moving all persons within this land to esteem of God's mercies thankfully, to repent, and tend to the end of their deliverance, by serving God in holiness & righteousness before him, without delay.  Time 
Now leave and let me rest in peace,  
Oh England, be content:  
It doth me good, to think on rest,  
For why, my Joys be spent.  
I love not thus to languish long,  
Nay rather let me die,  
Sith all the Creatures in their kind  
Resound this Harmony.  
Oh come (O Christ) and set us free,  
From bondage, pain, and Sin:  
And quickly end the tedious toils  
That we do labour in.  
Ah Lord! Sold I abide this thrall:  
This anguish, Grief and woe,  
That for the sins of sinful souls  
I suffer? Surely, No.  
Nor could I be content (except  
That thou hadst so decreed)  
To proffer forth my tender paps,  
Their thankless wombs to feed.  
Oh land, now go therefore to God  
before that I go hence:  
Beseeching him to stay the strokes  
of rightful recompense.  England. 
Ah Time; and art thou discontent  
with me? And wilt thou fly?  
Nay, rather tarry as of yore:  
oh live and do not die.  
For Noah yet prepares his Ark  
as glad with me to dwell,  
And Lot is here (though faint for fear,  
and preacheth passing well.  
I have the Ark in custody:  
oh Time, fear not therefore.  
And God is good and gracious yet  
to me, as once of yore.  
Yet David liveth in the land,  
yet Solomon doth reign:  
Yet Hezekias is in place,  
josiah doth remain.  
Yet Christ is in jerusalem,  
the Apostles preach and pray,  
I have the peace, and grace of God:  
oh Time, now therefore stay.  Time. 
These godly Saints, these graces great,  
this peace, thou hast misused  
Unthankfully: and Lady Time  
full often hast abused.  
Therefore the righteous do depart; 
Isa. 57 1. psal. 12. 1.   
and perish from the land,  
And faith and truth from sinful Souls,  
will vanish out of hand.  
Which if it come, calamities  
will shortly fall on thee:  
And thou no longer shalt disdain  
these godly Saints, and me.  
For when that Noah is embark, 
Gen. 7. 1. 10. Gen. 19 22. 23. 24. 1. Sam. 4. 21. 22. 1. King. 2. and 11. and. 12. 2. King. 20. 17. 19 and 22. 19 20.   
the floods will flash from sky,  
And when from Sodom Lot departs,  
with fire will Sodom frie.  
If once the Ark be ta'en from thee,  
thy glory will depart:  
If David die, and Solomon,  
than woe shallbe thine heart.  
If Hezekias thou entumb,  
and josias enter:  
Alas, who will pray for thy peace?  
who can thy plagues defer?  
And if thy Saviour thee forsake 
Math. 23. 37.   
and holy Saints, for sin:  
Alas, how can thy peace be kept:  
and Candle holden in? 
Eccles. 3. 1. 2.   
And as for me: If once I fly,  
I am not stayed with hands:  
As bald occasion, that is turned,  
and birds scaped out of bands:  
Therefore, sith Christ knocks at thy gate,  
in Time him entertain: 
Reu. 3. 20.   
And pray him heartily that Time  
may longer yet remain.  
Then as one bound, I will abide, 
Ro. 8. 20.   
in hope, and him obey.  
But ah, against his holy will,  
entreat me not to stay.  England. 

Dan. 9 3.  Therefore to thee (O Christ) I come,  
my Refuge sure and strong:  
And I confess with weeping eyes,  
that I have done thee wrong.  
For though with many a benefit  
thou hast enriched me:  
Yet most unthanckfully I took  
the same (as all men see)  
I am the gratelesse vine which nought 
Isa. 5. 4.   
but sharp Labruscas yield:  
I am the fruitless fig tree set 
Luke 13. ●.   
within the fruitful field.  
I am the son, that promised  
to work, but went astray: 
Mat. 21. 30. Luk. 17. 17. 18.   
I am one of those lepers nine,  
which thancklesse went away.  
I am not worthy of thy word:  
not worthy to be graced:  
Nor worthy of this peace, and prince,  
which thou in love hast placed.  
Therefore thy wisdom worthily  
hath threatened to me pain: 
Isa. ●.   
To take away my Sovereign Queen,  
and grace from me again.  
And well I know: If thus I should  
consume out precious Time,  
By living in my lewd delight,  
increasing sinful crime:  
That plagues will soon light on my head,  
and vengeance shall ensue, 
Deut 28.   
To cast a down my haughty horns,  
and bring my fearful rue.  
That all my fair profession, then  
shall nothing help at all,  
Nor beauty, policy nor strength  
shall save me from a fall.  
Then they that would not learn by laws  
by wisdom, threats and schools:  
Shall learn at length by painful proof  
the rod of froward fools.  
And finally, then shall I cry,  
as forced thereupon,  
With tired Time, to utter forth  
my Cairopenthicon. 
That is the complaint of peerless time.   
But seeing thy mercy (O good God) Dan. 9 9  
in goodness thou hast meant  
Unto the sinner that returns  
in time, and doth repent:  
Let me retain a faithful hope  
of mercy, I thee pray:  
And grant thy grace, and healthful Time,  
in peace, with me to stay.  
Oh let thy Candle give me light:  
and banish night away.  
Oh let my Princess reign in peace,  
and let her foes decay.  
Oh give her joy, and comfort me,  
that Time no more may sing,  
Her heavy Chronopenthicon,  
but praise thee heavenly King.  
Amen.   

❧ That Prayer is necessary in this our dangerous time.  
WHen that proud Senacherib had sent to blaspheme the God of Israel, to the great discomfort and horror of godly king Hezekias and his people: Hezekias, notwithstanding the ordinary mean of defence by the calling of his strong men together, and fortifying the walls of Jerusalem, knowing that the strength of the Lord is far above the might of man, and he guideth every battle, as pleaseth himself, repaireth unto the Lord, humbleth himself, proclaimeth a fast, and prayeth before the Lord with a faithful heart, and hereby he found the shining beams of God's mercy on himself and his people. By this example, let us be moved in this time of extremity, when all our enemies conspire together against us, to run unto our good God and crave the aid of his hand to help and defend us. For as he was to Hezekias, so to the godly now: as he might say then, so we say now: the Lord is our God, our rock, our defender in whom we trust, by whom we escape death: And turning unto him with faithful hearts and repentance let us pray unto him in this manner.   

❧ A Godly and comfortable Prayer.  
O Most gracious God and merciful Saviour, we pray and beseech thee to be merciful to our sins, according to thy great mercy, as thou hast forgiven us even from our bondage in Egypt until now. give us not over, O Lord, our most gracious father, least the heathen which despise thee, behold our misery, and say in derision: lo where is now their God in whom they trust? And although when a man putteth away his wife, and she goeth from him and marrieth with another, than the question is: should he resort to her any more after that? And the land is unpure and defiled, committing fornication with many lovers: yet 
jer. ●1.  turn us again (O GOD) and we shallbe turned. And because thou art merciful and of long suffering, loving and gentle to them that offend, not willing the death of a sinner, but rather that he should convert and live, repress the vehement heat of thy fire with godly pity, stay thine hand from our destruction, and look favourably unto our Sovereign Princess, Elizabeth thy servant, as thou didst unto David, Hezekias and josia, and so to the whole land. And send us peace, yea an happy peace. Bless us all with thy spirit, defend us with thy right hand, shroud us under thy wings against our enemies, that so we may serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives. Let it not be said: how long shall the land mourn, and all the herbs of the field perish for the wickedness of them that dwell therein: let not the creatures have such cause for us to desire to leave us: let not Time say of us: these be they that grieve me, waste me out riotously, make me complain and wish to rest and rise no more. But let it be said: behold the Lord liveth for ever worthy of praise, because he hath been merciful unto sinners, causing them to believe, repent, and turn unto him and be saved. And though thou once spakest to 
jer. 15. 1.  jeremy against thy own people being disobedient unto thee, saying: Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet have I no heart unto this people, drive them away, that they may go out of my sight, some unto death, some to the sword, some to hunger and some to captivity: yet we know (O our good Lord) that when Ephraim was heard lamenting & praying 
jer. 31. 18. of 6. 1. Io. 2. 10.  heartily unto them in his distress thou thoughtest upon mercy, as a father pitying his own children. And though jonas cried out, destruction destruction against Niniveh: yet seeing them to turn from their evil ways, thou didst repent, & laid not that evil upon them. Let us therefore presume on GOD, to call for mercy upon repentance, and let us hear that sounding in our ears, which Hezekias proclaimed in all his provinces saying: be not you stiffnecked like as were your fathers: but yield yourselves unto the Lord, 
2. Chro. 30 8.  and enter into his holy place which he hath sanctified for ever: & serve the Lord your God, & the fierceness of his wrath shallbe turned away from you. Let us not only hear this, but obey this, that we may find the comfortable commodity thereof. Grant us grace (O father) to forsake our evil ways, & our own imaginations, 
Isa. 55.  and turn heartily unto thee. Oh grant, it that we may put displeasure betimes 
Eccles. 1 and. 12.  out of our hearts, and in season remove evil from our bodies, that we may not any longer delight in Childhood and youth, which are vanities: that we may fruitfully remember thee in these our tender years, while we have liberty to go where we list, before the Time of trouble come, and the days approach wherein we shall cry out: oh these days be evil: they do not delight us. Grant (O good Lord) that thy grace may guide us, that we may not contemn, but most gratefully entertain our faithful jacob: if for nothing else, yet in regard of these our present commodities, whereof his departure will shortly deprive us, if we continue unthankful. That we may retain him as good Abraham and Lot did the Angels, as Rahab did the Spies of josuah, as the widows did the prophets, Elias & Elizeus as Zacheus and Martha did our saviour Christ, and as Lydia did the Apostles: that so we may obtain thy mercy, enjoy thy favour, abound with blessings, be increased in our treasures, defended in thy faith: and preserved from our enemies, whom, we beseech thee, either to convert and bring home to thee, or else to cast down before us: that we being in peace under our vines, and 
1 King ●. 25. 2. 2. King. 17.  fig trees may freely serve thee to thy glory. Grant we pray thee (O good Lord) that though the ramping Lions of Samaria seek to spoil us, we may not have any just cause to fear, because by faith in thee we shall suddenly resist them: thy fear (O father) shall shield us and their treacheries and devilish pretences shall fall on their own heads. Though the flies 
Isa. 7. 8.  that swarm about the water of Egypt, and the Bees that be in the Assyrians land fly together, and light in all the desolate valleys, in the holes of the stones, and upon all thorny and bushy places: yet we may not then fear, nor be discouraged, because they have conspired wickedly against us thy people: against our gracious Sovereign Lady, thine anointed, yea against thee our GOD, whom we serve, whom we honour, on whom we depend for whose cause we be persecuted, under whose banner we fight, and through whom we stand: which in mercy to us, & in justice to them, haste promised upon our repentance, and hope in thee, and thou wilt surely perform (if our sins hinder it not, and provoke thee to wrath against us) that it shall not so go forth & come to pass, as they have imagined. And so long as thou art pleased with us, we shall not be delivered into the hand of bragging Holofernes. Though the great red Dragon 
jud 2. 5. Reu. 12 and 20. 2.  with seven heads and ten horns bend his force against us, though with his tail he draw down the third part of the stars of heaven, though he persecute the woman and her child; though the kings of 
Psal 2. 2 and. 99  the Earth and the mighty potentates of the world rise up and take counsel together against thee, and thine anointed: though the people tremble, the Earth be moved, the heavens bend, the Sea do rage, and all the Creatures look sour, and cry for deliverance: yet shall we not be dismayed we shall not tremble, nor be shaken, as long as we trust in thee, lean unto thee, and rest upon thee and the Rock of thy truth: for thou art our God for ever, mighty, strong, terrible and glorious, which sittest between the Cherubins: thou art great in the midst of Zion, & high above all the Nations of the earth: thou hearest them, thou rulest them, thou sendest them forth and restrainest the fury of Leviathan in 
job 40. 1 and 41. 1  the Sea, and of Behemoth in the wilderness: Be thou with us continually, hold us by thy right hand strongly; guide us by thy counsel wisely, and receive us into glory victoriously. And if thou be with us, who dare be against us▪ For thou art stronger than all they that be in the world. Therefore with a true faith, and hearty repentance we come unto thee. Bless us (O father) both without and within. Be thou our guard: thy word our guide, thy spirit our comfort, thy Son our Saviour, and thy servant our Sovereign Lady Elizabeth our loving Mother in Israel. Give us grace (O heavenly King) to account the Time of grace precious, to redeem the Time, because the days are evil: to use the Creatures gratefully, to entertain faith hope and charity, and grant, that we may no longer by means of our transgressions constrain jacob to depart, jeremy t●●ment, joseph to be afflicted, the Creatures to groan, & the peerless Time to sigh and cry for perpetual rest. But rather that we ourselves may bewail our sins & the miseries of this life, with the godly, with the Creatures, with Time, and to cry out unto thee Lord in hearty and humble desires: O come good Lord, come Lord jesus, 
Reu. 22. 20.  how long shall the ungodly triumph? The just be afflicted? the creatures groan for deliverance? Finish soon these sinful days: cast down the Dragon, the old serpent, Antichrist and all thine enemies into the bottomless pit of everlasting torment, & receive thine holy elected Saints into thy sweet bosom, with this comfortable call: come ye blessed, receive the kingdom 
Mat. 25. 34.  prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Into the which Kingdom we beseech thee, O loving father to receive us, for the sake of thy dear son jesus, to whom with thee and the holy ghost, three distinct persons, and one eternal God, be all honour, glory power and dominion, now & for evermore Amen.