AN APPROVED Medicine against the deserved Plague. ¶ Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. james. 5.13. ¶ IMPRINTED AT London, by Thomas Est, dwelling in Aldersgate-streete, at the Sign of the black Horse. 1593. To the honourable and virtuous Lady Scudamore, attendant upon her majesties most excellent person in her privy Chamber, Anthony Anderson, Preacher of Christ's holy gospel, Subdean of her majesties Royal Chapel, wisheth all honourable increase, and heavenly felicity. ALthough (Honourable Madam) the matter herewith tendered, be of small worth, to some men, & less esteemed with many, yet sure I am the right use thereof, may advaile more, then make account of it. If in the days of health & prosperity, we think it dutiful to pray the Lord, to continue the same, how much more ought we, in affliction and adversity, to practise sound petition, which godliness hath this riches, that the faithful by it in Christ from God, doth receive, both temporary good, and eternal comforts. We in this Realm, are under the rod of affliction, and who doth pray, but those which are taught of God, to use it. Amongst the number of whom, for that in my knowledge, with many others in Court, your Ladyship doth daily use and desire it, and myself for your good opinion and Christian kindness conceived and bestowed on me, to you greatly bound, I am bold to patronize my poor endeavours present, under your Godly protection, assured that both in Court & country, it shallbe the more in use, which undoubtedly will countervail their pains, if they pray in faith. The cause moving this my boldness, to present the Church here with, is, my duty to the same in general, & especially, next to the most honourable Court, (whereof I am a poor member, in her majesties goodness,) to my comfortable charge at Stepney, a people of great import, for Marine service, chiefly zealous in God, loyal to her Majesty, well deserving of the whole Realm, and now under the rod of this smart visitation, for whom, I humbly beseech all them, which may or shall feel any comfort by this poor tender, that in their fervent prayers, they will effectually commend us to the Throne of God's mercies in Christ. And to you good Madam, with the rest of the honourable and godly Ladies and others at Court, I humbly commend me, beseeching God, to grant us merciful deliverance of this his loving rod, that we her majesties servants, may thither return to our bound duty, as apertaineth, and so humbly I take my leave. August 1. 1593. Stepney. Your honours devote in the Lord, Anthony Anderson. ¶ To the humble hearted Readers, in the Lord. THE Almighty GOD, the Lord of Hosts (as Father of mercies) dear brethren, for many years past, hath sweetly called us to unfeigned repentance, by the Ministry of his holy word, but we have not harkened thereunto. Wherefore eftsoons and again, the same mighty God, doth at this present, summon us, by his smart Preacher, Micah. 6.9. the visiting rod. Whose increasing voice, crieth to all in the persons of many, thus. Oh sinful earth hearken and give ear: stop thy course, stay thy race, turn thyself to me, receive my stripes with patience, and wisely foresee the plague and hide thee. For he that sent me saith farther unto thee. Pro. 22.3. Zoph. 2.1. O Nation not worthy to be loved, how yet, have I, loved thee? What should I have done, that I have not done unto thee? I have given thee a wonderful peace, an invincible protection, an heavenly doctrine, and the choice store, of all earthy treasure. The gold of Ophir, Solomon sought after, 2. Chron. 8.18. but the Indians gold, I have powered into thy lap, as unlooked for. A Prince thou hast, the holy wonder of the world. Else, ask the islands which know not God. Thy Realm and rest, is kept by me, the watchman thereof, and when soever the enemy assaileth, I put him back, with great disgrace. The heavens do drop the fatness, & the earth doth make thee laugh and sing, what wouldst thou have more, but a continuance of that spiritual comfort, and corporal pleasures which yet abide with thee, but be wise and consider, see how I now begin to beat thee, beware therefore, repent in time, lest I utterly remove, reve. 2.5. thy Candlestick from thee, and then who will pity thy last dissolution? Behold, and hear my rod, Micah. 6.9. and me that sent it. I have made thee sick with striking, do not my piercing arrows, stick fast in thee? Psal. 38.2.5. Are not thy wounds putrefied? Doth not hasty death greatly devour thee? Mark it well and the cause thereof. Thy sin is the cause, Micah. 6.13. thy great sins, and they passing account. Oseas. 9.9.17 Turn therefore unto me that am in just anger coming unto thee with a mind of revenge: prepare thee therefore to meet me, before the day of my decree come forth. Psal. 106. in all. Luke. 7.38. joel. 2.13. Come to me, not with Israel's hypocrisy, but with magdalen's tears. Rend your hearts, and keep whole your garments, for I cannot take pleasure, in that bodily exercise, where the penitent spirit, speaketh not for mercy. If any be afflicted let him pray. jam. 5.13. If many be under the rod, let all come together, turn together, mourn together, cry together and say: O Lord of Hosts, in the middle of thy wars think upon thy promised mercies. We come, no more to fight against thee in our sinful lusts, but to fall before thee, forsaking & confessing our sins, sweet Lord have mercy. And let every of you, Esa. 1.5.6. Hos. 4.1. jero. 8.6. from the top to the toe, (for you are sore from the head to the foot) applying profitably the controversy to yourselves, say: Our sins O Lord, yea every man say, my sins, as our sins are the causes of this malady. Our rebellions, presumptions, scorning, Atheistical, our Roman sins, our carnal appetites, present, past, remembered, and forgotten sins. Sins without remorse, without conscience, against all conscience, even when the spirit quaketh in dread: even then the flesh burneth in lust. Sins in Court unbridled, sins in the Church not repent of, in the country not cared for. jero. 17.27. The profanation of the Sabbath day, the abominations in the week day, no truth, less trust, Hose. 4.1.2. no faith to God, no love to our brethren, much fail of loyalty to the Prince, and small proof of due obedience, to her Magistrates. But a mighty scorn of the Lords Preachers, through an utter contempt of his word. Resolute, in league with sin, Esa. 28. death and hell, and an absolute distrust, of God's sure promises, either for mercies, or judgement. And what should I say more? Oh how many are the foolish wise, which say in unpunished boldness, they have no God, Psal. 14.1. There is no God. Oh England, O people, why wilt thou die? Say to thyself, Oh Soul, repent thee of thy sin, jero. 18.8. &. 26 3. Psal. 91.4.7. and God will repent him of the plague, will take thee into his protection, and hide thee under his wings. They shall fall on both sides thee, but it shall not come to thee. But if thou wilt not hearken to this his voice, O flesh, (of what mould so ever,) but still wilt pamper thyself in carnal delights, to a further transgression, (which now ought to be feared) then fear, for he hath not sent this scourage for little purpose, and be sure that he hath his storehouse full, of final instruments, which can and will make quick dispatch. As cleanness of teeth, barrenness of earth, Amos. 4.6. brought of heaven, devouring worms, fiery fevers, burning botch, scouring sword, revenging axe, hailstones and storms of fire, as of Sodom and Gomorrah, to persecute, to pull down, to cast out, and into hell, all those which forget God. Are the treasures of wickedness still in your houses, the false balance, small weights, naughty wares, counterfeit lights, sweet words, sour deeds? Eccle. 10.16.17 Do your heads eat for lust, and not for need, drink to surfeit, and not for thirst, send their proud servants, to bring, and never satisfied? Are the daughters of Zion proud, as Esay descries them? Amos 4.1. Esa. 3.16. Ezech 13.18. Esa. 28.10. 1. cor. 9.26. & 14.9. jer. 20.9. Micha. 3.12. Be your Prophet's chamber grooms, to lay pillows, under sinful elbows? or do their tongues cleave to the roof of their mouths? or speak they to the Clouds, or in the Air? or is fearful jeremy, become an example? Oh for woe. Ah Zion, thou ploughed field, sometime, the beauty of the world? what is become of thee? Oh England the present Bride, beware of widowhood, Psal. 19.5. Cant. 6.1. the Bridegroom is come out of his chamber, go forth to meet him. He is gone into his beds of spiceries, shall be find store? Cant. 4.13. He feedeth of flowers, where be his Lilies? Oh thrice happy land, perceive thy present happiness, prevent a future horror, pray for the life of thy Princely light, and harden not thy heart, 2. Sam. 21.17. being still daily called in mercy. 1. Cor. 11. Luke. 13.3.5. For this sin, many are sick, and many are dead, let the Remainder repent, lest ye all likewise perish. And now my beloved, and important charge, Ro. 12.1. I beseech you by the mercies of God, remember with me, Amos. 1.2. &. 3.4. there is no plague but for sin, and the Lion roareth not, without his prey. We are now under this growing plague with others, Zeph. 2.3. let us repent effectually as others, which truly, Esa. 30.22. seek the Lord, Cast our sins from us, and draw the Lords mercy to us. Forget not what godly Sirach saith, Eccle. 10.8. because of unrighteous dealing, and wrongs, and riches gotten by deceit, the Kingdom, is translated, from one people, Hab●. 2.9. to an other. woe unto the builder which buildeth with blood. And be wise to understand this. Goods evil gotten, are of no long continuance. Finally let this sentence summon you, before the last Tromp, sound for you. Go to now, ja 5.1.2 ye rich men, weep and howl, for your miseries, that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupt, and your garments are moth eaten, your gold and silver is cankered, and the rust of them, shallbe a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh, as it were fire. Ye heaped up treasures for the last days. Behold: the higher of your labourers, which have reaped your fields (roomed your ships) which is of you kept back, by fraud, crieth, and their cry, is entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts. james, 5.1.2. etc. Lay yourselves open to the Lord, for all things are apparent unto him, Pro. 28.13. but he will have thee to accuse thyself, that he may forgive thee. He that hideth his sins (saith Solomon) shall not prosper, but he that confesseth his sins, and forsaketh them, shall find mercy. Therefore take a good heart to thee, bring repentance with thee, fall on your knees, 1. Tim. 2.8. lift up pure hands, the whole in Church, in our great assemblies, the sick at home, amids their children and families. Take these prayers (or such) into your hands, send them heartily, up to God, in Christ our only Mediator, and fear not to find mercy, with gracious deliverance, because, Pro. 50.15. he hath so promised, saying: Call upon me in the day of thy trouble, and I will hear thee, and deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Math. 11.28. And our saviour Christ doth tenderly invite all penitent sinners thus. Come unto me all you that travel and be heavy laden, and I myself will ease you. To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be always, all honour and glory, one God everlasting. Amen. A Prayer to God against the Plague. WE prostrate our souls and bodies, before thy mercy seat, O Father of mercies, & humbly confess, that we have most justly procured, thy heavy indignation against us. We have hitherto, spent our time in wanton appetites, & careless abuse, of thy singular bounties, but thou hast in mercy, kerbed the bit, & straytned the rain, of our unbridled affections, whereby we begin to dread thy threatened judgements. Our sins are as manifold, as manifest, (O Lord) we have daily heard the word of our saving health, with the ear of grudge & contempt, either deriding or not caring, but never truly repenting, at the cry thereof. Thine abundant blessings erthie, we have greedily devoured, and by our wealth, have increased our wickedness But O sweet Father have mercy, and pardon our sins, (even the whole tree, with her branching fruits,) which at this present, we heartily disclaim, and wherewith, even the teeth of the whole Land, hath been set on edge, namely infidelity, incredulity, and all impiety. No faith, no truth, no mercy, no knowledge of thee in our hearts, though great pretence of thy Religion in our lips, but by falsehood, and cunning circumvention, one of another, by lying lips, and decitfull tongues, vanity, hath been tossed, one to another, private pilffrie, and open stealth, robbing at home, and roving abroad, swearing, forswaring, whorring and killing, oppressing, & devoureing, to all our powers and policies, even blood unto blood, passing by pleasure to pleasures, from profit to pride, from pride to ambition, and in ambition, to inward contempt, & outward disdain, each one of another. Our common peace by thee, hath not yet procured our Godly peace with thee, but rather we have taken occasion thereby, to harden our hearts against thee, which mightily hath drawn thee to this great controversy with us. O Lord unbend (in mercy) thy bow of strength, for thy steeled Arrows, stick fast in us, and our putrefied wounds, bewray our iniquities. Yea Lord that more is, if we by thee, turn not speedily to thee, the wise in thee, do behold thy sharpened sword, with an outstretched arm, drawn out against us. O Lord hear us, and heal us, for in this our sickness and trouble (in our mediator Christ jesus) we call unto thee. And Lord it is high time, for our head City is sick, her Sister Cities groan under this burden, their neighbour people are turned to their earth, and no part is free, from the noisome pestilence. It flieth by day, it walketh in the dark, it destroyeth at noon tide, & none can resist it, but only thou O Lord, which sent it, even thou only (if thou wilt) canst utterly restrain it. O dear father forgive us wretched sinners, relieve us miserable wretches, remember that we are but earth and ashes, yet in thy mercy thy dear children: deliver us from death, and work life in us. Let this thy loving rod, rid us, of our carnal rust, and quicken us with thy sanctifying spirit, open our hearts to thy holy word, purge our consciences from all dead works, and rebuild us fit, for thy holy service, give us patience in every adversity, an humble and regardant eye, in all prosperity, fervent spirits to pray to thee, and now to give thee no rest, till thou vouchsafe to have mercy upon us. Our Prince thine holy Anointed, prayeth for us, her potentates, thy preaching ministers, and sanctified people, mourn and lament. Thy widows, and desolate Orphans, yea thy small and tender Infants cry, lifting up pure hands, sweet Lord, (say they) have mercy. And now O Lord both one and all, pouring out the tears of our hearts unto thee, most humbly beseech thee, relieve us, release us, hear us, forgive us, revive us, preserve us, protect us, deliver us from evil, and receive us into thy everlasting favour, through jesus Christ our Lord: To whom with thee and the holy Ghost, three distinct persons and one only our good God, be all honour and glory, for ever and ever. Amen. An earnest prayer for the Queen's most excellent Majesty. O Lord God holy Father, infinitely wise, omnipotent, and abundant in mercy, mighty in work, & just in revenge, which for the common converse, of all men, hast planted them plaits, & put them under sovereign authority, through which good government, they might most firmly, live and love one another, most wisely ordaining each one, to have mutual need and occasioned intercourse one with another▪ Sundry which Royal staves, of beauty and bands, eftsoons thou hast broken into shievers, when by overmuch provocation & contempt, thy awonted long suffering, hath been abused: as thereby under a sparing chastisement, to reduce them, or by a deadly blow, utterly to subvert them. O Lord magnificent, by thee it is, that Kingdoms are, and Kings do reign. Puttest down one, & setteth up another, as, where, & when it pleaseth thee, in all & every place, under the Cope of heaven. We thy chosen children and people of England, magnify thy mercies, and praise thy power, for giving & preserving unto us, a most rare and peerless Queen, our Sovereign Lady ELIZABETH, by whose sacred sceptre, thy holy Church, this common weal, and many other Nations and people have found, both celestial blessings, and terrestrial comforts. The faithful Protestant from wheresoever, findeth here a secure & fertile norcery. The wilful papist, sitteth under his Vine, & the malcontent carnal, hath long lasting favour, but every of which by her, have from thee O Lord, thy gospel, to reclaim them, her Sceptre, to protect them, with a sweet rod, in sparing hand to refine them. Her disloyal subjects at home, & her professed enemies abroad of all sorts, thou hast miraculously brought under, or to utter confusion. For the which we render unto thee continual praise. And inasmuch O Lord, as our life, & the light of the land thy golden Candlestick, is deadly darkened in the want of her, Lord, still give us thy bountiful mercy, and therein preserve, her Highness, long to reign over us. Increase, thy graces in her, her goodness to us, to thadvance of virtue, & suppression of vice. Keep thine anointed our Sovereign, from the treachery of dissembling subjects, and malice of the foreign foe. Hid her under the shadow of thy wings, from the noisome pestilence, and defend her against the hurtful sword: that ourselves and families, may live in peace, our land, may yield her increase, & that no invasion, Psal. 144.10. may impeach us, or going out may daunt us, nor any crying be in our streets. Dear Father grant her our Sovereign, a swift eye and speedy rescue, from the subtle snare, of every wily hunter. Give her Lord, fast, and not faylling confederates. Wise and faithful Councillors, loyal and loving subjects, and so in thy mercy keep us from evil, that we provoke not, thy judgements, to deprive us, of our chiefest comfort. Grant this O Father, through jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Preface. MY Father having special care, of Stepny his great charge: Hath made sweet prayers for their comfort their hearts to God enlarge. And I desirous of your health, my brethren, Sisters all: Have sent you these to train you up, rather on God to call. For th'health and wealth of our parents, ourselves and neighbours eke: Pray we to God with one accord, for so it is most meet. And so my brethren far you well, with all my sisters dear: God grant that we may give unto, gods word attentive ear. Antony Anderson, junior. A prayer for the infection of the plague. 1593. O Lord our God omnipotent, of mercy we thee crave: Pour down thy truth most excellent, that we the same may have. And cease O Lord thy iry rod, which doth oppress us sore: And give us true repentance Lord, that we may sin no more. Cease now O Lord thy heavy hand, the Father we entreat: And let us in our hearts thy word, full often times repeat. From thee O Lord we cannot fly, Thy power doth so excel: But keep from us we thee beseech, thy rod which is most fell. But give to us O Lord of might, the pardon of our sin: And take thy plague from us O Lord, that here of long hath been. Give us O Lord thy holy word, which always is most true: And give us grace to praise thy name, for praise to thee is due. Remember blessed Lord thy flock, which else is like to pine: And take from us that heavy clog, which loads us at this tyme. Thy will be done O Lord of might, as seemeth best to thee: For thou wilt strike where thou thinkest best, no man a let can be. When it shall please thy majesty, to take this life away: Receive our souls unto thy Throne, to live with thee for aye. O Lord preserve our noble Queen, our realm and people both: And keep us from the deadly fear, of thine eternal wrath. Grant our request O Lord of might, for Christ his sake thy son: And take away thy cruel plague, that now is us among. Finis qd Anthony Anderson, junior.