Glad tydings from Heaven:
OR
Christs glorious Invitation to all Sinners, wherein is described the
misery of his Manhood, and the bitternesse of his Passion endured for Man:
With sundry reasons inferred, to move Worldlings to repentance.
To the tune of the Dolefull Shephard, or Sandy Soyle.
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AWake from sinne, vaine man awake,
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Unto repentance thee betake:
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Thy Saviour calls, O come to me,
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And I will ease and comfort thee.
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My Father as the Scripture saith,
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Delights not in a Sinners death:
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And therefore hath sent me his Sonne,
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That sinners all to me might come.
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Then come to me, tis onely I,
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Can helpe thee in thy misery:
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Tis I can wash thy foule offence,
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And cloath thy soule with innocence.
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And that thou maist assured be,
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What paines I have suffred for thee;
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Attend give eare, and listen well
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Unto the things that I shall tell.
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First being God, I did become,
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A man, nay worse, a scorne to some,
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Was lovd of some, despisd of most,
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Still on the sea of sorrowes tost.
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No sooner to this world I came,
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But Herod would my life have tane,
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And wheresoever I did flye,
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I was not free from misery.
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Cold hunger, thirst, sad griefe, and paine,
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And all that frailty doth sustaine,
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My humane nature brought to me,
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All this I felt, O man, for thee.
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Sad sighes, deepe grones & sweating blood,
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I did endure to doe thee good:
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So terrible my torment was,
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That once I would have had it passe.
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And to conclude the Tragedy,
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Of all my wofull misery:
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The Jewes at their high Priests command
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Did come and take me out of hand.
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Next was I brought to Caiphas Hall,
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There to appeare before them all:
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And at length decreed it was,
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That I must suffer on the Crosse.
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But first they did there all agree,
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With whips to scourge and punish me,
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Which being done, then presently,
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I was conveyd to Calvary.
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Where to augment my misery,
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They nailed me upon a Tree:
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And cause I should not want disgrace,
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Betweene two theeves I had my place.
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And being crowned with thornes sharpe,
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Each one would flouting at me carpe.
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And he was counted there the best,
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That could deride and mocke me most.
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This done to make an end of all,
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They gave mee vinegar and gall:
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And lastly they did pierce my side,
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Whence blood and water did proceed.
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The second part. To the same tune.
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THese torments, Man, I did endure,
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That thou mightst be for ever sure,
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Of life, and come with Faith to me,
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That I from sinne might set thee free.
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Then come with Faith doe not despaire,
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Although thy sinnes as crimson are,
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Yet hath my Blood them washed so,
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That they shall be as white as snow.
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If thou a murtherer hast beene,
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Or given to adulterous sinne:
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View David who was both and yet
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Repenting he did mercy get.
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If sottish drunken thou hast beene,
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Or stained with incestuous sinne:
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See Lot who fell into that lust,
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Yet by Gods love was counted just.
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If thou by cursed Perjury,
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Hast cast thy soule in jeopardy:
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With Peters teares wash off thy sinne,
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And thou with him shalt mercy winne.
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If thou (of knowledge destitute)
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My Church didst ever persecute:
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Doe not despaire, but looke on Paul,
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And then for mercy to me call.
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The Prodigall that thriftlesse sonne,
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Who headlong into vice did runne,
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Was not cast off in misery,
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When once Peccavi, he did cry.
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Mary along time went astray,
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Yet did her teares wash sinne away:
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She thought it not too late at last,
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Downe at my feet her selfe to cast.
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The Theefe that all his life had spent,
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In sinne not meaning to repent,
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Did at the length obtaine mercy,
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Cause he with penitence did dye.
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Tis not the greatnesse of the crime,
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Should make thee thinke it out of time,
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For to repent and on me call:
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My passion can suffice for all.
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For all that sorrow for their sinne,
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And never more delight therein:
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For those that truly will repent,
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For such my Father hath me sent.
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Then what soere thou be that art,
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With sinne polluted, cleanse thy heart:
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Come with a contrite soule to me,
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And I thine Advocate will be.
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Come, come, my Fathers wrath prevent,
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Leave off your folly and repent:
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O come to me I call againe,
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Let not my Passion be in vaine.
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Now those that fondly doe presume,
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Till utmost gaspe, in sinne to runne;
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Let them assure themselves of this,
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That of my mercy they may misse.
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