A warnyng to Englan[d], let London begin:
To repent their iniquitie, & flie from their sin.
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ISAIE.i.
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The Oxe knoweth his owner, and the Asse his masters crib, but
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Israell hath not knowen: my people hath not understand. Ah, sin-
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full nation, a people laden with iniquitie: a seede of the wicked,
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corrupt chyldren: they have forsaken the Lorde, they have provo-
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ked the holy one of Israell to anger: they are turned backewarde.
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OH Endland be vigilant, and repent thee with spede,
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And marke well the myrours of thy visitation:
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Prepare thee to prayer, for it was never more neede,
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And langwish for thy lewde life, with great lamentation.
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When God drowned the worlde in the dayes of Noye,
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For that sin onely (I saye) which we dayly do frequent:
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He sent Noye to preach to them, or he dyd them destroye,
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And gave them sixe score yeares, a space for to repent.
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Zodome and Gomorra also, were sunke in fyre ful hot,
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Burnyng all in Brimstone, untyll they were destroyed:
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And yet they were forewarned long, by the prophete Lot,
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With Repentance unto them, continually he cryed.
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But that happye citie Ninivie, among all the rest,
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They heard Jonas his preachyng when he came thither:
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Repentyng straight wayes, and of GOD they were blest,
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A goodly myrour to LONDON, yf they wolde consider.
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O London, London, Jerusalem I may thee call,
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For whye? thy conversation agreeth thereto now:
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They wolde take no warnyng before the plague did fall,
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And at this present day O LONDON, no more doest thou.
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What tokens have bene of late, of Gods feareful yre?
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The lyke before was never seene, in no time (I trowe)
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Thy cheef and beautifull Temple was defaced with fyre,
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A goodly admonition sure (yf thou couldest it knowe)
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Neither coulde the Pestilence provoke us to repent,
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Nor cruell warres warne us that the end is at hand:
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No, we mocke at Gods threatnings lyke beasts impudent,
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No doubt, Gods justice must needes plague the lande.
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For we wyll not repent, nor our wicked lyves amend,
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But continue styll in wickednes, procuring Gods curse:
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What earnest preachers doth the Lorde us dayly send?
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It is but pearles before swyne, for we ar wurse & wurse.
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If a man rebuke drunkennes, swearyng or blasphemie,
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He shall in this wyse be mocked of one iavell or an other:
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[?]is good godly man, [?]e toe holy for our companie,
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[?] ar a precisian I t[?]r some unspotted brother.
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Alas, is this your repentance after so long preachyng?
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I pray you read the .xii. chap. of S. Mathewes gospell:
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Christ saith, of every idle worde we shal geve a reconyng,
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Then swearers and blasphemers, shal be punished in hell.
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Deare christians, consider our state this present yeare,
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Both with war and other plagues, we are round enclosed:
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Let us turne to the Lorde our God with tremblyng & feare,
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With harty thankes gevyng for his great mercies offred.
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Remember the .x. Lepers, in the .xvii. of Luke certaine,
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When the Lorde had clensed them of their sore infirmitie:
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One poore Samaritane come to Jesus Christ agayne,
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To geve him hartie thankes for his great benignitie.
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So let us geve thanks to God in hart both al & some,
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A[n]d repent our former lives, without any longer delay:
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[?]eare lest a grevous plague among us hastely come,
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[W]ithout speedye repentance, looke for it we may.
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Bryng forth the frutes of the gospel, I meane a godly life,
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Leave your filthy hipocrisie which stinketh in Gods sight
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Leave your abominable pryde, amend both man & wyfe,
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Leave your horrible blasphemie wherein you so delight.
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Pray England pray, and London leave thy wicked trade,
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Especiallye Covetousnes, Glotonie, and al fylthy lust:
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And remember our merciful God who hath us all made,
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A body that is mortall, and shall turne to dust.
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For our noble queene Elizabeth, let us al hartely [?]
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And for her honorable counsell, that God geve th[?]
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To maintayne his glorious Gospell both night [?]
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To the advancement of Vertue, all wickednes to ra[?]
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