The Voice of the Last Trumpet Blown, Lesson 2
¶ The voyce of the laſte trumpet blowen bi the ſeuēth Angel (as is mētioned in the eleuenth of the Apocalips) callynge al the eſtates of menne to the right path of their vocation, wherin are contayned x…i. leſſons to twelue ſeueral eſtates of menne, whych if they learne and folowe, al ſhal be well and nothynge amiſe.
¶ The voyce of one criyng in the deſerte.
Luke. iii.
¶ Make ready the Lordes way. Make hys pathes ſtrayte. EueryEvery valey ſhal be fylled, and euerye mountayne and little hyll made lowe. And thyngs yt be croked ſhal be made ſtraight and harde paſſages ſhal be turned into playne wayes, and al fleſhe ſhal ſe the health of God.
Eſa…. xl
The contentes of thys boke.
i. The Beggers leſſone.
ii. The Seruauntes leſſon.
iii. The Yeomans leſſon.
iiii. The Lewde prieſtes leſſon.
v. The Scholers leſſon.
vi. The Learned mans leſſon.
vii. The Phiſicians leſſon.
viii. The Lawiers leſſon.
ix. The marchauntes leſſon
x The Gentilmans leſſon.
xi. The Maieſtrates leſſon.
xii. The Womans leſſon.
The beggers leſſon.
WHo ſo would that all thinges were well,
And would himſelfe be wythout blame:
Let him giuegive eare, for I will tell,
The way how to performe the ſame.
Fyrſte walke in thy vocation,
And do not ſeke thy lotte to chaunge:
For through wicked ambition,
Mani mēs fortune hath bene ſtraūge
¶ The Beggers leſſon.
IF God hauehave laied his hande on the,
And made the low in al mens ſighte:
Content thy ſelfe with that degre,
And ſe thou walke therin vpright.
If thou I ſaye, be very poore,
And lacke thine health, or any limme:
No doubte God hath inough in ſtore.
For the if thou wylt truſte in him.
If thou wilt truſt in him I ſay,Eſai. xl.
And continue in patience:
No doubte he wyll fede the alwaye,
By hys mercifull prouidence.
Call thou on hym, and he wyll moue,
The hertes of thē that dwell the bye:
To giuegive the ſuch thynges for hys louelove
As ſerue for thy neceſſitie.
When Daniel was in the denne
Dani. xiiii.Of Lions, hauing nought to eate:
Abacucke was ſent to him then,
With a pot of potage and meate.
iii. Reg. xvii.And when Elias fled awaye,
From Ahab and quene Ieſabell:
The Rauens fedde him by the way,
As the ſtory of kynges doeth tel.
Pſal. cxlvii.And as kinge Dauid doeth recorde,
The Rauens birdes lefte in the neſt:
Are when they crye fedde of the Lord
Though they know not to make requeſt
Truſt thou therfore in God aboue,
And cal on him with confidence:
Pſa. xxxii.And doubtles he wil mens hertes moue
To fede the of beneuolence.
But if at any time thou lacke,
Hebru. xii. Apoca. iii.Thinges nedeful, yet do not deſpayre:
As though the Lord did the fo…ſake,
Or did to the diſpleaſure beate.
But in ſuch caſe call to thy mind
What plenty God hath to the ſent
Tob. xiii.And thou ſhalt wel perceiue & find
That thou ſhalt many thinges miſpent.
Then thinke Gods iuſtice could not leaue
The vnplaged for that thou haſt:
Sapi. xMiſpente the gyftes thou didſt receiue,
To liue vponupon and not to waſte.
Thē muſt thou nedes giuegive god glory,
For his vpright and iuſt iudgement:Luke. xv.
And be moſte earneſtly ſory,
For that thou haſt his giftes miſpent.
But if thou find thy conſcience cleare
As fewe men can I am right ſure:
Then let Iobs trouble be thi chere,
That thou maiſt patiently endure,
Yea though thou ſhouldeſt peri…he for fodeLuke. xiiii. Math. v. Pſa ix.
Yet be are thy croſſe patien…ely:
For the ende ſhall turne to thy good,
Though thou lye in the ſtreates & dye.
Pore Lazarus died at the gate,
Of the riche man (as Luke doth tel)Luke. xvi.
But afterwarde in reſt he ſate
When the riche glutton was in hel.
S…ay thou thy ſelfe therfore vponupon
Theſe examples confortable:Mat. xi.
And doub…les thy vocation
Thou ſhal… not thinke miſerable
Neith…r ſhalt thou grudge or repyne,
That thy pouertie is ſo greate:
But ſhalt thy ſelfe euer encline,
To Goddes wyll who doeth the viſet.
Thou ſhalt not grudge, when yu doeſte craue
Of any man his charitie:
Though at his hand thou canſt nought hauehave
But ſhalt praye for him hertely.
That if he hauehave this worldely riches,
And yet hath not Godly pitye.
The ſpirite of God will him poſſeſſe:i Iho. v.
Math. xxii Luke. xx. Act x. Rom. ii.And teach hym to knowe hys duty.
Thus doing thou doſt walke vpryght
In thy callynge thou maiſt be ſure:
And arte more preciouſe in Gods ſight,
Then men that be ryche paſte meaſure.
Thus leaue I the in thy callinge,
ii. Timo. ii. Tob. iii.Exhortynge the therin to ſtande:
And doubtles at thy laſte endynge,
Thou ſhalt be crowned at Gods hand.