〈◊〉 or afflicted Jobs She 'll change thy wants to seeming store And turn thy 〈◊〉 to purple robes She 'll make thy hide 〈◊〉 flanck appear As plump as theirs that feast it all the yeare 6 Look off let not thy Opticks 〈◊〉 Abus'd thou seest not what thou should'st Thy self 's the Object thou should'st see But 't is thy shadow thou behold'st And shadows thrive the more in stature The nearer we approch the light of nature 7 Where Heav'ns bright beams look more direct The shadow shrinks as they grow stronger But when they glaunce their fair aspect The 〈◊〉 fac'd shade growes larger longer And when their lamp begins to fall Th' increasing shadows lengthen most of all 8 The soul that seeks the noon of grace Shrinks in but swells if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As heav'n 〈◊〉 up or veils his face Our self esteems grow 〈◊〉 or great The least is greatest and who shall Appear the greatest are the least of all HUGO lib. de Anima In vain he lifteth up the eye of his heart to behold his God who is not first rightly advised to behold himself First thou must see the visible things of thy self before thou 〈◊〉 be prepared to know the invisible things of God 〈◊〉 if thou canst not apprehend the things within thee thou canst not comprehend the things above thee The best looking-glasse wherein to see thy God is perfectly to see thy self EPIG. 6. Be not deceiv'd great fool There is no losse In being small great bulks but swell with drosse Man is heav'ns Master-peece If it appear More great the value 's lesse if lesse more dear VII DEUTERONOMY 30. 19. I have set before thee life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that thou and thy seed may live 1 THe world 's a Floore whose swelling heaps retein The mingled wages of the Ploughmans toyl The world 's a heap whose yet unwinnowed grain Is lodg'd with chaff and buried in her soyl All things are mixt the usefull with the vain The good with bad the noble with the vile The world 's an Ark wherein things pure and grosse Present their lossefull gain and gainfull losse Where ev'ry dram of gold conteins a pound of drosse 2 This furnisht Ark presents the greedy view With all that earth can give or Heav'n can add Here lasting joyes here pleasures hourely new And hourely fading may be wisht and had All points of Honour counterfeit and true Salute thy soul and wealth both good and bad Here maist thou open wide the two-leav'd doore Of all thy wishes to receive that store Which being empty most does overflow the more 3 Come then my soul approch this royall Burse And see what wares our great Exchange reteins Come come here 's that shall make a firm divorce Betwixt thy wants and thee if want complains No need to sit in councel with thy purse Here 's nothing good shall cost more price then pains But O my soul take heed if thou rely Upon thy faithlesle Opticks thou wâ—…lt buy Too blind a bargain kâ—…ow fools onely trade by th' eye 4 The woâ—…ldly wisdome of the foolish man Is like a sieve that does alone retein The grosser substance of the worthlesse bran But thou my soul let thy brave thoughts disdain So course a purchase O be thou a fan To purge the chaff and keep the winnow'd grain Make clean thy thoughts and dresse thy mixt desires Thou art Heav'ns tasker and thy God requires The purest of thy sloore as well as of thy sires 5 Let grace conduct thee to the paths of peace And wisdome blesse thy souls unblemisht wayes No mattâ—…r then how short or long 's the lease Whose dâ—…te determins thy self-numbred dayes No need to carâ—… for wealths or fâ—…es increase Nor 〈◊〉 his Palm nor high Apollo's Bayes Lord if thy gracious bountie please to fill The 〈◊〉 of my desires and teach me skill To diâ—…e and â—…use the corn take those the chaff that will S. AUGUST lib. 1. de doct. Christi Temporall things more ravish in the expectation then in sâ—…uition but things eternall more in the sruition then expectation Ibideâ—… The life os man is the middle between Angels and beasts Is man takes pleasure in carnall things he is compared to beasts but is he delights in spirituall things he is suited with Angels EPIG. 7. Art thou a child Thou wilt not then be fed But like a child and with the childrens bread But thou art fed with chaff or corn undrest My soul thou savour'st too much of the beast VIII PHILIPPIANS 13. 19. They mind earthly things but our conversation is in Heaven Venus Div. Cupid Ven. WHat means this peâ—…vish brat Whish lullaby What aâ—…ls my babe what ails my babe to cry Will nothing still it will it neither be Pleas'd with the nurses breast nor mothers knee What ails my bird what moves my froward boy To make such whimp'ring faces Peace my joy Will nothing do Come come this pettish brat Thus cry and bawl and cannot tell for what Come busse and friends my lambe whish lullaby What ails my babe what ails my babe to cry Peace peace my dear alas thy early years Had never faults to merit half these teares Come smile upon me Let thy mother spie Thy fathers image in her babies eye Husband these guiltlesle drops against the rage Of harder fortunes and the gripes of age Thine eye 's not ripe â—…or teaâ—…s whish lullaby What ails my babe my sweetâ—… fac'd babe to cry Look look what 's here A dainty golden thing See how the dancing bells turn round and ring To please my bantling here 's a knack will breed A hundred kisses here 's a knack indeed So now my bird is white and looks as fair As Pelops shoulder or my milk-white pair Here 's right the fathers smile when Mars beguil'd Sick Venus of her heart just thus he smil'd Divine Cupid Well may they smile alike thy base-bâ—…ed boy And his base sire had both one cause a toy How well theiâ—… subjects and theiâ—… smilâ—…s agree Thy Cupid finds a toy and Mars found thee â—…alse Queen of beauty Queen of false delights Thy knee presents an â—…mbleme that invites Man to himself whose self-transported heart Ovâ—…rwhelm'd with native sorrows and the smaâ—…t Of purchas'd grieâ—…s lies whining night and day Not knowing why till heavy heâ—…ld delay The dull-brow'd Pander of despaâ—…r layes by His leaden buskins and presents his eye With antick triâ—…les which th' indulgent earth Makes proper objects of mans childish mirth These be the coyn that passe the sweets that please There 's nothing good there 's nothing great but these These be the pipes that base-born minds dance after And turn immod ' rate tears to lavish laughter Whilst Heav'nly rapâ—…res passe without regard Their strings are harsh and their high strains unheaâ—…d The plough-mâ—…ns whistle or the triviall â—…ure â—…ind more respâ—…ct then great Apollo's lute We 'll look to Heav'n and trust to higher joyes Let swine love husks and
Bees do bring Honey in their mouths but in their tails a sting IV. PSALM 62. 9. To be laid in the ballance it is altogether lighter then vanitie 1 PUt in another weight 'T is yet too light And yet Fond Cupid put another in And yet another Still there 's under weight Put in another hundred Put agin Adde world to world then heap a thousand more To that then to renew thy wasted store Take up more worlds on trust to draw thy balance lower 2 Put in the flesh with all her loads of pleasure Put in great Mammons endlesse inventory Put in the pond'rous acts of mighty Cesar Put in the greater weight of Swedens glory Adde Sâ—…pio's gauntlet put in Plato's gown Put Circes charms put in the triple crown Thy balance will not draw thy balance will not down 3 Lord what a world is this which day and night Men seek with so much toyl with so much trouble Which weigh'd in equall scales is found so light So poorly over-balanc'd with a bubble Good God! that frantick mortals should destroy Their higher hopes and place their idle joy Upon such airy trash upon so light a toy 4 Thou bold Impostour how hast thou befool'd The tribe of Man with counterfeit dâ—…sire How has the breath of thy false bellows cool'd Heav'ns free-born flames and kindled bastard fire How hast thou vented drosse in stead of treasure And cheated man with thy false weights and measure Proclaiming bad for good and gilding death with pleasure 5 The world 's a craftie Strumpet most affecting And closely following those that most reject her But seeming carelesse nicely disrespecting And coyly flying those that most affect her If thou be free she 's strange if strange she 's free Flee and she follows Follow and she 'll flee Then she there 's none more coy there 's none more fond then she 6 O what a Crocodilian world is this Compos'd of treacheries and ensnaring wiles She cloaths destruction in a foâ—…mall kisse And lodges death in her deceitsull smiles She hugs the soul she hates and there does prove The veriest tyrant where she vowes to love And is a Serpent most when most she seems a Dove 7 Thrice happy he whose nobler thoughts despise To make an object of so easie gains Thrice happy he who scorns so poore a prize Should be the crown of his heroick pains Thrice happy he that ne'r was born to trie Her frowns or smiles or being born did lie In his sad nurses arms an houre or two and die S. AUGUST lib. Confess O you that dote upon this world for what victory do ye sight Your hopes can be crowned with no greater reward then the world can give and what is the world but a brittle thing full of dangers wherein we travel from lesser to greater perils O let all her vain light and momentany glory perish with her self and let us be conversant with more eternall things Alas this world is miserable life is short and death is sure EPIG. 4. My soul what 's lighter then a feather wind Then wind The fire And what then fire The mind What 's lighter then the mind A thought Then thought This bubble-world What then this bubble Nought V. 1. COR. 7. 31. The fashion of this world passeth away GOne are those golden dayes wherein Pale conscience started not at ugly sinne When good old Satuâ—…nes peacefull Throne Was unusurped by his beardlesse Son When jealous Ops ne'r fear'd th' abuse Of her chast bed or breach of nuptiall Truce When just Astraea poys'd her Scales In mortall hearts whose absence earth bewails When froth-born Venus and her brat With all that spurious brood young Jove begat In horrid shapes were yet unknowne Those Halcyon dayes that golden age is gone There was no Client then to wait The leisure of his long-tayl'd Advocate The Talion Law was in request And Chaunc'ry courts were kept in ev'ry brest Abused Statutes had no Tenters And men could deal secure without indentures There was no peeping hole to clear The Wittals eye from his incarnate fear There were no lustfull Cinders then To broyl the Carbonado'd hearts of men The rosie cheek did then proclaim A shame of Guilt but not a guilt of shame There was no whining soul to start At Cuâ—…ids twang or curle his flaming 〈◊〉 The Boy had then but callow wings And fell Erynnis Scorpions had no stings The better-acted world did move Upon the fixed poles of Truth and Love Love essenc'd in the hearts of men Then Reason rul'd there was no Passion then Till Lust and Rage began to enter Love the Circumference was and love the Center Untill the wanton dayes of Iove The simple world was all compos'd of Love But Iove grew fleshly false unjust Inferiour beautie sill'd his veins with lust And Cucquean Iuno's fury hurld Fierce balls of rage into th' incestuous world Astraea fled and love return'd From earth earth boyl'd with lust with rage it burn'd And ever since the world has been Kept going with the scourge of Lust and Spleen S. AMBROS. Lust is a sharp spur to vice which alwayes putteth the affections into a false gallop HUGO Lust is an immoderate wantonnesse of the slesh a sweet poyson a cruel 〈◊〉 a pernicious potion which weakeneth the body of man and esseminateth the strength of an heroick mind S. AUGUST Envy is the hatred of anothers felicitie in respect of Superiours because they are not equall to them in respect of Inseriours lest be should be equall to them in respect of equalls because they are equall to them Through envy proceeded the fall of the world and the death of Christ EPIG. 5. What Cupid must the world be lasht so soon But made at morning and be whipt at noon 'T is like the wagge that playes with Venus Doves The more 't is lasht the more perverse it proves VI ECCLES. 2. 17. All is vanitie and vexation of spirit 1 HOw is the anxious soul of man befool'd In his desire That thinks an Hectick sever may be cool'd In stames of fire Or hopes to rake full heaps of burnisht gold From nasty mire A whining Lover may as well request A scornfull breast To melt in gentle tears as woo the world for rest 2 Let wit and all her studied plots effect The best they can Let smiling Fortune prosper and perfect What wit began Let earth advise with both and so project A happy man Let wit or fawning Fortune vie their best He may be blest With all that earth can give but earth can give no rest 3 Whose gold is double with a carefull hand His cares are double The pleasure honour wealth of sea and land Bring but a trouble The world it self and all the worlds command Is but a bubble The strong desites of mans insâ—…tiate breast May stand possest Of all that earth can give but earth can give no rest 4 The world 's a seeming Par'dise but her own And mans tormenter Appearing sixt yet but a rolling stone
art without thy glorious sight Mine eyes are darkned with perpetuall night My God thou art my Way my Life my Light Thou art my Way I wander if thou fly Thou art my Light If hid how blind am Iâ—… Thou art my Life If thou withdraw I die Mine eyes are blind and dark I cannot see To whom or whether should my darknesse flee But to the Light And who 's that Light but thee My path is lost my wand'ring steps do stray I cannot safely go nor safely stay Whom should I seek but thee my Path my Way O I am dead to whom shall I poore I Repair to whom shall my sad ashes fly But Life And where is Life but in thine eye And yet thou turn'st away thy face and fly'st me And yet I sue for grace and thou deny'st me Speak art thou angry Lord or onely try'st me Unskreen those Heav'nly lamps or tell me why Thou shad'st thy face perhaps thou thinkst no eye Can view those flames and not drop down and die If that be all shine forth and draw thee nigher Let me behold and die for my desire Is Phoenix like to perish in that fire Death conquer'd Laz'rus was redeem'd by thee If I am dead Lord see deaths prisner free Am I more spent or stink I worse then he If my pufft light be out give leave to tine My slamelesse-snuss at that bright Lamp of thine O what 's thy Light the lesse for lighting mine If I have lost my Path great Shepherd say Shall I still wander in a doubtfull way Lord shall a Iamb of Isr'els sheepfold stâ—…ay Thou art the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the blind mans Eye The dead mans Life on thee my hopes rely If thou remove I erre I grope I die Disclose thy Sun-beams close thy wings and stay See see how I am blind and dead and stray O thou that art my Light my Life my Way S. AUGUST Soliloqu cap. 1. Why dost thou hide thy face Happily thou 〈◊〉 say none can see thy face and live Ah Lord let me die that I may see thee let me see thee that I may die I would not live but die That I may see Christ I desire death That I may live with Christ I despise life ANSELM Med. cap. 5. O excellent hiding which is become my persection My God Thou hidest thy treasure to kindle my desire Thou hidest thy pearl to inflame the seeker Thou delayest â—…o give that Thou maist teach me to importune seem'st not to hear to make mâ—… persever EPIG. 7. If 〈◊〉 all-quickning eyes vouchsafe to shine Upon our souls we slight If not we whine Our Equinoctiall hearts can never lie Secure beneath the Tropicks of that eye VIII JE REMIAâ—… 9. 1. O that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night O That mine eyes were springs and could transform Their drops to seas my sighs into a storm Of zeal and sacred violence wherein This lab'ring vèssel laden with heâ—… sinne Might suffer sudden shipwrack and be split Upon that rock where my drencht soul may sit O'rwhelm'd with plenteous passion O and there Drop drop into an everlasting tear Ah me that ev'ry sliding vein that wanders Through this vast Isle did work her wild meanders In brackish tears in stead of bloud and swell This flesh with holy dropsies from whose well Made warm with sighs may fume my wasting breath Whil'st I dissolve in steams and reek to death These narrow sluces of my dribbling eyes Are much too strait for those quick springs that rise And hourely fill my temples to the top I cannot shed for ev'ry sinne a drop Great builder of mankind why hast thou sent Such swelling flouds and made so small a ventâ—… O that this flesh had been compos'd of snow In stead of earth and bones of ice that so Feeling the fervour of my sinne and lothing The â—…ire I feel I might be thaw'd to nothing O thou that didst with hopefull joy entomb Me thrice three moons in thy laborious womb And then with joyfull pain broughtst forth a Son What worth thy labour has thy labour done What was there Ah! what was there in my birth That could deserve the easiest smile of mirth A man was born Alas and what 's a man A scuttle full of dust a measur'd span Of flitting Time a furnish'd pack whose wares Are sullen griefs and soul-tormenting cares A vale of tears a vessel tunn'd with breath By sicknesse brocht to be drawn out by deaâ—…h A haplesse helplesse thing that born doth cry To feed that feeds to live that lives to die Great God and Man whose eyes spent drops so often For me that cannot weep enough O soften These marble brains and strike this slintie rock Or if the musick of thy Peters cock Will more prevail fill fill my hearkning ears With that sweet sound that I may melt in tears I cannot weep untill thou broch mine eye Or give me vent or else I burst and die S. AMBROS. in Psal. 118. He that committeth sinnes to be wept for cannot weep for sianes committed And being himself most lamentable hath no tears to lament his offences NAZIANZ Orat. 3. Tears are the deluge of sinne and the worlds sacrifice S. HIERON. in Esaiam Prayer appeaseth God but a tear compelleth him That moveth him but this constraineth him EPIO. 8. Earth is an Island ported round with fears The way to Heav'n is through the Sea of tearsâ—… It is a stormy passage where is found The wrack of many a ship but no man drown'd IX PSALM 18. 5. The sorrows of hell compassed me about and the snares of death prevented me IS not this Type well cut In ev'ry part Full of rich cunning sill'd with Zeuxian Art Are not the hunters and their Stygian hounds Limm'd full to th' life didst ever heare the sounds The musick and the lip-divided breaths Of the strong-winded horn recheats and deaths Done more exact th' infernall Nimrods hollow The lawlesse Purliews and the game they follow The hidden engines and the snares that lie So undiscover'd so obscure to th' eye The new-drawn net and her entangled prey And him thae closes it Beholder say Is 't not well done seems not an em'lous strife Betwixt the rare cut picture and the life These Purliew-men are Devils and the Hounds Those quick-nos'd Canibals that scour the grounds Temptations and the Game these Fiends pursue Are humane souls which still they have in view Whose fury if they chance to scape by slying The skilfull Hunter plants his net close lying On th' unsuspected earth bayted with treasure Ambitious honour and self-wasting pleasure Where if the soul but stoop death stands prepar'd To draw the net and drawn the soul 's ensnat'd Poore soul how 〈◊〉 thou hurried to and fro Where canst thou safely stay where safely go If stay these hot-mouth'd hounds are apt to tear thee If go the snares enclose the nets ensnare thee What good in this bad world has pow'r t'
members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivitie to the Law of sinne 1 O How my will is hurried to and fro And how my unresolv'd resolves do vary I know not where to fix sometimes I go ' This way then that and then the quite contrary I like dislike lament for what I could not I do undo yet still do what I should not And at the self same instant will the thing I would not 2 Thus are my weather-beaten thoughts opprest With th' earth-bred winds of my prodigious will Thus am I hourely tost from East to West Upon the rowling streams of good and ill Thus am I driven upon these slipp'ry suds From reall ills to false apparent goods My life 's a troubled sea compos'd of Ebs and Flouds 3 The curious Penman having tâ—…imm'd his page With the dead language of his dabbled quill Le ts fall a heedlesse drop then in a rage Cashiers the fruits of his unlucky skill Ev'n so my pregnant soul in th' insant bud Of her best thoughts showâ—…s down a cole-black flood Of unadvised ills and cancels all her good 4 Sometimes a sudden flash of sacred heat Warms my chill soul and seâ—…s my thoughts in frame But soon â—…hat fire is shouldred from her seat By lustfull Cupids much inferiour flame I feel two flames and yet no flame entire Thus are the mungrill thoughts of mixt desire Consum'd between that heav'nly and this earthly fire 5 Sometimes my trash-disdaining thoughts out-passe The common period of terrene conceit O then me thinks I scorn the thing I was Whilst I stand ravisht at my new estate But when th' Icarian wings of my desire Feel but the warmth of their own native sire O then they melt and plunge within their wonted mire 6 I know the nature of my wav'ring mind I know the frailty of my fleshly will My Passion 's Eagle-ey'd my judgement blind I know what 's good but yet make choice of ill When th' Ostrich wings of my desires shall be So dull they cannot mount the least degree Yet grant my soul desire but of desiring thee S. BERN. Med. 9. My heart is a vain heart a vagabond and instable heart while it is led by its own judgement and wanting Divine counsel cannot subsist in it self and whilest it divers wayes seeketh rest findeth none but remaineth miserable through labour and void of peace It agreeth not with it self it dissenteth from it self it altereth resolutions changeth the judgement frameth new thoughts pulleth down the old and buildeth them up again It willeth and willeth not and never remaineth in the same state S. AUGUST de verb Apost. When it would it cannot because when it might it would not Therefore by an evil will man lost his good power EPIG. 1. My soul how are thy thoughts disturb'd confin'd Enlarg'd betwixt thy members and thy mind Fix here or there thy doubt-depending cause Can nev'r expect one verdict 'twixt two Laws II. PSALM 119. 5. O that my wayes were directed to keep thy Statutes 1 THus I the object of the worlds disdain With Pilgrime-pace surround the weary earth I onely relish what the world counts vain Her mirth 's my grief her sullen grief my mirth Her light my darknesse and her truth my errour Her freedom is my jail and her delight my terrour 2 Fond earth proportion not my seeming love To my long stay let not thy thoughts deceive thee Thou art my prison and my home 's above My life 's a preparation but to leave thee Like one that seeks a doore I walk about thee With thee I cannot live I cannot live without thee 3 The world 's a lab'rinth whose anfractuous wayes Are all compos'd of rubs and crook'd meanders No resting here He 's hurried back that stayes A thought and he that goes unguided wanders Her way is dark her path untrod unev'n So hard 's the way from earth so hard 's the way to Heav'n 4 This gvring lab'rinth is betrench'd about On either hand with streams of sulph'rous fire Streams closely sliding erring in and out But seeming pleasant to the fond descrier Where if his footsteps trust their own invention He falls without redresse and sinks beyond dimension 5 Where shall I seek a Guide where shall I meet Some lucky hand to lead my trembling paces What trusty Lantern will direct my feet To scape the danger of these dang'rous places What hopes have I to passe without a Guide Where one gets safely through a thousand fall beside 6 An unrequested Starre did gently slide Before the Wisemen to a greater Light Back-sliding Isr'el found a double Guide A Pillar and a Cloud by day by night Yet in my desp'rate dangers which be farre More great then theirs I have nor Pillar Cloud nor Starre 7 O that the pineons of a clipping Dove Would cut my passage through the empty Aire Mine eyes being seeld how would I mount above The reach of danger and forgotten care My backward eyes should nev'r commit that fault Whose lasting guilt should build a Monument of Salt 8 Great God that art the flowing Spring of Light Enrich mine eyes with thy refulgent Ray Thou art my Path direct my steps aright I have no other Light no other Way I 'll trust my God and him alone pursue His Law shall be my Path his Heav'nly Light my Clue S. AUGUST Soliloqu cap. 4. O Lord who art the Light the Way the Truth the Life in whom there is no darknesse errour vanitie nor death The Light without which there is darknesse The Way without which there is wandering The Truth without which there is errour The Life without which there is death Say Lord Let there be Light and I shall see Light and eschew darknesse I shall see the Way and avoid wandering I shall sâ—…e the Truth and shun errour I shall see Life and escape death Illuminate O illuminate my blind soul which â—…itteth in darknesse and the shâ—…dow of death and direct my feet in the way of peace EPIG. 2. Pilgrime trudge on What makes thy soul complain Crownes thy complaint The way to rest is pain The road to resolution lies by doubt The next way home 's the farthest way about III. PSALM 17. 5. Stay my steps in thy paths that my feet do not slide 1 WHen ere the old Exchange of profit rings Her silver Saints-bell of uncertain gains My merchant soul can stretch both legs and wings How I can run and take unwearied pains The charms of profit are so strong that I Who wanted legs to go find wings to fly 2 〈◊〉 time-beguiling Pleasure but advance Her lustfull trump and blow her bold alarms O how my sportfull â—…oul can frisk and dance And hug that Syren in her twined arms The sprightly voyce of sinew-strengthning pleasure Can lend my bedrid soul both legs and leasure 3 If blazing Honour chance to fill my veins With flatt'ring warmth and flash of Courtly fire My soul can take a pleasure in her pains My
deceived mine eyes and I have not observed that thou art more amiable then all thy creatures to which thou hast communicated but one drop of thy inestimable beautie For who hath adorned the Heavens with starres Who hath stored the air with sowl the waters with fish the earth with plants and flowers But what are all these but a small spark of Divine beauty S. CHRYS. Hom. 5. in Ep. ad Rom. In having nothing I have all things because I have Christ Having 〈◊〉 all things in him I seek no other reward for he is the universall reward EPIG. 6. Who would not throw his better thoughts about him And scorn this drosse within him that without him Cast up my soul thy clearer eye Behold If thou be fully melted there 's the mold VII 〈◊〉 120. 5. Wo is to me that I remain in Meshech and dwell in the tents of Kedar IS Natures course dissolv'd doth Times glasse stand Or hath some frolick heart set back the hand Of Fates perpetuall Clock will't never strike Is crazy Time grown lazy faint or sick With very Age or hath that great Pairroyall Of Adamantine sisters late made triall Of some new trade shall mortall hearts grow old In sorrow snail my weary arms infold And underprop my panting sides for ever Is there no charitable hand will sever My well-spun thred that my imprison'd soul May be deliver'd from this dull dark hole Of dungeon flesh O shall I shall I never Be ransom'd but remain a slave for ever It is the lot of man but once to die But ere that death how many deaths have I What humane madnesse makes the world affraid To entertein Heav'ns joy because convey'd By th' hand of death will nakednesse refuse Rich change of robes because the man 's not spruse That brought them or will povertie send back Full bags of gold because the bringer 's black Life is a bubble blown with whining breaths Fill'd with the torments of a thousand deaths Which being prickt by death while death deprives One life presents the soul a thousand lives O frantick mortall how hath earth bewitch'd Thy Bedlam soul which hath so fondly pitch'd Upon her false delights Delights that cease Before enjoyment finds a time to please Her fickle joyes breed doubtfull fears her fears Bring hopefull griefs her griefs weep fearfull tears Tears coyn deceitfull hopes hopes carefull doubt And surly passion justles passion out To day we pamper with a full repast Of lavish mirth at night we weep as fast To night we swim in wealth and lend to morrow We sink in want and find no friend to borrow In what a climate doth my soul reside Where pale-fac'd murder the first-born of pride Sets up her kingdome in the very smiles And plighted faiths of men-like Crocodiles A land where each embroyd'red sattin word Is lin'd with fraud where Mars his law lesse sword Exiles 〈◊〉 balance where that hand Now slayes his brother that new-sow'd his land O that my dayes of bondage would expire In this lewd soyl Lord how my soul 's on fire To be dissolv'd that I might once obtain These long'd for joyes long'd for so oft in vain If Moses-like I may not live possest Of this fair land Lord let me see 't at least S. AUGUST 〈◊〉 cap. 12. My life is a frail life a corruptible life a life which the more it increaseth the more it decreaseth The farther it goeth the nearer it cometh to death A deceitfull life and like a shadow full of the snares of death Now I rejoyce now I languish now I flourish now infirm now I live and straight I die now I seem happy alwayes miserable 〈◊〉 I laugh now I weep Thus all things are subject to mutabilitie that nothing continueth an 〈◊〉 in one state O joy above joy exceeding all joy without which there is no joy when shall I enter into thee that I may see my God that dwelleth in thee EPIG. 7. Art thou so weak O canst thou not digest An houre of travel for a night of rest Chear up my soul call home thy spirits and bear One bad good-friday full-mouth'd Easter's near VIII ROMANES 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death BEhold thy darling which thy lustfull care Pampers for which thy restlesse thoughts prepare Such 〈◊〉 cates for whom thy bubbling brow So often sweats and bankrupt eyes do ow Such midnight scores to nature for whose sake Base earth is sainted the infernall lake Unfeard the Crown of glory poorely rated Thy God neglected and thy brother hated Behold thy darling whom thy soul affects So dearly whom thy fond indulgence decks And puppets up in soft in silken weeds Behold thy darling whom thy fondnesse feeds With farre-fetcht delicates the dear-bought gains Of ill-spent time the price of half thy pains Behold thy darling who when clad by thee Derides thy nakednesse and when most free Proclaims her lover slave and being fed Most full then strikes th' indulgent feeder dead What meanst thou thus my poore deluded soul To love so fondly Can the burning cole Of thy affection last without the fuel Of counter-love Is thy compeer so cruel And thou so kind to love unlov'd again Canst thou sow favours and thus reap disdain Remember O remember thou art born Of royall bloud remember thou art sworn A Maid of Honour in the Court of Heaven Remember what a costly price was given To ransome thee from slav'ry thou wert in And wilt thou now my soul turn slave again The Son and Heir to Heav'ns Triune JEHOVE Would fain become a 〈◊〉 for thy love And offers for thy dow'r his Fathers Throne To sit for Seraphims to gaze upon He 'll give thee Honour Pleasure Wealth and Things Transcending farre the Majesty of Kings And wilt thou prostrate to the odious charms Of this base scullion shall his hollow arms Hugg thy soft sides shall these course hands untie The sacred Zone of thy virginitie For shame degen'rous soul let thy desire Be quickned up with more heroick fire Be wisely proud let thy ambitious eye Reade nobler objects let thy thoughts desie Such am'rous basenesse let thy soul disdain Th' ignoble profers of so base a swain Or if thy vowes be past and Hymens bands Have ceremonied your unequall hands Annull at least avoid thy lawlesse act With insufficiencie or a precontract Or if the act be good yet maist thou plead A second freedome for the flesh is dead NAZIANZ Orat. 16. How I am joyned to this body I know not which when it is healthfull provoketh me to warre and being dammaged by warre affecteth me with grief which I both love as a fellow-servant and bate as an utter enemy It is a pleasant foe and a perfidious friend O strange conjunction and alienation what I fear I embrace and what I love I am affraid of before I make warre I am reconciled before I enjoy peace I am at variance EPIG. 8. What need that house be
EMBLEMES CAMBRIDGE Printed by RD for Francis Eglesfeild and are to be sold at the signe of the Marigold in St. Pauls Church-yard 16â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haec laus hic apex Sapientiae est ea viventem appetere quae morienti forent appetenda TO My much honoured and no lesse truly beloved Friend EDW. BENLOWES Esquire My dear Friend YOu have put the Theorboe into my hand and I have played You gave the Musician the first encouragement the Musick returneth to you for Patronage Had it been a light Ayre no doubt but it had taken the most and among them the worst But being a grave Strayn my hopes are that it will please the best and among them You. Toyish Ayres please triviall eares They kisse the fancy and betray it They cry Hail first and after Crucifie Let Dorrs delight to immerd themselves in dungwhilest Eagles scorn so poore a Game as Flies Sir you have Art and Candour Let the one judge let the other excuse Your most affectionate Friend FRA. QUARLES What heere wee see is but a graven face Onely the shaddow of yt brittle case Wherein were treasurd up those gems wch he Hath left behind him to Posterity To the Reader AN Embleme is but a silent Parable Let not the tender Eye check to see the allusion to our blessed Saviour figured in these Types In holy Scripture he is sometimes called a Sower sometimes a Fisher sometimes a Physician And why not presented so as well to the eye as to the eare Before the knowledge of letters God was known by Hieroglyphicks And indeed what are the Heavens the Earth â—…ay every Creature but Hieroglyphicks and Emblemes of His Glory I have no more to say I wish thee as much pleasure in the reading as I had in the writing Farewell Reader BY Fathers back'd by Holy Writ led on Thou shew'st a way to Heav'n by Helicon The Muses Font is consecrate by Thee And Poesie baptiz'd Divinitie Blest soul that here embark'st Thou sail'st apace 'T is hard to say mov'd more by Wit or Grace Each Muse so plyes her Oar but O the Sail Is fill'd from Heav'n with a Diviner Gale When Poets prove Divines why should not I Approve in Verse this Divine Poetry Let this suffice to licence thee the Presse I must no more nor could the Truth say lesse Sic approbavit RICH. LOVE Procan Cantabrigiensis Tot Flores QUARLES quot Paradisus habet Lectori bene-male-volo Qui legit ex Horto hoc Flores Qui carpit Utâ—rque Jure potest VIOLAS dicere jure ROSAS Non è Parnasso VIOLAM Paestive ROSETO Carpit Apollo magìs quae sit amoena ROSAM Quot Versus VIOLAS legis Quem verba loâ—â—â—â—um Credis verbà dedit Nam dedit Ille ROSAS Utque Ego non dicam haec VIOLAS suavissima Tâ—â—â— Ipse facis VIOLAS Livide si violas Nam velu◠è VIOLIS sibi sugit Araâ—ea virus Vertis ità in succos Hasque ROSASque tuos Quas violas Mùâ—as VIOLAS puto quasque recusaâ— Dente tuo rosas has reor esse ROSAS Sic rosas facis esse ROSAS dùm 〈◊〉 rodis Sic facis has VIOLAS Livide dum violas Brent Hall 1634. EDVV. BENLOVVES THE FIRST BOOK The Invocation ROwze thee my soul and drein thee from the dregs Of vulgar thoughts Skrue up the heightned pegs Of thy sublime Theorboe foure notes higher And higher yet that so the 〈◊〉 mouth'd Quire Of swift-wing'd Seraphims may come and joyn And make thy consort more than halfe divine Invoke no Muse Let heav'n be thy Apollo And let his sacred influences hallow Thy high-bred strains Let his full beams inspite Thy ravish'd brains with more heroick 〈◊〉 Snatch thee a Quill from the spread Eagles wing And like the morning Lark mount up and sing Cast off these dangling plummets that so clog Thy lab'ring heart which gropes in this dark fog Of dungeon-earth Let flesh and bloud 〈◊〉 To stop thy flight till this base world appear A thin blew Lanskip Let thy pineons sore So high a pitch that men may seem no more Than Pismires crawling on this Mole-hill earth Thy eare untroubled with their frantick mirth Let not the frailtie of thy flesh disturb Thy new-concluded peace Let Reason 〈◊〉 Thy hot-mouth'd Passion and let heav'ns fire season The fresh Conceits of thy corrected Reason Disdain to warm thee at Lusts smokie fires Scorn scorn to feed on thy old bloat desires Come come my soul hoyse up thy higher sails The wind blowes fair Shall we still creep like Snails That gild their wayes with their own native slimes No we must flie like Eâ—…gles and our Rhimes Must mount â—…o heav'n and reach th' Olympick eaâ—… Our heav'n-blown fire must seek no other Sphear Thou great Theanthropos that giv'st and ground'st Thy gifts in dust and from out dunghill crown'st Reflected Honour taking by retail What thou hast giv'n in grosse from lapsed frail And sinfull man that drink'st full draughts wherein Thy Childrens leprous fingers scurf'd with Sin Have padled cleanse O cleanse my crafty Soul From secret crimes and let my thoughts controul My thoughts O teach me stoutly to deny My self that I may be no longer I Enrich my fancie clarifie my thoughts Resine my drosse O wink at humane faults And through this slender conduit of my Quill Convey thy Current whose clear streams may fill The hearts of men with love their tongues with prayse Crown me with Glory Take who list the Bayes I. JAM 1. 14. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed Serpent Eve Serp. NOt eat Not tast Not touch Not cast an eye Upon the fruit of this faiâ—… Tree And why Why eat'st thou not what Heav'n ordain'd for food Or canst thou think that bad which heav'n call'd Good Why was it made if not to be enjoy'd Neglect of favours makes a favour void Blessings unus'd pervert into a Wast As well as Surfets Woman Do but tast See how the laden boughs make silent suit To be enjoy'd Look how their bending fruit Meet thee half-way Observe but how they crouch To kisse thy hand Coy woman Do but touch Maâ—…k what a pure Vermilion blush has dy'd Their swelling cheeks and how for shame they hide Their palsie heads to see themselves stand by Neglected Woman Do but cast an eye What bounteous heav'n ordain'd for use refuse not Come pull and eat Y' abuse the thing ye use not Eve Wisest of Beasts our great Creatour did Reserve this Tree and this alone forbid The rest are freely ours which doubtlesse are As pleasing to the tast toth' eye as fair But touching this his strict commands are such T is death to tast no lesse than death to touch Serp. Pish death 's a fable Did not heav'n inspire Your equall Elements with living Fire Blown from the spring of life Is not that breath Immortall Come ye are as free from death As He that made ye Can the flames expire Which he has kindled
Can ye quench his fire Did not the great Creatours voice proclaim What ere he made from the blue spangled frame To the poore leaf that trembles very Good Blest he not both the Feeder and the Food Tell tell me then what danger can accrue From such blest Food to such half-gods as you Curb needlesse fears and let no fond conceit Abuse your freedome woman Take and eat Eve 'T is true we are immortall death is yet Unborn and till rebellion make it debt Undue I know the Fruit is good untill Presumtuous disobedience make it ill The lips that open to this Fruit 's a portall To let in death and make immortall mortall Serp. You cannot die Come woman Tast and fear not Eve Shall Eve transgresse I dare not O I dare not Serp. Afraid why draw'st thou back thy tim'rous arm Harm onely fals on such as fear a harm Heav'n knowes and fears the virtue of this Tree 'T will make ye perfect Gods as well as He. Stretch forth thy hand and let thy fondnesse never Fear death Do pull and eat and live for ever Eve 'T is but an Apple and it is as good To do as to desire Fruit's made for food I le pull and tast and tempt my Adam too To know the secrets of this dainty Serp. Doe S. CHRYS. sup Matth. He forced him not He touched him not Onely said Cast thy self down that we may know whosoever obeyeth the Devil casteth himselfe down For the Devil may suggest compell he cannot S. BERN. in ser. It is the Devils part to suggest Ours not to consent As os◅ as we resist him so often we overcome him as often as we overcome him so often we bring joy to the Angels and glory to God Who proposeth us that we may contend and assisteth us that we may conquer EPIG. I. Unluckie Parliament wherein at last Both houses are agreed and firmly past An Act of death confirm'd by higher Powers O had it had but such successe as Ours II. JAMES 1. 15. Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death 1 LAment lament Look look what thou hast done Lament the worlds lament thy own estate Look look by doing how thou art undone Lament thy fall lament thy change of State Thy faith is broken and thy freedome gone See see too soon what thou lament'st too late O thou that wert so many men nay all Abbridg'd in one how has thy desp'rate fall Destroy'd thy unborn seed destroy'd thy self withall 2 Uxorious Adam whom thy maker made Equall to Angels that excell in pow'r What hast thou done O why hast thou obey'd Thy own destruction Like a new-cropt flowre How does the glory of thy beauty fade How are thy fortunes blasted in an houre How art thou cow'd that had'st the pow'r to quell The spite of new-fall'n Angels baffle Hell And vie with those that stood and vanquish those that fell 3 See how the world whose chast and pregnant womb Of late conceiv'd and brought forth noth◅ng ill Is now degenerated and become A base Adultresse whose false births do fill The earth with Monsters Monsters that do rome And rage about and make a trade to kill Now Glutt'ny paunches Lust begins to spawn Wrath takes revenge and Avarice a pawn Pale Envie pines Pride swells and Sloth begins to yawn 4 The Aire that whisper'd now begins to rore And blustring Boreas blowes the boyling Tide The whit-mouth'd Water now usurps the shore And scorns the pow'r of her tridentall guide The Fire now burns that did but warm before And rules her ruler with resistlesse pride Fire Water Earth and Ai◅e that first were made To be subdu'd see how they now invade They rule whom once they serv'd cōmand where once obey'd 5 Behold that nakednesse that late bewray'd Thy glory now 's become thy shame thy wonder ◅ehold those Trees whose various fruits were made For food now turn'd a shade to shrowd thee under Behold that voice which thou hast disobey'd That late was musick now aff◅ights like thunder Poor man Are not thy joynts grown sore with shaking To view th' effect of thy bold undertaking That in one houre didd'st marre what heav'n six dayes was making S. AUGUST lib. 1. de lib. arbit It is a most just punishment that man should lose that freedome which man could not use yet had power to keep if he would and that be who had knowledge to do what was right and did not should be deprived of the knowledge of what was right and that he who would not do righteously when he had the power should lose the power to doit when he ◅ad the will HUGO de anima They are justly punished that abuse lawfull things but they are most justly punished that use unlawfull things Thus Lucifer fell from Heaven thus Adam lost his Paradise EPIG. 2. See how these fruitfull kernels being cast Upon the earth how thick they spring how fast A full-ear'd crop and thriving rank and proud Prepost'rous man first sow'd and then he plough'd III. PROVERBS 14. 13. Even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heavinesse 1 ALas fond Child How are thy thoughts beguil'd To hope for hony from a nest of wasps Thou maist as well Go seek for ease in hell Or sprightly Nectar from the mouths of asps 2 The world 's a hive From whence thou canst derive No good but what thy souls vexation brings Put case thou meet Some peti-peti sweet Each drop is guarded with a thousand stings 3 Why dost thou make These murm'ring troups forsake The safe protection of their waxen homes This hive contains No sweet that 's worth thy pains There 's nothing here alas but empty combes 4 For trash and toyes And grief-ingend'ring joyes What to◅ment seems too sharp for ◅lesh and bloud What bitter pills Compos'd of reall ills Man swallows down to purchase one false good 5 The dainties here Are least what they appear Though sweet in hopes yet in fruition sowre The fruit that 's yellow Is found not alwayes mellow The fairest Tulip 's not the sweetest flowre 6 Fond youth give ore And vex thy soul no more In secking what were better farre unfound Alas thy gains Are onely present pains To gather Scorpions for a future wound 7 What 's earth or in it That longer then a minit Can lend a free delight that can endure O who would droyl Or delve in such a soyl Where gain 's uncertain and the pain is sure S AUGUST Sweetnesse in temporall matters is deceitfull Il is a labour and a perpetuall fear it is a dangerous pleasure whose beginning is without providence and whose end is not without repentance HUGO Luxury is an enticing pleasure a bastard mirth which hath honey in her mouth gall in her heart and a a◅ing in her tail EPIG. 3. What Cupid are thy shafes already made And seeking honey to set up thy trade True Embleme of thy sweers Thy
Without a tenter It is a vast Circumference where none Can find a Center Of more then earth can earth make none possest And he that least Regards this restlesse world shall in this world find rest 5 True rest consists not in the oft revying Of worldly drosse Earths miâ—…ie purchase is not worth the buying Her gain is losse Her rest but giddy toil if not relying Upon her crosse How worldlings droil for trouble That fond breast That is possest Of earth without a crosse has earth without a rest CASS. in Ps. The Crosse is the invincible sanctuary of the humble The dejection of the proud the victory of Christ the destruction of the devil the confirmation of the faithfull the death of the unbeliever the life of the just DAMASCEN The Crosse of Christ is the key of Paradise the weak mans staff the Converts convoy the upright mans perfection the soul and bodies health the prevention of all evil and the 〈◊〉 of all good EPIG. 6. Worldlings whose whimpring folly holds the losses Of honour pleasure health and wealth such crosses Look here and tell me what your Arms engrosse When the best end of what ye hug's a crosse VII 1. PETER 5. 8. Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devoure 1 WHy dest thou suffer lustfull sloth to creep Dull Cyprian lad into thy wanton browes Is this a time to pay thine idle vowes At Morpheus shrine Is this a time to sleep Thy brains in wastfull slumbers up and rouze Thy leaden spirits Is this a time to sleep Adjourn thy sanguine dreams Awake arise Call in thy thoughts and let them all advise Hadst thou as many Heads as thou hast wounded eyes 2 Look look what horrid furies do await Thy slatt'ring slumbers If thy drowzie head But chance to nod thou fall'st into a bed Of sulph'rous flames whose torments want a date Foâ—…d boy be wise let not thy thoughts be fed With Phrygian wisdome fools are wise too late Beware betimes and let thy reason sever Those gates which passion clos'd wake now or never For if thou nodd'st thou fall'st and falling fall'st for ever 3 Mark how the ready hands of death prepare His bow is bent and he has notch'd his dart He aims he levels at thy slumb'ring heart The wound is posting O be wise beware What has the voyce of danger lost the art To raise the spirit of neglected care Well sleep thy fill and take thy soft reposes But know withall sweet tasts have sowre closes And he repents in thorns that sleeps in beds of roses 4 Yet sluggard wake and gull thy soul no more With earths false pleasure and the worlds delight Whose fruit is fair and pleasing to the sight But sowre in tast false at the putrid core Thy flaring glasse is gems at her halflight She makes thee seeming rich but truly poore She boasts a kernell and bestowes a shell Performs an inch of her fair promis'd ell Her words protest a Heav'n her works produce a hell 5 O thou the fountain of whose better part Is earth'd and gravell'd up with vain desire That dayly wallow'st in the fleshly mire And base pollution of a lustfull heart That feel'st no passion but in wanton fire And own'st no torment but from Cupids dart Behold thy Type Thou sitst upon this ball Of earth secure while death that flings at all Stands arm'd to strike thee down where flames attend thy fall S. BERN. Securitie is no where It is neither in Heaven nor in Paradise much lesse in the world In Heaven the Angels sell from the divine presence in Paradise Adam sell from his place of pleasure in the world Judas sell from the School of our Saviour HUGO I eat secure I drink secure I sleep secure even as though I had past the day of death avoided the day of judgement and escaped the torments of hell-fire I play and laugh as though I were already triumphing in the kingdome of Heaven EPIG. 7. Get up my soul Redeem thy slavish eyes From drowzy bondage O beware Be wise Thy fo 's before thee thou must sight or flie Life lies most open in a closed eye VIII LUKE 6. 25. Woe be to you that laugh now for ye shall mourn and weep THe world 's a popular disease that reignes Within the froward heart and frantick brains Of poore distemper'd mortals oft arising From ill digestion through th' unequall poysing Of ill-weigh'd Elements whose light directs Malignant humours to maligne effects One raves and labours with a â—…oyling liver Rends hair by handfuls cursing Cupids quiver Another with a bloudy-slux of oaths Vowes deep revenge one dotes the other loathes One frisks and sings and vies a slagon more To drench dry cares and makes the welkin rore Another droops the sunshine makes him sad Heav'n cannot please One 's mop'd the tother 's mad One hugs his gold another lets it slie He knowing not for whom nor tother why One spends his day in plots his night in play Another sleeps and slugs both night and day One laughs at this thing tother cries for that But neither one nor tother knowes for what Wonder of wonders What we ought t' evite As our disease we hug as our delight 'T is held a symptome of approching danger When disacquainted Sense becomes a stranger And takes no knowledge of an old disease But when a noysome grief begins to please The unresisting sense it is a fear That death has parli'd and compounded there As when the dreadfull Thund'rers awfull hand Powres forth a vâ—…all on th' infected land At first th' affrighted Mortalls quake and fear And ev'ry noise is thought the Thunderer But when the frequent soul-departing bell Has pav'd their ears with her familiar knell It is reputed but a nine dayes wonder They neither fear the Thund'rer nor his Thunder So when the world a worse disease began To smart for sinne poore new-created Man Could seek for shelter and his gen'rous Sonne Knew by his wages what his hands had done But bold-fac'd Mortalls in our blushlesse times Can sinne and smile and make a sport of crimâ—… Transgresse of custome and rebell in ease We false-joy'd fools can triumph in disease And as the carelesse Pilgrime being bit By the Tarantula begins a sit Of life concluding laughter wast our breath In lavish pleasure till we laugh to death HUGO de anima What profit is there in vain glory momentany mirth the worlds power the â—…leshes pleasure â—…ll riches noble descent and great desires Where is their laughter Where is their mirâ—…h Where their insolence their arrogance From how much joy to how much sadnesse After how much mirth how much misery From how great glory are they 〈◊〉 to how great torments What hath â—…allen to them may bâ—…fall thee because thou art a man Thou art of earth thou liveâ—…l of earth thou shalt return to earth Death expecteth thee every-where be wise therefore and expect death every-where
buildeth a Babylon Let every one enquire of himself what he lovâ—…th and he shall resolve himself of whence he is a Citizen S. AUGUST lib. 3. Confess All things are dâ—…iven by their own weight and tend to their own center My weight is my love by that I am driven whithersoever I am driven Ibidem Lord he loveth thee the lesse that loveth any thing with thee which he loveth not for thee EPIG. 13. Lord scourge my Asse if she should make no hast And curb my Stag if he should flie too fast If he be overswifâ—… or shâ—… prove idle Let Love lend him a spur Fear her a bridle XIV PSALM 13. 3. Lighten mine eyes O Lord lest I sleep the sleep of death WIll't ne'r be morning Will that promis'd light Ne'r break and clear these clouds of night Sweet Phospher bring the day Whose conqu'ring ray May chase these sogs Sweet 〈◊〉 â—…ing the day How long how long shall these benighted eyes Languish in shades like feâ—…ble fliâ—…s Expecting Spring How long shall darknesse soyl The face of earth and thus beguile Our souls of sprightfull action when will day Begin to dawn whose new-born ray May gild the wether-cocks of our devotion And give our unsoul'd souls new motion Sweet Phospher bring the day Thy light will fray These horrid mists Sweet Phospher bring the day Let those have night that slily love t' immure Their cloyster'd crimes and sinne secure Let those have night that blush to let men knoâ—… The basenesse they ne'r blush to do Let those have night that love to take a nap And loll in Ignorances lap Let those whose eyes like Ouls abhorre the light Let those have night that loâ—…e the night Sweet Phospher bring the day How sad delay Afflicts dull hopes Sweet Phospher bring the day Alas my light invain-expecting eyes Can find no Objects but what rise From this poore morall blaze a dying spark Of Vulcans forge whose flames are dark And dangerous a dull blew burning light As melancholly as the night Here 's all the Sunnes that glister in the Sphere Of earth Ah me what comfort 's here Sweet Phospher bring the day Haste haste away Heav'ns loytring lamp Sweet Phospher bring the day Blow Ignorance O thou whose idle knee Rocks earth into a Lethargie And with thy sootie fingers hast bedight The worlds fair cheeks blow blow thy spite Since thou hast pufft our greater Tapour do Pusse on and out the lesser too If ere that breath-exiled flame return Thou hast not blown as it will burn Sweet Phospher bring the day Light will repay The wrongs of night Sweet Phospher bring the day S. AUGUST in Joh. ser. 19. God is all to thee If thou be hungry he is bread If thirsty he is water If in darknesse he is light If naked he is a robe of immortalitie AIANUS de conq nat. God is a light that is never darkned An unwearied life that cannot dâ—…e a fountain alwayes flowing a garden of life a seminary of wisdome a radicall beginning of all goodnesse EPIG. 11. My soul if Ignorance puffe out this light Shee 'll do a favour that intends a spight 'T seems dark abroad but take this light away Thy windowes will discover break a day XV REVELATION 12. 12. The Devil is come unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time 1 LOrd canst thou see and suffer is thy hand Still bound to th' peace Shall earths black Monarch take A full possession of thy wasted land O will thy slumb'ring vengeance never wake Till full-ag'd law-resisting Custome shake The pillours of thy right by false command Unlock thy clouds great Thund'rer and come down Behold whose Temples wear thy sacred Crown Redresse redresse our wrongs revenge revenge thy own 2 See how the bold Usurper mounts the seat Of royall Majesty How overstrawing Perils with pleasure pointing ev'ry threat With bugbear death by torments over-awing Thy frighted subjects or by favours drawing Their tempted hearts to his unjust retreat Lord canst thou be so mild and he so bold Or can thy flocks be thriving when the fold Is govern'd by a Fox Lord canst thou see and hold 3 That swist-wing'd Advocate that did commence Our welcome suits before the King of kings That sweet Embassadour that huâ—… ries hence What ayres th' harmonioâ—…s soul or sighs or sings See how she flutters with her idle wings Her wings are clipt and eyes put out by sense Sense conq'ring Faith is now grown blind and cold And basely cravâ—…nd that in times of old Did conquer Heav'n it self do what th' Almightie could 4 Behold how double Fraud does sâ—…ourge and tâ—…ar Astraeas wounded sides plough'd up and rent With knotted cords whose fury has no eare See how she stands a pris'ner to be sent A slave into eternall banishment I know not whither O I know not where Her Patent must be cancell'd in disgrace And swâ—…-lip Fraud with her divided face Must act Asâ—…s part must take Astraeas place 5 Faiths pineons clipt And fair Astraea gone Qâ—…ck-seeing Faith now blind And Justice see Has Justice now found wings and has Faith none What do we here who would not wish to be Dissolv'd from earth and with Astraea flee From this blind dungeon to that Sunne-bright Throâ—… Lord is thy Scepter lost or laid aside Is hell broke loose and all her Fiends untied Lord rise and rowze and rule and crush their furious pride PETR. RAV in Math. The Devil is the authour of evil the fountain of wickednesse the adversary of the truth the corrupter of the world mans perpetuall enemy he plâ—…teth snares diggeth ditches spurreth bodies he goadeth souls he suggesteth thoughts belcheth anger exposeth vertues to hatred maketh vices beloved soweth errours nourisheth 〈◊〉 disturbeth peace and scattereth asfections MACAR. Let us susser with those that susser and be crucified with those that are crucified that we may be glorisied with those that are glorisied SAVANAR If there be no enemy no sight is â—…o sight â—…o victorie is no victory no crown EPIG. 15. My soul sit thou a patient looker on Judge not the Play before the Play is done Her Plot has many changes Every day Speaks a new Scene the last act crowns the Play THE SECOND BOOK I. ISAIAH 50. 11. You that walk in the light of your own sire and in the sparks that ye have kindled ye shall lie down in sorrow 1 DO silly Cupid snuâ—…e and trimme Thy false thy feeble light And make her self-consuming flames more bright Me thinks she burns too dimme Is this that sprightly fire Whose more then sacred beams inspire The ravisht hearts of men and so inâ—…lame desire 2 See Boy how thy unthristie blaze Consumes how fast she wains She spends her self and her whose wealth maintains Her weak her idle rayes Cannot thy lustfull blast Which gave it luster make it last What heart can long be pleas'd where pleasure spends so fast 3 Go Wanton place thy pale-fac'd light Where never breaking day
and wilt thou bring me to dust again THus from the bosome of the new-made earth Poore man was delv'd and had his unborn birth The same the stuffe the self-same hand doth trim The plant that fades the beast that dies and him One was their sire one was their common mother Plants are his sisters and the beast his brother The elder too beasts draw the self-same breath Wax old alike and die the self-same death Plants grow as he with fairer robes arraid Alike they slourish and alike they â—…ade The beast in sense exceeds him and in growth The three-ag'd oake doth thrice exceed them both Why look'st thou then so big thou little span Of earth What art thou more in being man I but my great Creatour did inspire My chosen earth with that diviner fire Of reason gave me judgement and a will That to know good this to chuse good from ill He put the rains of pow'r in my free hand And jurisdiction over sea and land He gave me art to lengthen out my span Of life and made me all in being man I but thy passion has committed treason Against the sacred person of thy reason Thy judgement is coâ—…rupt perverse thy will That knows no good and this makes choice of â—…ll The greater height sends down the deeper fall And good dâ—…clin'd turns bad turns worst of all Say then proud inch of living â—…arth what can Thy greatnesse claim the more in being man O but my soul transcends the pitch of nature Born up by th' Image of her high Creatour Outbraves the life of reason and beats down Her waxen wings kicks off her brazen crown My earth 's a living Temple t' entertein The King of Glory and his glorious train How can I mend my title then where can Ambition sind a higher style then man Ah but that Image is defac'd and soil'd Her Temple 's raz'd her Altars all desil'd Her vessels are polluted and distain'd With lothed lust her ornaments prophan'd Her oyl-forsaken lamps and hallow'd tapours Put out her incense breaths unsav'ry vapours Why swell'st thou then so giâ—… thou little span Of earth what art thou more in being man Eteâ—…nall Potter whose blest hands did lay My course foundation from a sod of clay Thou know'st my slender vessâ—…l's apt to leak Thou know'st my brittle temper 's prone to break Are my bones brazzil or my slesh of oake O mend what thou hast made what I have broke Look look with gentle eyes and in thy day Of vengeance Lord remember I am clay S. AUGUST Sâ—…liloq 32. Shall I ask who made me It was thou that madest me without whom nothing was made Thou art my maker and I thy work I thank thee my Lord God by whom I live and by whom all things suâ—…sist because thou madest me I thank thâ—… O my Potter because thy hands have made me because thy hands have formed me EPIO. 5. Why swell'st thou man pust up with fame and purse Th' art better earth but born to dig the worse Thou cam'st from eaâ—…th to earth thou must return And art but earth cast from the womb to th' urn VI JOB 7. 20. I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men why hast thou set me as a mark against thee LOrd I have done and Lord I have misdone 'T is folly to contest to strive with one That is too strong 't is folly to assail Or prove an arm that will that must prevail I 've done I 've done these trembling hands have thrown Their daring weapons down the day 's thine own Forbear to strike where thou hast won the field The palm the palm is thine I yield I yield These ueach'rous hands that were so vainly bold To try a thrivelesse combat and to hold Self-wounding weapons up are now extended For mercy from thy hand that knee that bended Upon her guardlesse guard doth now repent Upon this naked floore See both are bent And sue for pitty O my ragged wound Is deep and desp'rate it is drench'd and drown'd In blood and briny tears It doth begin To stink without and putrifie within Let that victorious hand that now appears Just in my blood prove gracious to my tears Thou great Preserver of presumptuous man What shall I do what satisfaction can Poore dust and ashes make O if that bloud That yet remains unshed were half as good As bloud of oxen if my death might be An offering to attone my God and me I would disdain injurious life and stand A suiter to be wounded from thy hand But may thy wrongs be measur'd by the span Of life or balanc'd with the bloud of man No no eternall sinne expects for guerdon Eternall penâ—…nce or eternall pardon Lay down thy weapons turn thy wrath away And pardon him that hath no price to pay Enlarge that soul which base presumption binds Thy justice cannot loose what mercy finds O thou that wilt not bruise the broken reed Rub not my sores noâ—… prick the wounds that bleed Lord if the peevish infant fights and flies With unpar'd weapons at his mothers eyes Her frowns half mixt with smiles may chance to shew An angry love-trick on his arm or so Where if the babe but make a lip and cry Her heart begins to melt and by and by She coaks his dewy-cheeks her babe she blisses And choaks her language with a thousand kisses I am that child lo here I prostrate lie Pleading for mercy I repent and crie For gracious pardon let thy gentle ears Heare that in words what motheâ—…s judge in tears See not my 〈◊〉 Lord but through my fear And look on ev'ry trespasse through a tear Then calm thy anger and appear more mild Remember th' art a Father I a child S. BERN. Ser. 21. in Cant. Miserable man Who shall deliver me from the reproch 〈◊〉 this shamefull bondage I am a miserable man but a free man Free because like to God miserable because against God O keeper of mankind why hast thou set me as a mark against thee Thou hast set me because thou hast not hindred me It is just that thy enemy should be my enemy and that he who repugneth thee should repugne me I who am against thee am against my self EPIG. 6. But form'd and sight but boâ—…n and then rebell How small a blast will make a bubble swell But dare the â—…oore affront the hand that laid it So apt is dust to fly in 's face that made it VII JOB 13. 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy WHy dost thou shade thy lovely face O why Doth that eclipsing hand so long deny The Sun-shine of thy soul-enliv'ning eye Without that Light what light remains in me Thou art my Life my Way my Light in thee I live I move and by thy beams I see Thou art my Life If thou but turn away My life 's a thousand deaths thou art my Way Without thee Lord I travel not but stray My Light thou
sinfull flesh and bloud To lend the smallest step to what is good My God I cannot move the least degree Ah! If but onely those that active be None should thy glory see none should thy glory see But if the Potter please t' inform the clay Or some strong hand remove the block away Their lowly fortunes soon are mounted higher That proves a vessâ—…l which before was mire And this being hewn may serve for better use then sire And if that life-restoring voyce command Dead Laz'rus forth or that great Prophets hand Should charm the sullen waters and begin To becken or to dart a stick but in Dead Laz'rus must revive and th' Axe must sloat again Lord as I am I have no pow'r at all To heare thy voyce or echo to thy call The gloomy Clouds of mine own guilt benight me Thy glorious beams nor dainty sweets invite me They neithâ—…r can direct nor these at all delight me See how my sin-bemangled body lies Nor having pow'r to will nor will to rise Shine home upon thy Creature and inspire My livelesse will with thy regen'rate fiâ—…e The first degree to do is onely to desire Give me the pow'r to will the will to do O raise me up and I will strive to go Draw me O draw me with thy treble twist That have no pow'r but merely to resist O lend me strength to do and then command thy list My Soul 's a Clock whose wheels for want of use And winding up being subject to th' abuse Of eating â—…ust wants vigour to fulfill Her twelve houres task and shew her makers skill But idly sleeps unmov'd and standeth vainly still Great God it is thy work and therefore good If thou be pleas'd to cleanse it with thy blood And wind it up with thy soul-moving keyes Her busie wheels shall serve thee all her dayes Her hand shall point thy pow'r her hammer strike thy praise S. BERN. Serm. 21. in Cant. Let us run let us run but in the savour of thy Ointments not in the confidence of our merits nor in the greatnesse of our strength we trust to run but in the multitude of thy mercies for though we run and are willing it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy O let thy mercy return and we will run Thou like a Gâ—…ant runnest by thy own power we unlesse thy ointment breath upon us cannot run EPIG. 8. Look not my Watch being once repair'd to stand Expecting motion from thy Makers hand H' as wound thee up and cleans'd thy Cogs with blood If now thy wheels stand still thou art not good IX CANTICLES 8. 1. O that thou wert as my brother that sucked the breasts of my mother I would find thee without and I would kisse thee 1 COme come my blessed Infant and immure thee Within the Temple of my sacred arms Secure mine arms mine arms shall then secure thee From Herods fury or the high-Priests harms Or if thy danger'd life sustain a losse My folded arms shall turn thy dying crosse 2 But ah what savage Tyrant can behold The beauty of so sweet a face as this is And not himself be by himself controul'd And change his fury to a thousand kisses One smile of thine is worth more mines of treasure Then there be Myriads in the dayes of Cesar 3 O had the Tetrarch as he knew thy birth So known thy stock he had not sought to paddle In thy dear bloud but prostrate on the earth Had vaild his Crown before thy royall Cradle And laid the Sceptre of his Glory down And begg'd a Heav'nly for an Earthly Crown 4 Illustrious Babe how is thy handmaid grac'd With a rich armfull how dost thou decline Thy Majesty that wert so late embrac'd In thy great Fathers arms and now in mine How humbly gracious art thou to refresh Me with thy Spirit and assume my flesh 5 But must the treason of a traitours Hail Abuse the sweetnesse of these â—…uby lips Shall marble-hearted cruelty assâ—…il These Alabaster sides with knotted whips And must these smiling Roses entertain The blows of scorn and flurts of base disdain 6 Ah! must these dainty liâ—…tle sprigs that twine So fast about my neck be pieâ—…c'd and torn With ragged nails and must these brows resigne Their Crown of Glory for a crown of thorn Ah must this blessed Infant tast the pain Of deaths injurious pangs nay worse be slain 7 Sweet Baâ—…e At what dear rates do wretched I Commit a sinne Lord ev'ry sin 's a dart And ev'ry trâ—…spasse lets a javelin slie And ev'ry javelin wounds thy bleeding heart Pardon sweet Babe what I have done amisse And seal that granted pardon with a kisse BONAVENT Soliloqu Cap. 1. O sweet Jesu I knew not that thy kisses were so sweet nor thy society so sweet nor thy attraction so vertuous For when I love thee I am clean when I touch thee I am chast when I receive thee I am a virgin O most sweet Jesu thy embraces defile not but cleanse thy attraction polluteth not but sanctifieth O Jesu the Fountain of uniâ—…ersall sweetnesse pardon me that I believed so late that so much sweetnesse is in thy embraces EPIG. 9. My burden 's greatest Let not Aâ—…las boast Impartiall Reader judge which bears the most He bears but Heav'n my folded arms sustain Heav'ns maker whom Heav'ns Heav'n cannot contain X. CANTICLES 3. 1. In my bed by night I sought him that my soul loved I sought him but I found him not THe learned Cynick having lost the way To honest men did in the height of day By Taper-light divide his steps about The peopled streets to find this dainty out But fail'd The Cynick search'd not where he ought The thing he sought for was not where he sought The Wisemens task seem'd harder to be done The Wisemen did by Staire-light seek the Sonne And found the Wisemen search'd it where they ought The thing they hop'd to find was where they sought One seeks his wishes where he should but then Perchance he seeks not as he should nor when Another searches when he should but there He fails not seeking as he should nor where Whose soul desires the good it wants and would Obtain must seek Where As and When he should How often have my wild affections led My wasted soul to this my widdow'd bed To seek my Lover whom my soul desires I speak not Cupid of thy wanton fires Thy fires are all but dying sparks to mine My flames are full of Heav'n and all Divine How often have I sought this bed by night To find that greater by this lesser light How oft have my unwitnest grones lamented Thy dearest absence Ah how often vented The bitter tempests of despairing breath And tost my soul upon the waves of death How often has my melting heart made choice Of silent tears tears louder then a voyce To plead my grief and woo thy absent eare And yet thou wilt not come thou wilt
not heare O is thy wonted love become so cold Or do mine eyes not seek thee where they should Why do I seek thee if thou art not here Or find thee not if thou art ev'ry where I see my errour 'T is not strange I could not Find out my love I sought him where I should not Thou art not found in downy beds of ease Alas thy musick strikes on harder keyes Nor art thou found by that false feeble light Of Natures candle Our Aegyptian night Is more then common darknesse nor can we Expect a morning but what breaks from thee Well may my empty bed bewail thy losse When thou art lodg'd upon thy shamefull crosse If thou refuse to share a bed with me We 'll never part I 'll share a crosse with thee ANSELM in Protolog cap. 1. Lord if thou art not present where shall I seek thee absent If every where why do I not see thee present Thou dwellest it light inaccessible and where is that inaccessible light Or 〈◊〉 shall I have accesse to light inaccessible I beseech thee Lord teach me to seek thee and shew thy self to the seeker because I can neither seek thee unlesse thou teach me not find tâ—…e unlesse thou shew thy self to me Let me seek thee in deâ—… thee and desire thee in seeking thee Let me find thee it loving thee and love thee in finding thee EPIG. 10. Where shouldst thou seek for rest but in thy bed But now thy rest is gone thy rest is fled 'T is vain to seek him there My soul be wise Go ask thy sinnes they 'll tell thee where he lies XI CANTICLES 3. 2. I will rise and go about in the City and will seek him that my soul loveth I sought him but I found him not 1 O How my disappointed soul 's perplext How restlesse thoughts swarm in my troubled breast How vainly pleas'd with hopes then crossely vext With fears and how betwixt them both distrest What place is left unransack'd Oh where next Shall I go seek the Authour of my rest Of what blest Angel shall my lips enquire The undiscover'd way to that entire And everlasting solace of my hearts desire 2 Look how the stricken Hart that wounded flies Ov'r hills and dales and seeks the lower grounds For running streams the whilst his weeping eyes Peg silent mercy from the following Hounds At length embost he droops drops down and lies Beneath the burden of his bleeding wounds Ev'n so my gasping foul dissolv'd in tears Doth search for thee my God whose deafned ears Leave me th' unransom'd Prisner to my panick fears 3 Where have my busie eyes not pry'd O where Of whom hath not my thred-bare tongue demanded I search'd this glorious City he 's not here I sought the Countrey she stands empty handed I search'd the Court he is a stranger there I ask'd the land he 's shipp'd the sea he 's landed I climb'd the air my thoughts began t' aspire But ah the wings of my too bold desire Soaring too near the Sunne were sing'd with sacred fire 4 I mov'd the Merchants eare alas but he Knew neither what I said nor what to say I ask'd 〈◊〉 Lawyer he demands a fee And theâ—… demurrs me with a vain delay I ask'd the Schoolman his advice was free But scor'd me out too intricate a way I ask'd the Watch-man best of all the soure Whose gentle answer could resolve no more But that he lately left him at the Temple doore 5 Thus having sought and made my great inquest In evâ—…y place and search'd in ev'ry ear I threw me on my bed but ah my rest Was poyson'd with th' extremes of grief and fear Where looking down into my troubled breast The Magazine of wounds I found him there Let othâ—…rs hunt and shew their sportfull Art I wiâ—…h to catch the â—…are before she start As Potchers use to do Heav'ns form 's a troubled heart S. AMBROS. lib. 3. de Virg. Christ is not in the market not in the streets For Christ is Peace in the market are strife Christ is Justice in the 〈◊〉 is iniquitie Christ is a Labourer in the market 〈◊〉 Christ is Charity in the market is slander Christ is Charity in the market is fraud Let us not therefore seek 〈◊〉 where we cannot find Christ S. HIERON. Ep. 22. ad Eustoch. Jesus is jealous He will not have thy face seen Let foolish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abroad seek thou thy Love at home EPIG. 11. What lost thy love will neither bed nor board Receive him Not by tears to be implor'd It is the Ship that moves and not the Coast I fear I fear my soul 't is thou art lost XII CANTICLES 3. 3. Have you seen him whom my soul loveth When I had past a little from them then I sound him I took hold on him left him not 1 WHat secret corner what unwonted way Has scap'd the ransack of my rambling thought The Fox by night nor the dull Owl by day Have never search'd those places I have sought Whilst thy lamented absence taught my breast The ready road to grief without request My day had neither comfort nor my night had rest 2 How hath my unregarded language vented The sad tautologies of lavish passion How often have I languish'd unlamented How oft have I complain'd without compassion I ask't the Citie-watch but some deny'd me The common street whilst others would misguide me Some would debar me some divert me some deride me 3 Mark how the widow'd Turtle having lost The faithfull partner of her loyall heart Stretches â—…er feeble wings from coast to câ—…ast Haunts ev'ry path thinks ev'ry shade doth paâ—…t Her absent Love and her at length uâ—…sped She re-betakes her to her lonely bed And there bewails her everlasting widow-head 4 So when my soul had progrest ev'ry place That love and dear affection could contrive I threw me on my couch resolv'd t' embrace A death for him in whom I ceas'd to live But there injurious Hymen did present His lanskip joyes my pickled eyes did vent Full streams of briny tears tears never to be spent 5 Whilst thus my sorrow-wasting soul was seeding Upon the rad'cal humour of her thought Ev'n whilst mine eyes were blind and heart was bleeding He that was sought unfound was found unsought As if the Sun should dart his orbe of light Into the secrets of the black-brow'd night Ev'n so appear'd my Love my sole my souls delight 6 O how mine eyes now ravish'd at the sight Of my bright Sun shot flames of equall fire Ah! how my soul dissolv'd with ov'r-delight To re-enjoy the Crown of chast desire How sov'reigne joy depos'd and dispossest Rebellious grief And how my ravish'd breast But who can presle those heights that cannot be exprest 7 O how these arms these greedy arms did twine And strongly twist about his yielding wast The sâ—…ppy branches of the Thespian Vine Nev'r cling'd their lesse beloved Elm so fast Boast not thy flames blind boy nor feather'd shot
Inflame my thoughts and fill my soul with fire That I am ravisht with a new delight But if thou shroud thy face my glory fades And I remain a Nothing all compos'd of shades 5 Eternall God O thou that onely art The sacred Fountain of eternall light And blessed Loadstone of my better part O thou my hearts desire my souls delight Reflect upon my soul and touch my heart And then my heart shall prize no good above thee And then my soul shall know thee knowing love thee And then my trembling thoughts shall never start From thy commands or swerve the least degree Or once presume to move but as they move in thee S. AUGUST Med. Cap. 25. If Man can love man with so entire affection that the one can scarce brook the others absence If a bride can be joyned to 〈◊〉 bride-groom with so great an ardency of mind that for the extremitie of love she can enjoy no rest not suffering his absence without great anxiety with what affection with what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soul whom thou hast espoused by saith and compassion to love thee her true God and glorious bridegroom EPIG. 4. My soul thy love is dear 'T was thought a good And easie pen'worth of thy Saviours bloud But be not proud All matters rightly scann'd 'T was over-brought 'T was sold at second hand V. CANTICLES 5. 6. My Soul melted whilst my Beloved spake LOrd has the feeble voyce of flesh and bloud The pow'r to work thine ears into a floud Of melted mercy or the strength t' unlock The gates of Heav'n and to dissolve a rock Of marble clouds into a morning show'r Or hath the breath of whining dust the pow'r To stop or snatch a falling thunderbolt From thy fierce hand and make thy hand revolt From resolute confusion and in stead Of vyals poure full blessings on our head Or shall the wants of famisht ravens cry And move thy mercy to a quick supply Or shall the silent suits of drooping flow'rs Woo thee for drops and be refresh'd with show'rs Alas what marvel then great God what wonder If thy hell-rouzing voice that splits in sunder The brazen portals of eternall death What wonder if that life-restoring breath Which dragg'd me from th' infernall shades of night Should melt my ravisht soul with ore-delight O can my frozen gutters choose but run That feel the warmth of such a glorious Sun Me thinks his language like a flaming arrow Doth pierce my bones and melts their wounded marrow Thy flames O Cupid though the joyfull heart Feels neither tang of grief nor fears the smart Of jealous doubts but drunk with full desires Are torments weigh'd with these celestiall fires Pleasures that ravish in so high a measure That O I languish in excesse of pleasure What ravisht heart that feels these melting joyes Would not despise and loath the treach'rous toyes Of dunghill earth what soul would not be proud Of wry-mouth'd scorns the worst that flesh and bloud Had rancour to devise Who would not bear The worlds derision with a thankfull eare What palat would refuse full bowls of spight To gain a minutes tast of such delight Great spring of light in whom there is no shade But what my interposed sinnes have made Whose marrow-melting fires admit no screen But what my own rebellions put between Their precious flames and my obdurate eare Disperse these plague-distilling clouds and clear My mungy soul into a glorious day Transplant this screen remove this barre away Then then my fluent soul shall feel the fires Of thy sweet voyce and my dissolv'd desires Shall turn a sov'reigne balsame to make whole Those wounds my sinnes inflicted on thy soul S. AUGUST Soliloq cap. 34. What fire is this that so warmeth my heart What light is this that so enlightneth my soul O fire that alwayes burnest and never goest out kindle me O light which ever shinest and art never darkned illuminate me O that I had my heat from thee most holy fire How sweetly dost thou burn How secretly dost thou shine How desiderably dost thou inflame me BONAVENT Stim amoris cap. 8. It maketh God man and man God things temporall eternall mortall immortall it maketh an enemy a friend a servant a sonne 〈◊〉 things glorious cold hearts siery and hard things liquid EPIG. 5. My soul thy gold is true but full of drosse Thy Saviours breath resines thee with some losse His gentle fornace makes thee pure as true Thou must be melted ere th' art cast anew VI PSALME 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and what desire I on earth in respect of thee 1 I Love and have some cause to love the earth She is my Makers creature therefore good She is my Mother for she gave me birth She is my tender Nurse she gives me food But what 's a Creature Lord compar'd with thee Or what 's my Mother or my Nurse to me 2 I love the Aire her dainty sweets refresh My drooping soul and to new sweets invite me Her shrill-mouth'd quire sustain me with their flesh And with their Polyphonian notes delight me But what 's the Aire or all the sweets that she Can blesse my soul withall compar'd to thee 3 I love the Sea She is my fellow-creature My carefull purveyer she provides me store She walls me round she makes my diet greater She wafts my treasure from a forrein shore But Lord of oceans when compar'd with thee What is the Ocean or her wealth to me 4 To Heav'ns high citie I direct my journey Whose spangled suburbs entertain mine eye Mine eye by contemplations great atturney Transcends the crystall pavement of the skie But what is Heav'n great God compar'd to thee Without thy presence Heav'n 's no Heav'n to me 5 Without thy presence Earth gives no refection Without thy presence Sea affords no treasure Without thy presence Air 's a rank 〈◊〉 Without thy presence Heav'n it self 's no pleasure If not possest if not enjoy'd in thee What 's Earth or Sea or Air or Heav'n to me 6 The highest Honours that the world can boast Are subjects farre too low for my desire The brightest beams of glory are at most But dying sparkles of thy living fire The proudest flames that earth can kindle be But nightly Glow-worms if compar'd to thee 7 Without thy presence wealth are bags of cares Wisdome but folly Joy disquiet sadnesse Friendship is treason and Delights are snares Pleasures but pain and Mirth but pleasing madnesse Without thee Lord things be not what they be Nor have they being when compar'd with thee 8 In having all things and not thee what have I Not having thee what have my labours got Let me enjoy but thee what farther crave I And having thee alone what have I not I wish nor Sea nor Land nor would I be Possest of Heav'n Heav'n unpossest of thee BONAVINT cap. 1. Soliloq Alas my God now I understand but blush to consesse that the beautie of thy Creatures hath
as this Look full upon me for my soul 〈◊〉 To turn a holy 〈◊〉 in those fires O leave me not nor turn thy beauty from me Look look upon me though thy flames ov'rcome me If thou becloud the Sun-shine of thine eye I freez to death and if it shine I frie Which like a fever that my soul hath got Makes me to burn too cold or freez too hot Alas I cannot bear so sweet a smart Nor canst thou be lesse glorious thâ—…n thou art Hast then and let thy winged steps out-go The frighted Ro-buck and his flying Ro. But go not farre beyond the reach of breath Too large a distance makes another death My youth is in her Spring Autumnall vowes Will make me riper for so sweet a Spouse When after-times have burnish'd my desire I 'll shoot thee flames for flames and fire for fire O leave me not nor turn thy beautie from me Look look upon me though thy flames ov'rcome me Autor scalae Paradisi Tom. 9. Aug. cap. 8. Fear not O Bride nor despair think not thy self contemâ—…ed if thy Bridegroom withdraw his face a while All things cooperate for the best both from his absence and his presence thou gainest light He cometh to thee and he goeth from thee he cometh to make thee consolate he goeth to make thee cautions lest thy abundant consolation puss thee up he cometh that thy languishing soul may be comforted he goeth lest his familiaritie should be contemned and being absent to be more desired and being desired to be more earnestly sought and being long sought to be more acceptably sound EPIG. 15. My soul sinnes monster whom with greater ease Ten thousand fold thy God could make then please What wouldst thou have nor pleas'd with sun nor shade Heav'n knowes not what to make of what he made THE FAREWELL REVâ—…LATION 2. 10. Be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee the crown of life 1 BE faithfull Lord what 's that Believe 't is easie to believe but what That he whom thy hard heart hath wounded And whom thy scorn hath spit upon Hath paid thy sine and hath compounded For those foul deeds thy hands have done Believe that he whose gentle palms Thy needle-pointed sinnes have naild Hath born thy slavish load of alms And made supply where thou hast faild Did ever mis'ry find so strange relief It is a love too strong for mans belief 2 Believe that he whose side Thy crimes have pierc'd with their rebellions di'd To save thy guilty soul from dying Ten thousand horrid deaths from whence There was no scape there was no slying But through his dearest blouds expence Believe this dying friend requires No other thanks for all his pain But ev'n the truth of weak desires And for his love but love again Did ever mis'ry find so true a friend It is a love too vast to comprehend 3 With flouds of tears baptize And drench these dry these unregen rate eyes Lord whet my dull my blunt belief And break this fleshly rock in sunder That from this heart this hell of grief May spring a Heav'n of love and wonder O if thy mercies will remove And melt this lead from my belief My grief will then resine my love My love will then refresh my grief Then weep mine eyes as he hath bled vouchsafe To drop for every drop an Epitaph 4 But is the crown of Glory The wages of a lamentable story Or can so great a purchase rise From a salt humour can mine eye Run fast enought ' obtain this prize If so Lord who 's so mad to die Thy tears are trifles thou must do Alas I cannot then endeavour I will but will a tug or two Suffice the turn thou must persever I 'll strive till death and shall my feeble strife Be crown'd I 'll crown it with a crown of life 5 But is there such a dearth That thou must buy what is thy due by birth He whom thy hands did form of dust And gave him breath upon condition To love his great Creatour must He now be thine by composition Art thou a gracious God and mild Or head-strong man rebellious rather O man 's a base rebellious child And thou a very gracious Father The gift is thine we strive thou crown'st our strife Thou giv'st us Faith and Faith a crown of life FINIS