and the first begot Why start ye then is it not strange to see One weake-one make ten thousand strong ones flee But ah I neede not aske I know it now You spied your makers image in his brow T' was even so indeed no time to stay Your Lord was comming fit he should have way And thus these Creatures dares not come in sight Surely t' was heavens Idea causd the fright Now see how flattering earth doth strive alone To please this Lord each tree presents a done See how the fruite hangs with a comely grace And wooes his hands to rent them from their place O how they bow and would not have him bring His hands to them they bend unto their King But if by chance he will not plucke and taste They breake the boughes and so for griefe they waste See how the little pinkes when they espie Their Lord doe Curtsy as he passeth by The wanton Dazies shake their leavy heads The purple Vilets startle from their beds The Primrose sweete and every flowre that growes Bestrowes his way with odours as he goes Thus did the herbes the trees the pleasant flowres Welcome their Lord into his Eden bowres But all this while the earth with all her pride Shee nor her store could not aford a bride Fitting for man no no to end the strife The man himselfe must yeeld himselfe a wife It was not meete for him to be alone Then did our one-in-three our three-in-one Cast him into a sleepe and did divide His ribbes and brought a woman from his side When this was done the devill did entice The wife from Gods unto his Paradice See how the lying serpent maketh choise Of the forbidden tree a tacite voice It hath indeede most lovely to the eye Presents it to her and shee by and by Forsooth must taste and so must Adam too What cannot women by entreaties doe God he intends a wife for mans reliefe But oftentimes shee prooves the greatest griefe Was there but one forbid and must shee bee So base a wretch to taste of such a tree Must Adam too Ah see how shee pluckes downe Her husbands glory and kickes off his crowne O see how angry God himselfe comes downe To curse these wretches heaven begins to frowne Alas poore naked soules me thinkes I see Transformed Adam crouch behind a tree T' is time to runne when once God doth reject him T is not his leavy armour can protect him Heaven and hell with all the spight they can Strive for revenge against this monster man O how the Creatures frowne and bend their brow As if they all conspir'd and tooke a vow Against this caytive hearke how earth complaines That shee by man is barrd of mod'rate raines Shee s now become a strumpet fruitfull seedes And dainty flowers are turn'd to bastard weedes Disrob'd of all her glory lost her pride The creatures now lie starving by her side O how shee sighes and sends up hideous cryes To see poore cattell fall before her eyes For want of foode they rip their mothers wombe For meate but finding none doe makt their tombe Harke how the buls and angry Lyons roare To heaven and tell how man decreast their store Heare how the little Lambes which yesterday Did honour to their King and gave him way O how they begge for vengeance to come downe On man and dispossesse him of his Crowne See see what raping and what cruell thrall Is us'd t is man alone that murders all The Lion mild ere while for want of foode Doth fill his paunch with unaccustom'd blood The wolfe which lately was more apt to keepe The tender lambes now prosecutes the sheepe Surely the ravenous beasts did not they spye The glimpse of heaven within mans purblind eye Would straight devoure him did not mercy now Come downe and smooth her fathers wrinkled brow The earth would scorne to beare him but divide Her selfe and make this Dathan sincke in pride The earth would not indure the plough to passe Into her iron sides the heavens as brasse Would soone become and both doe what they can To starve up this deformed monster man See how this Caytife causeth discontent And raiseth discord in each element How often have I seene the raging fire Vnto the top of highest Towres aspire And clamber mighty buildings t is unbound Surely t' would burne the fabricke to the ground Did not our God looke from his mercy seat And make the watry sister quell the heate How is the ayre poysned with misty fogges And churlish vapours onely such that clogs The Corps with deadly humours such that brings The Pestilence yea such that quickely flings Loathsome diseases alwayes tipt with death Did not Iove fanne it with his mighty breath Harke how the impatient seas beginne to thunder As if they 'd rent their prison walls in sunder See how the mounting waves doe swiftly flye To heaven as if they meant to tell the skye How basely man hath dealt O how they roare Beating their foming waves against the shore Chiding their sister earth that dares to beare So base a wretch see how the waves doe teare Her bowels and with all the spight they can Strive for to drowne this wretched Caytife man CHRISTS BIRTH AND PASSION O Thou most Sacred Dove that I may write Thy praises drop thou from thy soaring flight A quill come aide my muse for shee intends To sing such love no mortall comprehends Guide thou her stamring tongue and let her be Strongly protected in her infancy Then shee 'll tell how the King of Kings by birth Forsooke his throne to live on dunghill earth Then shee 'le declare how great creating Iove Whose starre-bepaved pallace is above All whose attendance is a glorious troope Of glitt'ring cherubs unto whom doe stoope Each glorious Angell flinging himselfe downe Presenting at his feete his pearely crowne To be his pallace heaven itself 's not meete And dunghill earth 's too little for his feete Yet this great King-creating King did slide To earth and laid his Diadem aside Exchanging it for thornes and did untire His glorious selfe and clad himselfe in mire At whose appearance singing Angels shot Like starres from heaven newes nere to be forgot Yea winged Cherubs from the highest came As Heavens Heralds to divulge his fame All heaven did obey sance but for earth Vngratefull soile unworthy of the birth Of such a babe t was readier to intombe The dying Lord then to afford a roome Proud Salem was too high to entertaine Poore Maries babe t was kept for Herods traine And Rome that seavenhild Citty was too greate To lodge this Child t is Caesars royall seate T' is Bethlem little Bethlem must suffice To lighten Iosephs Consorts weary thighes And that 's almost too proud to lodge him in No private house but even a vulgar Inne And tha 're not harbourd in the choisest roomes No not so well as with the common groomes But this ah most unworthy worthy guests Is thrust and gladly
food is plenty this ungratefull Dove Forgets her Noah and his former love Minds nothing but her selfe shee that before Did crouch unto thee Arke returnes no more Thou art that Noah Lord and Christ the boate Afflictions are the waters that doe floate Man is that wandring Dove that often flies Vnto his Christ for shelter else he dyes How apt are we good God to use our wings And flye to thee when all these outward things With floods are drowned up though we have bin So vile how apt art thou to catch us in O how our God when we have bin astray Puts forth his armes to meete us in the way And take us home we are no sooner in But by and by we flutter out agin This time by chance like Noahs Dove we see The upper branches of some Olive tree I meane some petty shelter still we flye Vnto our God for aide or else we dye How apt are we when outward things forsake us To haste to God how apt's our God to take us The third time we are gone now floods are husht The Sun confronting mountaines bravely washt The Seas give place the lowest vallies seene Yea all the earth most sweetly deckt in greene Now we forget our God and post away And after make an everlasting stay When worldly wealth comes in and we can rest Vpon the creature O how we detest Our former refuge if we find a Parke We ne're returne unto our wonted Arke A Meditation on a Shippe MArke how the floting vessell shewes her pride And is extold with every lofty tide But when it ebbes and all the floods retire See how the bragging barke is plungd in mire Iust so good God how apt are we to swim When mercies fill our banckes unto the brim When worldly wealth appeares and we can see Such outward blessings flow then who but we But when it ebbes and thou dost once unlinke These mercies from us O how soone we sinke Good God let not the great estate possesse Me with presumption nor despaire the lesse Let me not sinke when such an ebbe appeares No let me swim in true repentant teares A Meditation on a Windmill OBserve it alwaies t is the makers skill To place the windmill on the highest hill It stands unusefull till the potent windes Puffe up the lofty sayles and then it grinds Iust thus it is the hypocrite's the mill His actions sayles ambition is the hill The wind that drives him is a blast of fame If blowne with this he runnes if not hee 's tame He stirres not till a puffe of praise doth fill His sailes but then O how he turnes the mill Lord drive me with thy Spirit then I le be Thy windmill and will grind a grist for thee A Meditation on Organs HArke how the Organist most sweetely plaiēs His Psalmes upon the tone-divided Kayes Each touch a sound but if the hand don't come And strike the kayes how soon's the musicke dumbē A mod'rate stroke doth well but if too hard The Organ's broke and all the raptures mard I am that Organ Lord and thou alone Canst play each prayer is a pleasant tone Affliction is the hand that strikes the kayes O Lord from me the sweetest musicke raise If thou don't strike at all how can I speake Thy worthy prayses if too hard I breake Strike mildly Lord strike soft and then I le sing And charoll out the glory of my King A Meditation on an Apes love VVHen once the foolish Ape hath fild her nest With little brats there 's one among the rest Shee most affects to shelter this from harmes Shee alwayes hugges it in her wanton armes Vntill at length shee squeezeth out the breath Of this her fondling Loves the cause of death The World 's this wanton Ape that still delights In hugging some peculiar favourites Of those that are thus dandled by this Ape There doth not one among a thousand scape On contempt of the World A Loft O Soule soare up doe not turmoyle Thy selfe by grabbling on a dunghill soyle Tosse up thy wings and make thy soaring plumes Outreach the loathsome stench and noysome fumes That spring from sordid earth come come and see Thy birth and learne to know thy pedigree What wa st thou made of Clay or dost thou owe Homage to earth say is thy blisse below Dost know thy beauty dost thou not excell Can the Creation yeeld a parallel The world can't give a glasse to represent Thy shape and shall a durty element Bewitch thee thinke is not thy birth most high Blowne from the mouth of all the trinity The breath of all-creating Iove the best Of all his workes yea thee of all the rest He chose to be his Picture where can I But in thy selfe see Immortality 'Mong all his earthly creatures Thou art chiefe Of all his workes and shall the world turne theefe And steale away thy love wert not for thee The heav'n aspiring mountaine should not bee The heavens should have no glistring starre no light No Sunne to rule the day no Moone the night The Globe had bin 't was not the makers will To make it for it selfe a Chaos still Thou art Ioves priestly Aaron to present The creatures service while they give assent By serving thee why then 's the world thy rest 'T is but thy servants servant at the best It gives attendance to refined mire That Iove hath wrapt thee in as thy attire For what 's the body but a lumpe of clay Carv'd neatly out in which the soule beares sway T is servant to the soule what limbe can stirre Nay darst to quatch if once shee make demurre See how the captiv'd members trembling stand Wondrous submissive to her dire command O how the legs doe runne with eager flight To overtake the object of delight See how the armes doe graspe as if they 'd rent To hold the thing that gives the soule content Why what 's the body when the soule 's away Nought but a stincking carkasse made of clay What 's heav'n without a God or what 's the skye If once bright Phoebus close his radiant eye The world was for our bodies they for none But for our soules our soules for God alone What madnesse then for men of such a birth To nuzell all their dayes on dunghill earth Still hunting after with an eager sent An object which can never give content For what contentment in the world can lye That 's onely constant in inconstancy It ebbes and flowes each minuie thou maist brag This day of thousands and to morrow beg The greatest wealth is subject for to reele The globe is plac'd on Fortunes tottering wheele As when the gladding sunne begins to show And scatter all his golden beames below A churlish cloud soone meetes him in the way And sads the beauty of the smiling day Or as a stately ship a while behaves Herselfe most bravely on the slumbring waves And like a Swanne sailes nimbly in her pride The helpefull windes concording
did not dare Surpasse their stations nay nor once impaire Their bounds he quickly queld their lusty prankes And causd the waves to crouch within their bankes When he had conquerd this unruly stran Within two dayes he crownes Leviathan King of the liquid region and doth give Ten thousand thousand more with him to live Then fruitfull earth which is the Ocean barres Appeares and heavens bespangled all with starres The Sunne begins his beauty to present And proudly danceth up the Orient He nor his horses can no longer sleepe But gallop from the orientall deepe He rid so fast that in few houres was spide All bravely wrapt in his meridian pride But when he clamber'd to the highest brinke He view'd the fabricke then began to sinke And all the way as hee did homewards goe He laughed to see so brave a frame below Still whipping on his Iades untill his head Was safely laid into his Westerne bed Silver Lucina as yet did not enter But lay immured within the reeking center Whilst he had mounted on his flaming seate And viewd a glorious orbe wondrous compleate With that the purple Lady straight prepares Attended with ten thousand thousand starres Shee clambers up in this her rich aray And viewes the goodly building all the way Sweete smiles shee cast from her admiring eye Whilst all her little babes stood twinkling by Playing the wantons by their mothers side As if they were inamour'd with the pride Of such a Fabricke to expresse their mirth Some shot from heaven as though they 'd live on Earth This done sweete Phoebe soone beganne to drop Her borrowed beames into her brothers lap And ever since to see this glorious sight One laughes at day the other smiles at night And can you blame them earth is spread with bowres And trees and proudly deckt with sundry flowers Shee that ere while in dunghill Chaos lay Is now with Vi'lets purp'ld every day And damaskt all with Roses yea shee s clad With sweeter herbes then ever Ceres had Her fruitfull wombe brings forth most dainty cates And lovely fruites these are her comely brattes No rusticke Plowman now doth take the paines To peirce her entrailes or to squeeze her veines But heaven and shee unites they scorne to see A bastard weede disgrace their pedigree Shee 's overspread with pinkes and Daffadillies Carnations Roses and the whitest Lilies Those fondlings lolling in her armes doe lye Shaking their heads and in her bosome dye These in their mothers sides doe take their rest Till they doe drop their leaves into her brest And now the little birds doe every day Sit singing in the boughs and chirpe and play The Phesant and the Partridge slowly flye Vndaunted even before the Faulcons eye Now comes Behemoth with his Lordly gate Gazing as if he stood admiring at So rich a frame first having fixt his sight On glorious earth he alwayes tooke delight In viewing that and would not looke on high Nay all the glorious spangles of the skye Could not entice him ever from his birth He spent his time in looking on the earth All other beasts their greedy eyes did fling On lovely earth as did their crowned King Yea now the Lion with the Lambe did goe And knew not whether blood were sweete or no The little Kids to shew their wanton pride Came dancing by the loving Tigers side The Hare being minded with the Hounds to play Would give a sporting touch and so away And then returne being willing to be found And take his turne to chace the wanton Hound The busie Mice sat sporting all the day Meane while the Cat did smile to see them play The Foxe stands still to see the Geese asleepe The harmelesse Wolfe now grazeth with the Sheepe Here was no raping but all beasts did lye As link'd in one O Heavenly Sympathy The goodly Pastures springing from the Clay Did wooe their mouthes to banquet all the way Was spread with dainty herbes and as they found Occasion they would oft salute the ground Those uncontrouled creatures then begunne To sport and all lay basking in the Sunne No creature was their Lord gainesaid by none As if that Heaven and earth were all their owne Thus when this mighty builder did inrobe Himselfe with night and Chaos to a globe Convert of this he tooke a serious view And did as t were create it all anew He made a little Orbe cald man the same Onely compacted in a lesser frame For what is all this all that man in one Doth not enjoy A man that 's onely blowne With heavens breath a man that doth present Life Spirit sense and every element Yea in this little world great Iove did place His glorious Image and this miry face Was heavens picture t was this face alone That still lookt up to his Creators throne Then God did make a place to be admir'd Surely t was heaven it selfe had then conspir'd To finde it out a garden sweetly blowne With pleasant fruite and man's exempt from none Of all these plants except a middle tree And what can one among a thousand bee O glorious place that God doth now provide For durty clay the earth in all her pride He tramples on and heav'n that 's so beset With spangles and each glistring Chrysolet Doth give attendance yea it serves to be A covering for his head his Canopie Thus man of heaven and earth is all possest This span of durt is Lord of all the rest Me think's I see how all the Creatures bring Their severall Congies to their new made King Behemoth which ere while did range about Vncheckt and tossing up his bony snowt Feard none now having cast his rowling eyes Vpon his Lord see how he crouching lyes Behind a sheltring bush he seemes to be Imploring aide of every spreading tree The Lyon which ere while was in his pride Squinting by chance his gogle-eyes aside Espies his King he dares not stay for haste Spues out his meate halfe chaw'd and will not taste Of his intended food but sneakes away Counting his life to be his chiefest prey It was but now the raven was espide Sporting her wings upon the Tigars hide But now O how her feather'd say les doe soare As if shee vowd to touch the earth no more See how the Goates doe clamber to the top Of highest mountaines and the Conies drop Into their holes see how the Roebucke flings himselfe almost exchanging legs for wings Why what 's the matter that ye haste away Ye that ere while were sporting all the day Tell me yee Creatures say what fearefull sight Hath put you to this unexpected flight Speake speake thou giddy lambe wer 't not thou spide At play but now why then dost skip aside What is it man that frights you can his face Stretch out your legs unto their swiftest pace Can one looke daunt you all what neede this bee Are ye not made of Clay as well as hee Have ye not one Creator are ye not His elder Brothers
dost thou expect that I should raise Thy glory with my voice the dumbe can't praise Vnscale my duskye eyes then I le expresse Thy glorious objects strong attractivenesse Dip thou my limbes in thy Bethesdaes lake I le scorne my earthly crutches I le forsake My selfe touch thou my tongue and then I le sing An Allelujah to my glorious King Raise me from this my grave then I shall be Alive and I le bestow my life on thee Till thou Eliah-like dost overspread My limbs l'me blind l'me lame I 'me dumbe I 'me dead The Melancholicke Soules comfort O That I had a sweete melodious voice O that I could obtaine the chiefest choice Of sweetest musicke pre-thee David lend Thy well-resounding harpe that I may send Some praises to my God I know not how To pay by songs my heart-resolved vow How shall I sing good God thou dost afford Ten thousand mercies trebled songs O Lord Cannot requite thee O that I could pay With lifetime songs the mercies of one day I oft beginne to sing and then before My songs halfe finisht God gives sense for more Alas poore soule art puzzeld canst not bring Thy God some honour though thou strive to sing The Cause is this thou art become his debter Hee le make thee play-on musicke that is better I Cannot play my sobs doe stop my course My grones doe make my musicke sound the worse What nought but grones ah shall th' Almighties eares Be fild with sighes all vsherd in with teares I this is musicke such a tune prolongs Gods love and makes him listen to thy songs T is this that makes his ravisht soule draw nigher T is this outstrips the Thracian with his Lyre T is this inchants thy God t is this alone That drags thy spouse from heaven to heare thy tone No better Musicke then thy sobs and cries If not a Davids harpe get Peters eyes The Soule in love with Christ. VVHat though my Love doth neate appeare And makes Aurora blush to see her Though nature paints her cheekes with red And makes proud Venus hide her head What though her crimson lips so mute Doe alwayes wooe a new salute What though her wanton eyes doe shine Like glistring starres and dazell mine T is Christ alone Shall be my owne T is him I will embrace T is he shall be A Spouse to me All beauty 's in his face What though the earth for me prepares A present from her golden Quarres And braggeth of her earely gaines Exhausted from her silver vaines What though shee shew her painted brates And bids me smell her Violates And deckes her selfe in spring attire To make my ravisht soule admire Yet all this shant My Soule inchant I le smile to see her pride I know where lies A better prize For Christ hath broch'd his side What though the world doth me invite And daily play the Parasite Or with her gilded tales intice Me to a seeming Paradise And paints her face and all day long Sits breathing out a Syrens song And shewes her pompe and then in fine Tells me that shee and hers are mine Yet none of this Shall be my blisse I le scorne the painted whore I will deride Her and her pride For Christ is this and more What though insinuating pleasure Preferres me to her chiefest treasure And every day and every night Doth feede me with a new delight And slumbers me with lullaby Dandling me on her whorish thigh What though with her sublime pretencēs Shee strives t' imprison all my senses Yet shee shant be A trap to me Her freedome is but thrall Her greatest coy Will but annoy Till Christ doth sweeten all Or what though profit with her Charmes Grasping the world within her armes Vnlades her selfe and bids me see What paines shee takes and all for me And then invites me to her bower Filling my coffers every houre What though shee thus inlarge my store With every day a thousand more Yet let her packe And turne her backe Her purest gold's but-drosse Her greatest paines Produce no gaines Till Christ come all is losse Or what though Fortune should present Her high Olympicke regiment And never my Ambition checke But still be pliant to my becke What though she lends me wings to flie Vnto the top of Dignity And make proud Monarches with her wheele Vncrowne their heads to Crowne my heele I le not depend On such a friend T is Christ is all my stay Shee can revoke The highest spoke Her wheeles turnd every day Let none of these in me take place Fond Venus hath a Vulcans face And so till heaven be pleasd to smile Poore earth sits barren all the while The world that 's apt to winne a foole It is my burden not my stoole Nor pleasure shall enchant my mind Shee s smooth before but stings behind I will disdaine Their greatest gaine And fortun 's but a feather T is none of these Can give me ease But Christ's the same for ever Lord why hidest thou thy face from me VVHat drowsie weather 's this the angry skies Doe threaten stormes and heav'n it selfe denies Her lovely visage ah these darkned dayes Doe make my vitals drowsie and decayes My soules delight good God can I controule Or drive these pensive humours from my soule Ah no I can't my lively spirits keepe Such drowsie weather 's fit for nought but sleepe O thou eternall light that hast the sway In Ioves broad wals thouscepter of the day Thou heav'ns bright torch thouglistring worlds bright eye Why dost thou hide and so obscurely lye Come wrap thy selfe in thy compleate attire Shew forth thy glory make my soule admire Thy splendor come and doe no longer stay But with thy glorious beames bestrow my way Extirpe these foggy mists from out mine eyes That I may plainly see where heaven lyes Then I le awake sweete Christ doe thou display Thy glittering beames send out a Summers day I 'le rub my slumbring eyes O then I 'le roame A life-time journey from my native home The soule will sleepe and can't hold up her eyes Vntill the sunne of righteousnesse arise Christs Resurrection COme Rise my heart thy Master 's risen Why slug'st thou in thy grave Dost thou not know he broke the prison Thou art no more a slave He rowled of the sealed stone That once so pondrous lay And left the watchmen all alone And bravely scapt away When flesh the world and Satan too Wont suffer thee to quatch Learne of thy Master what to doe And cozen all the watch Let not these clogging earthly things Make thee poore soule forsake him Goe ask of Faith she 'le lend thee wings Haste fly and overtake him But harke my soule I 'le tell thee where Thy Master sits in state Goe knocke at heavens dore for there He entred in of late If Peter now had kept the key Thou mightst get in with ease But Iustice onely beares the sway And le ts in whom shee please Shee 's wondrous sterne