wise just good impassive excellent Eternall Monarch All-commanding all End of all ends of Firsts th' Originall Great Light of lights Cause of all causes and Chiefe Life of lifes unseen all-seeing brand Who e'r the Worlds Idaea first was fram'd E'r Eurus blew e'r Seas or Earth was nam'd Ev'n from Eternity did in One combine One Trine-une essence one essentiall Trine Him shalt thou finde e'r Time could stretch his station In unsearch'd deep eternall Observation Fore-know his creatures in their severall ends And severall courses that the same attends Yea as his aye and all fore-seeing eye Fore-knew his creatures from eternity So hath hee made his pleasure and good will A still enflamed Limbeck wherein till Mans waies are so confin'd compos'd control'd That all his Mercure's turn'd to perfect gold This is his work though wondrous in our eyes Ev'n his whose throne transcends our starry skies From contrair's to extract a contrair ' story Whose contestation still effects his glory Thus did he in the worlds first byrth forth bring This universall-All from out nothing And by his word hee made lights glistring Lamp Shine in the midst of darknes shady Camp Thus doth he now in times last time from far Call things that are not ev'n as though they were And makes his Mercy sup'r abound in store Where Sins abundant plenty dwelt before No heare mee Virgin pause for pause thou must Hee that revives the Phoenix from her dust Hee that from darknesse center springs the day Hee that from gates of death doth life display And he who without woman first did make Of Adams rib an Evah for his sake Shall without knowledge of a Man provide To make the' a-sacred Mother Virgin Bride Thus spoke hee and then disappears and now The maid 's alone who on her knees doth bow And with her hands lift up to heav'ns high throne She sighs this sacred exultation Loe here I am thy servant mighty Lord Bee 't unto mee according to thy word If thou on mee hast plac'd thy hearts delight Then let thy hand-maid prosper in thy sight Yet O thou great and everlasting Father How shall I wonder or evanish rather At this thy wondrous work thou dost expresse On mee the chiefest worm of wretchednesse For thou hast look'd upon the base condition Of mee thy servant in so wondrous fashion That henceforth all succeeding times shall call Mee bless'd because of this memoriall Thy mighty hand hath done for mee great things And great 's thy name thou royall King of kings For by the strength of thy right hand thou scatters Man's vain imaginations like spilt waters Thou thrust'st the mighty down from Iv'ry seats And makst the abject to possesse their states Thou fill'st the hungry with thy blessings store And mak'st the full through penury to roare Thou mak'st thy promise a continuall creede To Abraham Isaac Jacob and their feede Yea from the stem of Jesse thou mak'st known To all that feare thee ' thy salvation Bless'd bee thou then thou God of Israel who Hast visit and redeem'd thy people so That by the splendor of that Bright day star Which thou hast made to shine both neer and far The tender mercies of our tender God In wondrous plenty visits us abroad And gives us matter while the world 's great frame Endures to prayse and magnifie thy Name Immanuel or Puerperie CANTO 4o. GReat God who by thy words great pow'r brought From nothing's-Chaos this our all things by rth Great Spirit whose secret certain prescience Fore-knows and guides all humane accidents Eternall Light from whose all-seeing ey Nothing is hid no not eternity If ere thou mad'st my silly simple Soule In sacred rage to rise above the Pole Now now reflect bright Sun thy golden rayes On my poore Moone eclips'd by thy delays Ravish my Spirit Life of my Soule revive My starving thoughts that I may truly give A perfect strain and perfectly record The Incarnation of thy ' ternall Word That so in sacred fury I may limbe Though with a coale the first-born Prince of Time And to the after-age in verse expresse God living suffering rising in the flesh But ay me where shall stripling I begin T' unfold this Daedal ' Labyriuth wherein Nature shall sooner lose her selfe then gain A steddy course amidst this Ocean For nature never hath as yet exprest His first-born being in th'Eternal's brest And how shall humane wisdom now forth tell The second byrth-right of Immanuel 'T is true some doating Atheists big with tumors Of brain-sick Heresies impoys'ning humors Like blinde men groaping in the day have run By light of Nature to display this Sun But all in vain the more they scan this point The more they find their judgements out of joynt Here one conceiting God cannot be born Ebion Hath therefore laught his Deity to scorn Another seeing him true Gods true Son Marcion Denieth him Man by Incarnation A third beholding him both God and Man Euâ—iches Confounds his Natures by a naturall span A fourth enforc'd by force of truth to see Nestor God joyn'd with man in Pers'nall unitie Hath from his true distinguish'd Natures frame Giv'n him two Hypostatick persons theame Which like Hippocrates undissever'd twins Together quicken live dye ends begins But hath not Esay much more cleerly told To Judahs King that Time should once unfold Esay 7.14 From out a Virgins womb a glorious Prince Whose Passion should expiate our offence Immanuel God with us and even Man of the Virgin and a God from Heaven Not God alone but Man also or rather God of himselfe Sonne gotten of the Father Both God and Man in whom both reall Natures Of God and Man distinguish'd by true features And severall functions stands dissever'd so As no division can their seat ore-throw And so distinguish'd that albe't there be Two Natures there distinguish'd really Yet to averre two Persons thereupon Were Sathans dark prevarication No no Immanuel and that God with us Our Advocate our Judge and our Jesus Abiding what he was e'r Time become In Time what he was not and being the same Was in our flesh without Confusions wonder Or rending of his Person ev'r asunder Inaugurate by Heav'ns dread Monarchs love A Prophet Priest and Prince for our behove A Prophet by whose documents we learne The things which Nature never could discerne By force of Reason for th' Almighty did In secret silence his best Counsels hide Till his Eternall word made flesh should frame The glorious promulgation of the same A Priest also the Virgins Sonne must be T' accomplish the Almighties dread Decree Of Mercy and of Justice both so that Th' Almighty might in both b'inviolat A Soveraign Prince he needs must be also To lead Captivity captive and ore-throw That Prince of Darknesse who by Sinnes proud hands Kept both our life and liberty in bands That as by him our feares our foes and all Captivities are captivate and thrall So he in God may make us
Of Peace of Mercy and of Lovesick-motion VVherewith the Man-God my Redeemer hath Releas'd my Darling both from Sin and Death But since my wit is weake my pen unable My judgment shallow and my hand unstable To give a true characterizing strain Unto thy Greatnes Goodnes Mercies-Main O grant that whilst thou openest thus my mouth T' unfold the Tenor of thy sacred Truth I bee not like those stones which by the way Unmov'd themselves the beaten rode display Nor like that Canall and that watry Spout VVhich from the fountaine to it's bubling snout Conveys pure streams of coole refreshing water For th' use of others whilst it self 's no better No first inform my mind then cleer mine eye That I may learn what depth of Deiry Thy VVisdome hath entrencht within the Vail Of flesh and made it there reside and dwell Then touch my lips and guide my babling pen That I may warble to the sons of men The sweet Hyblaean Nectar of thy Powre That brings us sweetnes from our bitter-sowre So shall I teach thy Saints thy waies aright Whilst thy all-seeing eye vouchsafes mee sight The Prodrome CANTO 2o. I Sing the wonders of that wondrous GOD Who being essentially one is Trin'ly od Not in that first born Word-begotten Mater Whose after-byrth was fire ayre earth and water From whom and to whom as their native sourse Time reconveys his childrings circled course Nor gaze I that re-colonizing Boat Wherein old Noah twelve months pent did float On steepe high Mountains and Ryphaean woods Like Neptune trampling on those swallowing floods Which from Heav'ns-sluces Earths hid vains and Seas Deep-channels did God's wrath anatomize Nor minde I now to lim that wondrous Love Which burning in Elohim's brest above Did Shem and Heber's sacred line re-bring From Shinar's soyl and fayre Euphrates spring T' attend the loadstar of th'Eternals call Amidst those plains where Jordan's course doth craule Nor shall my bubling pen those plagues expresse Which from the heav'ns in wraths enrag'd excesse On Zâ—an's field and Mizraim's flowry Tent Were as postilions of their wrath down sent Nor sing I those divine decrees and wonders VVhose voice contemper'd with a thousand thunders Breeds more respect in Israel's haughty heart VVho notwithstanding acts the truants part Then all those Lawes which Numa could afford Or yet the Spartane or Cecropian Lord L. S. No those already have in matchlesse Ore Traverst both Vestae's lap and Thetis shore And by the pencill of a glorious Gawl D. B. Have drawn the curtain of our azur'd All In such a sort that time shall never bring So sweet a draught from Hippocrene's spring Save that which Albian's Mercury Trismegist J. S. Hath quintessenc'd from Ampelonaes brest No no my care shall bee in heav'n-bred trance To gaze his more then wondrous excellence From whom all things as from their common father Doe all their essence and their being gather That true beginning midst and end of all VVho but beginning midst or end at all Is ground and top of that uncoupled chaine VVhich links poore sinners to their Soveraign The blessed Son I sing of God and Man VVho born in time yet was ere time began The Son of God th' eternall living rock And royall off-spring of great David's stock That blest Redeemer whom the Prophets old By heav'n-bred revelations oft foretold On whom their figures shadowes Types and Tropes Built all their truths moralities and hopes The God of Gods I sing and King of Kings From out whose mouth a two ed'd smyter-springs Dividing twixt the marrow and the bones And manifesting th' hearts hid motions VVhose words are misteries whose works are wonders VVhose eyes are lightnings and whose voice is thunders VVhose hayres are whiter then the new faln snow Whose sparkling eyes like flames of fire doe glow VVhose loynes are girt with gold of better fine Then Titan lusters in his mid-day shine VVhose foot 's of burning brasse and trampleth down The rage of Lethe Styx and Acharon Him him I sing Earth Earth attend my song That so the hony-suckles of my Tongue May like those showres which on the Meads doe trill Celestiall Nectar to the world distill For though my pen in peace should snort and ly The Rocks the Mountains and the Stones would cry Crant therfore ô my God Grant grant betimes Peace to my Soule and soule unto my Rhimes Yea quintessence my soule and eke advance My care-free spirit in some celestiall trance That purg'd from passion thy divine addresse May guide me through this desert wildernesse Of humane weaknesse that my Pen from thee And Lines may borrow such a dignity As may expresse in lofty quavering songs The lofty prayse which unto thee belongs But stay my Muse and lanch not to the Ocean VVhose never ebbing Tide and restles motion No Pilot yet could know aright or keep Himself from Naufrage in so vast a deep For this is sure That in this voyage stands Charybdis gulfe and Scilla 's shelf and sands 'Twixt which the whistlings of an easie gale Must guide thy Bark and not a blustrous sale Yet keep not alwaies peace my Muse for now 'T is time to cleere thy care-eclipsed brow And by the numbers of thy sacred fury To stray along th'enamel'd coasts of Jurie Goe then from Dan to Bethel thence anon To Aroer Keilah Adullam Ziff Maone To Shilo Gilgall Mizphe Ramah Nob And these sky-threatning towr's whose spires doe rob Their white from Pelops shoulder and their Ore From Peru Ganges and Hydaspes shore And while thou viewst those coasts and pleasant fields Which milk and hony in abundance yeelds Vaile vaile thy top-saile and in rev'rence greet That sacred Flamyn whose heav'n-ravish'd sp'rit Doth at Joves Altar with a zeale-bred fire Evaporat his Soules sincere desire Haile flowry Jordan then and you sweet torrents Of christall-water whose Meandring currents So many Saints have sip'd and O thou soyl Whose arms gave rest from that tumultuous toyl Wherein our Fathers forty yeers did stray And O you sacred-walls where eft-soon lay That mighty God and Man whose chrimson shower From out his side made him our Saviour Yea O you hills you dales and fields each one Where Earths-sole Phoenix Heav'ns-true Paragon Did from his Cradle to his Crosse endure Our sinnes-disease and griefs-distemp'rature Haile haile I cry you all a glad good morrow Let neither blustring winds nor rain-bred sorrow Your Meads unflowre or yet your woods disleave Or choak your torrents in their bubling grave No let nor haile nor snow nor frost nor Ice By their tumultuous violent prejudice Your brows enage or yet your Tresses scorne Till from your tops your golden fleece be shorn But rather let the heav'ns with smiling face Your Nayids and your Napa's so embrace That by the tincture of their milk-sweet raine Your floury virdure may still fresh remaine As long as Titan takes delight to post From Japan to the great Herculaean coast But above all Hail hail thou ghostly-Father
sinner from his sinnes convert He shall the father to the son rejoyn The son gainst father shall no more repine Each lofty Mountain and declining vally Through which our bubling brooks doe crawl and dally Shall change their state for those shall be made low And these exalted to an eminent show Things rough shall be made smooth things crooked streight And on rous things shall lose their pondrous weight And all the sucklings sleeps in natures lap Shall see the lightning of his thunder-clap That all the world may learn t' adore and kis Immanuel whose harbenger he is O how can 't bee saies Zachary that I Whose loynes are fruitles juceles barren dry Or that my wife Elizabeth whose raines Have stopt the fruitfull current of their vains Should recollect recover and rebring A living Runnal from a wither'd Spring No Zachary saith the Angell know that hee Whose glory wisdom pow'r and Majesty Turns heav'ns bright Sphears about earths drossy ball Shall make thy tragick-Theatre comicall And lest that like a bull rush beaten reed Thy faith should faint or hope should lose her Creed Recall the memoyr's of the daies of old How Nature hath been by his pow'r control'd And thou shalt see that to the supreme powrs VVee stand subjected and what ere is our For let mee ask whence comes these Nectar'd drops Which like pure Balme doe drench Pomonaes tops Who makes the Oceans mutinous waves reflote Or who enamels Vestaes petticote VVho doth the fields refresh or flowrs re-flowr Who Bride-like busks Apolloes Paramour Who leads brave Titan captive through the sky Or who decks Cynthia with a silver dy Who brings old Boreas from his frozen Cave Who makes his furie all the world out-brave Who can command the light in darknes Camp To checker portraits in a dornick Champ Or who can shut again Lights glistring ey To snort in midst of darknes Canopy All these like antient Hieroglyphicks may God's wondrous power to the world display But since thou by a faithles feare wilt try His might goe mannage thy security By Sarahs loynes the faithfull Abraham's wife Whose barren belly is a well of life Behold Rebecca and the barren Anna Mother to Samuel wife to Elkana And by the histoyr ' of their strange exchange Command thy reason and thy sense t'estrange Their course from Nature and repose alone Thy faith and hope ev'n against hope upon His never failing word whose power can frame From senslesse stones a seed to Abraham 'T is true that Nature since the world began Strugleth ' gainst Faith within the naturall man And like a mutinous Hagar strives to steal The lot from Isaack to her Ishmael And he who hath not learned to deny Himselfe his reason wit and industry And with the welcome of affections kisse Submit himselfe to God and all that 's his May well expect but never shall embrace The dignities of Glory or of Grace And now since by a further doubting thou Hast call'd his word in doubt who 's only true Loe I who stand before his glorious eyes Who though unseen himselfe yet all things sees Must tell thee that till these things come to passe Which he hath spoke who shall be is and was This just deserved Rod on thee shall fall That thou shalt neither heare nor speake at all But shalt be dumb till with thine eyes thou see Th' accomplishment of this my Heraldrie Thus having with dread Majestie engraven In Zacharies heart this sowre-sweet-newes from heaven Like lightning when it darts alongst the skies His wings support him and away he flies The Annunciation CANTO 3o. STay stay your course you christall heav'ns and you Swift rolling Sphears whose vaulted Arches bow An azur'd brave Pavilion o're Ear ths bail Stay stay your motions sweetly musicall Arrest your course likewise you twinckling starrs Who dallying in your gold rich ammel'd Carrs Doe like brave Torches and still burning Tapers Light natures Chappell at her ev'ning Vespers And Amphitrite thou where Syrens dwells And celebrate their Nymph-like festivalls Braule thou no more in that tumultuous guize That sacks the Merchant 's far fetch'd Indian prize But like a Bride who knows her Bride-groom's diet Greet thou thy Neptune with a sacred quiet And whilst thy waiting hand maids-cristall brooks Desert their Fountains and their floury crooks To bring a Consort of their watry Calls To gratulate thy Nymph-like Nuptialls Then clasp them in thine arms with joyfull heast And bid them welcome to thy Virgin feast Till reconvey'd with Tritons for their trayne Thou sendst them to their bubling sourse againe Empamper'd Vesta on whose embroider'd kirtle Hangs Alloes Cassia Spicknard Balme and Mirtle Carowse that Nectar which the Heav'ns doe weep To all those sucklings in thy lap doe sleep That they may dance amidst thy pearlelike shower A Masquedrade before thy Paramour Thus like a bold-fac'd Herald I proclame To Nature and her Universall frame Ev'n from Boötes in his whirling Carre To pale Orion's tempest boding Starre A sacred quiet and a sweet cessation From all their influence course and operation Till he whose Royall and Imperiall Throne Transcends our azur'd skies and heav'ns each one Doe from the Senate of his own good pleasure Send Man the Message of his Soules rich treasure Sixe times hath now faire Phaebe cut a caper In opposition to her brothers Taper And six times couch'd againe within his armes Sh' hath glut her selfe with his delightfull charmes Since earst a heav'n-born Legat hath declar'd To Zachary That for his faiths reward From out his wife Eliz'beths barren wombe The great Messiahs Prodrome John should come Now now Time big with fulnesse doth require That he who first did blow our Soules bright fire Should contribute truth life and light unto Those shady Tipes which did his Sonne foreshow That so the gracelesse World by him might plant Within their hearts his gracious Covenant Time then being full Night in a sad Sea-green Or pitchy-purpled mantle like Deaths Queen Had tane her Brother Morpheus Mace in hand And sent a drowsie rest over all the Land The ever-sacred ever Virgin-mother Whose glory neither heav'n nor earth can smother Great Arimathea's joy and Bethels Crowne And Palestina's dread sweet rich Renowne Still ruminating heav'ns unshun'd decree How from a Virgins belly there should flee A Soule dread Monarch and Celestiall Prince Whose blood should purge our leprous foule offence Prevent the rosie mornings warbling train And hyes her to a neighboring Grove amain That there in darknesse shady lap she might In divine contemplations spend the night Yet stay my Muse stay but a little while And view this grove which Eden-like doth smile That by the survey of so sweet a shade My muse may some way make my Reader glad Neare to that place whence hoary Jordane slides From Hermons hill and makes his twin-born Tides To meet in Marons lap in view doth lye The ever fruitfull pleasant Galily Whose right hand 's dipt in those tumultuous waves Which by Tiberius
Whose never failing Care doth still advance My Cup my Table and Inheritance Who thus exacts thy body to be rent What am I wormling that I should relent The meanest parcell of his blessed pleasure For all the worlds rich pomp and perishing treasure No no I am no Zippora to say Thou art a bloody Mate to me this day But since thy will must or by us be done Or else upon us let Subjection Be our best service for 't is known that thou Exalt'st the humble and the proud dost bow No no my Sonne bow bow thy selfe obay The yoak which he upon thy neck doth lay He is thy Father and thou art his Sonne His grace must guide thee till thy race be run Cease therefore you my teares my sighs and all My sorrowes to your rest your selves recall For though my Sonne my Love and Darling rather Be deare to me he must obey his Father And by his sufferings in the flesh allay His fury whose disdain works our decay 'T is true thou in thy selfe canst have no need By Circumcisions stroak and wound to bleed For in thee no such sinfull spot doth dwell As needeth Circumcision for a Seal Only for us poore sinners thou' rt content To seale thy selfe with our sinnes Sacrament That as old Abraham was the first put on This as the seale of his adoption Thou by this Seale wilt shew thy selfe that seed In whom our blessing first was promised Next that the Law in thee may cleerly see Thou cam'st not to destroy it's liberty But to fulfill it by the Lawes great Seale Thou tak'st our debt on thee and art our baile Thirdly that in thy Circumcision we Our Fore-fathers salvations map might see Thou' rt made the whole worlds Saviour altogether Heb. 13.8 Rev. 3.8 To day to morrow and the same for ever And what is more thou must be circumcised And in some short succeeding time baptized That wee may learn to circumcise our hearts As well's our outward and our carnall parts Deut. 10.16 For God is no waies like to frantick man VVho only doth the outward count'nance scan But rather chooseth to behold the heart And what in it doth sweetly smile or smart That by a righteous recompence he may Our actions and affections both repay And last of all that all the world may learn Thy true humanitie rightly to discern Thou must bee circumcis'd and in the sight Of Priest and people both declare the right That thou art true man having flesh and bone Like us in all things save corruption Thus have I weakly with a darkned cole Lim'd out the secret passions of the Soule Of this great Nymph and hop'd t' have bid farewell To all the terrors which her Soule could feel But ô I see my selfe intrench'd again In those meandring paths of toyle and pain VVherein poore worldlings run a circled course Of joyes and greefs of better and of worse O how my pen denies to point that story To which it cannot yeeld deserved glory For in this Scean of hers nothing is common But all dread wonders shee a wondrous woman Come then brave Nymph come let me ask thee why Thou dost in danger and difficulty Revisit Salems sacred Temple that With legall sanctions and I wot not what A world of Ceremonious Rites thou may Thy presuppos'd Impur'ty purge away Well might'st thou Mary and besides thee none Have claim'd immunity and exemption From all those shadowes and Levitick showes Which Sinne and Trespasse on their owners throwes Not that thou in thy selfe art voyd and free From sinnes infective spot and leprosie No no that were a grace of too great note For any Child that Adam ev'r begot Since all who from old Adams loynes discend In Adams loynes doe still by sinne offend He onely being except who from thy wombe A second Adam to the world hath come No this is all that I averre That by That heav'nly spring which from thy womb did fly There flow'd no such contagious spot and staine As once could make thee legally uncleane 'T is true those Mothers which in sinne conceive A Race by sinne re-oblig'd to the Grave And by their sinne unto the Law stand tyde May by the Law seek to be purified But since thy Darling by himselfe ne're knew Save for our sakes how sinne doth man subdue What needest thou by Turtles of Purgation T'enact the Scean of thy Purification Then to unloose this riddle let us look What Moses hath recorded in that book Wherein Gods written Law doth give direction For the purgation of our sinnes infection There it is writ that if a woman beare A man-child to the world she shall appeare Before the Lord but not untill the Sun Full forty times about the world have run And when shee dares t' approach and come before him E're shee doe bend her knees and goe t' adore him Shee must present a Lamb and Pidgeons two The true confessors of her sinfull flow And these the Priest must on the Altar burn And to true pur'ty her impur'ty turn And if shee have no Lamb to sacrifice Two Turtles or two Pidgeons shall suffice Here here I see thee Nymph with severe aw Obtemper the strict sanction of this Law And as thou hadst been by thy byrth unclean Thou wilt thy self thus purifie again Offring two Pidgeons void of gall or harm And thy unspotted Lamb born in thine arm O blessed Lamb of God how dost thou now Turn these poor types to what is re'lly true And as the Index of the clock doth tell The severall motions of three six nine twelve So by these creatures thou the great Creator Mak'st them bee cyphers thee significator A Lamb did Abel when the world began First offer to thy Father thou' rt the Man Presignified whose blood hath better dy Then Abel's in his causless butchery E're Noab from his pitched Ark came forth Hee sent a Pidgeon of unspotted worth To view the new workls state shee turns again The witness of a calm decreasing Maine And in her Bill an olive-branch to show Th' Almighties wrath had stopt his surious flow Thou art the Man aspotless Pidgeon rather Who in thy mouth bringst fromth'Eternall Father The unexpected Sacrament of Peace That seales the Sermon of our Love and Grace And as the Turtle in her widdow-while Is never seen so much as once to smile But with continuall mourning doth bemoan The loss of her enamour'd Paragon So thou bewailing that the master-peece Thou didst at first seale with thy own impresse Should by a strangers stamp be stoln away And in destructions wandring paths to stray Com'st now at last and over Bether trips With loves exulting scalads shews and skips And cannot rest till in thy arms strict hold Thou doe thy deerest Minion reinfold Hence hence it is dread Nymph that sacred thou Not for a new Moons sake nor for a vow But for obedience to the Law wilt goe To Salem's Temple and in publick showe Be purifi'd and in thy
Serve gainst the Philistims for sword and rod When Jabin's yoak the wearied necks did gall Of Jacob's seed and gloried in their fall How did brave Deborah by the conqu'ring hand Of Barak Jabin's boasting troops withstand And made their Generall Siserah in the tent Of Jael try Ambitions just event How did brave Gideon's barly-cake and lamp Couch'd in an earthen-pitcher daunt the Camp Of Midian that so their night-bred dreame Prov'd but a presage to their mornings Scaene How did bold Sampson peerless-pearle of Arms Burst Gazae's gate-bars and unlock the charmes Of Dalilah and make an Asse jaw-bone Drunke with the blood of Gath and Askelon In end what Nymrod or what Anak stern Could ev'r their fame or honor so etern As hath the Son of Jesse who at first Did kill a Lyon and a wilde Boare burst Then by a peeble which hee lately took From the sweet verge of a pure glyding brook Did so subdue th'heathen Goliah's rage Who did blaspheme th'Eternal's-heritage That now wee see nor bragging breaths nor boasts Can save or kill as doth the Lord of hosts All those like stars in dark Cymerian night Adorn'd their Orb with some small gleams of light But being obfuscat by a cleerer ray Have been the Prodroms of this better day Our never setting Sun is now arisen And by his rayes irradiats our Horizon In such a sort that those glow wormes may goe And spend their luster and their per'shing show Amongst the purblind wofull ignorants Of Mexica or Magallanae's Tents Our way 's made known why walk we not therein Our Truth 's declar'd why live we then to sin Our life 's proclam'd why are we then dismai'd Of death or hell why should we bee afraid Hath not our Goell our great kinsman come To pay our morgage and redeem our sum And that upon our blood-shedder he may The stroke of Justice awfully repay Loe to the desert now he hies him there In all our suff'rings as copartiner That David like he may that Gyant foyl Who in th'Eternalls hoast hath wrought such spoyl And ever blessed be his glorious Name Who comming up from Jordans chrystall stream No sooner from his foot doth wipe the water When to th' Arabians desert wilde Theater He 's led by that same spirit which like a Dove Did from the heav'ns proclaim him our soules Love That in our flesh as he our seale did take So in it he might tryumph for our sake For no such mediator we must have As scornes our griefes infirmities or grave But such a one as being exempt from sin In all things else must run the race we run Thrice three ten yeers hath my Redeemer now Liv'd in the world and yet for ought I know Sathan untill this time durst ne'er be bold ' Gainst him to set a snare his foot t' enfold His privat life 't may be procur'd his ease His publike charge must taste of trecheries Like Jacob who with Laban whil'st he stayes Had Peace and rest and amorous quirks and playes But being call'd by God to get him home False hearted Laban after him can come And search his stuffe prepar'd to doe him wrong Unlesse the mighty God of strongs the strong Had curb'd him in his night bred Visions so That maugre envy he must let him goe Whil'st Moses stayes in Aegypt Pharo's daughter Preserves him safe from Pharoh's threatned slaughter But when he comes for Israels reliefe He ' mongst the sonnes of persecution's chiefe Whil'st David kept his fathers Ewes in peace To God he warbled Hymns and Odes of grace But call'd to Court and to the stage of fame Wrath rancour envy plyes his Diadem So whil'st my Saviour both by Incarnation And by the highest heav'ns Inauguration Stands as the very sonne of God and Man Anoynted our Redeeming Soveraign Loe neither can the seale nor gift of grace Exempt him from hels envy'n any case For grace cannot prevent it may repell The stratagems of Perdue Centiuell But still the more the Lord with grace decores us The stronger fetters Sathan sett's before us O God therefore since thy Sonne is not free But grace it self must taste of enmitie What carefull watchings should we wormlings take ' Gainst this perfidious spirituall Amaleck Who daring to assail the head shall sure The heels destruction if he can procure Since then I see it is that glorious Spirit Which he from all etern'ty did inherit Ev'n that great spirit of th' Almighty God Whose word comforts us under whose sharpe rod The very hell doth tremble whose high hand None of thy creatures could e're yet withstand Who rideth on the blustring windes swift wings Who makes the Clouds his messengers who brings Or penury or plenty by his rain Who walketh dry-foot on the Ocean Why should we in tentations deepest jarre Feare Chance or Fortunes lying Kalendar For all the pow'rs of darknesse and of hell Cannot make one haire of our head to fall Till he whose pow'r and pleasure plac'd them there Bids either Justice smite or Mercy spare For he it is who leads us to our fight And sends us blowes according to our might And wheresoe're we fight he goes along Both to encourage us and make us strong And when w'have fought our fight gives us reward As his deep wisedome hath for us prepar'd I magnifie my Saviour then who here Doth boldly in Tentations lists appeare And by his rare example tells us how To keep our posture and our foes subdue The Philistims by Sampson smarting sore And often did his Dalilah implore She would by all meanes possible but try Wherein his strength and sinewy force did lye That knowing that they might him so dis-arm As never after they might feare his harm Then O how carefull should we be to learn And in our halcyon dayes and times discern The traps the snares and the bewitching tricks That 's put before us by the Prince of Styx That so foreseeing his Engines we may Or burst his snares or safely flie away Loe how Colossus like in Horebs plain He stands thence skips to Neboes top again From thence to Sions pinacle he flies Like lightnings flashes darting through the skies Never did Proteus with more change of shape Beguile the world than doth this trickling Ape With change of colours feature form and all My Masters fixed sense sense seek to enthrall Three deeply poyson'd darts are in his hand Which flesh and blood alone could ne're withstand The lust of heart is one Lifes pride another The lust of th' eye is third their first-born brother And he who from all those can keep him free Hath more than flesh and bloods excellency For he who in the Van doth play his part May in the Main battalion shrink and smart And who hath fought them both may in the Reer Prove worthy nothing but a sod Cashiere The first daâ—t then about his head he shakes And'gainst our Master this assault he makes If it be true that heav'n hath spoke saith he If thou be
The walled Cities and rich stored shops The honny combs and those Elixar'd drops Of balm myrhe incense Nard and sweet perfume That serves to deck the bride and the bridegroom The warriour the master of the schoole The young the old the wise and eke the foole The Counsell tables and the Courts of Kings And all the treasures that the earth forth brings Are onely his he giveth them and when He thinks it fitting takes them back again Those thou hast set before me yet dost hide The hidden moaths that frets their inner side As if I did not know what weal and woe Daunce in a circle wheresoe're they goe What can our wealth or want my minde betray Can peace bewitch me or can warre affray My fixed thoughts thy eyes are cloid with gravell And so thou losest both thy toyle and travell Can sicknesse health life death vain glory shame Or any other worldly anatheme Make me forget my Father or forgot One jot of that true worship which I owe Unto him No go get thee gone avoid Proud Sathan for thou knowst not things of God But things of men from this I will not swerve That 's writ The Lord thy God alone goe serve And worship yea beside him worship none For that shall turn to thy confusion The Doctor CANTO 3o. AS when the Sunne obliqu'ly looking on A roride cloud frames a Parelion But looking with a streight oppos'd aspect On Phoebe makes herhis full rayes reflect So when from Jordans streams our great Messiah Went to the desert our late born Eliah Although the bridegrooms friend yet seem'd to weep For fear a hyreling should disperse his sheep But seeing him victoriously return This joy-bred fire doth in 's bosome burn O how my Soule doth now rejoyce sayth he To see the Sonne of Man march valiantly Returning from the desert Sathans den Cloth'd with the spoyle of sinne for sinfull men Loe where he commeth full of grace and truth No man in such abundance opes his mouth He was before me though he now doth follow Eternity his Majesty doth hollow From out his fulnesse we doe all receive Grace upon grace and what good else we have The Law was giv'n by Moses but by him Comes grace and truth and peace wherein we swim No man at any time hath seen the Father Save this his sonne from whose hid hands we gather That hidden Manna and those Quailes by which Our soules are fed and we to life made rich He commeth to the world for it he made Yet in it hath no place to rest his head He commeth to his own yet they refuse him He commeth to the builders they abuse him But unto all that doe receive him he Shall give this glory and prime dignity That they the sonnes of God shall all be call'd And as true heires of heaven be there enstall'd Even unto such as in his name believe To whom nor Nature flesh nor blood can give The new-births note but onely that great God Who in our flesh hath made his full abode And that it may be known that this is he Goe you my sonnes goe get you up draw nigh Unto him clasp him in your soules soft armes For he 's the Antidote for all your harmes At these fore-warnings John and Andrew goe And greet him thus Great Rabbi let us know Where thou dost dwell so shall we joy to see The mansion of thy true felicity Where I doe dwell saith he let him that would My dwelling know look on the foxes hold And sparrows nests for they have rooms wherein Their young ones nestle and their doune begin O but the Sonne of man hath no place where To rest his head save only this poore ayre That every creature breaths and this is all He counteth his and this at last shall fall If you will therefore follow me quit-clame What ever in this world doth sumptuous seem Take up your crosse and follow me and so You shall my dwelling and my riches know For who so shall reject my Crosse and blame't Of him in glory I shall be asham'd But who so shall my Crosse with patience bear He shall with me in glory rest coheire No sooner hath he spoke these words when loe As swift as arrow shot from Indian bow Andrew doth to his brother Symon run And with these tydings of Salvation Accosts him Brother I have found the great Messith whom the world expect'd of late The Saviour Christ the holy and th'annoynted Great Peace-maker by Prophets all forth pointed Come come I pray th' let our hearts draw near him And while 't is call'd to day ô let us heare him Symon ariseth and with Andrew go'th To see the miracle of Time and Truth But ere he can within true distance come Christ cals him by his name Thou' rt welcome home Thou sonne of Jonah saith he this thy name Of Symon hence I change with better fame Thou shalt be call'd Cephas that is a Stone For thou shalt help to lay a foundation ' Gainst which the Devill and the gates of hell May freely push but never shall prevaile A little after this in Galile As Jesus walked he did Philip see And bids him follow him he straight obeyeth But by the way Nathaniel he espyeth Nathaniel saith he come we have sound The man of whom the Scriptures doe abound Whom Moses and the Prophets have fore-told According to the promises of old Nathaniel gladly girdeth up his loynes And with his fellow Philip journey joynes But e're Nathaniel can come neere unto him Christ spies him and with these sweet words doth woe him Come come Nathaniel come thou voyd of guile The Sun on such another doth not smile In all Judaea's Coasts What 's this I heare Saith just Nathaniel e're I can come neere One cals me by my name whence dost thou know me For in the face till now I never saw thee Nathaniel saith Christ that 's nothing for E're Philip call'd thee I thee knew before When under the fig-tree thou naked stood Copartiner with Adam in his blood O now my God Nathaniel saith I see Thou art the very Sonne of the most High And promis'd King of Israel who should give Life to all such as in thee doe believe The night now come Christ to the mountain goeth Where all the while he to the heav'n upthroweth His supplications with strong cries and tears And graciously is heard in what he fears Next morning to his service he doth call Matthew and Thomas Barthol mew and all The rest of those Disciples whom he meant To make the Preachers of his Covenant O happy blessed blessed happy Call It doth no sooner touch their ears at all When straight it doth their starving soules renew And their affections to his will subdew Speak alwaies so my God and by thy grace Say to my fainting Soule seek thou my face And my poore Soule shall answer as appear'th Speak what thou wilt ô Lord thy servant heareth When thou at first did'st lay
in so fearfull fashion That they no sooner feel their grievous yoak But to the Sea they run and there they choak O glorious thou who to the world didst come T' unlose those snares which Sathan thrusts on some And leav'st some others to those sp'rituall bands Which in eternall darknesse prison stands Restrain our enemies rage controll his power Lest his assaults doe our poore soules devoure Ne'er did a swarm of hony sucking Bees Pursue a Waspe from out their Colonies With greater spight or more enraged spleen Then doth that blockish beastly Gadaren Republick thrust my Saviour from their coast Because of these few swine which they had lost O the blind change and choise o' th' sonnes of men Who ere they lose this worlds poore pelf will len ' Their Soules a pray to Sathan and betray A lasting glory for a moments pay With speed therefore my Saviour homeward goeth Because they loth'd his power and his truth And there behold a croud of sick folks lie A waiting him to cure their Maladie For some ev'n from their mothers wombe lay lame Some Leprous some Lethargique and some maim Some with an Apoplexy were o'retaken Some with a paralitioue blow were shaken Some with a Dissenterie doe decay Some with a Calcule on their reines doe cry Here one had eyes but now he 's dark and blind Here one was wise but now 's distract in mind A menstruall flux doth here distain a woman A burning Ague to another's common All those he healeth and so doing hath Gain'd many a Pros'lyte to the Christian faith But above all I stand amaz'd to spy How at Bethesdaes poole huge heaps doe lye Of poor weak sick diseased persons who Attend her motions and her watry flow For here an Angell at some speciall season Beyond all reach of humane sense and reason By moving of the waters gave release To all that were diseas'd in any case Providing alwaies that they stepping down Should drench themselves in her first motion An hieroglyphick of our Baptims washing Whose watry streames can never cleanse our tashing Unlesse th'Arch-angell of the Covenant Joyne his dread power to the Element A man oppress'd full eight and thirty yeere With strange diseases is at last brought here On whom Christ Jesus having fix'd his eyes Doth not enquire what were his maladies Where those his griefs did hold him or how long He had been bound with that infirm'ties thong But only asks him if he would be cured Of that saith he great Master be assured I hunger for my health but can not stirre To taste this waters first distemperature I cannot helpe my self and none I have To help me when their helping hand I crave Another alwayes stepping down before me Is cur'd and I as if all did abhorre me Must this my griefe and languishing sustain Till he who wounds me binde me up again Rise rise then saith my Saviour rise and walk I pitty thy distresse I heare thy talk The poore man riseth as Christ doth appoint And is restor'd to health in every joynt Behold saith Christ poore man now thou art whole And from thy crown unto thy very sole There is no bruise goe goe and sinne no more Lest worse befall thee then thou felt'st before Glad should I be if my poore Muse had breath To follow my Redeemer in that path Of strange stupendious miracles whereby In flesh he did expresse his Deity But wearied now she needs must rest a while And draw away her Pencill from that toile Which he from place to place did undertake To ease our sorrows for his mercies sake Only this one poore thing she must relate How he did Lâ—â—arus re-animate That in his Resurrection we may see Our Resurrections rich felicity As Chyrstall brooks have still the broader course The neerer they approach great Neptunes sourse So now the neerer that my Saviours dayes Draw to an end the more he still displayes His heav'nly wisedome and mirac'lous power When opportun'ty did the same procure Sicknes to man is prodrom of his death From which no nat'rall man exemption hath Even Lazarus whom Jesus lov'd is now Sick to the death and to the grave must bow Whil'st he is sick his sister Mary sendeth A messenger to Christ who first attendeth Him in his doctrine and thereafter saith Sir he whom thou dost love now almost pay'th His debt to Nature by his death for loe A burning Ague worketh his o'rethrow I know thou lov'st him and he loveth chee Let then thy love to him extended be For thou art love it selfe and from thy love It is that we doe live or breath or move I know saith Christ he 's sick but not to death Although this fit of Fever out his breath Yet shall the glory of the Lord appeare In his return to this lifes hemispheare And that the Sonne of God may glory have Let him be sick yea fick unto the grave A little after to his friends he saith Let us goe hence my staying here delay'th The work of God for Lâ—zarus our friend Lies fast asleep and I doe fully mind T' awake him up again for none but I Can rouze him from the graves deep Lethargy If he doe sleep say his Disciples then He shall be well for sleep doth soften pain But here they doe mistake they meant that sleep Which on our weâ—ried eyes doth softly creep But Christ did mean that sleep which in the grave Shall on each mortall man dominion have No no saith Christ to speak the truth indeed Our brother's dead and death doth on him feed And I am glad for your sakes that I was Not there when death o'return'd his short hour-glasse Alas my Saviour how canst thou be glad To see man under his afflictions sad Dost thou delight in our distresses no Thou tak'st no pleasure in our griefes or woe But as a loving father who doth see His only sonne in that perplexity Where wounds and blowes on th' one side threaten death And Triumph on the other promiseth Eternall honour hath more joy to know The fame which from out those his wounds shall flow Than he is sad to see his crimson blood Expatiat like a Dalmatian flood So from our light afflictions whil'st thou spies The trophies of thy glory to arise Thou dost much more rejoyce than thou canst grieve To see us wrestle and in end survive To Bethany he hasteth then for there Mary and Martha had their chiefe repaire And being come Mary with speed doth run To greet th'approach of this Imperiall Sun She sees him and down at his feet doth fall Master saith she hadst thou been here at all My brother had not dy'd Mary saith he Thy brother shall rise up again trust me I know saith she that at the gen'rall doome He shall arise and unto Judgment come Mary saith he hold but thy peace and thou Shalt see Gods glory manifested now Where have you laid him come come let me see They point the place He with a
thoughts espy With a loud voyce he boldly thus doth say Alas I now perceive it for a truth This people doe draw neer me with their mouth Whil'st as their hearts are farre from me for loe Not for my Doctrine sake they doe me know But for the barlie loaves they did partake When I did feed them for my mercy sake But travell not I pray you for that meat Which is as quickly gone as it is eate But labour for that bread which lasts for ever Which I the sonne of man to you deliver Your Fathers in the deserts did eate Manna And prais'd the giver with a loud Hosanna Yet did they perish dye and eke consume In their stifnecked murmuring A mertume But he who eats the bread that I shall give him Shall never perish for it shall revive him I am the bread of life which came from heaven My father unto you this bread hath given That by his bread of life which is supernall He may your soules maintain to life Eternall As many then as come to me shall neither Have thirst nor hunger for my glorious Father Sent me from heav'n not my own will to doe But mans hard heart unto his yoak to bow That so man may eschew his burning wrath And scape the sorrows of the second death No man hath seen the Father but the Sonne Who in the Fathers bosome dwels alone He doth reveale him unto whom he pleaseth Whose crosse he lightneth and whose soule he easeth No man ascendeth unto heav'n but he Who came from heav'n and doth in Majestie Though base on earth yet when he thinketh sit Doth on his Fathers right hands glory sit And at his second comming saves his sheep From sinking in that never fathom'd deep Whereas the sulpher of th'Eternalls breath Layes hold upon the vessels of his wrath And makes the faithfull and the righteous all Be fill'd with glories endlesse festivall The Metamorphose CANTO 6o. FOre-chosen Jacob Isaac's second Swaine Jah-struggling champion and victorious man Thou royall she apheard and tresprudent Siere Whom Palestina's Princes did admire Vouchsafe me but t' approach thy dying throne And charge thee with this Gordian knot alone And like Apollo thou thy front shalt see Deckt with a garland from the Lawrell tree Whence come th' Enthusiasm and that sacred sury Which made thee all thy carnall senses bury In Lethe's lap and with religious rage Divide Chams tents to Israels heritage VVhence hadst thou wisdome and sweet inspiration To precognose and with true divination Foretell that Juda's tribe should beare the sway Till Shilo should ecclipse his Majesty How madest thou Joseph like a fruitfull Vine That doth her arms about her Bridegroom twine Drunk with the grapes of Ephraims royall cup Which weak Manasseh's hands could not beare up But above all I stand amaz'd to see Lewd Levi's scatt'rings dare t' approach so nigh To Joves Ariell offring there upon For sinne and sinners expiation Is Dinah dead or Sechem's blood gone dry That thou dost thus forget his villany And without smarting for his foule offence Exalt him to the high-Priests eminence 'T is strange that divine Justice should permit Him who i th' chaire of sinners so hath sit Without corrections rod possesse the throne And sing the carrols of exemption O now I see thy tongue was not thy own A higher power hath it rul'd and thrown Even He great He whose wayes we cannot spy Because his will 's the square he worketh by Who where he will have mercy there he pardons And where he will with draw his grace he hardens From his good pleasure then and no where else It is that Levi's tribe the rest excels And on his Ephod whiter then the snow Hath tyed his breast plate where in sumptuous show Stands Vrim and great Thummims true direction For light of knowledge and for lifes perfection So then from loyns of that unhallowed stem Which Jacob thrust from Israels diadem The Lord hath chosen a successive race Of royall Priesthood who before his face Shall in that course which David did prescribe Burn incense and their sacrifice contrive With never alter'd though alternat order Till Melchizedeck come and crush their border All those like Comets when they first appeare In our sublunar regions hemispheare Did draw mens wandring eyes and wondring hearts To scan their sequels whether smiles or smarts But all in vaine nature can ne'er unty The clasped books of heav'ns great mystery For till the Word was Flesh great Judah's throne Ne'er knew her perfect exaltation And Aarons rod did ne'er her top bow down With reverence to Melchizedecks Crown But when thou cam'st those figures types and tropes Had reall Essence for unreall hopes For where the Sun doth shine in lights aray All clouds evanish night gives place to day Since then thou art true light and since with thee Darknesse dare plead for no societie O let me but be bold this once to follow Thee to thy Tabor that my sp'rit being shallow May by the lustre of thy glories shine Taste of that light that never shall decline But aye me whil'st I see the hill so steep The gulfe of my poore misery so deep The flesh so fraile the sp'rit so soone o'retak'n The flax so quench'd the bruised reed so shak'n The load of sinne so great my faith so faint So strickt the forfeit of the Covenant I cannot choose but feare lest by the way My hasting doe defraud me of my pray Unlesse thou help who help'd the faithfull thiefe For I believe Lord help my unbeliefe Come then dread Saviour let me search the time Wherein thou didst to Tabors fastege clime Thy Scriv'ners differ many therefore doubt Thy journies Epoche how they shall finde out One sayes that it was fully six daies after That thou didst make their soules o'reflow with laughter By promising that some who stood thee by Should not see death nor taste mortality Till they being witnesse of thy raptures story Should see the Sonne of man come in his glory Another saith the dayes were almost eight After that promise that thou scal'dst this height Thus doe some weake mindes stumble whilst they spy Amidst thy truth so great variety But foolish we in vanity still wallow We straine a Gnat yet doe a Camel swallow We grope at noone day and make known our blot Whil'st in a rush we seek a Gordian knot For where the eight day's neere and six are spent By true arithmetick the seventh is meant Upon this day when heav'ns and earth were made And all their frame and fabrick finished Th' Eternall seeing all his creatures good Proclam'd the seventh dayes rest and so it stood Upon this day from Mysraims darkned Cell God did redeem his first born Israel Upon this day from Baalz phons shoare To Migdoll he his people dry-foot bore Upon this day from Syna's thundering jaw He gave the Sanctions of his sacred Law Upon this day in Cana's wedding shrine He turned fountaine water unto wine And
sight and at this roaring call The three Disciples to the earth down fall And like a man who with the Palsie's taken Their sp'rits are troubled and their senses shaken But he who 's rich in mercy drawing neer First touches them and so disbands their fear Then bids them rise they by 's word made strong Doe hope their former comforts to prolong But ah in vaine Jesus stands there alone His Glory Moses and Eliah's gone O what a cloud of witnesse standing here Our humane frailty to the world mak'th clear Those Saints of late did sleep then were o're joy'd Then with a quiv'ring feare were overcloy'd Now recomforted but God know'th how long 'T is strange to see what a tumultuous throng Of changes and vicissitudes lay'th hold On him who lives and moves upon the mold For nothing's stable here beneath the sun Perfection's cloyed with imperfection Strength is contempered with humane weaknes Wisdome with follie health with smarting sicknes But when we shall arise to our better rest And in our Masters glory shall be plac'd Then shall our imperfections flye away And true perfection shall recleare our day For then the glory of our God shall hide The spots and wrinkles of his virgin-bride And what in her is now with weaknes mix'd Shall then in never fading strength be fix'd For being chang'd unto his image we Shall sigh no more because of miserie But being exalted to our all in all Our joyes shall flourish still and never fall The Hosanna CANTO 7o. NE'er did my Saviour keep such pompe and state Ne'er was his traine so populous and great Ne'er did he take such Majesty upon him Ne'er was so many eyes at once fix'd on him As now while as the day draw'th neer wherein His night of death should our lifes day begin Till now he path'd his journeys all on foot And measur'd Judahs cirruits all about Without or noise or traine or Prince-like stage To attend him in a royall equipage But now being ready his pure blood to spend And bring our soules Redemption to an end He cloaths himselfe with Majesty indeed As best befitted royall Davids seed From Bethphage therefore he two servants sends To Syons suburbs and thus saith There stands An Asse and by her side her Colt unty de Goe bring them hither for I now must ride If any aske of you why doe you so Say I have need and they shall let you goe His two disciples goe and as he told So finde they all things therefore they make bold And bring the Asse unto him with all haste So forth he go'th to keep the Passeov'rs feast The asse and colt whereon he rides his store Of pomp and acclamations were before Prognosticat by Zachary and all According to the Scriptures verdict fall The Colt whereon he rides did ne'er till now Her tender back to any burthen bow Yet to his burthen now she stoopeth down As one accustom'd to subjection The best apparell which the people wore Are made his foot-cloths Some doe run before Some follow after bowes are pluck'd from trees Applauding clangor to the heav'n up-flies And noble Palm-tree sprigs are thrown i' th way That all succeeding times may blesse that day Hosannah to the Highest is their word And bless'd be he that commeth from the Lord And yet in all this masque and royall guise There 's nothing but a croud of mysteries For by the Asse the Jewes are understood And by the Colt the Gentiles for the food Of sp'rituall bread and water first must flow From Judah's fountaine and thereafter goe Unto the way of all the Gentiles that God may in both be truly celebrate The Jewes indeed like to this Asse ev'n now Their necks to Moses legall yoak did bow The Gentiles like the Colt have not as yet Submitted their proud necks t'obtemper it Chrysostom But having snuff'd the winde up at their pleasure Hieronim Now in their month are catch'd toth ' Gospels treasure The garments with the which th'Apostles loath'd Those beasts declare their doctrine which betroth'd Remigius Both Jew and Gentile to espouse that Lamb Who into th' world for their re-union came Hilarius The garments which the people throw i' th' way That after-love unto the Truth display Whereby th'Apostles and the Martyrs shall Seale with their blood Truths testimoniall The Palm-tree sprigs which from their stems are cut And cast into the way doe point us out The Fathers faith and constant hope who by The storms of worldly torments though they dye Yet cannot be cut from that root and stem From which they hope an eternall di'dem Hosanna to the Sonne of David shew'th That he is true man and what more he ow'th To heaven by 's heav'nly generation Is shut up in the highest acclamation O thou the fairest ' mongst the sonnes of men In majesty and triumph ride thou then Because that truth and righteousnes thou brings And thy right hand shall teach terrible things In this so rich a pomp and pompous store Unto Jerus'lem rides my Saviour Jerus'lem was of old the royall seat Of Kings Priests Prophets dul'inaugurat Kings there did raigne for there was Davids throne Priest there did offer their oblation A midst their streers and on their sacred Temple The Prophets fix'd their oracles so ample Hither doth now the great Messiah come King Priest and Prophet that to all and some He might make known the path of life and be King Priest and Prophet to eternity As King he rides along their streets and there The clangors of Hosanna pierce the aire As Priest unto the Temple straight he goes And thence the Rancour table he orethrowes And as a Prophet there he doth foretell The finall fall and foyl of Israel Oft hath he view'd Jerusalem ere now With small regard or aspect of her crew But now the City 's mov'd both more and lesse And earnestly doe cry who 's this who 's this As when the Sages at the first brought newes That there was born a Monarch to the Jewes Herod and all the town were in commotion To heare from strangers mouths so strange a notion So now while as they see him cast aside The rags of basenes and in pomp to ride In fear and in commotions path they range And what before seem'd nought doth now seem strange Such be our soules in their still changing state While as we sit secure and desolate bound in the fetters of iniquity We dream no change nor new oeconomy But when with our corruptions Grace doth ruffle And our impostors she to door doth shuffle Straight all the anvels of our trembling heart Doe from their rest retire and finde it smart What mean'th this strangenesse Suleme tell menow With bayes hath he not crown'd thy wrinkled brow Hath he not wedded thee for his ture Bride And left the widow-world to weep beside Hath he not given thee thy wedding token Hath he not earl ' and late in thy street spoken Hath he not
though the Dev'll rook place Within his soule and made him seven times more The sonne of Sathow then he was before Let all such then as in Gods house appeare Eat of his bread and drink his wine with feare For as one house together cannot hold The God of Jacob and base Dagons mold So in mans secret soule or hidden heart God will have nothing if the Dev'll have part If Jerubbael serve the Lord above He must cut down his fathers heath'nish grove If Tarshish ships would safe sale home to shore A flying Jonas they must hug no more And if a Lawyer would goe safe to heaven He must forget or five or six or seaven For God is one and loveth no division A gracious Union is his best provision Were Achan living he would tell thee truth That poverty excells that wealth which doth Mans honour unto shame and sorrow sell And well-nigh makes his soule a slave to hell Rejected Saul who spared Am'lecks flock Were he alive would still hold Samuels cloak And never let him goe till he got grace By true repentance to redeem his race Bless'd is the man who since he naked come Into the world and naked must turn home Doth by the shelter of his quiet fire Make food and raiment curb his vast desire For Worlds Empires Courts Crowns Kings Are rich in cares when Rest hath better things But peace of Conscience makes the soule rejoyce More then the world and all her fading toyes The Agonie CANTO 2o. WHat man is he would truly know Christs Passion Then let him read that Lecture in this fashion First as a Story next a Gospell then A Pattern last a Benefit to men A story first it is where men may know That God in heav'n governs the world below A Gospell 't is which teacheth us how God Converts our serpents to an usefull rod A pattern 't is which doth in all our crosses Command that patience counterpoise our losses A benefit at last it brings to such As by true faith his garments hem doe touch O that we could first know aright then trust Then imitate then hold him as hee 's just So should we be learn'd Schollers faithfull Saints Obsequious Servants rich Participants But ah our wishes and our weak desires Cannot suffice to blow those zeal-bred fires Which on Jove's sacred altars still should burn And our oblations unto ashes turn Come therefore let us view that Paschall Lamb Whose blood disdain'd the cursed tents of Ham And drenching Goshens doors with wraths proud hand Did smite the first-born in all Misraims land But ay me where shall I begin to wonder At thee dread Monarch mighty sonne of thunder Eternities sole word and first-born sonne Heav'ns promis'd Earth accomplish'd Holy one Thy majesty the very heav'ns admire Thy power in the world doth still appeare Thy Justice all the damn'd in hell doe know Onely to man thou dost thy Mercy show Come then great thou mans preordain'd peace-maker Teach me the fittest way how I may sacre My pen r'expresle the fearfull agonie Thou suffer'dst for us in Gethsemanie Time place and person are the fittest square To make this building truly regular If any shall enquire the period when Thou didst begin to suffer for us men Scripture doth say it was a darkned houre While as the sonnes of darknesse had most power The place is known Gethsemans garden for 'T was meet that where Adam did fall before There thou the second should'st in bloody sweat Repaire the forfeit of our lost estate The person who sustains this weight of woe Is very God and very Man also God that his worth might Gods wrath sarisfie Man that in weaknes he might smart and dye O but this time and houre must yet be shown A little more sometimes 't is call'd thy own Sometime 't is theirs That we may know the right Disperse our cloudy doubt and give us light To speak the truth at first this houre was theirs Then thine then ours on these three paire of staires Time tripping up and down hath made the sourse Of our redemption to perfect her course Their time it was of sinne and sinfull wrath Such was the power both of sinne and death Thy houre it was of suffering and of smart For feare and anguish did oppresse thy heart Our houre it also was for then began The expiation of the sinnes of man Their houre of darknesse and thy houre of death Our houre of life and liberty from wrath When thou great master first at Cene's wedding Turn'd water into wine at Maries bidding I heard thee check her and in seeming wrath As if she had ev'n sinned to the death Say woman what have I to doe with thee My houre is not yet come get thee from me Of late when from a steep high mountain they Intend to throw thee down thou shrunk'st away And giving place unto their furious sume Thou told'st them that thy houre was not yet come Since then when high-Priests Pharisees and all Thy foes together did conspire thy fall Thou told'st them as a program of their doome They toyl'd in vain thy houre was not yet come How many houres of honor hast thou had How many times hast thou been worshipped When Sages from the East did presents bring And layd them at thy feet as Juries King VVhen in the desert Angels brought thee meat And by their service did proclaim thy State When on mount Tabor thy bright face did shine And heav'ns proclam'd thee heire of their divine Inheritance when Salems strders didring With loud Hosannaes to thee as their King Although those houres were all and alwayes great Yet did'st thou not account their pompe or state Worthy to have the note of thy great houre But when thou com'st to make our sweet thy sowre That houre thou tak'st and only counts it thine Because in it thy Father did propine That cup of wrath to thee men should have drunk If thou from his fierce wrath hadst fled or shrunk While thou with thy great Father and his Spirit Before all time did'st all times praise in herit All houres were thine all times and all times motion Did bow their knees to thee at thy devotion Yea when unto thy Image man was made And for his use the world was furnished Thou mad'st the Stars the Sun and Moon to shine And servefor poore mans use but not for thine Man had and hath all times at his command Sometime he sits and sometime he doth stand Sometime he laughts and sometime sadly weeps Sometime he watcheth some time sweetly sleeps Sometime he builds sometime he doth destroy Sometime he 's dumpish sometime rapt with joy All those doe stand subdu'd unto man's will At his direction their tides band fill But thou no time hast chosen save this one Poore houre of darknesse this thou call'st thine own Nor dost thou so for thine own sake but that Thou being a Lambe of God immaculat In this dark houre of suff ring thou
might'st be The Asahel of God the seepe-goat We Ne'er did the wounded Deere with more desire Run to the water brooks to queuch his fire Then thou dost thirst to taste that wofull cup Which Adam's with'red hand could not beare up Man thou didst make at first and him so lov'd That for his rescue from Gods wrath 't be hov'd Thee to be Man and all his sinnes sustain To reunite him to his God again Such leve as this hath not as yet been known As thou unto the sonnies of men hast shown The love that Danid did to Jou'than beare Or to proud Absoloms gold-locks of haire With this thy love cannot be parallel'd Thy love 's epcinall mah's by time is quel'd The old Passeover being finish'd now The Eucharist succeedeth in that liew They sing a Psalme and praise that mighty God Who brought his Isr'el out from Aegypts rod Then sayth my Saviour Now the houre draw'th neer Of my dread suffrings all of you stands here By me this night shall be offended for 'T is writ The shepheard I will smite therefore The sheep shall all be scattered anon And I to sorrow shall be left alone Yet come thus thus it needs must be for so The Prophets have forespoken long agoe This Peter heareth and with pride oppress'd As if his heart were steel'd his bones were brass'd He saith though vainly Master whither shall We run from thee though all the world should fail And shrink from thee yet will I never leave thee Till dust and earth doe of my life bereave me Peace Peter saith my Saviour hold thy peace Before the Cock crowtwice even to my face Thou shalt deny me thrice and by base feare Of this thy life thou shalt my love forsweare Thus out they goe and over Kedrons brook Whereas Mounr Olive overshading looke Covers Gethseman's garden there they stay But Jesus go'th aside and thus doth pray Father the houre is come now glorifie Thy Sonne as he hath glory giv'n to thee All such as thou didst give me I have kept And none of them hath perish'd save that sheep Or rather childe of wrath and of perdition For him thou didst nor give to my tuition This is eternall life that man should know Thee for true God and me thy Sonne also This I have taught them this doe they believe Eternall life by this doe thou them give I pray not for the world for them I pray That they in me by faith may alwayes stay I doe not pray that from the world thou take there But that thou in the world doe ne'er forsake them For while they in the world remain they 're hated And for my names sake shall be ill intreated But I have kept them in thy name and they Both know thee doe believe and thee obey Keep them therefore ô Father by thy truth Thy word is truth they have it from my month Nor doe I pray for them alone but eke For all these Prof lyres who salvation seek By faith begotten by their word in me O let them share in my felicitie For thou and I ô righteous God are one Let them with us have also unione That as thou art in me and I in thee So they may be made one with us trulie And by their joynture with us two may shun Sinne death and hell and condemnation Thus hath he prayed and now returning he To Peter James and John familiarlie Gives this forewarning Watch and pray lest that Your restlesse foe doe catch you in his net He go'th again unto his former station To taste the first fruits of his bitter passion He kneeleth down to pray but sense of wrath Makes him to cry My soule unto the death Is heavy Father if it be thy will Take this cup from me let not thy wraths rill Lay more upon me then my strength can beare O heare me Father bow thine ears and heare But ah his Agony waxing still more great Through his pure vains and pores a bloody sweat Doth from his body so bedew the ground As if from Eorâ—â—a's presseh ' had got a wound Three severall times in this perplexed state Doth Christ the selfe same words reiterat Father he cryeth still O let this cup Passe from inde for I cannot drink it up Yet if it be thy will let it be so Thy will and not my own I came to doe Father againe I pray thee let this houre Passe from me for 't is tart above my power Yet for this houre into the would come I Why should I then decline an piety No though I smart in this my passion Not my will Father but thy will be done Now all this while doe his Disciples fleep A Lethargy upon their soules did creep And though he wak'd them thrice yet thrice again They doe return to their Lethargiouest into But heav'ns amaz'd to see his soule so sad Doe by an Angels comfore make him glad Who can behold the passage of this story And see the dumpish fits o' th' God of glory And not be struck with more then admiration To view the sonne of God's evacuation What griefe what fear what blood what sweat is this Which wallowing like the Oceans vast abisse Can finde no bottom nor restrayning brink To curbe his woes or make his sorrows shrink O Bozra now I see thy robes are read O Ramah now thy joyes are banished O Rachel now thy children are transperted And justly thou disdainist to becomforted From Edoms winepresse whilst of late the come Hoping to finde somesweet refresh oâ— home Thou couldst find none thou trod'st that presse of wine Alone and therefore no mans greises like thine But ah me blessed Soviour where be now Thy wonted comforts and that strength'ning crew Of consolations which thou gavist of late To thy Disciples in their wofull state Where 's now the comforts which the Scriptures say Thy presence doth for evermore display Where 's now thâ—â— hope which in deaths valley from Thy rod and shepheards crook were wont to come Where 's now the promise of that great comforter Which thou didst promise as our soules supporter What shall become of us poore withered shrubs Of hysop how shall we endure the rubs And counter-pusss of fact all lictions when Thou lofty Cedar lowâ—es and bows for men Under that burthen and that load of wrath That should presse man down to the second death What was it Saviour tell me that thus lay Upon thy back with such impetuous sway That made thee with a sad redoubled groane Say that thy soule to th'gates of death was throwne What was it feare of death and fore felt-paine That madethee in such measure to complaine Or was 't the shame of thy ensuing Crosse That made thee utter this distemper'd voyce No no farre be 't from me to wrong thee so Those sighs those groans and grief's redoubled woe Did from another deeper sourse and spring Send forth their runnais wofull bubling It was the wofull burthen of mans finne Joyn'd with th'Etem
all wrath that did begin This wofull combat in thy soule for loe What we should suffer thou didst undergoe Hence were thy griefes thy bloody sweats and teares Hence were thy supplicavions and thy feares Hence were th' affrighting passions of thy soule As man alone thou could'st not them controle The spirit of man infirm'ty may sustaine But who can beare th' Almighties deep disdaine To see the Sonne of God sweat drops of blood 〈…〉 And yet no wonder though â— wond'rous cause Produce effect that reason quite dissâ—nowes If hell and death have pains in tollâ—â—able If flesh be weak and humane faith be feeble What wonder was it though with flesh aray'd Thou of th'Eternalls wrath wa st so dismay'd The wonder is how thou our true Phisition Knowing our sicknesse and our sad condition Cor Id'st by the drinking of our poyson'd Cap Refresh our soules and eke revive our hope O that in this thy wofull agonie We could but read our own perplexitie So should our sighs and teares in time prevent Th' eternall throbbings of deaths punishment But since we cannot as we would recall Our mispent time and so repaire our fall O teach us in our lives to follow thee That with thee we may finde conformitie Of comfort in our crosse so shall thy grace Once make us to enjoy thee face to face Yea let the path or way be what it will Let griefe and toile and tears and torment still Beat down our outward Man yet let us make Our inner man more strong by faith and take Example by thee both in life and death To seek Gods favour and to 〈◊〉 his wrath The Surpryse CANTO 3o. THrice hath the Sonne of righteousnes display'd The soure-sweet symptoms of a soule dismay'd And thrice hath zeale-bred pray'rs prevayling power Recleer'd th'eclypses of his darkned houre Thrice hath he bidden his Discyples pray Lest to tentation they should one the way But while he checks their watch they 're still asleep Droun'd in the bottome of secur'ties deep So frequent are our foyles our faith â— unsteady That flesh is ever weak though th'spirit's ready Yet once more will he rouze them from their rest And print this farewell Sermon in their breast My friends saith he oft have I bid you watch Lest Sathan in his snare your soules should catch But you havedroup'd you have been drouzy still Hence forth goe sleep and take your rest at will For th' houre is come The Sonne of Man 's betray'd The Traitounis at hand and for his avde An armed Legion com'th yet none can take My life from me but for my poore sheeps sake I lay it down and take it up againe And by my willing death you life retain Arise let us goe hence Scarse are they gone When loe the traitor and his legion Come all along and to my Saviour goe First to surprize him then work his ov'r throw And first comes Judus in a poore Lambs fleece Though inwardly a raying Wolfe be is Throwing his arms about his Masters neck Doth greet him with this foule dissembling check Haile Master to his word he joyns a kisse And by that signall tells the troupe who h 'is But ô my Saviour meekly doth enquire Friend wherefore com'st thou so dost thou desire By this thy kisse to kill the Sonne of Man The task is foule goe on doe what thou can Hadst thou but as a stranger been suborn'd Thus to betray me I could well have born 't Or hadst thou as a causlesse hatefull foe Conspir'd to work and perpetrate my woe I would not then have grudged But to see Him who did dip his hand i th' dish with me And him who in my bosome lately lay Lift up his heele against me and betray Me to the death 't is strange but Father what Thou hast begun continue consummat Fie on thee Judas Sathans first born sonne Hadst thou but kept one spark of grace within Thy hellish breast these words of friendly love Might have suffic'd thy treach'rous heart to move And pull'd thee down upon thy soules bow'd knees To beg the pardon of thy treacheries But ah as one poore bubbling drop alone Can hardly gutter flint or Porphire stone So hardly can one word though ne'er so â—â—ue An indur'd heart to sense of sinne subdue Whil'st thus he spâ—â—ks to Judas all the â—est Of that proud rable have themselves addrest To apprehend him straight way He but saith Whom seek you friends Jesus of Nar areth Say they he answers Surely I am he Which words import he 's God and Man trulie Iam did from the burning bush foretell The safe redemption of his Israel And this word He doth his human'ty show Who by his death should satisfie the Law For he 's the Man and truly onely He Who gives man life and imâ—ortalitie No sooner hath he spoke â—hose words I 'm he When by those words consounded back they flie And to the ground doe fall such was the power And piercing virtue of my Saviour He doth enquire againe Whom would you have Jesus say they the man of Naxareth I surely am the man saith he the truth I have already told you from my mouth If me you seek then let those goe their way From you I shall not flie but with you stay For what is writ of me fulfill I must Let those goe safe lot me sustain the worst Not long agoe my Saviour hath foretold The times were comming in the which men should Of two coats sell the one and buy a sword Peter remembreth this Prophetione Word And seeing Matchas proudly lay his hand Upon his Master draweth forth his brand And ayminght proud Malchus head that blow Did crop his eare and cut it quite in two Surely the sword of Peter was but just Who stops his ear to God and man doth trust May justly lose his eare his eye his hand And all his body that doth God withstand But Peter here doth wrong could he but know 't He beats the stone and quts the hand did throw 't The blow on Judas should have been moresure Who th' Author was of this distemp'rature Malchus but acts false Judas falser plot 'T is pitty Judas had not Malchus lot Yet that poore Peter now may wisely know That good intention's not enough to show The actions good and that shows cannot hide The hidden frailty of a self-sick pride Christ bids him put his transhing sword againe Into his place for humane streng this vaine And he who by the sword his will doth cherish Shall sometime by the sword both fall and perish Dost thou not know saith he that what a cup My father doth propine I must drink up Thouh it were ne'er so bitter were 't not so This world should perish in an endlesse woe Or dost thou think that if I pleas'd t' escape I could not this earths drossie globe ov'rleap And riding on a thousand Cherubs wings Prepareany ineseue with the King of Kings Or think'st thou not but if I lov'd t'remove I