touch the dead But if the God of Nazarites bids kill He may and be a holy Nazarite still But stay Is God like Man Or can he border Vpon confusion that 's the God of order The Persian Lawes no time may contradict And are the Lawes of God lesse firme and strict An earthly Parent wills his child to stand And waite within a while he gives command Finding the weakenesse of his Sonne opprest With wearinesse that he sit downe and rest Is God unconstant then because he pleases To alter what he wild us for our eases Know likewise O ungratefull flesh and blood God limits his owne glory for our good He is the God of mercy and he prizes Thine Asses life above his Sacrifices His Sabbath is his glory and thy rest Hee 'l lose some honour ere thou lose a Beast Great God of mercy O how apt are wee To robbe thee of thy due that art so free To give unaskt Teach me O God to know What portion I deserve and tremble too SECT 14. ARGVMENT Samson comes downe to reenjoy His wife Her father does withstand For which he threatens to destroy And ruine him and all the land BVt Samson yet not knowing what was past For wronged husbands ever are the last That heare the newes thus with himselfe bethought It cannot be excus'd It was a fault It was a foule one too and at first sight Too greate for love or pardon to acquite O had it bin a stranger that betraid Reposed secrets I had onely laid The blame upon my unadvised tongue Or had a common friend but done this wrong To bosome trust my patience might out-worne it I could endur'd I could have easily borne it But thus to be betraied by a wife The partner of my heart to whom my life My very soule was not esteemed deare Is more then flesh is more then blood can beare But yet alas She was but greene and young And had not gain'd the conquest of her tongue Vnseasond vessells oft will finde a leake At first but after hold She is but weake Nay cannot yet write woman which at best Is a fraile thing Alas young things will quest At every turne Indeed to say the truth Her yeares could make it but a fault of youth Samson returne and let that fault be set Vpon the score of youth forgive forget She is my wife Her love hath power to hide A fouler error Why should I divide My presence from her There 's no greater wrong To love then to be silent over long Alas poore soule No doubt her tender eye Hath wept enough perchance she knows not why I 'me turn'd so great a stranger to her bed And boord No doubt her empty eyes have shed A world of teares perchance her guiltlesse thought Conceives my absence as a greater fault Then that of late her harmelesse Error did I 'l goe and draw a reconciling Kid From the faire flocke My feet shall never rest Till I repose me in my Brides faire brest He went but ere his speedy lips obtain'd The merits of his hast darknesse had stain'd The cristall brow of day and gloomy night Had spoild and rifled heaven of all his light H'approach'd the gates but being entred in His carelesse welcome seem'd so cold and thin As if that silence meant it should appeare He was no other then a stranger there In every servants looke hee did espie An easie Copie of their Masters eye He call'd his wife but she was gone to rest Vnto her wonted chamber he addrest His doubtfull steps till by her father staid Who taking him aside a little said Son It was the late espousals that doe move My tongue to use that title not thy love T is true there was a Mariage lately past Betweene my Childe and you The knot was fast And firmly tyed not subject to the force Of any powre but death or else divorce For ought I saw a mutuall desire Kindled your likings and an equall fire Of strong affection joyned both your hands With the perpetuall knot of nuptiall bands Mutuall delight and equall loyes attended Your pleased hearts untill the feast was ended But then I know no ground you know it best As if your loves were measur'd by the Feast The building fell before the house did shake Loves fire was quencht ere it began to slake All on a sudden were your joyes disseis'd Forsooke your Bride and went away displeas'd You left my childe to the opprobrious tongues Of open censure whose mabitious wrongs Maligning her faire merits did defame Her wounded honour and unblemisht name I thought thy love which was so strong of late He thus began t' attempt his first conclusion The patient Angler first provides his baite Before his hopes can teach him to awaite Th' enjoyment of his long expected prey Revengefull Samson ere hee can appay His wrongs with timely vengeance must intend To gaine the Instruments to worke his end He plants his Engines hides his snares about Pitches his Toiles findes new devices out To tangle wilie Foxes In few dayes That land had store his studious hand betrayes A leash of hundreds which he thus imployes As Agents in his ragefull enterprize With tough and force-enduring thongs of Lether He joynes and couples taile and taile together And every thonge bound in a Brand of Fire So made by Art that motion would inspire Continuall flames and as the motion ceast The thrifty blaze would then retire and rest In the close Brand untill a second strife Gave it new motion and that motion life Soone as these coupled Messengers receiv'd Their siery Errand though they were bereiv'd Of power to make great hast they made good speed Their thoughts were diffring though their tailes agreed T'one drags and drawes to th' East the other West One fit they run another while they rest T' one skulks and snarles the t' other tugges and hales At length both flee with fier in their tailes And in the top and height of all their speed T'one stops before the tother be agreed The other pulls and drags his fellow backe Whilst both their tailes were tortur'd on the racke At last both weary of their warme Embassage Their better ease discride a fairer passage And time hath taught their wiser thoughts to joyne More close and travell in a straighter line Into the open Champion they divide Their straggling paces where the ploughmans pride Found a faire Object in his rip'ned Corne Whereof some part was reapt some stood unshorne Sometimes the fiery travellers would seeke Protection beneath a swelling Reeke But soone that harbour grew too hot for staie Affording onely light to run away Sometimes the full-ear'd standing-wheat must cover And hide their shames there the flames would hover About their eares and send them to enquire A cooler place but there the flaming fire Would scorch their hides and send them sing'd away Thus doubtfull where to goe or where to stay They range about Flee forward then retire Now here now
is the ruine than And misery of sin-beguiled Man On what foundation shall his hopes relie See we thy face or see it not we dye O let thy word great God instruct the youth And frailty of our faith Thy word is truth And what our eyes want power to perceive O let our hearts admier and beleeve Which entertain'd my pleased thoughts appear'd A sairer object which hath so endear'd My very soule with sadnesse so distrest That this poore heart can finde no ease no rest It was a Virgin in whose Heavenly face Vnpattern'd Beauty and diviner Grace Were so conjoyn'd as if they both conspir'd To make one Angell when these eyes enquir'd Into the exc'lence of her rare perfection They could not choose but like and my affection Is so inslamed with desire that I Am now become close prisoner to her eye Now if my sad Petition may but finde A faire successe to ease my tortur'd minde And if your tender hearts be pleas'd to prove As prone to pitty mine as mine to love Let me with joy exchange my single life And be the husband of so faire a wife Whereto th' amazed parents in whose eye Distast and wonder percht made this reply What strange desire what unadvis'd request Hath broken loose from thy distracted brest What! are the daughters of thy brethren growne So poore in Worth and Beauty Is there none To please that over-curious eye of thine But th' issue of a cursed Philistine Can thy miswandring eyes choose none but her That is the child of an Idolater Correct thy thoughts and let thy soule rejoyce In lawfull beauty Make a wiser choice How well this counsell pleas'd the tired eares Of love-sicke Samson O let him that beares A crost affection judge Let him discover The woefull case of this afflicted lover What easie pensell cannot represent His very lookes How his sterne Browes were bent His drooping head his very port and guise His bloodlesse cheekes and deadnesse of his eyes Till at the length his moving tongue betrai'd His sullen lips to language thus and said Sir Th' extreame affection of my heart does leade My tongue that 's quickned with my love to pleade What if her parents be not circumcis'd Her issue shall and she perchance advis'd To worship Israells God and to forget Her fathers house Alas she is as yet But young her downy yeares are greene and tender Shee 's but a twigge and time may easly bend her T' embrace the truth Our counsells may controule Her sinfull breeding and so save a soule Nay who can tell but Heaven did recommend Her beauty to these eyes for such an end O loose not that which Heaven is pleas'd to save Let Samson then obtaine as well as crave You gave me being then prolong my life And make me husband to so faire a wife With that the parents joyn'd their whispering heads Samson observes and in their parly reads Some Characters of hope The mother smiles The father frownes which Samson reconciles With hopefull feares She smiles and crownes His hopes which He deposes with his frownes The whispring ended jointly they displaid A halfe resolved countenance and said Samson suspend thy troubled minde a while Let not thy over charged thoughts recoile Take heed of Shipwracke Rockes are neere the Shore Wee 'l see the Virgin and resolve thee more MEDITAT 7. LOve is a noble passion of the heart That with it very essence doth impart All needfull Circumstances and effects Vnto the chosen party it affects In absence it enjoies and with an eye Fill'd with celestiall fier doth espy Objects remote It joyes and smiles in griefe It sweetens poverty It brings reliefe It gives the Feeble strength the Coward spirit The sicke man health the undeserving merit It makes the proudman humble and the stout It overcomes and treads him vnder foote It makes the mighty man of warre to droope And him to serve that never yet could stoope It is a Fire whose Bellowes are the breath Of heaven above and kindled here beneath T is not the power of a mans election To love He loves not by his owne direction It is nor beauty nor benigne aspect That alwayes moves the Lover to affect These are but meanes Heavens pleasure is the cause Love is not bound to reason and her Lawes Are not subjected to the imperious will Of man It lies not in his power to nill How is this Love abus'd That 's onely made A snare for wealth or to set up a trade T' enrich a great mans Table or to pay A desperate debt or meerely to allay A base and wanton lust which done no doubt The love is ended and her fier out No he that loves for pleasure or for pelfe Loves truly none and falsely but himselfe The pleasure past the wealth consum'd and gone Love hath no subject now to worke upon The props being falne that did support the roofe Nothing but Rubbish and neglected Stuffe Like a wilde Chaos of Confusion lies Presenting uselesse ruines to our eyes The Oyle that does maintaine loves sacred fire Is vertue mixt with mutuall desire Of sweet society begunne and bred I' th soule nor ended in the mariage bed This is that dew of Hermon that does fill The soule with sweetnesse watring Sions hill This is that holy fire that burnes and lasts Till quencht by death The other are but blasts That faintly blaze like Oyle-for saken snusses Which every breath of discontentment puffs And quite extinguishes and leaves us nothing But an offensive subject of our loathing SECT 8. ARGVMENT He goes to Timnah As he went He slew a Lyon by the way He sues obtaines the Maides consent And they appoint the mariage day WHen the next day had which his morning light Redeem'd the East frō the darke shades of night And with his golden raies had overspred The neighbring Mountaines from his loathed Bed Sicke-thoughted Samson rose whose watchfull eyes Morpheus that night had with his leaden keyes Not power to close His thoughts did so incumber His restlesse soule his eyes could never slumber Whose softer language by degrees did wake His fathers sleepe-bedeafned eares and spake Sir Let your early blessings light upon The tender bosome of your prosp'rous Sonne And let the God of Israel repay Those blessings double on your head this day The long-since banisht shaddows make me bold To let you know the morning waxes old The Sunbeames are growne strong their brighter hiew Have broke the Mists and dride the morning dewe The sweetnesse of the season does invite Your steps to visit Timnah and acquite Your last nights promise With that the Danite and his wife arose Scarce yet resolv'd at last they did dispose Their doubtfull paces to behold the prize Of Samsons heart and pleasure of his eyes They went and when their travell had attain'd Those fruitfull hills whose clusters entertain'd Their thirsty palats with their swelling pride The musing lover being stept a side To gaine the pleasure of a lonely thought Appear'd
Of necessary evills to choose the least Why doubt I then When Reason bids me doe I le know the Riddle and betray it too With that she quits her chamber with her cares And in her closset locks up all her feares And with a speed untainted with delay She found that brest wherein her owne heart lay Where resting for a while at length did take A faire occasion to looke up and spake Life of my soule and loves perpetuall treasure If my desires be suiting to thy pleasure My lips would move a Suite My doubtfull brest Would faine preferre an undenyde request When strength of wit and secret power of fraud Grow dull constraint must conquer and applaud With ill got vict'ry which at length obtaind Alas how poore a trifle have we gaind How are our soules distempered to engrosse Such fading pleasures To ore-prize the dresse And under-rate the gold for painted Ioyes To sell the true and heaven it selfe for Toyes Lord clarifie mine eyes that I may know Things that are good from what are good in show And give me wisedome that my heart may learne The diffrence of thy favours and discerne What 's truly good from what is good in part With Martha's trouble give me Maries heart SECT 12. ARGVMENT The Bride shee begs and begs in vaine But like to a prevailing wooer She sues and sues and sues againe At last he reads the Riddle to her WHen the next morning had renew'd the day And th' earely twilight now had chac'd away The pride of night and made her lay aside Her spangled Robes the discontented Bride Whose troubled thoughts were tired with the night And broken slumbers long had wisht for light With a deepe sigh her sorrow did awake Her drowsie Bridegroome whom she thus bespake O if thy love could share an equall part In the sad griefes of my asflicted heart Thy closed eyes had never in this sort Bin pleas'd with rest and made thy night so short Perchance if my dull eyes had slumbred too My dreames had done what thou denide to doe Perchance my Fancy would have bin so kinde T' unsolve the doubts of my perplexed minde I was a small suite that thy unluckie Bride Must light upon Too small to be denyde Can love so soone But ere her lips could spend The following words he said suspend suspend Thy rash attempt and let thy tongue dispense With forc'd denyall Let thy lips commence Some greater Suite and Samson shall make good Thy faire desiers with his dearest blood Speake then my love thou shalt net wish and want Thou canst not beg what Samson cannot grant Onely in this excuse me and refraine To beg what thou perforce must beg in vaine Inexorable Samson Can the teares From those faire eyes not move thy deafned eares O can those drops that trickle from those eyes Vpon thy naked bosome not surprize Thy neighb'ring heart and force it to obey O can thy heart not melt as well as they Thou little thinkst thy poore afflicted wife Importunes thee and wooes thee for her life Her Suit 's as great a Riddle to thine eares As thine to hers O these distilling teares Are silent pleaders and her moistred breath Would faine redeeme her from the gates of death May not her teares prevaile Alas thy strife Is but for wagers Her 's poore Soule for life Now when this day had yeelded up his right To the succeeding Empresse of the night Whose soone-deposed raigne did reconvay Her crowne and Scepter to the new borne day The restlesse Bride feares cannot brooke deniall Renewes her suite and attempts a further tryall Entreats conjures she leaves no way untride She will not no she must not be denide But he the portalls of whose marble heart Was lockt and barr'd against the powerfull art Of oft repeated teares stood deafe and dumbe He must not no he will not be orecome Poore Bride How is thy glory overcast How is the pleasure of the nuptialls past When scarce begun Alas how poore a breath Of joy must puffe thee to untimely death The day 's at hand wherein thou must untie The Riddles tangled Snarle or else must die Now when that day was come wherein the feast Was to expire the Bride whose pensive brest Grew sad to death did once more undertake Her too resolved Bridegroome thus and spake Vpon these knees that prostrate on the floore Are lowly bended and shall nev'r give ore To move thy goodnesse that shall never rise Vntill my Suite finds favour in thine eyes Vpon these naked knees I here present My sad request O let thy heart relent A Suitor sues that never sued before And she begs now that never will beg more Hast thou vow'd silence O remember how Thou art engaged by a former vow Thy heart is mine The secrets of thy heart Are mine Why art thou dainty to impart Mine owne to me Then give me leave to sue For what my right may challenge as her due Vnfold thy Riddle then that I may know Thy love is more then only love in show The Bridegroome thus enchanted by his Bride Vnseal'd his long-kept silence and replide Thou sole and great commandresse of my heart Thou hast prevail'd my bosome shall impart The summe of thy desiers and discharge The faithfull secrets of my soule at large Know then my joy Vpon that very day I first made knowne my'affection on the way I met and grappled with a sturdy Lyon Having nor staffe nor weapon to relie on I was enforc'd to proove my naked strength Vnequall was the match But at the length This brawney arme receiving strength from him That gave it life I tore him limme from limme And left him dead Now when the time was come Wherein our promis'd nuptialls were to summe And perfect all my joyes as I was comming That very way a strange confused humming Not distant farre possest my wondring eare Where guided by the noise there did appeare A Swarme of Bees whose busie labours fill'd The Carkasse of that Lyon which I kill'd With Combes of Hony wherewithall I fed My lips and thine And now my Riddle 's read MEDITAT 12. THe soule of man before the taint of Nature Bore the faire Image of his great Creator His understanding had no cloud His will No crosse That knew no Error This no ill But man transgrest And by his wofull fall Lost that faire Image and that little all Was left was all corrupt His understanding Exchang'd her object Reason left commanding His Memory was depraved and his will Can finde no other subject now but Ill It grew distemperd left the righteous reine Of better Reason and did entertaine The rule of Passion under whose command It suffered Ship-wracke upon every Sand Where it should march it evermore retires And what is most forbid it most desires Love makes it see too much and often blinde Doubt makes it light and waver like the winde Hate makes it fierce and studious Anger mad Ioy makes it carelesse Sorrow dull