for the frames Yielding such fruit as few have born but he Zealous for Heaven where he in Glory reigns so his Losses turn'd to be his Gains ¶ On Christ's Death MY God my God turn not to night my day Shall Mans black Crimes be Darts my heart to slay Must my dear blood on sinful dust be spilt To pay his debt and wash away his guilt My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Must I come from a Diadem to Death Leaving my joys in sorrow spend my breath Must I that am coequal with the Father Be crucifi'd that man may comfort gather My God my God c. I that e're now was cloath'd in state of Glory Am now in Rags of Flesh to tell my story I that fill ev'ry place in spight of danger Yet I in fear was cradled in a Manager My God my God c. To Egypt I compelled was to fly I am the Life yet I my self must die I am the sole Dictator of the Law Yet must be subject now and stand in aw My God my God c. 'T was I that both the Earth and Heavens made But working now at Joseph's homely trade Children of men I have ye ost exempted Can binde the Devils yet must I be tempted My God my God c. I made the World of Nothing Man of Dust Yet I have hungred and have been athirst I am become Life to the Lunatick If God can die Nature may well be sick My God my God c. Must I that keep the Keys of Death and Hell Pay visits now where griefs and terrours dwell Must Kings be made the subjects of their scorns And wear instead of Stars a Crown of Thorns My God my God c. My Senses all extreamly are agriev'd My eyes beholding whom I have reliev'd Mine ears with hearing lewd blasphemous Taunts Instead of Hallelujahs sung by Saints My God my God c. Smelling I finde my nostrils streight grow full O' th' evil scent of some corrupted skull My Taste is chang'd with Liquor like my Thrall Sower and bitter Vinegar and Gall. My God my God c. My Feeling with the Spear that pierc'd my side That man might live I thus was crucifi'd At length my Father heard me bad me die But nothing fear sor he himself stood by ¶ An Hymn By St. Ambrose and St. Augustine OUr tongues O God thy praise record We thee consess our Soveraign Lord. To thee Eternal Father all Who dwell on Earth do prostrate fall To thee the Angels at all hours To thee the Heavens and heav'nly powers To thee with voice incessantly The Seraphins and Cherubs cry Thou Holy Holy Holy one Of Sabbath Lord and God alone Fill'd is the Earth the Heavens the Skie With glory of thy Majesty The bless'd Apostles glorious Quire The Prophets whom thou didst inspire And all the White-rob'd Martyrs sing Eternal praise to thee their King The holy Church does loudly sound Thy blessed Name throughout the ronnd Of the whole Earth confessing thee Father of boundless Majestie The same is dutifully done To thy sole Venerable Son And to the Holy Ghost that arms The Soul with consolating Charms Thou Christ hast Kingly Glories won Thy Father 's dear Eternal Son Thou man to free from endless pain A Virgins womb didst nor disdain That death subduing didst unlock Heav'ns Realms unto thy faithful Flock On God's right hand thou fit'st as bright As in thy Father's radiant light Our Judge to come thou art esteem'd Thy servants therefore help redeem'd With thy most precious blood and make Us with thy Saints of Bliss partake Lord save thy people in distress Thy Heritage vouchsase to bless Rule and exalt them without end Our dayly blessings thee attend Thy glorious Name we magnifie From age to age eternally This day sweet Lord we now are in Preserve us from committ'ng sin Have mercy on us Lord efface Our sins with thy Coelestial grace Let mercy on us Lord be seen As in thy self our hopes have been Lord I have fix'd my hopes on thee Then let me ne're confounded be ¶ On Christ's Cross. CAn we spell Chris-cross row and yet not read That Christ for us was dead How he himself did humble unto death Loosing his life to give us breath But now he shines in the Coelestial Frame And hath receiv'd a Name To which all knees shall bow and tongues shall say This is the Lord we must obey He that doth disregard the Cross of Christ Of Happiness hath mist Destruction is his end his glory shame But happy he doth love the same I will not hate the Cross nor yet adore Any but he it bore I 'll not blaspheme the Cross because t was dy'd With his rich blood was crucifi'd Rich beyond price for when that blood was spilt It cleans'd a world of guilt It bought mankinde for when Christ's blood was flown As Lord he call'd us all his own Wherefore I will not worship any one But my dear Lord alone Take up my Cross and bear my Cross I will I 'll love it and embrace it still But to adore my Cross I will not dare All knees should that forbear In reverence to his Name all hearts shall bow With pious Zeal as mine does now Christ never wanted crosses scoffs and scorns His ways were strew'd with thorns Then may we judge by his most sacred birth He 's cross'd wants crosses here on Earth ¶ The Cross. Then let us count all things as loss And Dung compared with the Cross. This is the Figure of that Tree That bore the fruit of life for me The Emblem of Humility Express'd in him did on it die To it was nail'd the God of Life Who did in Love to end our Strife God had one Son who had no sin But all his Sons have crossed bin ¶ The Resurrection HE 's risen now behold the stone is gone Which late was rolled to inclose the Son Had the weak Jews so little wit or grace To trust to that when he fills ev'ry place Earth is his foot-stool yet he dwells on high Holy his Name himself 's Eternity ¶ The Ascention HOw nimbly and with what a quick ascent Heaven was scal'd by the Omnipotent But one days speedy journey surely then Sinners are sots that won't be happy men ¶ An Adoration to the Lord of the Sabbath BEhold we come dear Lord to thee And bow before thy Throne We come to offer on our knee Our Vows to thee alone Whate're we have whate're we are Thy bounty freely gave Thou didst us here in mercy spare And wilt hereafter save But oh can all our store afford No better gifts for thee Thus we confess thy Riches Lord And thus our Poverty 'T is not our tongue or knee can pay The mighty Debt we owe For more we should than we can say Far lower than we bow Come then my Soul bring all thy powers And grieve thou hast no more Bring ev'ry day thy choicest hours And thy great God adore
providence doth think it fit To hit the mark sometimes by missing it Let me not now appear so idly rude To pay my God with my Ingratitude And give my thanks to Fortune as if she Were Governess of my Tranquillity But if my thanks may make a recompence I 'll pay them to the eye of Providence Narrow was my escape be it my charge That therefore I my thankfulness inlarge Lest my ingratitude should justly cause That since this Arrow seemingly did pause By touching of my hat but miss'd my head The next may pierce my heart and strike me dead The ancient Romans did this Law contrive Ingrateful ones should be devour'd alive He that receiv'd and thankfulness would want Was cast whilst living to the Cormorant Lycurgus made no Law to punish such Thinking no wretch could dare to sin so much ¶ On Disturb'd Devotion THis morning Lord I visited my friend But ill came of that good I did intend Unhappy I that then should finde the way When he to his apartment went to pray If I 'm uncapable my self to build Shall I snatch Tools from him is thorow skill'd Certainly better far more pious 't were And Christian-like to joyn with him in Prayer But now how shall I study an amends That as before we may continue friends Lord what he wanted if it be thy will Be pleas'd to grant for he 's thy servant still Thou knowst for what he did intend to sue And my Petition for him 's doubly due That neither he nor I may loosers be Lord hear our Saviour both for him and me ¶ On Sin and Sorrow OUr Sin and Sorrow two Companions are Sin leads us in and Sorrow feeds the snare If our short moments merrily are spent Into eternal mournings we are sent He that won't weep while he may pardon have Hereafter may in vain for pity crave One bottle full of Tears thy sins may quell But a whole Cloud not quench the flames of Hell Then let the careless sinner laugh and scorn I 'll weep at present not for ever mourn Valleys of Tears do shew their cleansing skill And raise a sinner unto Sions hill But the fool's heart is in the house of mirth His Joy's his Sorrow and his Heaven Earth But he whose Cup is fill'd unto the brink With sin he shall in Seas of Sorrow sink Wherefore my Sins I 'll here in Sorrow steep And so weep now as not for ever weep ¶ On Mortality LOrd what a Shadow is the Life of man A nothing less than is a little span Just as a Bird when as it takes its flight From off the owners hand is out of sight Our present time is as a fading flower A flying minute or a running hour The time to come after the present's fled Uncertain is next Sun may see us dead Lord in this hour oh make me sure of thee Lest in the next I miss Felicitie ¶ On St. Peter's Enlargement WHen the good Angel brought Saint Peter out From Prison there was neither noise nor shout That should for joy awake the Iron-gate Yet of its own accord it open'd straight But see how all things in their duties vary He chang'd his Prison for the house of Mary Mother of John yet stood and knock'd at door Could not get in with ease got out before The Iron-gate obedience understood Yet he found opposition by the Wood. Easie the answer is There no man was The Gate to open or to guard the pass But as in course it usual was before A Portress was design'd to wait the door God would not shew his finger where the hand Of man impower'd was to bear command Lord should a wooden Obstacle increase Or be a bar unto our hopes of Peace An arm of flesh might set a â—…ter free Without those Miracles are wrought by thee But shou'dst thou leave usâ—… Lord do what we can We cry Alas Vain is the help of man To God alone all glory be ascrib'd Jaylors extort but God cannot be brib'd ¶ The Soul's Search LIke weeping Mary holy sorrow lays Wait for the Lord and seeks him divers ways And Saving Faith like wrestling Jacob finds Its Saviour out and firmly to him binds Like the devoted Spouse so fervent love Doth dwell with Christ not thinking to remove This brings the Soul to Pastures fresh and green And leads it to the Chamber of the Queen Hereafter Christ the blessed Soul doth bring To the Coelestial-chamber of the King So that to lodge with Christ and view his face Is the perfection of eternal Grace Lord oh my Soul doth love no other he I sought have found and thirst to dwell with thee ¶ On Prosperity IF wicked men in Gold and Silver shine Should I at their Prosperity repine When I indeed behold their spreading Eay And view their Quails methinks I 'm apt to say They happy are but 't is when I forget Their shining-sun doth with a twinkle set For when into God's Sanctuary I Once place my foot I easily descry That all the Blossoms of their splendid Glory Are as dull shadows meerly momentory The scum of Vanity a useless froth Blasted with one breath of Almighty wrath External Pleasures on which they rely Fill up the measures of their misery Like the deceitful Salute Joab gave To Amasa so all their great and brave Bespangled Honour mounts them up in Vice Only to cast them from a precipice Or like the Mule of Absalom doth bear Them to the Gallows and so leaves them there Like Jaels present in a lordly dish It seems to pleasure the luxurious wish But in the end when sensual Lusts prevail The dire conclusion shews a fatal nail And very frankly chalketh out the way For a sad Summons to the Judgment-day Thus their Prosperity doth first betray With tempting smiles and in conclusion slay As a poor Ox in fatning Pasture feeds To day the next he 's singled out and bleeds What envy will at Malefactors flie Because the day is fair wherein they die Why doth Iniquity in Glory flourish In Pastures large it only is to nourish Them for the slaughter Hear the sum of all Experience tells it Pride will have a fall For Mediocrity bent Agur's art He knew Prosperity doth swell the heart ¶ On Humility NOsce teipsum hard is to be learn'd A mans own faults are not with ease discern'd The faults of other men are writ in Text Easie to read when ours are not annext The eye that 's fixt on Natures choicest shelf Can all things see yet not behold it self Presumptuous Confidence goes bleeding home When humble Fear triumphantly doth come Great Alexander would be deifi'd Confess'd himself a man his blood espi'd The humble man within another minds All things are excellent but when he finds He doth decline in Vertue noble Elf He is the first that shall condemn himself His eyes are full of his continual want Sees others worth and grieves himself is scant When he hath but a mite of his deserts Others he
magnifies Thus he imparts His generosity to famous use Whilst others do repay him with abuse From pride and malice none is more exempt Asham'd of honour values no contempt Violet-like he grows low to the ground That hides its head with leaves and he is found Like that with fragrant smells which so bewray That his own Vertues do his Worth betray In his Discourse he never flies aloft His words are few and those few words are soft Modestly speaking not self-glorious Nor peremptory nor censorious Because he thinks all other men more wise Corrects himself by his own modest eyes When his Devotions do the time beguile He makes himself a nothing wretched vile Doth no man emulate if understood He hates none but himself because not good A mite of Comfort doth his wants supply And none more patient when in misery Because he knows that his deserts are such That having sin'd cannot be plagu'd too much He a low Valley is and planted sweet Where fresh and fragrant Odours often meet And like the proud mans earth is trampled on Though full of wealthy Mines a pretious stone Fit for foundation-work not plac'd aloof God's holy Temple built with lowly roof Camomile-like and Palm-tree when deprest Doth higher rise wearied to take his rest Zacheus from the Sycamore came down And that descension made the Lord his own 'T is not the Proud that do in Christ believe Not Lofty but the Humble him receive Fruitfullest Trees do in the Valleys grow And thrive the better for their being low When taller Trees an interruption finde By the strong blast of a contagious winde Yet the tall Tree hangs down its head to say For this God made me and I do obey The humble man considers Earth's his Womb And then remembers Earth must be his Tomb. Unto Humility God's Grace is given Who with that Grace a Ladder makes to Heaven ¶ On Vice WHen on a Journey and am weary grown I finde an Inne within some Countty-town And have observ'd numbers of Guests do come First to the Chamberlain to shew a Room Perhaps one Chamber doth contain them all Yet on the Chamberlain doth each man call One to the Table bids him straight attend Another doth him to the Window send A third unto the Chimney must be led A fourth would be conducted to his bed A fifth man sends him down for Glass or Cup And e're he 's down another calls him up Thus he 's distracted with a sudden moyl Scarce can please all though tired with his toyl Such is the sad condition of my Soul In what a cloud of crosses it doth rowl By Nature I am born a wretched twin To sorrow servant and a slave to fin Unto the Window I am call'd by Pride Gluttony next pretends to be my Guide By Laziness I 'm to the Chimney led By Wantonness I 'm finely brought to bed Ambition calls me up but I am grown So coverous more profit calls me down Vices I see themselves do contradict 'T is only Vertue that doth Vice convict Free me O Lord from this distracted case Vertue it self is Vice unless thou place It in a centre like it self to shine A servant unto sin cannot be thine For In thy service perfect freedom is Sin is a slavery a dark abyss Satan deludes the Soul to acts obscure But The commandments of the Lord are pure Vice is at best but a diseased Whore Splendidly painted making fools adore ¶ On God's presence HEaven it is ever to be with God Without him is in Hell to take abode You that in Christ no beauty can behold Nor Heavens glory dare you be so bold As not to think they all things do excel Or can you not behold the flames of Hell If in God's presence you do not delight Oh tremble at his absence If your flight Be at a distance as if you did doubt him Consider well and fear to be without him Lord thou my Heaven art my God my Guide My wedded Husband and my Soul 's thy Bride ¶ On Hypocrisie THe Hypocrite with his deceitful eye Doth serve the Devil in God's Livery And therefore to the Lord so well is known Both Earth and Heaven doth his craft disown Man sees his Livery and cunning Art And hateth him but God doth view his heart And hates him too Mensee his outward Zeal For which they do deride him He like steel Grows strong and siubborn pleas'd with his own case Though God and Man do both abhor his face So that he in a Wilderness doth rove And never doth become a Canaan's Dove The sum of all his labours doth at last Consume with the Almighty's dreadful blast And a dire doom when he at Judgment stands Who hath required these things at your hands He that so cunningly did others cheat Took greatest pains his own Soul to defeat He steals his own Damnation and can tell For he with sweat hath found the way to Hell So that the Sinner openly prophane And Hypocrite as they together reign On Earth although in different degrees They both at last Jament their little ease Only two ways they finde unto their fate One steals to Hell thorow the Postern-gate The other keeps the open beaten Road But both at last in Tophet make abode Hypocrites habit is Formality But Lord cloath me with thy Sincerity Perhaps men may not of my state approve It matters not so I obtain thy love Saints here but labour to peruse their story When they arrive to their eternal Glory ¶ On Pleasures IN all things an immoderated use Breeds a distate and man when grown prosuse Doth glut himself with Pleasure He that 's wise Esteems them chiefly for their novelties The pleasure of the body gives relief No otherwise than adding grief to grief When Jupiter as ancient Poets fain With all his might and art could not attain Two great Antagonists to reconcile Pleasure and Sorrow having paus'd a while He took an Adamantine Chain with that Bound them together so that then they sat As fixt Companions They that were unstable But just before were made inseparable Affection propagates our Pleasures growth Vertue 's an Antidote against them both Pleasure is the Adulterate brat of Sense So very fading she cannot dispence To last while Artists shall her Picture frame And therefore Memory preserves her name All those delights that do the Senses please Are one days age an Ephemerides What excellence may that be said to be Which the most excellent as dangers slee Time with the Pleasures of this World is spilt Full of the stain of fin and sting of guilt Hannibal his honour lost and duty Being entangled with a womans beauty Antonius his Cleapatra had Both were most valiant Captains but the sad Effects of Lust did like a Cloud o'recast All their Archievements and their labours blast Lust is the bane of Kingdoms done alone It would more common be than any one Of all those Vices that corrupt the eye Heathens the first place give to
it was and sweetly grew ¶ Prayer for Peace BLessed Saviour God of Peace When storms arise or shall increase Say thou the word and they shall cease Allay their fury quench their rage Whose factions would disturb the Age Their fiery zeal do thou asswage Be thou a Comforter to those That never do the Truth oppose Them strengthen and convert their 〈◊〉 ¶ On Mercy MErcy is comfort to the Poor 'T is that the Rich desire Lord we thy Mercies do implore 'T is that the Saints require Mercy it was that gave us life To move to think or say Mercy is Physick for our grief And teacheth us to pray O how can we for mercy call That have so wicked been Our Parents gave us such a fall 'T is hard to rise agen Yet 't is for Mercy still we crave 'T is that which must us raise Mercy first made and now will save And teach us how to praise Our sins increase more than our days Yet Mercy lets us live 'T is God that we for all must praise That doth these mercies give And shall we still run on the score Not paying any part Of what we ought to him before He asketh but a heart My Soul pay what thou canst of all thy store He that pays nothing ever owes the more ¶ The Swine LOrd I am thine Although possest O be thou mine And give some rest To me a beast O Christ be good To sinful man And with thy blood Lord wash me clean Be thou my food My staff my stay My King my God And thee alway I will obey Command my sins into the Sea That I may praise and honour thee ¶ The Penitent LOrd I 'm a sinner and my sins increase To such an unknown sum That should my rockie heart and eyes Nay my whole Microcosm a flood become And drown it self in Tears 't would not suffice To name my score Not then to pay But Lord thy blood is my rich store Thou art the Patron of the Poor But all the Balsam of thy blood Alas I know will do no good Unless I wash my griefs with Tears before O thou whose sweet and pensive face To laughter never gave a place Instruct mine eyes Without delay To melt away And then the less of Balsam will suffice ¶ The Soul awaked LOrd we again lift up our eyes And leave our sluggish beds But why we wake or why we rise Comes seldom in our heads Is it to sweat and toyl for wealth Or sport our time away That thou preserv'st us still in health And giv'st us this new day No no unskilful Soul not so Be not deceiv'd with toys Thy Lord's Commands more wisely go And aim at higher joys They bid us wake to seek new Grace And some fresh vertue gain They call us up to mend our pace Till we the prize attain That glorious Prize for which all run Who wisely spend their breath Who when this weary life is done Are sure of Rest in Death Not such a rest as here we prove Disturb'd with Cares and Fears But endless Joy and Peace and Love The Pleasures of the Spheres Glory to thee O bounteous Lord Who giv'st to all things breath Glory to thee Eternal Word Who sav'st us by thy death Glory O blessed Spirit to thee Who fill'st our Souls with Love Glory to all the mystick Three Who reign one God above ¶ St. Paul's Petition FRom Enemies where're they be My God do thou deliver me From them that do against me rise From private Foes inventing lyes From bloody men who loving strife Endeavour to ensnare my life The Mighty are against me bent Because I sinn'd and do repent Arise and visit with thy Rod Those Enemies of thine O God Their follies shew that they may be At last true followers of thee ¶ On the Conscience COrruption now adays doth spring so fast So regarded And rewarded That if my tender Conscience would be sold Or if for it a Dispensation Could be but got I doubt it not I 'd store up wealth in this our Nation One spark of Flattery would so increase My evil goods So that my woods Would make a lasting fire when I decease The World 's fond love might easily be bought If I could tell The way to sell The little honesty that I have got Were but this World my home perhaps I might Be apt to trade But here things fade Give me the Riches wherein Saints delight Though now I live in a corrupted Cell Which doth annoy I would enjoy The peace of Conscience there where Angels dwell Love upon Earth is good 〈◊〉 that doth last But the choice love Of God above Is everlasting and doth never wast Tush wicked World Heav'n is my Merchandize If in my way My sight should stray My home shall be the curtains of mine eyes A desp'rate fate it is the Worldlings run A Pearl to sell To purchase Hell They must be great or to be just undone ¶ St. Austin's Prayer Recommended to the devout Christian by P. Vrban the 8th BEfore thy holy eyes O Lord We sinners heartily accord Humbly to own our griefs of heart Are nothing to our just desert The evils we have done exceed What we can write or may be read Our Consciences our Souls affright And say Thy Chastisements are light We feel the punishments of sin And yet we do persist therein Weak Nature faints at ev'ry scourge Yet perverse wills do dayly urge Our restless minds do still provoke Thy Justice and despise thy Yoke We sigh away our days in grief Yet sorrow gives us small relief For when our sighs do once expire We wallow in our former mire If we repent 't is at a rate That we had need repent for that If thou revenge our stubbornness Thy Justice doth our hearts depress Thy anger fills our Souls with fears We weep but soon forget our Tears If thou stretch out thy hand we then Promise to turn to Saints from men But if thy Sword suspension shows We then forget to pay our Vows If thou dost strike we pardon crave And when thou pardon letst us have We sin again and ne're give o're With provocations more and more Thus we our guilty selves accuse Thus we thy mercies do abuse Yet Mercy Mercy still we cry Or we are drench'd in misery Then Lord O let thy goodness give Those streams by which the Angels live Our Souls inspire amend our days Touch thou our tongues and we shall praise All glory be to God on high The Father of Eternity To Three in One and One in Three ¶ The Believer HAppy is he that doth The truth Believe for he it is Shall kiss The Son of Righteousness shall surely come By his believing to believers home Let thy belief be true But few There are that do make that Their State Abraham left a Pattern good behinde him But few there are that seek him less that finde him I do believe a Tree Will be Pleasantly green when I With eye
to be thy Match or Mate then consult thy Honour if thou lovest the World and embracest the Earth canst thou hate Adultery with man and be an Adultress to God Let not a Strumpet stand in thy sight but especially suffer not thy heart to whore after Vanity If thou fallest into ill Company that shall court thee let not the Devil wooâ—… thee O my Soul thou most beloved above all Creatures that hast God for thy Huâ—…band Heaven for thy Dower and Eartâ—… for thy Service suffer not Hell to 〈◊〉 thy Pander to dote upon the World let thy Heart be an Habitation for Goâ—… and Heaven Thy Soul is the Lord of thy Body take then thy bodies homage not thine own ruine let thy Soul act the will of God and command the body to execute thine Let not thy body be thy God lest thou becomest a Devil to thy self Thy Soul is an Angels peer let it not then be a companion for Satan Let not thy Lordship be sold for slavery and misery for if thou maintainest not thy right Hell must be thy harbour Torments thy terrour and wicked Spirits thy company Thy Soul under God is the supream Soveraign of thy body be not then a subject to thy subject let not the law of the Members be the law of the Minde for the Senses are Handmaids to the Soul and she is the Princess of Heaven Thy Soul is a free-born-childe of Eternity Heir of Immensity the Daughter of Almighty God who is beyond all bounds of Time and Being to whom then oughtest thou to pay thy duty but to him alone Thy Body is but a prison to thy Soul thou art inclosed in the walls of Mud and gates of Sense Can there then be more pleasure in a Prison than a Palace Shall a Bodily Restraint be preferred before a Spirits Liberty Canst thou count thy Bondage to be thy Bliss Are Chains of Iron to be esteemed above the Treasures of Gold Are Fetters better than Freedom Earth is but a Goal to Heaven then be not so rash as to prize thy Goal before thy Delivery lest thou art cast into that Goal from whence there is no redemption It is most just that the Soul that prizeth the Devil's Chain before God's Liberty should have the Devil's Prison instead of God's Palace and befor ever his slave in Hell that would not be God's servant for a time on Earth O thou beloved Dove of God fly to thy Coelestial home belime not thy spiritual wings in slime and mud in Heaven is thy Treasure and where canst thou finde more Riches to invite thee Be not like the Crow to feed upon Carrion or like the blinde Beetle to place thy blessedness in Boggs Make not sale of thy self to buy a Goal when thou partest with a Palace for the purchase and becomest a Familiar to Bolts and Shackles Thy Soul is God's Jewel and thy Body is the Casket then keep thy Body clean that thy Soul may the better be preserved It is a bright Diamond of Heaven a Spark of the Divinity a Ray of Divine Glory set for a time in the Foil of Flesh till it pleaseth God to take it to himself and keep it for ever in his Cabinet Let not then thy Soul that transparent Diamond be an ornament to the Devil's finger when it may sit at the right hand of God where there are Pleasures for evermore Thy Soul is the Purchase of Christ bought with no less than the blood of the Son of God then sell not that for a Trifle which cost thy Saviour so great a price it is better to enjoy the Riches of Eternity than to purchase Vanity for a Moment Is thy body distemper'd then thou requirest Physick if wounded thou sendest for a Chirurgeon if naked it must have Cloaths and if hungry it must have Food For these thou shouldest depend upon God for he knoweth all these things are necessary But when thy precious Soul lies sick of sin hath wounds of the spirit stript of its innocence and starv'd for grace no regard is given thereunto not considering though thou usest humane helps it is God that gives the Blessing and is the Physitian both of Soul and Body That Soul that acts the part of a faithful servant to the Lord shall have a double reward The Crown of a Saint and of a Sufferer Certain Considerations worthy the Devout Souls Meditation THe Soul is Spiritual sin makes it Carnal The Soul is Immortal sin is the death of the Soul it makes it die to Grace and live in Grief The Soul is Noble sin makes it Ignominious The Soul is Lord sin enslaves it The Soul is Soveraign sin brings it in subjection The Soul is God-like sin makes it beastial The Soul is the Spouse of God sin makes it the Strumpet of the Devil The Soul is the Jewel of God sins casts it in the Devil's fire The Soul is a free-born Citizen of Heaven sin keeps it in perpetual imprisonment The Soul is God's Purchase sin cheats God of his due and the Soul of eternal Bliss A MISCELANY OF Divine Maximes OR Words fitly spoken Like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver 1. WOuldst thou be truly perfect love God with all thy heart and thy Neighbour as thy self 2. Let thy eye be always upon God and thy self and thou shalt never see him without goodness nor thy self without misery 3. None shall see God so much as he is visible and none shall ever love God so much as he is amiable 4. He that doth not covet to love God more and more can never love him enough 5. To whom God is all the World ought to be nothing at all 6. Let us be what God will so we be but his and let us not be what we will our selves against the will of God 7. In the service of God there is nothing little enough to be rejected 8. To meditate much upon God is good but the Souls greater advancement in Vertue consists in much loving him 9. He to whom God alone is pleasing is displeased with nothing but that which displeaseth God 10. In Divine matters a generous Soul finds greatest contentment in believing things most difficult 11. All our actions take their value from their conformity to the Will of God 12. Love and Suffering are the greatest duties we owe to God they being the two causes for which he died for us 13. He that neglects his own will complies best with God's 14. So love thy Neighbour upon Earth as that thou mayst enjoy his love in Heaven 15. Thou canst not love thy Neighbour too much but thou mayst too much shew thy love 16. One great argument of our love to our Neighbour is to bear with his imperfections 17. We should never endure to hear evil spoken of any but our selves 18. We should never under value any person the workman loves not that his work should be despised in his presence wherefore beware for God is present every where and and
¶ The Soul's Soliloquy COme Holy Ghost our Souls inherit With Beams of thy Coelestial Spirit Inflame our Hearts we thee desire With Sparks from thy Coelestial Fire Thou the anoynting Spirit art Who dost thy Seven-fold gifts impart Thy holy Unction from above Is Comfort Life and Fire of Love Enable with perpetual Light The dulness of our blinded Sight Cherish and cleer our soiled face With the abundance of thy Grace Keep far our Foes give Peace at home Where thou art Guard no ill can come Teach us to know the Father Son And thee of both to be but one That through the Ages all-along This may be our endless Song Praise to the Almighty merit Father Son and Holy Spirit ¶ The Enquiry TEll me my Soul where doth thy passion bend Doth it on Heaven or things on earth attend If worldly Objects do thy Reason guide Thou mayst desire but not be satisfi'd If thou dost Beauty love it is a shade But Righteousness doth shine and never fade If worldly Wisdom 't is but as a blast But heav'nly Wisdom doth the World outlast If earthly Riches they have wings and fly But heav'nly Gems do last eternally Estates on earth do as in shipwracks reel In Heaven's harbour are no thieves to steal All thou canst compass here is trifling store In Heav'n are Crowns laid up for evermore Would'st thou have Honour which the World depaints What Honour can be greater than the Saints Or is it Pleasure 't will thy Soul destroy The Just shall enter in their Masters joy But tell me farther what is 't thou wouldst have Both Heav'n and earth on this side of thy Grave Away vain fancies ye are Vertues moth Pitty 〈◊〉 the promise of them both These lustful thoughts lead thee to splendid folly But if thou wouldst be happy then be holy ¶ On Dives SEe with what splendor Dives sits at meat With choice of Dainties courting him to eat His Habit Purple and his Lâ—…nnen fine As if drest up on purpose here to dine How the Spectators look and seem to say There 's too much store provided for one day How many wretched Souls do beg for Bread Whilst this same Glutton hath his Table spread With all varieties And thus they show Their envy But alas did they but know And well consider what his wants are then They'd pity him as if the worst of men His Talent's rich on earth there 's none above it But he wants Grace and Wisdom to improve it All his Estate is but a mighty spoil He hath a Lamp but that Lamp hath no Oyl He hath a Soul but what doth that embrace Vain worldly Lusts the opposites to Grace His House shines gloriously but when all 's done He hath the Star-light but he wants the Sun A Friend to Vice and Vertue 's mortal hater Having the Creature but not the Creator This world 's a Torrent of false Joys the boat Is his vain life doth on it dayly float His Silver Anchor is as weak as Sand Nor can his Gold conduct him safe to Land But rather sink him to the Misers Cell There to inhabit where damn'd Spirits dwell Can he be worth your envy then forbear Rather in pity shed a Christian tear If he be happy May it be thy will O Lord that I be miserable still Give me thy Grace although I 'm clad in Rags Let Vice attend the Miser and his Bags ¶ On Lazarus THe wicked Worldling spends his time in laughter Having his Heaven here his Hell hereafter Contrarywise the good man whilst he 's here Lives as in Hell to sigh and shed his tear But when to Heaven he hereafter flies God wipes away all tears from off his eyes Though here he suffer scorn the worlds annoy Yet He that sows in tears shall reap in joy The Rich man hath his good things in this life Lazarus evil things slights scorn and strife But meets at last with what he here doth miss Eternal joy it is the poor mans bliss Whilst Dives lies as if with Scorpions stung Wishing for Lazarus to cool his tongue That Lazarus who whilome lay before The gilded Postern of the rich mans door Begging some mean remainings of his table Dives rapt up in Silks and costly Sable Glutted with sumptuous food and choice of wine Hath neither time nor ear for them that pine The very kinder Dogs in pity then Licked his Sores thereby instructing men To Love and Charity Observe the end Angels upon the Begger did attend He dies and they to Abraham's bosom fly Leaving him there to all Eternity Whilst Dives striving others to excell When here tormented is in flames of Hell Thus Worldlings ride in pomp to Hell's hot Nest And Penitents in Tears swim to their Rest. The Penitents Praise LOrd now the time returns For weary men to rest And lay aside those pains and cares Wherewith we are opprest Or rather change our thoughts To more concerning cares How to redeem our mis-spent time With Sighs and Tears and Prayers How to provide for Heav'n That place of Rest and Peace Where our full Joys shall never wain Our Pleasures never cease Blest be thy love dear Lord That taught us this sweet way Only to love thee for thy self And for that love obey O thou our Souls chief hope We to thy mercy fly Wheree're we are thou canst protect Whate're we need supply Whether we wake or sleep Either to thee is done By night we through our eye-lids peep As if the night were gone Whether we live or die Both we submit to thee In death we live as well as life If thine in death we be Glory to thee great God One Co-eternal three To Father Son and Holy Ghost Eternal Glory be ¶ Angel and Man A Dialogue Ang. LIsten Oh Sinner I shall make it plain Mankind is wicked altogether vain Nature instructs the bruâ—…ts to bear in mind A friendly consort to each others kind But Man more monstrous than of bruitish hue First preys on them then doth himself undo Devouring Widows houses in his way Pretending Piety seems oft to pray Will with himself and sins oft-times be vext When as his zeal is only a pretext Their very Prayers do themselves condemn As Citizens o' th' new Jerusalem They would appear whenas their chiefest care Should be to crave a Pardon for their Prayer Man What glorious Creature can a tongue rehearse May be compar'd to Man the Universe Is subject to him all things with applause Pay Homage to him and obey his laws God did not from the Angels nature frame His own he took the seed of Abraham Man hath his saults which causeth melancholy Even ye Angels God doth charge with folly Ang. Well have ye said therein we do agree For we are charg'd with such vain things as ye We are your Guardians so to direct Ye safely sleep we Watchmen do protect So great a truth it is no more but thus They are well kept that are secur'd by us And from the
the luck For daring boldly to be Thunder-struck He that will be familiarly bold With Heavens mysteries them to unfold May with his judgment overwhelmed be As Adâ—… was with his unhappy Tree The 〈◊〉 must pâ—…y into the Ark God's Judgment was serene though theirs was dark For their presumption this became their gain They by the Lord had Fifty thousand slain Then hover not about this flame which brings Soul fatal falls by scorching of its wings I will improve by what we have reveal'd Not strive to know what God would have conceal'd Lord to preseâ—…ve me from the Devil's gins Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins ¶ On Death SInce nothing is so certain as our death And nothing more uncertain than when breath Expires we ought each minute to prepare Death sends no Summons but comes unaware The grand decry is past dispute not why All men have sinned and all men must die Man's days are numbred he can finde no aid 'T is God hath man upon the balance laid And found him wanting God's all-searching eye Hath thus determin'd men are Vanity Corruption is man's father and the Worms His sisters they have their corrupt conforms The Grave it is his Bed the Sheet his Shrine The Earth his Cover Grass his Carpet fine At last Death comes and he concludes the Theam Finds man asleep and darts him in his Dream Such is our sluggish life a shadow frail A bubble vapour and a trifling tale So vain a story that when we grow old We spend our days before the tale is told The World 's of contraries a vast compound Nothing within it solid is or sound Four Elements in opposition move Each to the other The degrees of Love Cannot be found in a conâ—…used heap 'T is Heaven doth that holy Order keep Death gives our earthly bodies a new cast Refines us that we may prove cleer at last What is corrupt within the grave must lie Till Mortal puts on Immortality No mans corruption can be laid aside Until his body in the Earth abide He chiefly 't is that is afeard to die Hath little hope of an Eternity The time we have to live it is but small Less than a point that 's Geometrical Our common Enemy doth promise fair This world to cheat us of a world more rare Our pleasures do deceitfully entangle Smiling ev'n then when they intend to strangle The world is kindest when it most doth frown And honours list us up to cast us down The Christian then should ready be to cry When God shall call Behold Lord here am I. For they of their Salvation never mist Have been partakers of the death of Christ. God on the Righteous alway hath an eye His ear is ever open to their cry And he that doth a righteous man regard He shall receive a righteous man's reward Be truly zealous shew no vain pretext But live each hour as if to die the next ¶ On Conscience THe Conscience is a Function of the Minde A Guide to Straglers to the Lame and Blinde Over the Will the Conscience sits commanding And is a Guardian to the Understanding For what the Pen of Nature doth engrave Upon that general Knowledge which we have Or to our Thoughts our Minds or to our Acts Conscience applies and summons up our Facts Paul our Example was of Innocence Having a Conscience void of all offence Both towards God and towards men so cleer That his own Conscience was his Overseer Christian unto thy Conscience have an eye Lest Conscience doth accuse for that 's a spie ¶ On Memory MEmory is the Store-house of the Soul The Will 's Dictator Understanding's Scroul There we hoard up the treasures of our Minde And fetch them out as we occasion finde But well it may with filthy Ponds compare Wherein fish die but frogs are nourish'd there So we retain trash that doth sowre and rot Whilst admirable mercies are forgot Thus we that should be Temples of God's praise Are Graves to bury what his love displays All Injuries most men to Marble trust But Courtesies are written in the Dust. What 's bad they can sufficiently retain But what is good is idle thought and vain Like Nets our Memories let clear waters go And nothing catch but sticks and weeds of Wo Or else like Sieves so rashly are we born That do retain the Chaff let go the Corn. But like an holy Ark the Soul should be And as the pot of Manna Memorie Our faculties herein need no excuse Preserving holy Truths for holy use ¶ On a Death-bed-Repentance THis Speech though sad it did a King survive I now must die e're I begin to live And such is the condition of that man That dies e're his Repentance is began That wants his weapons can for none implore For why Behold Death knocketh at his door What signâ—…fie Petitions of a Heart That trembling lies when Death presents his Dart Unhappy certainly must be their Dooms Have Oyl to seek just when the Bridegroom comes Death and the Devil do their Souls pursue And they no refuge have to fly unto The seven years of Plenty all are gone And years of Famine are not thought upon Time that is swift hath took his nimble flight Travel doth tire yet we want rest at night I 'll therefore finish every Work I have So shall I go with Peace unto my Grave ¶ On the Mariner THe Mariner that 's drove by Boreas breath Doth sail within four inches of his death So of the Soul the saying may be true That e're it bids its Cabinet adieu Four inches is the most that it doth keep Betwixt its life and an eternal sleep If the Ship splits or by a fire doth shrink The Ship is swallow'd and the Sailers sink So if our earthly Vessels break the Soul Doth to another Habitation roul For ever plung'd into a boundless Sea The bankless Ocean of Eternity The Soul should therefore careful be and strive To swim before it come to sink or dive ¶ On an Israelite AS the Tree falls so doth it lie And when Death strikes all men must die Only herein the difference is God gives us misery or bliss As in the Red Sea if I go An Israelite though waters flow In triumph I shall tell my story And land rejoycing full of Glory While all mine Enemies lie spread Upon the shore and each one dead But if Egyptian-like I croud And be on this side of the Cloud On this side of the Covenant And yet run hardned in for want Of Grace amongst proud Pharaâ—…h's Troops The Sea shall open all her Poops And e're I finde my Journeys length Justice shall swallow me with strength An Inundation shall destroy My Soul and drown my future Joy O Lord then by thy powerful might Make me thine own an Israelite ¶ On Shame THe age is impudent in which we live Men seem asham'd to be asham'd of blame And to their Errours such a licence give That they delight to glory in
eyes With God and Angels each one take his place To judge the World and try the finners Case Arise ye cursed naked Souls and take Your standing before God and Angels quake At the Tribunal great from whence shall come Your fearful final and your fatal Doom Lord the first voices let me hear with fear That the last voice I may not fear to hear ¶ On Beauty HAve you not heard o' th' bloody Siege of Troy Of Hellens beauty how it did destroy The lustre of her Beauty did decay And she was but a glorious heap of Clay Or have you read of Jacob how he serv'd Full fourteen years for Rachel never swerv'd From his affections She his hearts delight Was amiable and lovely in his fight Thus we adove those whom we think excel In Beauty though a painted Jezebel If these deserve so much then what doth he That made these Beauties he whose Majestie Is altogether lovely doth surpass The glories of an indigested Mass. The Beauty of the whole Creation is As dross to him for the Creation's his Be not discourag'd oh my Soul but place Thy firm affections on thy Saviour's face Though Enemies may watch for thy defaults Christ can secure thee from their fierce assaults Let him be beautiful within thine eye And thou shalt live although thou seemst to die Be not dsheartned oh my Soul for though Rules may be strict and Duties hard yet know They are as 〈◊〉 'gainst the worst disaster Heaven 's thy Wages Christ himself thy Master Lord let my heart thy Beauty understand No difficulty then shall reach my hand ¶ On Knowledge THis precious Jewel Knowledge may compare To those the Israelites of old did wear For if our Knowledge be improv'd but half Of that I ke them we but erect a Calf Their Gold was precious all that while commodious But in an Idol cast it then grew odious So the pure Wit of man well understood Was in the days of Innocencie good But when corruption seizes on his age He becomes vicious that before was sage Or it resembles an untilled field That barren lies and nothing else doth yield But Brambles Thorns unnecessary Weeds Till Grace manures it with its growing seeds The best of Minerals their poysons have Until extracted Flowers sweet and brave Their faeces do possess till art and skill By separation takes away the ill So the best Wits have folly until Grace Plucks up its roots and groweth in the place In things that do spiritually relate The Understanding when it 's tried by weight Will like 〈◊〉 much too light be found Lighter than Vanity or Verbal sound Then let not wise men glory in their parts But hoard their Wisdome in unspotted hearts For 't is a Jewel of an unknown price 'Bove that of Rubies or of mans device For he that getteth wisdom loves his Soul Dare oppose dangers feareth no controul It excels Folly as a glorious Star And better is than weapons us'd in War 'T is profitable to instruct direct Teacheth the Ignorant be circumspect Wherefore if any one do Wisdom lack Ask of the Lord for he will not be slack It is the gift of God and he alone Can Wisdom fix within a heart of stone Why are we dayly by our sins decoy'd For want of Knowledge people are destroy'd With Knowledge put on practice Satan's brood Have Knowledge but it does more harm thad good To Appreher sive Knowledge must conjoyn Affective Knowledge if those two combine They give a Christian courage No retreat Is needful when a Saint is arm'd compleat When as God's holy Spirit takes in hand To teach the Scholar soon doth understand To a good Soul nothing's of higher prize Than is the knowledge of deep mysteries Austin of God desir'd no worldly pelf But only to know God and know himself Knowledge and Love must both accord for why Knowledge puffs up but Love doth edifie Foolish were they that Knowledge did despise Because it puffeth up Rather than wise They were resolv'd continue ignorant And humble Pride and Arrogance to want Knowledge puffs up but Grace gives an allay For Knowledge can command and can obey But those were like Democritus half wise To shun Uncleanness pluck'd out both his eyes Though Knowledge nimbly on our Senses dance It 's greatest part 's the least of Ignorance Yet we are apt to think though can't discern't That we know all that can by man be learnt As in the host of Alcibiades All would be Leaders none Commanders please And Epicurus spoke but as a youth Boasting he was the first discover'd Truth For he in many things exprest his minde Not as a man but as a Beetle blinde Aratus the Astrologer did vent His brags he knew all Stars i' th' Firmament Laurentius Valla gloried there was none Writ Logick worth the reading but his own Nestorius the Heretick could boast That he alone on the European coast Did understand the Scriptures when he came The World awakned was with his great name Well saith th'Apostle and 't is truly so Man knoweth nothing as he ought to know ¶ On Magnanimity CAesar spoke proudly when he boldly said In midst a storm Pilot be not afraid The angry Surges know not what they do Thou carriest Caesar and his fortunes too The Cannibals as History doth tell Are for their courage thought invincible Rather than seem to fear remissly flie Or sue for life they bravely choose to die In Alexander's last and fatal fight He shew'd his Courage was his chief delight By boasting 't was his glory and his pride At once the Power of Persia to divide Mahomet the Persian Sultan overthrown His Passion was to such a fury grown He in revenge perhaps more mad than wise Caus'd his chief Captains ten to loose their eyes So to prevent their overthrow agen And threatned female habits for his men Lacedemonians were wont to cry It was a shame for any man to fly In time of danger but a cursed fate Lacedemonians should deliberate And Socrates Criton's advice did slight When by him wish'd to make a private flight Salisbury's noble Earl whenas he found The Sultans Army had inclos'd him round And he advis'd to fly answer'd in scorn Heavens forbid I should for that be born Or any of my Father's Blood or Race Should fear a Sarasin for force or face Much less then should a Christian fear whose eye Should fix on Christ who did for Christians die Bravely resolv'd it was of blessed Paul After Conversion his aspiring fall I ready am not only to proclaim But to be bound and die for Jesus Name Who sails with Christ fears neither Rock nor Sand Christians through storms must reach the promis'd Land ¶ On Ingratitude LOrd what a danger lately I escap'd Torrents of Terrours just before me gap'd Upon the brink I was yet scaped free They are well kept O Lord are kept by thee Surely thy meaning only was to fright As an advice that I might shun a smite Thus thy great
But above all prepare thy heart Whilst now 't is called day In humble duty bear thy part To sing to love and pray Glory to thee Eternal Lord Thrice blessed three in one Thy Name at all times be ador'd Till time it self be done ¶ Of God HE is the Author of the Worlds Creation Foundation The great and mighty Judge of mans Salvation Damnation The glorious Lord and only God Above Of Love That both to men and Angels is A God A Rod. He did the World create and by his hand Or word Foundations laid of Sea and Land Can save or damn as he doth best approve Will be our God or Rod as we shall love Thou that canst hold the Winds within thy fist Have mercy on us oh thou God in Christ. ¶ Of Christ. HE it is that gives us Peace Increase He to poor Souls cries I 'm your Jesu IESU He it is that is our Good Food The Saints with him do trust their Treasure Pleasure He it is can end our Life Strife He it is that gives us Breath Death He is to us a Judge and King Sting He is our Peace Increase our Jâ—…u and An Ease to those that wait on his Command Our Good our Food our Treasure and our Joy Our Life to see no Strife shall us annoy He gives us Breath can give us Death as King And unâ—…o death he is become a Sting He punish can or help us in our thrall For Christ is God's and God is all in all Wouldst farther know what God is silly Elf Go study first to be a God thy self ¶ God is Love GIve praise unto the Lord above Omit no thanks that thou canst move Dost thou not know that God is love In Word and Deed make him thy aim So shall thy Soul be free from blame Let his Commandments be in ure Obedience cannot be a clod Vs he hath spar'd and doth endure Ev'n still such is the love of God ¶ The Remembrance ANd now my Soul canst thou forget That thy whole life is one long debt Of Love to him who on the Tree Paid back the flesh he took for thee Lo how the streams of pretious blood Flow from five wounds into one flood With these he washes all thy stains And buys thy Ease with his own Pains Tall Tree of Life we clearly now That doubt of former ages know It was thy wood should make a Throne Fit for a more than Solomon Large Throne of Love royally spread With Purple of too rich a red Strange costly price thus to make good Thine own esteem with the Kings blood Hail fairest Plant of Paradise To thee our hopes lift up their eyes O may aloft thy branches shoot And fill the Nations with thy fruit O may all reap from thy increase The Just more strength the Sinner peace While our half-wither'd hearts and we Engraft our selves and grow on thee Live O for ever live and reign Bless'd Lamb whom thine own love hath slain And may thy lost Sheep live to be True lovers of thy Cross and thee ¶ Of Death 1 Cor. ch 15. v. 55 56. O Death where is thy sting The sting of death is sin O. Death forbear I yet must live Stay Death till God your Warrant give And then where you see best this heart Most willing is to seel your Dart. But Lord O let thy servants breath Preserv'd be from the sting of Death ¶ Of Grief THe tears come slowly Lord my sins remain O sting my shallow fords and make them rain Rivers of waters or if so thou please Send daring death my sorrows to decrease My grief is great 't is time to rise or fall Then cleanse me Lord from sin and ease my thrall That I may say O death where is thy sting And tell the world The sting of death is sin ¶ A Christian and Death A Dialogue Chr. COme valiant Death and welcome do thy worst Shew me the power thou claimst as being King Dea. Poor mortal know alas thou art but dust And I the Sexton that thy Knell must ring Chr. Away lean half-starv'd wretch go daunt a sool Think not to fright me with Thy glass is run Dea. Thou art my Scholar therefore come to School Delays but waste that time which might be gone Chr. Thou seemst a Student for thou lookst so poor That Famine in thy face I plainly read Dea. Come silly wretch you word it must no more See here 's thy Glass thy Doom and thou art dead Chr. Then boldly strike thou dost the body kill My Soul shall wait upon its Master's will Dea. Lie there proud dust all flesh is born to die Chr. This is the Road unto Eternitie ¶ The Altar A broken ALTAR Lord to thee I raise Made of a Heart to celebrate thy praise Thou that the onely Workman art That canst cement a broken heart For such is mine O make it thine Take out the Sin That 's hid therein Though it be Stone Make it to groan That so the same May praise thy Name Melt it O Lord I thee desire With Flames from thy Coelestial fire That it may ever speak thy Praise alone Since thou hast changed into Flesh a Stone ¶ Death Man and Grave A Dialogue Death COme down proud Lust. Man To what to Dust Grav I that you must and shall Man Thou thing of bones Grav That fetcheth groans Death From very stones and all Man From Dust I came Grav Thou must again Death Sin is thy bain and thrall Man That 's thee away Death With mortal Clay Grav Why do you stay you must Death Come leave your groans Man To go with bones Grav You must go once poor dust Death Nay do not frown Man Away rude Clown Death I 'll strike thee down proud lust Man Then I submit forbear your storms Seeing I must return a Guest To my Acquaintance old the worms Farewel fond World I 'll take my rest Grav I have a Charm will make you sleep And all you have you here may trust For Watchmen not a few I keep The harmless Worms that are so just With care they do befriend him That cometh here within this path Thus man one world of servants hath And when he on his Death-bed lies Another doth attend him ¶ Nature's Delight HArk my Soul how every thing Strives to serve our bounteous King Each a double tribute pays Sings its part and then obeys Natures chief and sweetest quire Him with chearful notes admire Chanting every day their Lauds Whilst the Grove their song applauds Though their Voices lower be Streams have too their melody Night and day they warbling run Never pause but still sing on All the flowers that gild the Spring Hither their sweet musick bring If Heaven bless them thankful they Smell more sweet and look more gay Only we can scarce afford Due thanksgivings to our Lord. We on whom his bounty flowes All things give and nothing owes Wake for shame my sluggish heart Wake and gladly sing thy part Learn
his own teeth doth dig his Grave Who loves his Humour to fulfil His Humour is himself to kill Who doth aspire be great and tall Should carefully beware a fall Who with good works delights to dwell Sails fair for Heaven far from Hell ¶ On Age. THe Painter's Pencil sure must go astray In painting to the life a lump of Clay Who does but seem to live dies every day How can he lively paint a man that hath The cold effigies in his face of Death ¶ On Man and Wife SIlence and Patience are the Twins that make Concord 'twixt Couples never to forsake A Husband good in Words ought to be wise In Conversation wary hating lies Careful Provision ought he to provide In ordering circumspect a careful Guide A Father Master and a Friend beside The good Wife when abroad she should be grave Discreet in governing at home and have Patience to bridle Passions when they move Learning her Husband to obey and love Kinde to her Neighbours courteous unto all Careful of Children be they great or small But chiefly herein there should be no flaws She should her Husband fear and he the Laws ¶ The free Prisoner WHat though a Prisoner I am now Time doth allow Instead of liberty to walk To write or talk What though 〈◊〉 make me sicken They do me quicken My body in confinement lies But my Soul flies What though by nature I am dumb Then I be â—…ome A silent sinner and my tongue Doth no man wrong Or what although I loose my sight Yes if the light Of Divine Graces shine in me My Soul can see Let sorrows come when God thinks best They are my Rest For in afflictions 't is my Psalm The Bruise 〈◊〉 Balm If I 'm afflicted in this World I am but huâ—…'d â—…o Heaven where all pleasures stand At God's right hand Th' afflictions of this world of care Cannot compare To those blest Mansions Christ hath wrought And dearly bought Dear may I say because his blood Is that choice flood That drowns my sorrows and my grief Gives me relief Thus all things work together for their good That have lov'd God and for his honour stood A Jayl's the centre of this Iron-age Yet not my Prison but mine Hermitage He that can boldly dare yet justly do Fortune 's his Subject and his Vassal too ¶ On Sunday THis is the day the Lord hath made Then let not Christians be afraid Laying aside all sin Rejoyce therein The clearest radiant day that shines Upon the Christians golden Mines God's holy Torch and Light That leads aright The day of our Consession The Ease of our Oppression The day of Peace and Rest Churches our Nest. A Light it is to all the Week A Summons to the Proud and Meek That says to Conscience Fie Ye go awry The day that pulleth man from Death And crowns his head with holy Wreath That guides him to his Grave Yet doth him save The Day of God so God of Days It is above my reach of praise God's with his free accord The Sabbaths Lord. It is the Day-book of a Saint A Spring for those that thirst or faint Nor can we say there 's one day Like to Sunday But we 'll such thoughts in silence smother Till we can finde out such another ¶ The Petition STand by me Lord when dangers STARE Keep from my Fruit such choaking TARE That on Confusion grounded ARE. Thou that from Bondage hast me BROUGHT And my deliverance hast ROUGHT 'T is thee that I will praise for OUGHT O Lord to evil make me CHILL Be thou my Rock and holy HILL So shall I need to fear no ILL ¶ Faith's Mystery WIth all the pow'rs my poor Soul hath O humble Love and loyal Faith Thus low my God I bow to thee Whom too much love bow'd low for me Down busie Sense Discourses die And all adore Faith's Mysterie Faith is my Skill Faith can believe As fast as Love new Laws can give Faith is my eye Faith strength affords To keep pace with those pow'rful words And words more sure more sweet than they Love could not think Truth could not say O dear Memorial of that death Which still survives and gives us breath Live ever Bread of Life and be My Food my Joy my All to me Come glorious Lord my hopes increase And fill my Portion in thy Peace Come hidden life and that long day For which I languish come away ¶ On the Judgment GReat God that hast at thy command Both Leaden feet and Iron hand How shall I stand How can I look When thou call'st for thy Dreadful Book Oh save me Lord I then shall say I do confess I went astray Thy Judgment stay O let thy Rod Chastise with mercy O my God O Christ my Saviour may it please Thee thy dear Father's wrath appease And making peace Then I alwaies Will strive to magnifie thy praise Some it is like may shew a Book So full of Blanks that when you look Thereon a Rook You 'll think that man That shews a Scrole with nothing on But so to do is highly vain For he that doth just Judgments rain Can see each stain Keeps just account How ev'ry Sinner's sins amount I am resolv'd when God doth call To hide not one but shew him all That wrought my fall But if my will Exceed my skill Lord do not kill ¶ On the Pharisee and the Publican TWo men into the Temple went to pray The one a Pharisee who thus did say I thank thee God I am no common man No unjust person As this Publican Twice in the week I fast from my excess And I give tythes of all that I possess The humble Publican at distance stood With head and eyes dejected as if food Or heavenly Manna then was to be found Carelessly scatter'd on the dusty ground But as in bitterness of Soul distrest He with his hand smote on his troubled breast Of his Petition this was the beginner O God be merciful to me a sinner The other shew'd rather than Zeal his pride But the poor Publican went justifi'd God doth delight the proud look to abase And on Humility bestows his grace ¶ To God the Father BEfore the closing of the day Creator we thee humbly pray That for thy wonted mercies sake Thou us into protection take May nothing in our mindes excite Vain dreams and fantoms of the night Our Enemy repress that so Our bodies no uncleanness know To Jesus from a Virgin sprung Be Glory given and Praises sung The like to God the Father be And holy Ghost eternallie ¶ To God the Son LEt others take their course And sing what Name they please Let Wealth or Beauty be their theam Such empty sounds as these I never will admire A lump of burnish'd Clay For though it shines it is but dust And shall to dust decay Sweet Jesus is the Name My Song shall still adore Sweet Jesus is the charming Word That does my Life restore When I
am dead in grief Or what is worse in sin I call on Jesus and he hears And I to live begin Wherefore to thee bright Name Behold thus low I bow And thus again yet is all this Nothing to what I owe. Down then down bow my knees Still lower to the ground While with mine eyes and voice lift up Aloud these Lines I sound Live Heaven's glorious King By Angels bright ador'd Live gracious Saviour of the World Our chief and only Lord Live and for ever may Thy Throne establish'd be For ever may all hearts and tongues Sing Praises unto thee ¶ To God the Holy Ghost COme into us Holy Ghost From thy bright Coelestial coast Send us a resplendant Beam Come thou Father of the Poor Come thou willing Gift-bestow'r Come thou heart-reviving Gleam Thou of Comforters the best Thou the Souls delightful Guest A refreshing sweet relief Thou in toyl a resting seat Temper in excessive heat Solace to a Soul in grief O thou blessedest of Lights Those that love t' observe thy Rites With thy self their bosoms fill While thou' rt absent nothing can Be regardable in man Nothing can he act but ill What is for did mundifie Water what is over-dry What is wounded render sound Pliant make what 's hard to yield Cherish what with Cold is chil'd Govern what is vagabond In the faithful that confide In thy mercies cause reside All the train of Sev'n-fold Grace Give what Vertue 's merit is Give th' accomplishment of Bliss Joys of an eternal Race Amen ¶ On the Holy Trinity IN Sacred sheets of either Testament 'T is hard to finde an higher Argument More deep to sound more busie to sâ—…uss More useful known unknown more dangerous ¶ On Christ's Nativity MYsterious Miracle the same should be A Lamb a Shepherd and a Lion too Yet so was he Whom first the Shepherds knew And readily became Sheep to their Shepherd-Lamb Shepherd of Angels Men and Lamb of God Lion of Judah by these Titles keep The Wolf from all thy harmless Sheep Let the whole World flock to thy Fold Jews and Gentiles may they all come In multitudes not to be told Thy Lambs that wander bring them home Glory be to God on high Glory to the Deity ¶ On Christ's Triumph to Jerusalem BEhold we stay Lord come away Thy Road is ready and thy Paths made strait With languishing expect and wait The Consecration of thy beauteous seet Ride on triumphantly see Lord we lay Our carnal lusts and wills all in thy way Hosanna welcome to our hearts Lo here Thou hast a Temple too and full as dear As that of Sion but more full of sin Nothing but Thieves and Robbers dwell therein Then enter Lord chase them and cleanse the floore Crucifie all that they may never more Profane that holy place Where thou hast chose to set thy face And if our stubborn tongues shall be Mute in the praises of thy Deitie The stones from out the Temple-wall Shall cry aloud and call Hosanna And thy glorious foot-steps greet ¶ The Shepherds Dialogue In three parts 1. COme let us finde the Babe That hath made This our World so full of joy And expectation That glorious blessed boy That crowns each Nation With his triumphant Wreaths of blessedness 2. Doubtless he is within the throng Just among His Angels that divinely sing Taking wing So as to eccho to his voice They rejoyce With Wing with Tongue and Heart That so they do perceive their happiness 3. But attended is as now With a Cow The Ox and Mule do all behold With wonder An homely Stable should unfold The Thunder Chor. What an Almighty God have we Great great as is our Miserie ¶ On Christ's Birth in an Inne BLess'd be that Virgin travel'd without pain And lodg'd within an Inne A splendid Star the signe No greater guest did ever come that way For therein lay The glorious Lord of Night and Day Who doth o're Heav'n and over Angels reign He came i' th' time of great Augustus tax All cry'd He comes To pay the sums Or ransom of our lost Humanitie To set us free From an Impious Emperie Of Satan Sin that then bore sway Inspire our Hearts to be thy lodging place In each ones brest Take up thy rest Temples are fitter for thee than an Inne And let not sin Profane the Sacred Deity within So to defile the Ornaments of Grace ¶ Of Thoughts To think upon the Pow'r of God doth awe me To think upon Gods Justice doth affright me To think upon the Love of God doth draw me To think upon God's Mercy doth delight me To think upon God's Bounty that doth please me To think upon God's Favour doth endear me To think upon God's Goodness much doth ease me To think upon God's Promises doth chear me Thus thinking what I think doth make me say The more I think the more methinks I may Lord let my thoughts so firmly fixed be That I may think on nothing more than thee ¶ To the Creator DIvine Creator bear in minde That thou of our Corporeal kinde The form didst take when heretofore 'T was thee a Sacred Virgin bore Bless'd Mary pre-ordain'd to be Mother of Grace and Clemencie Defend us from our mortal foe Receive us when from hence we go Jesus all glory to thy Name Born of a Virgin and the same To th' Holy Ghost and Father be Through Ages to Eternitie ¶ The Godly Garden A Godly heart 's a Garden full of Flowers Well kept and trim'd where Herbs of Grace do flourish Tears of unfeign'd Repentance are the showers That kindly do those Herbs refresh and nourish Faith is the Prime-rose that doth first appear Which being rooted well stands firm and fast Then grows for ev'ry Season of the year The choicest Flowers for odour or for tast If Weeds amongst them spring to give offence The Gard'ner plucks them up and casts them thence Lord give me Grace to keep my Garden so That nothing there but Herbs of Grace may grow ¶ The Soul's Alarm A Wake my Soul chase from thine eyes This drowsie sloath and quickly rise Up and to work apace No less than Kingdoms are prepar'd And endless Bliss for their reward Who finish well their race 'T is not so poor a thing to be Servants to Heav'n dear Lord and thee As this fond world believes Not even here where oft the wise Are most expos'd to injuries And friendless vertue grieves Sometimes thy hand lets gently fall A little drop that sweetens all The bitter of our Cup O what hereafter shall we be When we shall have whole draughts of thee Brim-full and drink them up Say happy Souls whose thirst now meets The fresh and living stream of sweets Which spring from that bless'd Throne Did you not finde this true even here Do you not finde it truer there Now Heaven is all your own O yes the sweets we taste exceed All we can say or you can read They fill and never cloy On Earth
sacred Three One undivided Deity As it hath been in Ages gone May now and ever still be done ¶ Of Life AN humane life is but a Play of Passion What is man's Mirth but Musick of Division Our Mothers Wombs the Tyring-houses be To deck us up for Time's short Tragedie The World 's the Stage Heav'n the Spectator is To sit and judge who'ts doth act amiss The Clouds that shade us from the scorching Sun Are but drawn Curtains till the Play be done ¶ The Power of Prayer THe Sun by Pray'r did cease his course and staid The hungry Lions sawn'd upon their Prey A Walled passage through the Sea it made From furious fire it banish'd heat away It shut the Heav'ns three years from giving Rain It open'd Heav'ns and show'rs pour'd down again O may our Pray'rs dear Lord approach to thee Petitions hear and then propitious be Teach us to praise thy Name with one accord That we may sing due praise to thee O Lord. ¶ God and Caesar. Render to Caesar and to God c. 'T Is God's command we should be just why then Let 's not wrong him giving his right to men Honour to God it is our due to render And Caesar's due we justly ought to tender To both we stand indebted all we have Must Caesar's be if Caesar please to crave What matter is it wherein lies the odds We all are Caesar's Caesar's all is Gods ¶ Gabriel and Mary THe Salutation which the Angel brings Imports that joys come and depart with wings Gab. Hail blessed Mary never cast thy mind To trace the passage of this pleasing wind Mary What voice is this that calls me blessed when Gab. Stay wandring thoughts 't is I thou' rt bless'd agen Blessed of women Mary Oh I faint I die Gab. Eternally thou liv'st Again 't is I God hath thee favour'd so as to entomb A blessed Saviour in thy blessed Womb. Mary How shall this be alas my Lord how can I bear a Childe that never knew a man But am a Virgin pure Gab. Farther attend Of his Dominions there shall be no end Thou shalt be shadow'd by the Holy One And what thou bearest shall be call'd his Son Mary Then Lord behold thy Hand-maid let it be As thou hast said All shall be bless'd in me That Angels may rejoyce and Men may sue That Devils may believe and tremble too ¶ Judeth's Prayer THus lowly on my face with Sack-cloath spread To God on high with Ashes on my head I come to pay my Vows to him alone The Lord God of my Father Simeon Who with his Sword became a just Revenger On a Virginity polluting stranger O Lord my God I pray thee bow thine ears Unto my Pray'rs accompani'd with tears The Widow of Manasses lifts her voice Let all that put their trust in thee rejoyce Behold O God though Enemies may smile An Israelite in whom there is no guile To thee I trust Experience teacheth well They 're not all Israel are of Israel Th' Assyrians do multiply each hour With Horse and man they glory in their pow'r They trust in Shield in Spear in Bowe and Sling Not knowing thee the Lord whose breath can bring Destruction to them all and lay their Fame In Ashes God the Lord it is thy Name Gird me with strength unto the Battel Lord Teach me to manage Holofernes Sword Turn thou its edge until at thy command Thy servant Judeth take it in her hand Then be my Battel-ax for Lord with thee I 'll Kingdoms ruine and make Nations flee The Horse-man and his Rider shall no more Isr'el defie their Captains shall adore 〈◊〉 no longer for thy Rod Shall make them understand that thou art God I though a widow have conceiv'd a pow'r But my designes lie harbour'd in a Bower Of pleasing fancies for O Lord at length I must to thee for Judgment and for Strength Let my deceitful lips finde craft to smite Th' Assyrian Prince and those in him delight Bring down their pride that they may understand Thou canst work wonders by a womans hand For Lord thy power is not bound by scope Thou sav'st in dangers when there is no hope And in thy Name I 'll go and dare to do That those Thy Foes Shall fear and tremble too ¶ Judeth and Holofernes Hol. BE of good comfort woman let not fear Presume to have an habitation here I never injur'd any man or thing That willing was to serve the Earth's chief King What now is hapned to thy people they By their perverseness have hewn out the way But fairest of your Country let me know Whither your wandring Beauty means to go And why thou fledst to us leaving those whom Dame Nature hath commanded from thy Womb Thy name in golden Letters to entomb Jud. Receive the Cause thy Hand-maid shall relate Who will resolve in truth the same to state Follow the way thy servant shall direct And God will thee undoubtedly respect As lives Nebuchodonozor thy King Who sent thee to support each living thing Man shall obedience pay to thee and all The Beasts Fowls of the Air and Cattel shall Live under thy command for we have hear'd Thy wisdome makes thine Enemies afeard Most true it is a Sword is not the Rod Can scourge our Nation till against their God They sin Now Death hath got the upper hand Their Meat and Water fail they 're at a stand What to do next and do resolve to cause Some things to be consumed which the Laws Of God have held unlawful Tenths or Oyl Which was once for the Priests is now for spoil A License from the Senate they expect As if that Cloak can cover their neglect Now when 't is brought they 'll doat without delay And Justice shall condemn them that same day And I thine Hand-maid knowing this am fled To work such wonders with thee when they 're spread Those that shall hear shall stand astonished Thy servant serveth God both day and night And is religious trusting in his might Let then thine Hand-maid to the Valley go And pray to God then shall she surely know The time that they intend to act their sin And consequently when thou may'st begin To seize upon Judea for thine own And make their great ones to become as none And it shall come to pass that there shall be Not one shall dare to lift his hand to thee Thus will I lead thee through the midst of them Until thou com'st before Jerusalem And in the midst thereof thy Throne shall stand And give to Nations far and neer command Hol. God's strength be with thee sure he sent thee here T' encourage us and put our foes in fear Your Beauty and your wisdome do conspire The World should Judeth's vertuous name admire Proceed fair Lady surely if thou do As thou hast spoken then will I be true To thee and to thy God and thou shalt dwell With Nebuchodonozor We will tell The Nations how thy Vertues do excel Here 's
Wine enough when this is gone we 'll then Revive the Banquet with the blood of men Jud. My Lord now will I drink because my state Is more by much exalted now of late Then e're it was since Nature did display Over mine eyes the banner of the day Hol. This Wine benums my joynts my limbs do feel As if each one would with the other reel Since so it is I 'll stretch me on my bed Jud. Do so my Lord And I 'll secure thy head Thou need'st not fear those at Jerusalem They shall not come to thee thou go'st to them ¶ Judeth's Song of Thanksgiving WIth Timbrels and with Cymbals raise A tune wherewith our God to praise Divinity afford me Balm For sins and skill to sing a Psalm Of praise to God did Heaven frame Exalt him call upon his Name He breaks the Battels of the strong And I that was the Camps among Of proud King Assur even then When Israel seem'd a Prey to men Then did the Lord direct my ways I came from thence to sing his praise Out of the Mountains from the North The Enemy came thundring forth Their strength did threaten dismal ills Their numbers covered the hills He brag'd he would my Borders burn And make Jerusalem an Urn And kill my young men with the Sword Dash Infants brains against the board And make my Virgins prove their spoil But God prevented hath their toyl A Female hand By his command Hath conquer'd the Assyrian Land Our mighty foe he did not fight Nor did the Sons of Titans smite Neither did Giants force his care But Beauty was his only snare The daughter of Merari went With resolution to the tent Of Holofernes drank him dead And safely brought away his head Thus Lord I ventur'd to commit Two sins and sacrifice my Wit But with a chast and holy eye I shun'd ways of Carnality My people Lord I knew should live And thou art ready to forgive I boldiy went was not afraid Because assured of thine aid And to allure I thought it good The Garments of my Widowhood To lay aside and did attire My head to raise my beauty higher My Sandals ravished his eyes And he became my beauties prize For then to give his pride a check I strook his Faulchin through his neck Which act did make The Persians quake The Medes stout hearts did likewise ake Thus my exterminating arm By inspiration did alarm A mighey Host and did destroy Their chief Commander once their Joy A new Song to the Lord I 'll sing Thou art a great and glorious King Wonderful in strength and might Invincible the God of Fight To praise thy Name all things accord For thou mad'st all things with a word In thee all Creatures shall rejoyce Not any can resist thy voice Mountains and Waters shall remove Rocks melt as wax if they not love Shall man be subject to obey And his Inseriours go astray Do we not see year after year God's merciful to them that sear All Sacrifice too little is For him that is the God of Bliss The savour of the heart is sweet And he that sears the Lord is great Wo to those Nations that arise Against my Kindred they a prize Shall be to Worms their flesh as meat The Ravens of the field shall eat Whilst in Bethulia all my days I 'll spend to celebrate his praise ¶ On Man's Greation WE were created with a Word a Breath Redeemed with no less than Blood and Death How much a greater labour is it then Sinners to cleanse or breathe Souls into men ¶ The Mornings Ejaculation NOw that the Day-star doth arise Beg we of God with humble cries All hurtful things to keep away Whilst we in duty spend the day Out tongues to guide so that no strife May breed disquiet in our life To shut the casement of our eye Lest it admit of vanity Preserve the heart both pure and free From vain and troubled phantasie To tame proud flesh while we deny it A full cup and a wanton diet That when the day-light shall go out Time bringing on the night about We by leaving worldly ways May in silence sing God's praise ¶ The Evenings Ejaculation O Lord now night 's return'd again Our Bodies and our Souls refrain From being soil'd with filthy stain Let not dull sleep oppress our eyes Nor us the enemy surprize Nor fearful dreams our minde affright While the blackness of the night Holds from us the cheerful light To thee who dost by rest renew Our wasted strength we humbly sue That when we shall enclose our eyes Pure and chast we may arise Making Morning-Sacrifice All honour Lord to thee be done Thou ever-blessed Virgins Son With the Father and the Spirit As is thine eternal merit E're and ever to inherit ¶ On Tears TEars the sweet Musick of harmonious Souls Angels rejoyce and ready are in shouls To dance thereto it is their heav'nly skill Their Master's bottle with such pearls to fill And when the Soul in Sin 's consumption lies No Balsam's better than the briny eyes God loves not waters of a common ford All Rivers are not pleasing to the Lord. When Esau wept it was to think upon His Brothers fraud with indignation His Tears were mix'd his whispring thoughts within Cry'd 'T is my loss I prize beyond my sin Tears of Dissimulation too invite Men to believe God knows the Hypocrite When in devotion we our Case impart We should remember God requires the heart Tears of Contrition give the piercing voice At which both God and Angels do rejoyce Such as were Mary Magdalens who spent Full thirty years in weeping to repent St. Peter likewise waking look'd as sleeping His face b'ing surrow'd with continual weeping The Spouse of whom in 〈◊〉 her fears Like pools of Heshbon glaz'd her eyes with Tears As Musick on the water sounds more sweet Than on the land so Pray'rs with Tears they greet Almighty God with prevalence all hours God listens to effectual Oratours Then let our Tears into a deluge flow To drown our sins and wash away our woe May they shoot forth like showers in the Spring To bathe our Souls in 't is an Offering Well pleasing to the Lord. When Peter wept He look'd more lovely than as when he slept David pathetically ever sung When Heart and Harp with Penitence was strung When to repose he laid his weari'd head Not Diamonds but Tears adorn'd his bed And in the sacred Quire there 's much more mirth For one repentant sinner so by birth Than persons just Repentance needing none Though of an hundred there should want but one To Heav'n comes none but what are pure and cleer Heaven would not be Heav'n if Sin were there ¶ On Humane Frailty THe World 's a Monster And a humane life So full of strife That a dry morsel better may suffice With quiet than contentions sacrifice Man is conceiv'd In sin when born Become a scorn Addicts himself to vanities and lyes Poysons himself
with sin then bursts and dies Then O my Soul That thou may'st thrive Fix thus to live Serve God and love thy Neighbour not for gains Self-service will but cheat thee for thy pains Consider well Thou canst not buy Eternity But pious Pray'rs and Tears must be thy cost For Heav'n is not so soon obtain'd as lost Prepare thy heart For that 's the room Where God must come Then mind not things that are but transitory But entertain thy God the King of Glory He when he comes Will be thy Guest Himself the Feast Of Earth no expectation thou canst have But live a sinner to become a slave ¶ On the worth of Wealth THe good that is in Riches doth consist In the right use thereof for if we list To shew it in its lustre and its worth It must be us'd like Ointment poured forth The womans box if it had not been broke Its vertue like the dumb had never spoke So hoarded Wealth that hath much labour cost By being so recluse its worth is lost The sweet refreshments of those glittering Embers Insuse a heat in Christ's distressed Members He that is covetous may justly write On rusty heaps This ore corrupts my sight They breed but Care and are for nothing good Might cloath the Naked finde the Hungry food Chrysostome well observes he is not rich That lays up much He is more happy which Doth much lay out but not in ways prosuse It 's all one not to have and not to use He that relieves the Poor with what he hath Makes for himself a purging healing Bath He that bath pity on the poor doth lend Unto the Lord and God's our firmest friend ¶ On Formal duty TRadition doth of Ovid thus relate His Father with him holding strict debate On Poetry commanded him rehearse The profits not the pleasures of a Verse By words as well as srowns did plainly threat Ovid when thus in danger to be beat Beg'd mercy of his Father for his Crime But in his begging made this warbling Rhyme Father on me pity take Verses I no more will make How many promises Lord do I gather When I in Prayer petition thee my Father I promise to forsake all sinful snares And yet I sin even when I say my Prayers The weakness of my Prayer time being spilt In vain serves only to increase my guilt For when at Prayers I seem to wish them past As Jews the Pass-over did eat in hast Bodily-motion is the cause of heat But in Devotion we should sigh not sweat ¶ Advice to Prisoners A Prison is a Cage of certain Cares Whose Birds sing tunes of Discords and Despairs So sares it in this fickle World Man's like a Foot-ball toss'd and hurl'd Even the Poor and honest Prisoners lie Like silver Swans to sing their last and die But what 's a Prison when the Soul is free A Jayl is but the World's Epitome There ye contemplate how to lie I'th'Grave before ye come to die Whilst others heaping up their stores of Pelf Have no more land when dead than you your self Consider there are thousands are so low That they 'd be glad to be as ye are now Your want of Liberty's a Rod To scourge you neerer to your God Thus Providence to Prisoners is most kinde Their eyes to open leaving others blinde What 's your Confinement but a certain Rule That leads to Happiness Afflictions School To know no sorrow is no more Than to be equal with a Boar. A Prison is an honourable Jayl When a cleer Conscience is the Pris'ners Bayl. Let Reason be your Vertue and your Guide Impatience will but make your Wounds more wide If any be afflicted pray It is to sorrows an allay Is any merry let this be his Psalm Strike harder Fate for every Bruise is Balm Since by misfortunes it is so decreed That ye should all things but a Prison need Grieve not at sorrows come to day To morrow they may pass away To be dejected is but to deprive Your selves of finding out a means to thrive If you 're despised pity those poor Elves That laugh at you before they know themselves You have paid dear to know your Doom To morrow theirs perhaps may come He that can glory in his large Estate Is but a subject as your self to Fate Happy 's that Pris'ner that can live above The reach of Malice or intrigues of Love There 's no light object to pervert The candour of an upright heart Those Iron-bars that do your bodies hold Are far less burthensom than Chains of Gold Where Care will help there have a careful heart Where Care will not ne're act a foolish part For all the help that Care can do Is but to make one Sorrow two Pine not with Care but modestly be jolly To be more wretched than ye need is folly ¶ On Vain-glory. IN his devotions unto God the Lord He gives no Alms unless upon Record And if his good deed happens to appear 'T is often sent to the Almighty's ear Pharisee-like Behold Lord all my store Half of the whole I give unto the Poor Twice in the week I fast and do bestow My Alms on those whom I deserving know If an ill fortune doth molest his minde He 's apt to think God shews himself unkinde As if it were decreed he should inherit Heaven therefore upbraids God with his merit He can fulfil Commandements to try An earning God with superfluity In pious bounties lies upon the lurch And writes them in the windows of the Church Bare heads in concourse of a publick street Tickles his fancy more than doth his meat Stands at his door taking his Fork from sheath And though his stomach 's empty picks his teeth And when abroad he 's first that doth begin To call for Pheasants at a common Inne Cheapens rich Jewels slighting those are worse Although he hath no Earnest in his purse He 's ever on the stage to shew his Art And when abroad still acts a glorious part Thinks all men view the Vertues of his mind When he 's indeed a Bladder full of wind Skin full of words unnecessary tool The Fool 's great Idol and the Wise man's Fool. He that is truly wise is silent found The emptiness of knowledge makes a sound ¶ On Peace I Sought for Peace but could not finde I sought it in the City But they were of another minde The more 's the pity I sought for Peace of Country swain But yet I could not finde So I returning home again Left Peace behinde Sweet Peace where dost thou dwell said I Methought a voice was given Peace dwelt not here long since did fly To God in Heaven Thought I this Eccho is but vain To folly 't is of Kin Anon I heard it tell me plain 'T was kill'd by sin Then I believ'd the former voice And rested well content Lay down and slept rose did rejoyce And then to Heaven went There I inquir'd for Peace and found it true An Heav'nly Plant
In Winter judge how leaveless then it stood But I confirm it when I see the Bud. In Thomas 't was a fault To hault In waving Faith until His will Was satisfied but 't would a madness been So to continue having felt and seen Belief it may indeed Exceed The strength of Reason yet Doth let No opposition in Faith likewise will suspence 'T will get above but not against the Sense Whilst Faith assures I eat My sweet Redeemer with direct Effect Sense cannot so in ignorance allure me As that I cat not bread but will assure me Although I see not all that I believe Yet those things that I see I must believe Christians must guard their mouths and watch their actions Be pure in heart and keep their faiths from factions ¶ On Christ's Nativity expected WHen blessed Lord shall we Our safe Salvation see Dear Lord arise For our saint eyes Have long'd all night and 't was a long night too Poor man could never say He saw more than a day One day of Edeu's seven The guilty hours were blasted with the breath Of sin and death And have e're since worn a Nocturnal hue But in thy birth is hopes that we At length a splendid day shall see Wherein each poor neglected place Grac'd with the Aspect of thy face Shall glister like the porch and gate of Heav'n How long bless'd Lord how long The Nations thirst and throng All humane kinde Are now combinde Into one body wanting thee their Head Large is our multitude And almost vile and rude Headless Great God for lack of thee Unhappy for the want of thy bless'd face Then come apace And thy bright self to our dull body wed That thorough thy Almighty power Each part that hath confusion wore May order take so to appear Fresh as the dawning of the year When thou dear Lord shalt so united be ¶ The Call COme away my Lord my Life Thy presence doth preserve from strife Come away my Lord my Way Thy presence 〈◊〉 to obey Come away my Lord my Truth Thy presence turneth Age to Youth Come away my Lord my Light Thou dost both Sin and Satan fright Come away my Lord my Feast That my poor Soul may be thy Guest Come away my Lord my Strength By thee my days have health and length Come away my holy Joy Guard my Rejoycings from annoy Come away my dearest Love Lord let my Call thy presence move Come away Divinest Lamb My sins deface that seek to damn Come my Shepherd come away Thy Flock in danger are to stray Come my Safeguard and my Shield In Fights assist me lest I yield Come away Lord hear my Call Make no stay Thou All in All. ¶ The Extasie SUch a Lord and such a Life Whose presence bringe h Pleasures rise Such a way as leads to Bliss Who walks therein can't walk amiss Such a Truth whose Ray defies The Father and the Prince of Lyes Such a Light as leads us to Eternal Comforts not a few Such a Feast as doth rejoyce Compounded of the best and choice Such a Strength as doth desend Not for a day but to the end Such a Joy that giveth store Of Pleasures lasting evermore Such a Love as heard my cry Though sin made me his enemy Such a Lamb whose sweet abode Makes ev'ry Saint a Lamb of God Such a Shepherd of his Sheep There 's none can stray whom he doth keep Shuch a 〈◊〉 and such a Sun Desends 〈◊〉 shines till all is won Open my heart and such a God receive He 's All in All to them that do believe Delights of the Minde JEsus the only thought of thee Fills with delight my memorie But when thou dost thy presence show Heav'n seems into my breast to flow No Theam so sweet for voice can be Nor to the ear such harmonie No heart can thoughts for charming frame As Jesus his most pretious Name Jesus when for our sins we grieve Thy mercies all our wants relieve If good to those that seek thy Grace What art thou when they see thy face Jesus in whom we comsort finde Fountain of Life Light of the Minde Thou dost our hearts with comforts feed Our utmost wish thy gifts exceed No Eloquence of Tongue can teach Nor art of Pen this secret reach Only th'experienc'd Soul does prove What sweets they taste who Jesus love Him then I 'll seek retir'd apart Shutting the world out of my heart And midst my business him I 'll strive With fresh pursuit still to retrive Early with Magdalen I 'll come A Pilgrim to my Saviour's Tomb Weeping my sins in mournful cries I 'll seek him with my minde not eyes My Tears shall on his Grave distill And faithful Sighs the Garden fill Prostrate before him on my face His sacred feet I 'll fast embrace Jesus in thy bless'd steps I 'll tread Striving to follow where they lead Nor shall my Soul give o're to mourn Till to thy favour I return O Jesus most admired King Who didst triumph o'r deaths sharp sting Thy mystick sweetness first excites Then satisfies all appetites Thy quickning visits Life bestow Thy lights true good so cleerly show That they who once have relish'd thee Know all the World 's meer Vanitie Come then dear Lord possess our hearts Enflame our loves with thy chast darts All Clouds of errour drive away And change our N ght to thy bright day To thee our hearts and voices sing To thee our vows and pray'rs we bring That when we end this life 's short racc In Heav'n with thee we may have place ¶ On Death O Death the Serpents Son Where is thy sting once like thy Sire With Hellish torments ever burning fire But those dark days are gone Thy peevish spite buri'd thy sting In the sacred and wide Wound of a Saviour's side Now thou' rt become a tame and harmless thing A toy we scorn to fear For we hear That our triumphant God to conquer thee For the assault thou gav'st him on the Tree Hath took the keys of Hell out of thy hand And forc'd thee stand As Porter to that gate of Life O thou who art the gate be pleas'd that he When we shall die And that way flie May ope the Courts of Heav'n to us through thee ¶ On Judgment JUdge of the World we wretched sinners quake Our Consciences do ake And well they may whenas we think Of the fierce dreadful fire Of thine Ire And Phials thou fhalt make Us sinners drink For thou the Wine-press of thy wrath wilt tread With feet of lead Wretched notorious duft what uncouth place Can shelter from thy face The Earth will shrink out of thy sight The Heavens too that cannot erre Then shall fear Thee and thy Laws and from thee take their flight So burnt with glory their bright eyes shall dead Burst from their head Great God can we Thy Enemies abide to see Such a glorious Majesty We beg thy mercy Lord Thy Judgment-seat We dare not to
intreat For we are all condemned there Lord then O cast a look On thy Book Of Life behold we read A Saving Jesus here And in that Name our sure Salvation see Lord make us free And cross within Our scores of sin That cancel'd all our debts are paid by thee ¶ On Heaven BRight glorious Lord uncircumscribed Treasure Of everlasting Pleasure Thy Throne is placed far Above the richest Star Where thou prepar'st a splendid place Within the glory of thy face That each Spirit May inherit Who builds his hopes 〈◊〉 thy merit And thee adores with holy charity No ravish'd heart seraphick tongue or eyes Inspir'd can once surmise Or speak or think or see So bright Eternity The glorious King 's transparent Throne Is of pretious Jasper-stone Where the eye O' th' Chrysolite With a Skie Of Di'monds Rubies Chrysoprase But above all thy brighter face Speaks an eternal Charity When thou thy Jewels bindest up that day Forget not us we pray But there where the Beryl lies Christal too above the Skies That there thou mayst afford us place Within the glories of thy face And enroul Each ones Soul In the Scroul Of Life and Blessedness that we May praise thy Name unto Eternitie ¶ On Hell DIsmal darkness sad and sore An everlasting Night Groans and Shricks when sinners roar In their abyssful plight No corner there but hath a Snake Breeding in the infernal Lake Heaps of Fire and Beds of Snow Are the chief delights below A Viper springing from the fire Is his hire That prizeth moments to Eternity O thou God of Day and Night Fountain of eternal light Allelujahs Hymns and Psalms Holy Coronets of Palms Adorn the Temple evermore Almighty God Let not thy Iron Rod Bruise our bones with an eternal pressure Let thy mercy be the only measure If thou shouldst hoard up wrath in store We shall all die Not one be left to glorifie The Lord and tell How thou preserved hast our Souls from Hell ¶ The Salutation of Saints JEsus who man's Redeemer art The solace of each godly heart The ransom'd World's great Architect Chast light of Souls which thee affect What mercy conquer'd thee my God That thou wouldst bear our sinful load And innocent wouldst death endure That us from death thou mightst secure Still let commiseration press To give our damages redress And by fruition of thy sight Inrich us with a blessed light Thou guide to Heav'n and path to Rest Be thou the scope of ev'ry brest Be thou the comfort of our tears Our sweet reward above the Spheres ¶ On Pride THe proud man looks that ev'ry one should shew A Reverence to him though none they owe. I 'll value such as we do coyn set forth Just what they go for rather than their worth Pride unto Reason seemeth ever strange Is Reason absent there 't is Pride doth range And then for Reason there is none beside That is so highly opposite to Pride For Reason maketh Art Dame Nature's ape And Pride turns Nature out of Nature's shape ¶ Jeremiah's Lamentation For Jerusalem's Desolation COnsider Lord the wretched poor and vile A glorious City no sh 'as lost that stile She and her joys are under an Exile Behold and see Thou Lord as in a Wine-press hast her trod And crush'd her Virgins with an Iron Rod Sin was the cause but Lord thou art her God May it please thee To wipe away her Tears that do pour down Cause thou that art the Comforter dost frown O let repentant Tears offences drown And send relief O all ye passing by behold her sorrow Jerusalem Jerusalem would borrow Tears of ye all but none will say Good morrow The more 's her grief Her Sucklings sigh and cry for Corn and Wine Whilst she her self for want thereof doth pine Jerusalem was ever grief like thine Behold and weep She that was call'd the Joy of all the Earth Is Desolation now and nothing worth Her sorrows to her Enemies are mirth Her Lovers sleep The apples of her eyes do finde no rest Their streams o'reflow the flood-gates she 's distrest And sorrow doth become a constant guest Doth never fail Her old and young ones both lie on the ground Her Priests and Prophets thou dost deeply wound Terrours on ev'ry side beset her round On hill and dale Wormwood besots she seems as she were drunk This angry tempest hath her treasure shrunk She that was full of people now is sunk And desolate Her Soul 's remov'd from any glimpse of Peace Prosperity is fled there doth increase But sad effects of groans which never cease Such is her fate They that on Delicates were wont to feed In Dust and Ashes now lament their need Jerusalem is bow'd and broke indeed But God is just The Enemies they did her Maidens finde And ravished her Young men forc'd to grinde Confider Lord how she with grief hath pinde Upon the dust Remember Lord her Wormwood and her Gall Oh hear her sad complaints and ease her thrall Lord hear my Pray'rs and Tears for her I call In mercy see Oh lay that darksome Cloud from off thy face One smile will say thou think'st upon her case Oh hear and help her Lord of thy good grace Thou glorious Three Judge and revenge her cause O Lord my God Behold her scorners how they mock and nod In mercy towards her withdraw thy Rod. Lord let her cry Unto thee fly And let her not Be quite forgot As if O Lord she never were That she may sing Of thee her King That unto thee none may compare ¶ On Sin SIn is such an uncouth thing I cannot well define it Death doth own it is his sting God bids me undermine it But it so cunning is that when I think to win the day It now comes over under then And blows my baits away It seiz'd my Parents and beguil'd More learned men than I And when I think it is most milde I have most cause to fly At Church when I Devotion have It hovers o're my book And bids me think upon my Grave And off the other look Invisible it is no doubt And felt before 't is seen It subtilly can wheel about And like an Angel seem Good deeds I know accepted are And will be evermore But if I do not well I sear Sin lieth at the door Sin as a Serpent cunningly Doth lurk upon the scout That if my foot but tread awry My sins they finde me out If I with Brother break my word The fact may not be great But if I sin against the Lord Who shall for me intreat Many the faults are of my Youth I have been oft misled But they are blessed faith the truth Whose sin is covered Wherefore O Lord I will confess What in those days I did O grant thy merciful redress And let my sins be hid But I with heart and knee will bow In duty to adore thee Then recollect and study how To set my sins before me Shap'd in Iniquity I was A
wretch of little worth In sin my Mothers womb alas Conceiv'd and brought me forth Lord with thy grace enrich my heart Take out the filth therein Let fools pursue their idle Art To make a mock at sin Wo unto them their sins do draw With ropes them fast to tie That bind Iniquity their Law With cords of Vanitie If sinners could but count their score They'd fear a future doom Let him that sinneth sin no more Lest worser things shall come Whoso doth his transgression love Careless or lose or win He strangely doth himself approve To be a slave to sin Lord fix my heart still towards thee Especially at Pray'r Lest my Petition on my knee Become to me a snare Surely the quintessence of sin Satan that Judas is He turns a murtherer when in Leads the poor Soul amiss And kills it with a kiss ¶ The Check PEace rebel Sin and dare not to rebel For thou art dead Without the Law and thou that cam'st from Hell Art Captive led How durst thou say to him that dwells on high The Holy One Look on the World where all my wealth doth lie 'T is all as none Or yet how durst thou say unto the Christ If there be none Like thee or if by thee men do subsist Make bread of stone I read the sting of Death is sin but yet Sin that came first Poor Infant-man no sooner on his feet But fell and burst 'T is said that sin the Child is of the Devil But sin thou art His elder and the very self-same evil Caus'd him to start Then prithee say What is thy name for Death and Devil they Right understood Are both too good ¶ To the God of Heaven BRight builder of the heav'nly Poles Eternal light of faithful Souls Jesus Redeemer of Mankinde Our humble Pray'rs vouchsafe to minde Who lest the fraud of Hell's black King Should all men to destruction bring Didst by a strong impulse of Love The fainting World's Physician prove Who from a sacred Virgins womb Didst an unspotted Victim come Unto the Cross to cleanse the sin The wretched World was plunged in The sound of whose high Pow'r and Name No sooner any voice can frame But all in Heav'n and those that be In Hell how down their trembling knee Thee Christ who at the later day Shalt be our Judge we humbly pray Such Arms of heav'nly Grace to send As from our foes may us defend Be glory giv'n and honour done To God the Father and the Son And to the Holy Ghost on high From Age to Age eternally ¶ The Flower O That I were a lovely Flower In Christ his Bower Or that I were a Weed to fade Under his shade But how can I a Weed become If I am shadow'd with the Son ¶ On Darkness HOw Sinner Darkness better far than Light To be preferr'd It is because the Night Draws a thick Curtain over your black deeds But God's All seeing eye no Curtain heeds If he should shew severity to men And you in Hell you 'd hate your Darkness then ¶ On Love and Hatred I Love too much to hate what I should love I love too much to love what I should hate My Love and Hatred in wrong Centres move Such hateful love God doth abominate I love not Goodness neither hate I Evil My Hate to Vertue 's hot to Vice is cold I love too little God too much the Devil My Love and Hate wrong Objects do behold Lord change my Love to Hate my Hate to Love That so thy Just ce may of both approve ¶ On Justice and Mercy JUstice doth call for Vengeance on my sins And threatens Death as guerdon for the same Mercy to plead for pardon then begins With saying Christ hath undergone the shame Justice shews me an angry God offended And Mercy shews a Saviour crucifi'd Justice says I that sinn'd must be condemned Mercy replies Christ for my sins hath di'd Grim Justice threats with a revengeful Rod Meek Mercy shews me an appeased God Lord though my sins make me for Justice fit Through Christ let mercy triumph over it ¶ On Food A Man with all things needful may be sed God for both Soul and Body Food hath sent That for the Body is material bread And for the Soul his Word 's the nutriment If Bread I want my Body then must perish Without the Word my Soul will fail to thrive He that sends both sends both of them to cherish To keep both Body and the Soul alive Famine of Bread is a destructive Curse But Famine of the Word is much more worse Lord to my Soul thy Heav'nly Food apply Give that a life although my body die ¶ Christ All in All. CHrist is the Rock on which my Faith must build Christ is the Staff on which I safe may lean Christ is for my defence the safest Shield Christ is the Fountain that must wash me clean Who builds not on that Rock doth build on Sand Who leans from him trusts to a broken Reed He falls that fights not under his Command His Blood alone doth make me clean indeed Christ cleanses saves supports my feet from fall He is my only Rock my All in All. Lord to my Soul such Heav'nly Grace impart Thou may'st be Lord and Tenant of my heart ¶ I would but cannot I Would be rich but Riches fly away I would be great but 't is with Envy blended I would be fair but Beauty doth decay I would be brave but 't is with Pride attended I would be worldly-wise but that is Folly I would be strong but 't is a Beast-like guise I would be thought religious that 's unholy I would be learned but it makes not wise These vain Endowments soon draw to an end To each there is a But that doth attend Thus Fate who stops the race of worldly glory Shews such Endowments are but transitory ¶ The Voyage THe World 's a spacious Sea that 's large and wide And man a little Barque that sails therein His thoughts do drive him like the Wind and Tide The shelf that threatens shipwrack is his Sin His Heart 's the Pylot that this Ship doth guide Faith is the Freight with which he freely trades His Anchor Hope Thus doth he safely ride Heav'n is the Haven where the Barque unlades Needs must the Merchant in his Voyage thrive That safely doth at such a Port arrive Lord be thou Pylot to this Ship of mine That both the Ship and Lading may be thine ¶ The Careless Christian. I Do desire my Prayers may be heard Yet I my self regard not how I pray I fear God's wrath yet have I no regard To what I do or what I think or say I know his Promises are just and true Yet do I live as I believ'd them not I hear he Judgements hath for each ones due Yet careless I not terrifi'd a jot Searching my heart to finde the cause of this I find that in my heart no grace there is Lord since thy Grace
labouring The fruit she brings Savours of goodness but much more of evil Extols che Maker but adores the Devil Lord since there is a time to laugh to weep 'T is high time I awake out of the sleep Of sin and death O then propitious be And in due time let true Repentance free My Soul and I 'll be convert unto thee ¶ The Widows Mite ROom for a wealthy Benefactor he Behold draws neer unto the Treasury Others approach with their abundant store But here 's a Widow who although she 's poor Hath outdone all her bounty to display For her's was giv'n and theirs but cast away And she was noted for a true believer For God delighteth in a cheerful giver ¶ Gabriel and Zacharias Gab. BLess'd Zacharias cease to be afeard A John shall call thee Father thou art heard He shall be richly stor'd with Grace and Mirth The God of gods shall celebrate his Birth Zac. O Lord whereby can I know this my life Is well-nigh spent likew se my ancient Wife Her years are so in number I am bold To say for bearing Children she 's too old Gab. Is any thing impossible to God Whose Power can do it with a word or nod I that am Gabriel am sent down from high To do this message from the Deity And seeing thou believ'st not what I say Behold thou shalt be dumb until that day Then will I loosen that which now I strung Thou shalt have John with that John a tongue ¶ On Alexander the Great THou Earth's great Monarch to thy Valour 's praise Be it recorded thou didst spend thy days In Mars his School but one thing did remain Thou shouldst have made thy Piety thy gain Not Ostentation Flesh was made thy slave But wherein didst thou Satan's works deprave Those being vanquish'd thou might'st take thy rest And weep for joy as being stout and blest Alas his Conquests are as good as none That fights for Worlds and never finds but one ¶ Jesus Wept HEnce may we see Tears are the only things When watring well revives our fading Springs Martha and Mary sprinkling pious Tears Over their Brother four days freed from fears With the sole help of Jesus when they wept His Tears and theirs reviv'd a Saint that slept The very words Come forth bore such a sound Laz'rus straight came but left death in the ground Such love our Saviour shew'd his friend his eye That knew no sin could weep when he should die The Antients have this observation kept Jesus was never seen to laugh but wept ¶ Martha and Mary AS Contemplation is the bane of ill By that our good is so continued still Happy that house which never doth m scar y Yielding a Martha to complain of Mary ¶ On Worldly Gain THis World yields nothing more than Caâ—…es and Crosses Yet my forc'd heart dotes on it ne'retheless If I cast up my gains they are but losses For more and more I languish in excess It shews varieties of sweet content Alluring me with fair and golden baits But in the taste I finde them different No real pleasures but meer counterfeits Delusions are the knacks that do excell For cheats they shew as Heaven lead to Hell Lord plant thy heav'nly wisdome in my heart That world and worldly things I may desert ¶ On St. Peter's Perjury SHeathe up that sharp keen Sword which did befriend thee In smiting him who gave his car to end thee But yet consider he that doth salsely swear Is by the Law condemn'd to loose an Ear. I tell thee Peter e're the Cock crow twice Thou art my friend that shalt deny me thrice But Peter thou art favour'd take 't from me Instead of paying one Ear thou hast three ¶ On Pusillanimity REligion made the Martyrs dare and die Honour abhors to dread an Enemie Our Actions try our Courage and our hearts As Icie weather with its chilly smarts Do try our health and this we yearly find Withered leaves fall with the breath of wind As rotten Bows no longers hold debate With strength but break when they 're opprest with weight So Earthen Vessels may be said t' expire Expos'd when empty to the heat of fire This trivial passion of Faintheartedness Dispirits man and makes a dull impress Upon his body as if there were writ Hire stands a house but no one dwells in it Cowardise doth express a man to be An easie prey unto his Enemie Whose cruel mercy suddenly is spent Whilst for the Victim no man doth lament He grew in misery became forlorn Was both to friend and to his foe a scorn The righteous man is bold bids fear adieu The wicked flee when no man doth pursue ¶ On the Spring SInce Winters cold blasts are expell'd by the Sun And Fields that did penance in snow Have put Madam Nature's gay Liveries on Embroyder'd with flowers to make a fine show The Hills and the Vallies in duty abound And men praise the Lord so the duty goes round Heark heark how the Birds in sweet consort conspire The Lark and the Nightingale joyn In every note is an amorous Quire With an innocent mirth to entertain time The Hills and the Vallies in duty abound And Men praise the Lord so the duty goes round Methinks the God Pan whose glad subjects we are Doth sit on his flowery Throne We accept his kinde Offerings every year With Garlands of Roses and Flowers new grown The Hills and the Vallies in duty abound And Men praise the Lord so the duty goes round ¶ On Science MAny for Science seek with care and Art When Conscience is the Science of the heart Yet that most sacred Knowledge is become In mens esteem of Knowledge but the scum When as the Heart with Conscience doth converse Infinite mysteries they then rehearse A Conscienoe good and pure relies upon The sacred Title of Religion That is a Knowledge puffs not up to boast But is the Temple of the Holy Ghost Built so for Beauty equalled by none Rich as the Temple of a Solomon The fruitful field of Bonediction The joy of Angels and the Sinners sting The Subjects ark the treasure of the King An Habitation for the Saints abode The Book of Life the Princely Court of God The Book that 's seal'd to keep Deeds from decay And to be open'd at the Judgement-day A rich Persume and a most happy Guest A pleasant Friend and a continual Feast A Castle Tower a Rock to build upon A certain Fabrick of Salvation The poor man's Comfort his most trusty Staff The rich man's Elegy and Epitaph Wouldst thou be farther in this Science read Then Purge thy conscience from all works are dead ¶ On Drunkenness THis is a Vice that fights without defence He that doth finde this sin doth loose his sense I formerly have read of one who stood Amaz'd as lost within a spatious Wood When in one Vice he was to build his Nest Which of these three he judg'd to be the best To kill his
chance He call'd her his Sweet Sister Temperance When at her Table she sate down to eat She seldom us'd more than one sort of meat And did in Temperance so much delight She ever rose up with an appetite Nature is with a little satisfi'd Ebriety and Gluttony have tri'd And conquer'd many who to Death did dance One of the spirits fruits is Temperance ¶ On Persecution AS the poor Sheep is to the slaughter led In all humility and free from dread So all God's people may be said to be As Sheep the Emblems of Humility They harmless are and profitable too Obedient to their Shepherd in a crew Led into Folds and Pastures where as strangers They are obnoxious to many dangers Wolves Bryars Thieves Dogs Plagues both great and small But God their Shepherd rids them out of all Many desire the number may increase Of God's good Sheep but 't is a golden Fleece Which they desire to wear However they Most happy are that follow him their way Excellent things the Church of God hath won She 's like a woman cloathed with the Sun Crowned with Stars treading upon the Moon Yet travelling in Birth at night and noon The Dragon in pursuit of her and hers But under God they still ride Conquerers He that would be an Israelite indeed Must arm himself compleatly taking heed Of all assaults all persons places times Guard his own vertue resist others crimes Elias spoke against the craft of sin Then Ahab's hate against him did begin Isaiah as we read was sawn in two It was Manasses pleasure so to do And Jeremiah he was ston'd to please The cruel humour of Tahaphanes Stephen was stoned of the Jews and John Beheaded was Herod would have him gone Ignatius to the Lions had his doom The Clergy likewise hated Chrysostom But Justin Martyr slights these things as dirt Sayâ—… Persecutors kill but cannot hurt Tertullian well observ'd the more they mow The Christians down they much the faster grow Large Volumes might be fill'd with the bright names Of sufferers by swords by stones and flames True saith St. Paul all that will shun the grave Of hellish fin shall persecution have Well may the Christian with his God comply In persecution Christ himself could die ¶ On Sleep DEath in the Scripture is compar'd to Sleep When Death approacher then with care we keep A schedule of our wealth so to dispose Of those Estates we then are forc'd to lose So when Sleep comes methinks my Ev'ning-prayer Is like the making of my Will my care Ought therefore to provide betimes for why There 's danger in a drowsie Lethargy In perfect memory and when awake I 'll leave my Soul to God for if he take Not charge of me and me in safety keep The Devil will attempt me in my sleep Though day and night he seeketh to devour He keeps his markets in the darkned hour I on my pillow do my sleep confirm Thus mans Vacation is the Devil 's Term. ¶ Blessings of the Righteous as they are recorded in Holy Writ HEarken unto the Lord thy God His Covenants observe So will he kindly spare his Rod And not afflict a Nerve Bless'd shalt thou in the City be Thy God will Blessings yield At home abroad at bed at board And likewise in the field Blessed shall be thy bodies fruit and that upon the ground The wicked be they loud or mute Shall neither of them wound Thy Cattel shall inrich thy store With increase of their Kine Thy Sheep shall still wax more and more Thy Grapes shall yield thee Wine Bless'd shall thy Store and Basket be Blessings shall thence accrew Comings and Goings shall agree To make thee blessed too The Lord shall smite thine Enemies And put them to disgrace The chiefest he will make to flie And that before thy face Thy foes one way shall thee attempt But flie before thee seven From Judgement none shall be exempt But as the Chaff be driven Thy Store-houses the Lord will bless And all thou tak'st in hand And give to thee a large increase Of plenty in the land The Lord as he himself hath sworn He will establish thee And farther to exalt thy horn His people ye shall be Keep thou the Lord's Commandements And all the Earth shall see That thou art great in innocence And stand in fear of thee The Lord he shall his treasures ope The Heav'ns shall give thee rain If head or hand with business cope It shall be for thy gain No discontent shall thee attend As free from grief or sorrow To many Nations thou shalt lend But have no need to borrow Blessed are they that in him trust He will them bless with speed For do they hunger do they thirst He is their help at need Blessed is he whose sin is hid He may with gladness smile Whose errours all are covered Whose Spirit hath no guile Blessed are they that now lament As being poor in Spirit For they are promis'd by the Lord His Kingdom to inherit Blessed are they that now do mourn Thinking their joys are fled For though as yet they seem forlorn They shall be comforted The meek are blessed too for they That love not strifes increase Shall on the Earth bear happy sway Delighting much in Peace The hungry too and they that thirst For Righteousness as meat They shall be fill'd when those accurst Shall nothing have to eat Bless'd be the merciful to those Whom they observe in pain For he that mercily bestows Shall mercy reap again Thrice blessed are the pure in heart Whose Souls and hands are free From vanity and wicked oaths For they their God shall see Bless'd the peace-makers are for they His children shall be call'd And he that loves and doth obey Shall never be enthrall'd Blessed are they for Righteousness Do persecution bear Their great reward none can express But Heav'n it lieth there Blessed are they that are revil'd Because they seek the Lord Be they at home or if exil'd His grace will strength afford Rejoyce and be exceeding glad For great is your reward The Prophets by such usage bad Did get into regard ¶ Curses of the Wicked HE that doth hear the poor mans cry Shall never fare the worse But whoso turneth back his eye Shall never want a curse He that himself hath others curst His servant curseth him The blessings of his flowing Purse Shall him to ruine swim He that bla phemeth God his Lord Ought to be ston'd to death And cursed be that man abhorr'd Serves other God beneath Cursed be he that setteth light By Father or by Mother The people shall him dayly slight And none his Curses smother Cursed be he that doth remove His Neighbours Land-mark then The people shall him curse none love But each one cry Amen Cursed be he that leads the blinde In an erroneous way The Lord for him will torments finde And be the blinde man's stay Cursed be he that doth pervert The window fatherless Or stranger from an
upright heart Curses shall him oppress Cursed thrice cursed shall he be Covers his Father's breast And that man curst shall be as he That lieth with a beast Curs'd let him be with Sister lies Oâ—… Mother though in Law Such fins do make those horrid cries That dreadful curses draw Cursed be he that secretly His silent Neighbour smites Murtherers too that cause to die When a reward invites The wicked shall be curs'd at home And likewise in the field His basket and his store at last Shall Blessings cease to yield Cursed be all his sinful fruit Of body and of land His Kine and Flock though they are mute And all he takes in hand Cursed be he when going out And when returning in That happy 't were for him no doubt If he had never been ¶ Praises to God Psal. 65. 1. Praise waiteth for thee O God in Zion PRaise the most high Oh clap your hands Praise him for he the world commands Praise him Mount Zion Praises sing Praise him that is your Cities King Praise him with loud and silent Air Praise ye the Lord that heareth Pray'r Praise him makes Morning hear his voice Praise him makes Evening to rejoyce Praise him that doth prepare our Corn Praise him all ye that are forlorn Praise him that duly sends us Rain Praise him for Fruits Herbs Flow'rs and Grain Praise him for his refreshing showers Praise him for recreating Bowers Praise him that doth our Pastures fill Praise and rejoyce each little Hill Praise him ye Birds and ev'ry Tree Praise him that did divide the Sea Praise him for Waters from the Fount Praise him for Grass grows on the Mount Praise him that gives and nothing ows Praise him with Sacrifice and Vows Praise him that form'd us in the Womb Praise him that guides us to our Tomb. Praise him that makes us blest in Heaven Praise him from whom all Food is given Praise him his holy Name adore Praise him O praise him more and more Praise God the Father of the just Praise him doth raise the Poor from dust Praise him that makes the barren bear Praise him with duty love and fear Praise ye the Lord for dayly Food Praise ye his Name for it is good Praise him who gives success in Wars Praise him who numbereth the Stars Praise him that builds Jerusalem Praise him whose Word is more than Jem Praise him that lifteth up the meek Praise him that doth support the Weak Praise him who doth the Ravens feed Praise him our meetly help at need Praise him doth cause his Winds to blow Praise him that makes the Waters flow Praise him in his Angelick Coasts Praise him all ye his mighty Hosts Praise ye his Name both Sun and Moon Praise him ye Lights that shine at noon Praise him ye Heavens never fade Praise him for ye by him were made Praise ye the Lord ye Dragons fell Praise him ye Deeps his wonders tell Praise him Fire Hail Vapour and Snow Praise him ye stormy Winds that blow Praise him ye Cedars Beasts o' th' field Praise him all things can Praises yield Praise him ye Kings of highest birth Praise him ye Judges of the Earth Praise him ye Rulers whom he rais'd Praise for he 's greatly to be prais'd Praise ye the Lord both great and small Praise him that did create us all Praise him within his holy Tower Praise him for his Almighty Power Praise him for what he to us gave Praise Jesus Christ that did us save Praise ye the Holy Spirit too Praise each with all Devotions due Praise all strive who shall praise the most Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost Praise each with pious Harmony Praise ye the blessed Trinity Praise ye the Lord with Trumpets sound Praise him that heal'd us with his wound Praise him with Harps loud Melody Praise him with Song and Psaltery Praise him with Timbrel let the Flute Praise him with Organ Pipe and Lute Praise him with instrumental String Praise him with Cymbals loudly sing Praise him with joy and skilful voice Praise with new Songs the chief and choice Praise him that is our Guide our Light Praise him because his Word is right Praise him whose works are done in truth Praise him that no injustice doth Praise him all people great and less Praise him that loveth Righteousness Praise him whose Goodness fills the Earth Praise him with Zeal and pious Mirth Praise him the Author is of days Praise him that gives us power to praise Praise him whose Word the Heavens made Praise him whose breath requir'd no aid Praise him that doth the Wind command Praise him that makes the Waters stand Praise him whom Sun and Moon obey Praise him doth Heaven's Scepter sway Praise him that doth the Heathen awe Praise him whose ev'ry Word 's a Law Praise him who doth from Heav'n behold Praise him ye Rich Poor Young and Old Praise him that fashions all our hearts Praise him alone doth heal our smarts Praise him that is the King of kings Praise him in grief that comfort brings Praise him that governs Sea and Coasts Praise him that is the Lord of Hosts Praise him who can the Lion tame Praise him that Mighty is by Name Praise him that guards us day and night Praise him the God of Peace and Fight Praise him that makes the stoutest yield Praise him that is our Help and Shield Praise him with both thy heart and mouth Praise him in Age in Strength and Youth Praise him who are with sorrows sad Praise that the humble may be glad Oh let the Nations all accord To praise and magnifie the Lord. Amen Amen ¶ Gloria in Altissimis Or the Angelical Anthem ANgels Saints and all men cry Glory be to God on high And that glory ne'er may cease Grant us Lord on earth thy peace When there 's good will towards men We shall praise and praise agen ¶ On Fatherly Affection AS in the street I walking cast my eye It was my chance two Children to espie Fighting together by aâ—…d by in hast The Father of the one who saw what past Stept in and suddenly without delay He parted both and took his Son away And lâ—…ke a Father careful of his Son Gave him correction for the sauâ—…t he 'd done The other Lad was left without a check Which made him strut and boast and stretch his neck Believing he had surely won the day Though both alike were equal in the fray I thought it hard that one should punish'd be And not the other he escaping free At last I guess'd 't was a Paternal care One to correct to teach him to beware For over him he a dominion had But was a stranger to the other Lad. So when the wicked sin the godly smart God in chasâ—…sing shews Paternal art He chastens whom he loves whilst wicked men Pursue their sins and act them o're agen The reason common sense cannot avo d Sinners are spar'd only to be destroy'd What need a whip for stubborn
Much like the Frontispiece of Thee the Book Jehovah's Poem where he hath annext A gracious Comment to a glorious Text Urim and Thummim wrote in words at large Thou D'cus and Tutamen of thy charge Who ex utroque sitt'st amongst the Peers A perfect Nestor at meridian years Old Jeroboam holy Legends tell By making Peasants Priests turn'd Israel With her heels upward That prodigious phrase Of High swoln Woolsey in King Harry's days Ego Rex may teach great Monarchs what 's The sad effects of mounting Butchers beats To any thing but Gibbets Where such sway There 's none so proud so tyrannous as they Who suck nought from their Dams but kill and slay For take an upstart Groom who setcht his rise But lately from a Dung hill in a trice He huffs and Hamans it aâ—… such a rate As if the slip'ry wheels of Rowling Fate Were scotcht in him forgetting that the Son May end as basely as the Sire begun Births are th'immediate acts of God the choice Of man sounds well which ecchoes to that voice The Cream of Gentry not the Scum of Trade Princes are born but Commonwealths are made Then bless'd be Christ and Charles his servant who To silence the rude Cavils of our foe Has rais'd a Ruler from an antient stock A Swain like Daphais faiter than his flock In whom by happy providence we see The salse aspersion and foul caiumnie Which Brooke of old cast in the Churches face Bravely wipt off in nobler Compton's race 〈◊〉 the Great a Family well known From Hopton Heath to the Olympick Throne Compton the Valiant that hears a power From the Imperial Closet to the Tower Compton the Just what can be more exprest The Guns and Organs shall proclaim the rest Nor can the mouth of Spite it self defame Th'unfulli'd Trophies of that spotless Name Nor Malice choak'd with Liberty controul The least attempt of so divine a Soul Had all been Lyons once who wore that hide And each Lawn-slâ—…eve so honourably alli'd Save tem'pral envy and spiritual pride 〈◊〉 had not liv'd nor Caesar di'd The Cassock whilom scar'd into a jump And curtaâ—…'d all in rev'rence to the Rump May now exult with Warrantable glee In thy serene unblemish'd Pedigree With the white Prelate of the Garter Blue Undaunted Dolben and couragious Mew The High-born Durham generous Hereford By line a Baronet by Grace a Lord. And who should be first nam'd Sheldon the prime A word too glorious to be blaz'd in Rhyme As learned Lawyers justly boast the worth Of their Heroick Finch and Honour'd North. When Gospel-sury chang'd our Oyl to Ashes And Pulpits turn'd to Caledonian Swashes When Charity caught cold and zeal ran mad When men of Lâ—…vi dwelt in tents of Gad Black were our Stars Cimmerian our Night No Darkness like degenerated Light But when the Sons of Peers lay down the sharp Faulchion to tune the Psaltery and the Harp Abandoning the pleasures of Hide-park And with King David dance before the Ark 〈◊〉 spirit flies the Warlike Spear Being beat into a Sheep-hook shall we fear New Curse ye Meroz Doctrines in these Nations Clench'd with Edge hill and Naseby applications Harry the Eighth that he might propagate Feud against Popery and secure his State Dispos'd the then Top-heavy Churches Lands In his Nobilities and Gentries hands Knowing when time should turn which often varies They'd surely fight pro Focis if not Aris. But our blest Liege that Piety may greet Her younger sister Policy thinks meet True Honours Ore should wear Religion's Stamp To have the Chair recruited from the Camp His Majesty in such designes as these Impropriates the Bishops not the Sees Impropriate did I say rather restore Them to the Splendour they maintain'd of yore That when weak Curats fail these Sons of Thunder May keep the Dan and Bethil rabble under No Northern storms shall then our Temple stir Whose Beams are Cedar though their Rasters Fir. And the rich Pavement which we walk upon Smooth as the Chariot of King Solomon Without a stone of stumbling and offence Or speaking Treason in a Scripture sence Or crushing Texts until they vomit blood A signe the Pulpits were not Irish wood All peevish Sects shall fall from their extreams Won by thy Worth and melted by thy Beams As if thy parts which we poor Lads admire Were mixt of Gunning's â—…ht and Rupert's Fire Enough to make a Brownist keep the road And 〈◊〉 chaunt another Palinode Abringdon Wild whose Drolls infect the Rout May now complain his Pen hath got the Gout Who bubbled with his once-applauded 〈◊〉 Out-did his Name by barking at the Mitre Shall cease to stroak his half-dry Muses Duggs In tenderness to 's Conscience or his Luggs The Pagan Saint whose prerious lips express Nought but sweet Sippets of Soul-savingness Making the splay-mouth'd Brethren mump like Apes At Brooks his Apples and at Titchburn's Grapes Shall balk his Canting and convince the Gang An Anthem's better musick than a Twang And we Plebeian Off-springs meanly bred With a short Grace an Egg and so to bed Yet having Souls where loyal flames are nurst To Charles the good and James of Charles the first Shall to engage Posterity our bebtor Spend our dear blood as free as it 't were better My Lord accept this Mite and if it please Give us thy benediction and take these May all the Gifts and Graces that befel On Moses Joshua and Samuel Inrich thy Breast and Brain in such a sort That the whole City Country and the Court Led by thy good example without stain Of being factious bruitish or profane May win their pristine Glory once again May as benign and prosperous a state As e'er George Wharton could prognosticate Light on thy heart and bless thee o're and o're Wisdom and Wealth augmenting still thy store Long may'st thou govern without Guile or Gall And be thy Moderation known to all To bring strai'd Sheep by whatsoever name Back to the Fold from whence at first they came No private Meetings in thy Diocess Except those lawful ones of Truth and Peace But if the many-headed Beast should rise To pluck Kings plumes and peck out Prelates eyes Teach them to crumble like a tottring Wall Or Dagon cripled with a second fall Or heads on London-bridge expos'd to sight That grin and shew their teeth but cannot bite Lastly when Paul's Cathedral whose fair growth Attends on thine is finish'd when ye both Piercing the Clouds have kiss'd the Lights above That by aspiting Towers thee by Love When the whole story of thy span is told And deeds as well as Bays have made thee old When the officious Angels shall have given Thy better part its proper place in Heaven May thy bright Fame outshine the Morning-star As Prince a Prelate and a Batchelar So prayeth Most Honoured Lord the humblest and meanest of your Lordships Servants Samuel Speed ADVERTISEMENT THere is lately Published an an excellent Piece entituled The Vanity of Arts and Sciences By Henry Cornelius Agrippa Kt. Doctor of both Laws Judge of the Prerogative Court and Counsellor to Charles the Fifth Emperour of Germany To be sold by most Booksellers FINIS ‖ Helmets the Arms of Compton †Woolsey a Butcher's Son of Ipswich * The place where the old Earl was murthered ‖ The Bishop of London Clerk of the Closet †Earl of Northampt. Constable of the Tower ‖ The Bishop of Winton Doctor Morley †Drâ—…m in the scotch phrase as appears by their Letany Fro au Harlotree the Dinger of the Swash i.e. the beater of the Drum the foul Fiend and the Gallow-tree Gude Laird deliver us * Once Chaplain to M. G. Brown at Abingdon