hear and see and bear a part In heav's heart-charming musick sacred art In that rare comfort of Mel-Melody At Christs rare Nuptials blest solemnity Come then Lord Jesus oh I cannot cease To wish my soul in thine eternal peace Give me O Lord good Stephens Eagles-eye Through thickest clouds heav'ns glory to espye Give me O Lord a voice angelicall With Heart unfeigned on thee thus to call How long O Lord how long wilt thou delay Lord Jesus come come quickly do not stay Make hast and tarry not I thee intreat And draw my soul from earth to heavenly seat For why I feaâ— Lord falsifie my fear That Satan wil 'gainst me such malice bear To cause my refractory flesh to stur My soul unto Rebellion so t' incur Thy wrath and indignation for the fame My stubborn flesh therefore Lord curb and tame O free me from this Fleshly Prison strong Wherein my soul hath fettered lyen too long Fett'red I say yea fest'red more 's my shame More art thou flâ—sh and much more I too blame Who oft with Adam fondly have aspired And with vain-glory led have oft desired The fruit o' th' Tree of Knowledge for to eat Not of the Tree of Life more soveraign meat And to be red in any other Book Much pride and pleasure I have often took Than in my Book of conscience to behold The wo whereinto sin doth me infold With wontons I oft view'd Prides Looking-Glass But not times Dyall how my dayes did pass Yea on earths follies I have fixt mine eyes Gazing on blaztng worldly vanities Yet Lord I know that as thou hast a book wherein my faults are writ on them to look So thou a Bottle hast wherein to keep My contrite tears when I for Sin do weep And though my self unworthy I agnize Unto thy throne to lift my finful eyes Yet I my self unworthy do not find To weepe before thee til mine eyes be blind Lord then vouchsafe vouchsafe I thee beseech An ear an answer to my souls sad speech O come Lord Iesus come I humbly pray Speake peace unto my soul O do not stay Bind up my wounds make whole my malady VVith the Samaratans sweet charity Into my sore powre thou the Oyle of gladness Revive my soul from sin constrained sadness O bring my soul out of this mire and mnd This sinck of sin where I too long have stood Smite off my Fetters of iniquity As thou didst Peters in captivity Stop in me all the conduits of transgression Break Satans weapons of my son's oppression Yea let my eyes be as continual Lavers To wash and clense sins ulcers stinking savours For a clean Lord I know takes delectation To have a clean heart for his habitation Give therefore grace O Lord whiles here I live That I a bil of due divorce may give Unto that harloâ— sin which too-too-long Hath by false Flattery done my soul much wrong O double treble happy were I sure If once I might put off sins rags impare Tâ—ose Menstruous cloathes wherewith I am disguised VVhereby thine Image in mee 's not agnized VVhereby in thy pure sight I am but loathed O therefore that my soul might once be cloathed VVith thy most Royal Robes of righteousness Thy seamelâ—ss spotless Coat of Holyness And therein be presented to the Sight Of my great Lord the Father of all Light And be ingrafted and incorporate Into this New-Ierusalems blest state Ino this Kingdome evermore existing Into this Kingdome all of joy consisting Where all thy Saints and Sacred Angels reign By thee their mighty Lord and soveraign Cloathed in vestures of the purest white Stil in the presence of thy sacred sight Their heads adorn'd with Crowns of purest Gold Of preecious stones rich Pearls rare to behold Thou Lord alone being the Diadem Of these thy Saints in this Ierusalem Whose only sight is their beatitude Which duresfor aye without vicissitude But Lord it may be thou maist say to me Alas poor soul wouldst thou my beauty see None ere could see the glory of my face And lives on earth such is mans mortal case Lord thus I answer and I this confess That thy coelestial glorious holiness Is so immense so infinite so rare So great so glorious gracious specious fair That no flesh living can it see and live Yet to my soul O Lord this mercy give That so it may behold thy sacred sight Let death with thousand deaths my body smite So my poore Soul may see thy Majesty Let death my breath and Life end speedily Oh then I say and ne're shal cease to say O three-sold four-sold happy sure as they Who by a pious life and blessed end By Christ heav'ns Ladder to heav'ns joyes ascend Who for the minutes of Earths Lamentation Enjoy heav'ns endless years of consolation Who from this earthly prison are set free And in heav'ns Palace live O Christ with thee Yea who being dead to sin and Earthly toyes Are there in plenitude of perfect joyes But oh most wretched miserable I Who in the Flouds of worlds mortality By huge heav'n-mounting hel descending waves By Rocks Syrths whirlpoles al which seem my graves Am stil constrain'd to sail through dangers great Which waters winds weather together threat And which is more I mosterroniously Through ignorance oft wander clean away I lose my way and then am danger'd most Not â—nowing whither my poor ship doth coast Being thus expos'd to seas all jeopardies Like Ionah when from Ninive he flies Tost to and fro even into the Maw of hel By furious hound which 'gainst me rage and swel So that my way to th' Harbour of my rest Thus being lost my soul is fore opprest But which is worst whiles thus to thee I sail I meet Sea-Monsters which do me assail Resistful Remoraes do strive to stay me And huge Leviathan gapes wide to slay me Lifes toyes and troubles Satans craft and power Nould stay my voyage and would me devour Restless redresse is thus I store about Hnd for thy heavenly my soul cryes out Wherefore Sea-calming wind controlly Lord To my perplexed soul thine aid afford For if thou wilt O Lord thou canst me cherish O therefore help or else my soul wil perish One Depth O Lord another in doth call As waves break out and on each other fall The depth of my calamity profound Doth invocate thy Mercies which abound I call and cry from many waters deep My soul from sinking Lord preserve and keep O keep me from these dangers imminent Which have my silly soul on all sides pent Let thine oustretched arm upholding grace Once bring my soul unto her resting place From floods or worldly infelicity Into the â—ven of eternity How long O Lord how long wilt thou prolong Thy wrathâ— appeale and ease me from among These dâ—death-threatning dangers O direct My way to thee my 〈◊〉 to thee erect My â—fidence re-plan in thee I pray That â—o these tempâ—sts may me not dismay That so these floods though flow may
least I may Like to an infant learn to creep the way And grow from strength to strength from grace to grace Until I come in presence of thy face For I am weary of this pilgrimage And long for thee my heav'nly heritage How oft have I thee view'd with admiration How oft hast thou been my souls meditation How oft have I been ravisht with desire That unto thee my soul might once aspire How oft have I been scorn'd and vili-pended Earths most unpleasant pleasures quickly ended Being compared to those joyes above Which from my heart my soul doth dearly love My heart my life my bliss my joy my gem My soules dear soul is New-Ierusalem And now I come my joyes I come to you For whom I did so often seek and sue I pain and death do heartily imbrace So that my soul amongst you may take place Yea though ev'n hel it self were in my way And would my journey stop disturb or stay I would it pass and hazard hells annoy To live with Christ in his caelestial joy And surely since heath'nish Cleoâ— brotus Did seem but desp'rately so valorous Hearing his Master Plato once discourse Of immortalitie with furious force From an high Rock himself did head-long throw In hope to be immortalized so O how much rather then I pray ought I Dying it'h Lord a thousand death to die To be inveâ—ted in that perfect glory Shown an affur'd in truths most faithful Story He di'd in bare opinion Souls blind-love I die in saith and knowledg from above He onely hopâ— to have immortal Life I for immortal rest and glory rife He went unsent-for I am oft invited Even Christ himself my soul hath oft incited Incited oft I say with resolution And Pauls firm faith to wish for Dissolution Shal then his Pagan-courage mine excel Shal fear of death my Christian-courage quell Since my sure ground than his is much more firm And death to me is but my sorrows term And that my soul i' th end shall sure exult Although the way seem somewhat difficult O no my soul be valorous and stout With constant courage persevere hold out None fight but with a hope of victory Thy fight wel finisht brings eternitie If one shoul say unto a Captain stout Go forward with bold courage fight it out Do but thy utmost fight and give not over For thou in th end the conquest shalt recover Would any David his Goliah flie From whom he 's sure to win the victorie Would any Gideon such a fight refuse Could any valiant Ioshua think you chuse But enter combat with the proudest Foe Whom he with triumph surely shal orethrow My Saviour sweet even thus to me hath said Take courage Christian Souldier ben't afraid Do thou thy utmost Satan to with-stand For I will be propitious at thy hand Fight valiently and though thy Foes fierce might May hap to bring thee on thy knees i' th fight May often foil thee by his crafty snare Yea though his claws were ready thee to tare Yet I wil raise thee up I le thee defend And thou shalt sure be victor in the end Who then I say what 's he would be so base As not this proffer gladlie to imbrace Who could with vile pusillanimity So free a Conquest coward like deny Shal doâ—ing Lovers for their Ladies fight And for their sakes account all danger slight Shall Merchants venture both lives and goods For wealth pelf through th' Oceans dangrous floods Yea shal the ship boy gladly undergo All hazards which or Sea or shore can show Onely in hope to gain a Masters place And to obtain a cunning Pilots grace And shal my Soul turn coward â—ear and flie Shal not my soul controle that enemy Whom Christ my General first overthrew And thereby all his subtilties wel knew And knowing them hath taught me how to fight Me to defend him offend put to flight Yea and hath promis'd heel assistant bee And in my weakness cause my foe to flee And underneath my feet pull Satan down And me as victor graciously wil crown O then my soul stand stourly to 't and fear not Christs sacred arms in vain about thee bear not Fight this good fight and let proud Satan know Christ being Captain thou'lt him overthrow For if Heav'ns King by grace be on thy side Thou needst not fear what ere do thee betide No danger sure can in that Battel bee Where thou for Christ and Christ doth fight for thee And here 's my comfort this is my souls stay That whether Satan wound or do me stay Dye fleshly body so my soul may live Christ to my soul the Palm of grace wil give But as a mighty Emp'rour which proclaims At some great Feast Olympick warlike Games Wherein to him which proves the Conqueror And doth the best exploits this Emperor Wil give a crown his valor to reward And him with Kingly favour wil regard But not the Emp'rour unto him descends But lie to th' Emp'rors Gallery ascends There from his Princely hand to take the Crown The triumph trophy of his high renown Even so the Christian Souldier having gained The victory for which he long had strained With all his power spiritual to quel The rage of rayâ—nous sin and Satan fel Musts from the worlds Lists in a blessed end By death Heav'ns glorious Gallery ascend There from the hands of Jesus Christ himself To take a Crown far passing worldly pelf A Crown of joy even glories plenitude A Crown of bliss even heav'ns beatitude Not as the Meede of his deserving merit But as the free gift of Gods sacred Spirit For having done what ever I am able Yet my best service is unprofitable Only in mercy he is pleas'd to Crown His own good gifts in me to my renown O! therefore death shal be my welcome guest Death which translates from la Sour unto rest From worldly sorrow to heav'ns joyes encrease From wo to weale from trouble to sweet peace From earth the stage of instability To heav'n the fortress of true constancie Go then you godless Heliogabolites You drunken Vicars proud cosmopolites Go please your selves in swearing feasting fighting And not what 's just but what 's your lusts delight in Go please your selves with rich and large extents Of wealthy Mannors stately tenements Grow proud to see your underlings beslaved And by your greatness wrongfully outbraved To see your ward-roabs stuft with proud apparel Your mouths with oathes your thoughts with strife quarrel To have variety of worldly pleasure Delicate Gardens Coffers ful of treasure Treasure saâ—d I nay white and yellow clay Bewitching Mammon Sin-bane souls decay Or if there 's ought that doth you more allure Or which you would with more content procure Use it possess it yet for all this know You shall it all with shame and smart for go Yea God wil take at deaths disastrous day Your Lands your life your goods your Gods away This this alas did cause the Prophets cry
Rime Who like transformed Acteon range about And beat the Woods to find Diana out Is 't this you 'ld have then hence here 's no content For you my Muse nere knew what Venus meant But stay I may subvert your rude conceit And every Verse may prove a heavenly bait O that ye were such Captives then you ld be Thrice happy such as these are only free Leave leave your wanton toyes and let alone Apollo sporting at his Helicon Let Vulcan deale with Venus what 's to thee Although she dandle Cupidâ— on her Knee Be not inchanted with her wanton charms Let her not hug thee in her whorish arms But wisely do as Nâ—ptune did in spight Of all spew out the Lady Aphrodite Come come fond lad what wouldst thou behold A visage that wil make thy Vâ—nus cold If this be all He gâ—ve thy eye delight Come see that face that lends the sun his Light A Caeâ—e iâ—ll glorious sight I did espie No earthly object for thy wandring eye I saw a face that made the Heavens to shine Oh seek that glorious face that lends thee thine Looke and behold that light which if thou see Aright wil make the earth a heaven to thee Come see that glistring face from which arise Such glorious beams that dazels angels eyes VVhat canst have more but dost thou think that such A comely visage wil not let thee touch Or dost thou think a Sun that shines so clear wil scorn to let a lesser Orb come neare No thou mistakest say dost thou truly thirst For him I dare avouch he lov'd the first Be not dismaid it needs no more dispute Come give that glorious face a kind salute THE Propheticall TRUMPETER Sounding an Allarum to Britaine I Do not wonder as I erst have done That when the Prophet Ionas should have gone To Nineveh Gods word He disobey'd And would Himselfe to Tharsus have convey'd For I have now a sense how flesh and blood The motions of the Holy Ghost withstood And feel me thinks how many a likely doubt The Devil and his frailty found him out He was a man though he a Prophet were In whom no little weakness did appear And thus he thought perchance VVhat shall I dâ— A strange attempt my heart is urged too And there is somwhat earnestly incites That I should hasten to the Ninivites And preach that if they alter not their wayes Their time of standing is but forty dayes My soul perswadeth God enjoyus me to it And sleep in peace I cannot til I do it But common Reason striveth to restrain This Motion and perswadeth me 't is vain It saith I am a sinner and so fraile That many times my best endeavours faile To rectifie my selfe How shall I then Be hopeful of reclaiming other men To Israel I have threatned many years Gods judgements yet no fruit thereof appears Although they have some knowledge of the Lord And are within his League they slight his word VVhat hope then is there that a heathen Nation VVill prove regardfull of my exhortation The stile of Prophet in this land I carry And such a Calling here is ordinary But in a forraigne State what warranty Have I to publish such a Prophesie How may the King and people take the same I shall in the open streets defame So great a City and condemn for sin A place wherein I never yet have bin If I shall the Lord commanded me Then they perhaps will answer What is he For they profess him not Nay some suspition They may conceive that I to move sedition Amsent among them Or if otherwise They shall suppose how can they but dispise My person and my counsel who shall from So farre a place so meere a stranger come That no man knows or what or who I am Or from what countrey or from whom I came Such thought belike delay'd and foar'd him so And so the Spirit urg'd him to go For Niniveh that not to go nor stay Could he resolve but fled another way From which rebellious course God fetcheth him back VVith such a vegeance that he did not lack Sufficient proofes how Reason did betray him And in his calling causlesly affray him Yea mark heav'ns providence though Ionas went Another way it crost not Gods intent But furthered it For doubtless e're he came To Nineveh the miracle and fame Of his Deliverance was sent before And made his preaching work on them the more Now though I do not arrogate nor dare My selfe except in frailttes to compare With blessed Ionas yet I may behold To say our causes a resemblance hold My heart and when that moves as one avers It more prevails than many Counsellers My heart I say perswaded me e're while To read a warning Lecture to this I le And in such manner moved that to say It came from God me thinks behold I may Yet my own nat'rall frailty and the world Among my thoughts so many doubtings hurld That every step had rubs I levell'd some In my last Canto Yet I could not come To even ground till I had overtopt Some other Mountains which my passage stopt Beware said Reason how thou undertake This hazardous adventure which to make Thou hast resolv'd for this wise age denies That God vouchsafed any Prophesies Concerning them or that the application Of ought foretold pertaineth to this Nation She saith my constancy is no true signe That God first moved this intent of mine Since Hereticks and Traytors oft are seen As bold in all their causes to have been As Martyrs be And that for what they do They can pretend the holy Spirit too And she perswades t is likely I shall pass At best for one that much deluded was She sayes moreover that if these times be Indeed so wicked as they seem to me I shall in stead of moving to repent Nought else but stir their fury and be rent Perhaps in pieces by their hasty rage For what 's more likely in a wicked age When people in their sins grow hardned once She sayes I may as wel go talk to â—ones As tell them ought For they are in the dark And what they see and hear they do not mark She urged that the Prophets in old times Did speak in vain against the peoples crimes And if in them their words begat no faith Much less will such as mine my reason saith She tells me also that this I le hath store Of Prophets and of Preachers never more She sayes that though their calling none neglect Their pains appear to take but small effect And if such men authorised as they Do cast their words without success away In vain my Muse whose warrant most contemn Doth seek to work more piety in them A thousand things unto the life effect Yea all and more than any can object Who shall peruse this Book my Reason brought before me and objected to my thought And as a Pilgrim who occasions hath To take some extraordinary path Arrival making at a double
have we seen prodigious lights O' respread the face of heav'n in moonless nights How many dreadfull Meteors have there been In this our Climate lately heard and seen Who knoweth not that but a while ago A great Eclipse did threat if not foreshow Gods Judgements In what age to fore did hear So many who did Saints and Scars appear Fall as it were from heav'n Or who hath heard Of greater eathquakes than hath lately scar'd These quarters of the world How oft the touch Of famine have we had But when so much Devoured by the Pestilence were we As in this present year our folks shall be Of wars and martial rumors never more Were heard within these confines heretofore When were all Kingdomes and all Nations through The world so opposite as they are now I 've been in no Countrey whether nigh or far But is engag'd or threatned with some war All places either present woes bewaile Or else things feared make mens hearts to faile False Prophets and Deceivers we have many We scarcely find integrity in any The name of Christ begins in ev'ry place To suffer persecution and disgrace And we the greatest jeopardies are in Among our neighbors and our nearest kin Strange heresies do ev'ry where encrease Disturbing Sion and exiling peace Impiety doth multiply True love Grows cold And if these tokens do not prove Our fall draws on unless we do amend I know not when our folly shall have end A third apparent sign which doth declare VVhen some devouring plague approacheth neer Is when a Nation doth anew begin To let Idolatry to enter in And openly or secretly give place To heresie where truth establisht was Or when like Ieroboam to possess An outward profit or a temporal peace They either change Religions or devise A worship which doth mix Idolatries With truth For this ev'n for this very crime The King of Ashur in Hosea's time Led Isr'el captive And both from the sight Of God and from the house ef David quite They were cut off forever and did neither Serve God nor Idols but ev'n both together In such a mixt Religion as is that Which some among us now have aimed at Mark England and I prethee mark it well If this offence which ruin'd Israel On thee appear not and if so it be Amend or look for what it threatens thee The fourth true token which doth fore-express The ruine of a Land for wickedness Is when the Priests and Magistrates begin To grow extremely impudent in sin This Sign the Prophet Micah giveth us And he not I to you cries loudly thus Heare O ye house of Iacob and all yee That Princes of the house of Israel bee Ye Iustice hate and ye pervert what 's good Ye build the walls of Sion up with blood Ierusalem with sin ye up have rear'd Your Iudges pass their censures for reward Your Priests do preach for hire your Prophets do Like them and prophecy for money too And for this cause shall Sion mount saith he Ev'n like a plowed field become to be And like a Forrest hill where bushes grow The Citie of Ierusalem shall show Change but the names oh Britain and that token Of desolation unto thee is spoken For what this day thy Priests and Prophets are Their actions and the peoples cries declare A fifth sure evidence that the cause for which God among Thy ruins wil entomb thy fame ere long If thou repent not is this that thou Dost ev'ry day the more ungodly grow By how much more the blessed means of grace Doth multiply it self in ev'ry place God sends unto thee many learned Preachers Apostles Pastors and all kind of teachers His Visions and his Prophecies upon thee He multiplies and that he might have won thee To more sincerity on all occasions By counsel by entreaty and perswasions He hath advis'd assured and besought thee With precept upon precept he hath taught thee By line on line by miracle by reason In ev'ry place in season out of season By little and by little and by much Sometime at once Yet is thy nature such That still thou waxest worse and in the room Of pleasant Grapes more thistles daily come And thou that art so haughty and so proud For this shalt vanish like an empty cloud And as a Lion Leopard or a Beare Thy God for this shall thee in pieces teare If thou suppose my muse did this devise Go take it from Hosea's prophesies The six undoubted signal when the last Good days of sinful Realms are almost past Is when the people neer to God shal draw In word to make profession of his Law And by their tongues his praises forth declare Yet in their hearts from him continue far To such a Land their destiny displayes Isajah for even thus the Prophet sayes God wil produce a marvel in that state And do a work that men shall wonder at The wisdome of their wisest Counseller Shal perish and their prudent men shal erre On their deep Counsels sorrow shal attend Their secret plots shal have a dismall end Their giddy projects which they have devised Shal as the Potters Clay be quite dispised Like Carmel Lebanon shal seem and he Like Lebanon shal make mount Carmel be Their pleasant Fields like desarts shal appear And there shal Gardens be where desarts are God keep thou Brittish Ile this plague from thee For signes thereof upon thy body be Thou of the purest worship mak'st profession Yet waxest more impure in thy condition Thou boastest of the knowledge of Gods word Yet thereunto in manners to accord Thou dost refuse Thou makest protestation Of pietie yet hatest reformation Yea when when thy tongue doth sing of praise divine Thy heart doth plot some temporall designe And some of those who in this wise are Holy Begin to shew their wisdome wil be folly For when from sight their snares they deepest hide By God almightles eyes they are espy'd The seventh symptome of a dreadful blow If not of a perpetual overthrow Is when a slumbring spirit doth surprize A Nation and hath closed up their eys Or when the Prophets and the Seers are So clouded that plain truths do not appear Or when the Visions evidently seen Are passed by as if they had not been Or when to Nations who can read God gives His Bookâ— and thereof doth unseal the leafes And bids them read the same which they to do Deny or plead unableness thereto Black signes are these For if that book to them Stil dark or as a Book unsealed seem Or if they heed no more what here is said Then they that have the Book and cannot read The Iudgements last repeated are the doom That shall on such a stupid Nation come This signe is come on us for lo unsealed Gods Book is now amongst us and revealed Are all the Mysteries which do concern The children of this present age to learn So wel hath hath he instructed this our Land That we not only read but understand
world in common Then ratling roaring thunder shal be heard Whereby the wicked shal be frighted feard Then all the world shal be as flaming fire Christ our Iust-gentle Judge with love and ire Shal come with all the hoast of winged Legions Soaring about the bright-star spangled Regions With whom apostles Prophets Martyrs flye In compleat glory in the glistring Skye Mercy and Justice marching cheek by jowle Shal his divine triumphant Chariot rowle Whose wheels shal shine with Lightning all about With beams of glory each-where blazing out Who shall in 's hand a book in folio bear Wherein mans faults and follies written were Then shal the wicked sin-polluted Goats Ingulft in sorrow roar with hideous noats Howle groan and grieve and lamentably moan At Gods supernall and tribunall throne Holding their hands at 's Barre with grief and horror Shall hear the Judges sentence to their terrour Their self-accusing conscience telling them That they are Guilty and wil them condemn And Satans Sergeants at their elbowes stand To bear their souls and bodies out of hand To his infernal-Jayle with fiery chains To bind them fast to hels nere ending paint Their sin I say wil stand at their right hand And at their lest wil damned divils stand VVithin th accusing conscience crying shame VVithout them all the world a burning flame Under their feet soul frying gaping hel And ore their heads their Judge most fierce and fel Too late they then weep for un-wept-for sin Too late they wish they never born had been Too late ashamed at Heav'ns most glorious Light They wish but vainly wish that mountains might Them cover smother from heart-searching Judge Thus rest of comfort up and down they trudge And then the just-chiefe-Justice wrathfully On 's left hand sayes to the wicked Stand you by You awless lawless wicked hence depart Into eternall terrour pain and smart Depart I say you cursed go begon Into the depth of hels deep dungeon That Prison where your damned souls must lye And dye a thousand deaths yet never dye Where shall be weaping walling schreeks and groans Gnashing of teeth hel-howling sighs and moans Divels tormenting you in flames eternal With fearfull frights by hellish Fiends infernall For ereta be sequestred from all joy In endless restless mercy less annoy O woful wages for their works of sin O how much better they ne're born had bin O that when they were born they then had dyde Then thus for sin hels horrors to abide But as we see after a mighty storm The sun shines out with beams bright fair and warm So the God-fearing and sin-flying sheep VVhich did Christs Laws and Heasts sincerely keep VVhich his distressed Members cloath'd and fed VVhich to their power the poore had comforted To these blest saints I say at s right hand placed VVho shall be with Caelestiall glory-graced VVhom he elected in be angelized VVhose souls in joy shall be immortallized VVith sweet aspect to these wil Christ thus say Come come you blessed of the Lord for aye Come near adopted brethren come to mee VVith me you all shall glorified be Receive the Kingdome for you all prepared Ere Earths foundation was to the Earth declared For your good service under my faiths banner You shall be crown'd with my chiefe champions honor Since for my sake you once liv'd in annoy Now with me come into your Masters joy Into that joy whereof none shall be able You to deprive it is so firm and stable Thus then the Lord-chiefe-Justice having driven The rout of damned Reprobates from Heaven And having with the Fan of his Decree The chaff from Wheat thus clensed and made free Thus in a bundle having bound the tares The con-corrupted heap of hellish wares And by the power of 's ireful Iron rod His Foes beat down and under foot thus trod His Church from all uncleanness purifide His sacred sons enthronized sanctifide Now shall they all with joy inexplicable With great content and comfort amiable Behold and see the New-Jerusalem The Citie of the Lord vouchsaft to them That sole Metropolis that sacred seat VVherein our trine-one Lord most good most great Had long time promis'd and now means to dwel VVith all his Saints in vertue that excel This being that sweet spouse spirituall That blotless spotless Bride coelestiall To whom the Lamb Christ Jesus is contracted Now ready that the Nuptialls be enacted VVho being in her Militant estate Was then with blemishes contaminate Was often sin-sick by her sinful course And as it were in danger of devorce By re-re-lapses and her oft offence Though stil protected by heavens indulgence But now being in her pure and glorious state In heav'n triumphant un-contaminate Conform'd unto confirmd in puritie All-chast now plac't in sweet security Now undivorceable lovely and sweet Is new prepar'd her bridegroom thus to meet Her eyes like Orient-Pearls her cheeks with dimples Most amiable fair free of least Pimples Her lips like threds of scarlet coral red Her temples faire her hair like golden thred Her breath more savourie then mellifluous dew Her brests like two young Twin-Roes white of hiew Arayed in fine pure linnen clean and white In Vestures wrought with Gold which glister bright And cast an odor ferous fragrant sent Or Spâ—kenard Saffroâ— and most pure ointment Attended on by Virgins vertuous chast To meet her Bridegroom thus she forth doth hast Oh sacred sight sweet shew souls soveraign bliss When thus the Bridegroom his dear spouse shall kiss Mariage of Manna and of Mâ— compacted Whereby our souls with Christ are aye compacted Prefigur'd in the sacred Sacrament Of Christs last supper given to this intent Thus Christ I say his love his dove shall meet Thus they each other kindly then shall greet Thus shall this glorious City then appear VVherein the just shal reign with joy and cheer But now ere we behold this blest Theater Let me herein be th angels Imitater Tâ— each Godly Ceder here to signifie This observation of importancie That since in this great Cities model rare VVe are to meet with wonders past compare VVe shall behold inimitable art Such as may quickly wonder-strike the heart And seem to Reason's Sin blear'd Flesh-blinde Eye Tâ— exuperate the bounds of Veritie Therefore a winged Messenger from Heaven To the blest Evangelist this charge hath given To register in time concluding scrowles To write this truth in Scriptures sacred rowles That Heav'ns all-seeing all foreseeing King Truths spotless Fountain Faiths ore-flowing-spring That alpha and omega first and last Who was is shal be when all times are past Who is as powerful to perform his wil As ready-prest his Mercies to fulfil Whose Promises are all Yea and Amen Hath promis'd and what 's he among all men Hath ever known the Lord to falsifie His Cov'nant made or from his word to flie Hath vow'd I say that hee 'le all things renew All imperfections bring to perfect hiew And make the joy of 's glorified Saint Endless and free
eleventh and twelf foundation Were both of them two Gems of Indian nation Call'd hyacinth and ametist both which Are of a purple colour faire and rich And now of all that hitherto is said Of these rich precious Stones whereof was made This twelve-fold Solid Glorious Strong Foundation This is the scope true use and application Namely that as a careful architector Who of a Princely building is Director And chiefe Ore-seer sends with expedition His Quarrions Masons gives them this commission In every quarter to search out and dress To hiew and cut to have in readiness The choicest Stones that might be got for gold For strength to build and beautious to behold Or as Wit-wondrous Solomon is said When he would have the Lords great temple made To send his Princes to provide each thing Which might decore the seat of heav'ns great King With Hiram his kind Neighbor did compact For necessaries to that sacred act Who sent both men and all his choicest Stuff Of every thing aboundantly enough Even so the Lord this Cities Master-builder Earths globy Universals strong hand weâ—lder To th' build in got this blessed habitation Sent his apostles into every Nation To India Aegypt Aethiopia Arabia Europe and Armenia Through every course itâ— worlds circumference To reach and preach with care and diligence To congregate and bring into his â—old His precious people who like perfect Gold Should gorgeously adorn this sacred frame Some Prophets Martyrs Preachers of great same Some with one gift some with another graced That in this Sancture they might thus be placed To frame and build this everlasting palace Of everliving Stones and endless solace Who as th' had built his Church once Militant Now should they thus build up his Church triumphant And as they had converted souls to Christ Their souls should shine like Stars in glory high'st Thus then the citie wall and groundwork past To th' gates with joy we now are come at last Twelve Gates most rich and precious did belong To the wall apostolike most firm most strong Which Gates were all of pearls most orient Yet all were but one Pearl most excellent Even Jesus Christ who is the only Port Through whom th' Elect must into bliss resort Through whom alone by saith we here are fed Through whom at last we all shal tast that bread That bread of Life never to hunger more Which for his Saints Christ hath laid up in store He only is the Dore by which I say We shal go in and out feed Live for ay And as on twelve foundations did arise A VVall as we did formerly premise But One in Matter and in Lustre bright Even God the Father Father of all Light So these twelve Ports are all one Pearl most rare Even God the Son whence they derived are But here this one objection may accrew How it may come to pass a pearl should shew And represent this Man-God Christ our King To which Objection I this answer bring That as the Shel wherein the Pearl doth grow Which Pliny plainly in his work doth snow Doth at a certain season gape and yawn And without any generating spawne Draws into it a dew from forth the ayre Which by the Sea i' th' shel grows Orient fair And of this dew doth more coagulate Than t is of earthly stuff coaugmentate Even so the Holy Ghost from heav'ns high frame Upon the blessed Virgin Mary came And Gods eternall power whose breath all made Did so Christs Virgin-Mother over-shade That without any humane copulation Christ in her womb took on him incarnation Yet so as that his powerfull Divinity Was stil assistant unto his humanity Which subject was to mans infirmitie But not to sins even last impurity Being thus most perfect God and Man indeed Knowing our wants to help us at our need Thus then we see that these twelve Pearly Gates Consisting of one Pearl this intimates That we in heaven or earth none oâ— her have To invocate our sinful souls to save But Jesus Christ true God and man alone Who sits our advocate in heav'ns high throne Oh then the wilful madness of our Foe That monstrous beast of Rome who though he know This our Position most authenticall Both he and his besotted shavelings all Vet they unto their Saints appropriate And unto angels dare accommodate The honour only due to Christs blest name Angels themselves having refus'd the same And since nor Saints nor angels know out state Nor have in them power us to consolate But Christ hath will'd us come to him alone Who can and wil ease and appease our moan Therefore that they dare add and thus diminish From Gods firm truth they do but strive to finish And measure up to th' ful their own damnation Threatned to all such in the Revelation The Gates thus entred now we may behold The streets within all pav'd with purest Gold Which gave allustre like the clearest glass Even every street through which the Saints shall pass And customarily walk up and down Like glorious Kings in pomp and great renown Which streets and patent passages imply Amongst their other joyes the liberty And perfect freedome which those sacred Saints Shall fully there possess without restraints Of being unto any one place tyde For why wheres'ere they go God is their guide They walk in God and God in them alwayes Their beautious paths shining with his bright rayes Thus have we seen th' essential Majesty This Cities glorious frame and Symmetry The most magnificent and blissful State Of those which are in Christ incorporate But yet whiles here we see 't no otherwise Then as we had a Myst before our eyes Then as we were i th' bottome of a vail Whence of a perfect sight we needs must fail By reason that cloud-kissing Mountaines hie And lofty trees are interpos'd to th' eye And hereby hinder our more clear aspect Of this most glorious heavenly architect So that but Aenigmatically we As through a glass this sacred City see Whiles in the Flesh we live by lively faith As blessed Paul in his Epistle saith Yet let it joy our hearts our souls delight That though but thus we may admire this sight That though but with the Prophet Daniel we May ope the window and look toward thee O Dateless Fateless Restful Blissful Citie Where Hallelujah is the angels Ditty Now let it not be O! how can it be Tedious to us to contemplate and see What majesty and dignity compleat Is accessary to the glory great Of that externall beauty of this place Fill'd with the glory of the Lords bright face Making this City most magnificent An abstract Common-weale most permanent First there shall be no Temple in the same Wherein to worship God all-glorious name No sacrificing no peculiar place To worship in or be this Cities Grace Nor no externall Paedagogie shall Be useful there no Service Ritual Like that under the Law amongst the Jews When they did their old sacrifices use But
sight Is to be found the fulness of delight Of wisdome beautie riches knowledge pure Of happiness for ever to endure Of goodness joy and true Nobilitie Of treasure pleasure and felicitie Of all that merits love or admiration Or worketh comfort or sure contentation Yea all the powers and powerful faculties Of soul and bodie shal partake likewise Shal be sufficed with the ful fruition Of heav'ns eternal ternal glorious vision God unto all his sacred Saints shal be Their universal sweet felicitie Containing each particular delight Which may affect th' aspect of their blest sight Infinite both for number and for measure And without end shal be their endless pleasure To th' eyes he shal be a Mirror cleer Melodious Musick to delight the ear To th' Palate he shal be Mellifluous Mell Sweet spiring Balm for to refresh the Smel Unto the understanding he shal bee A Light most bright and pure it'h high'st degree To th' VVill he shal be perfect contentation To th' Memory erelasting continuation In him we also shal injoy possess What ever various time could here express Yea all the beauties of his rarest creatures VVhich may our love allure by their sweet features All joy and pleasure to content the minde Such at it'h creatures selves we nere could find This sight I say is th' angels chiefest treasure The Saint repast repose and princely pleasure This is their everlasting life their crown Their Meed their Majestie their high renown This their rich rest their spacious specious palace Their outward inward joy and soveraign solace Their Paradise divine their Diadem Their ample bliss their blest Jerusalem Their peace of God past all imagination Their ful beatitude and sweet salvation To see him who them made re-made made Saints Him seeing to possess without restraints Possessing him to love him as their King And loving him to praise him as the Spring And Fountain of this all felicity And praising ever this blest â—nitie O then my soul cease not to like to love These admirable lovely joyes above And though thy corrupt flesh is th' obstacle And stays delayes from this blest habitacle Although thy flesh like churlish Nabal frown Refuse the pains to seek this sacred crown Yet let thy Spirit like good Abigal Go forth to find this place angelical Let Hagar never get her Mistris place Nor Ismael good Isaac so disgrace But strive most strenuously fight that good fight Subdue thy flesh withstand proud Satans might And with the eye of faith believe desire To live with Christ pray seek sue and inquire Pray earnestly to Christ thy King above In burning zeal firm faith and burning love For what â—s this world nought but a flouâ—ing fanciesie A theatre or vainness pleasant phrenâ— A sinc of sin a shop of all deceit Iniquities chief center and sure seat A Map a mirror of all miserie A Dunge on of most dire calamitie Lovely to look on like the Scarlet VVhore But dangerous to deal with evermore A mazie Labyrinth of impious errors A camp of Cruelty of tears and terrors Constant in nought but in inconstancy And most unconstant in that constancie In nought the same save not to be the same And of being but a very name Still floting fleeting never at a stay Hates on the morrow whom it loves to day Yea t is a Ioab ful of craft and guile Kills his Embracers with a traiterous smile A Wrastler 't is and trippeth up the heels Of many a man ere he its grasping â—eels Solomon wise strong Sampson so renownd It made their lengths to measure on the ground Therefore to love the world is nought els sure Then to her Lime-twigs thy poor soul t' allure Which so the feathers of thy faith will marre Thy soul if 't may be from heav'ns joyes to barre Why then my soul shouldst thou to the earth be thral Which hast a heav'nly blest Original Why shouldst thou pin thy thoughts on mortal things Who art immortal from the King of Kings And why shouldst thou a sp'rit invisible Be pleas'd with things both gross and visible Striving to pamper thy corrupted bodie Whose definition is indeed that both-die Both Soul and Body when the Flesh gives way To Sin and Satan in their dire decay And hence it is that Latinists likewise Thus Corpus fitly crimologize Cor which was once the heart of pure perfection Is thus made Pus all filth and foul infection Why then shouldst thou then thy self so low depress Who art of high caelestial Nobleness One of thy Fathers first-born children deer Whose name in Heav'ns blest Records may appear Why should the worlds falle promises delude thee Since heav'n with grace goodness hath induâ—d thee Wilt thou a Princes Son a heavenly Prince Let Satans gilded apples thee convince Wilt thou the Son of heav'ns all-sacred King Offend thy father for so vile a thing Wilt thou thy birth-right Esau-like forge For one dire mess of broth bewitching wo Oh. no! deceitful Dalilah a-dieu Thy Syrens Songs my soul doth most eschew Thy Crocadile-like tears which would betray me By heav'ns preventing-grace shal never slay me For all thy bitter-sweets false protestations My soul esteemeth but hellish incantations Wherefore as Aâ—mon being once defiled With his own Sister whom he had beguiled After the fact did hate her ten times more Then ever he had loved her before So I whom thy false friendship once defiled VVhom thy deceitful ambush once beguiled I hate abominate thy mischief more Then ere I lov'd or liked thee before As sea-men Rocks as Children Scorpâ—ons flie So Oh my souâ— hate worldly vanity And oh what 's he that would not leave most glad Worlds vanities so finite base and bad For pleasures infinite VVhat 's he would take Fraudulent joyes and permanent forsake None doubtless none but Dastards void of grace None but faint-hearted fearful cowards base The resolute couragious Christian bold Dares deaths grim face confront see and behold Dares death defie and his approach desire Because by death he knows he shal acquire The end of all his hope for deaths the Key Which opes the door to true felicitie Yea 't is no pain but of all pains the end The gate of heav'n and ladder to ascend And death 's the death of all his storms and strife And sweet beginning of immortal Life Therefore with smiling count'nance merrily To heav'n his place of rest he casts his eye And in his heart these thoughts are oft revolved Unfeignedly I wish to be dissolved To be with thee O Christ my Saviour sweet Thee my deer eldest brother for to meet I see thee Christ I see thee heav'nly home I gladly would and quickly to thee come I see thee O thou Saints caelestial place I much desire I once had run my race But though I cannot with Elias run i th' strength o' th spirit in this race begun Unto the heav'nly Canaan yet give Grace Though I with Iacob halt to halt apace And if not so yet that at