more harmlesse found and milde His food was Locusts and what there doth spring With Hony that from virgine Hiâ—es distill'd Parcht Bodie hollow Eyes some vncouth thing Made him appeare long since from Earth exilde There burst he foorth All yee whose Hopes relye On GOD with mee amidst these Desarts 〈◊〉 Repent repent and from olde errours tuâ—ne Who listned to his voyce obey'd his cry Onely the Ecchoes which hee made relent Rung from their flintie Caues repent repent THese Eyes deare Lord once Brandons of Desire Fraile Scoutes betraying what they had to keepe Which their owne heart then others set on fire Their traitrous blacke before thee heere out weepe These Lockes of blushing deeds the gilt attire Waues curling wrackefull shelfes to shadow deepe Rings wedding Soules to Sinnes lethargicke sleepe To touch thy sacred Feet doe now aspire In Seas of care behold a sinking Barke By windes of sharpe Remorse vnto thee driuen O let me not expos'd be Ruines marke My faults confest LORD say they are forgiuen Thus sigh'd to TESVS the Bethanian faire His teare-wet Feet still drying with her Haire I Countries chang'd new pleasures out to finde But ah for pleasure new I sound new paine Enchanting Pleasure so did Reason blind That Fathers loue and words I scorn'd as vaine For Tables rich for bed for following traine Of carefull seruants to obserue my Minde These Heards I keepe my fellowes are assign'd Rocke is my Bed and Herbes my Life sustaine Now while I famine feele feare worser harmes Father and Lord I turne thy Loue yet great My faults will pardon pittie mine estate This where an aged Oake had spred its Armes Thought the lost Childe while as the Heardes he led Not farre off on the ackornes wilde them fed IF that the World doth in amaze remaine To heare in what a sad deploring mood The Pelican powres from her brest her Blood To bring to life her yonglings backe againe How should wee wonder of that soueraigne Good Who from that Serpents sting that had vs slaine To saue our lifes shed his Lifes purple flood And turn'd in endlesse Ioy our endlesse Paine Vngratefull Soule that charm'd with false Delight Hast long long wander'd in Sinnes flowrie Path And didst not thinke at all or thoughtst not right On this thy Pelicanes great Loue and Death Heere pause and let though Earth it scorne Heauen see Thee powre foorth teares to him powr'd Blood for thee IF vhen farre in the East yee doe behold Forth from his Christall Bed the Sunne to rise With rosie Robes and Crowne of flaming Gold If gazing on that Empresse of the Skies That takes so many formes and those faire Brands Which blaze in Heauens high Vault Nights watchfull eyes If seeing how the Seas tumultuous Bands Of bellowing Billowes haue their course confin'd How vnsustain'd the Earth still steadfast stands Poore mortall Wights yee e're found in your Minde A thought that some great King did sit aboue Who had such Lawes and Rites to them assign'd A King who fix'd the Poles made Spheares to moue All Wisedome Purenesse Excellencie Might All Goodnesse Greatnesse Iustice Beautie Loue With feare and wonder hither turne your Sight See see alas Him now not in that State Thought could fore-cast Him into Reasons light Now Eyes with teares now Hearts with griefe make great Bemoane this cruell Death and drearie case If euer Plaints iust Wâ—e could aggrauate From Sinne and Hell to saue vs humaine Race See this great King naill'd to an abiect Tree An obiect of reproach and sad disgrace O vnheard Pittie Loue in strange degree Hee his owne Life doth giue his Blood doth shed â—or Wormelings base such Worthinesse to see Poore Wights behold His Visage pale as Lead His Head bow'd to His Brest Lockes sadlie rent Like a cropt Rose that languishing doth fade Weake Nature weepe astonish'd World lament Lamâ—nt you Windes you Heauen that all containes And thou my Soule let nought thy Griefes relent Those Hands those sacred Hands which hold the râ—ines Of this great All and kept from mutuall warres The Elements beare rent for thee their Vaines Those Feete which once must trade on golden Starres For thee with Nailes would bee pierc'd through and â—orne For thee Heauens King from Heauen himselfe â—ebarres This great heart-quaking Dolour waile and mourne Yee that long since Him saw by might of Faith Yee now that are and yee yet to bee borne Not to behold his great Creators Death The Sunne from sinfull eyes hath vail'd his light And faintlieâ—journeyes vp Heaâ—ens saphyre Path And cutting from her Browes her Tresses bright The Moone doth keepe her Lords sad Obseqâ—ies Impearling with her Teares this Robe of Night All staggering and lazie lowre the Skies The Earth and elementall Stages quake The long since dead from bursted Graues arise And can things wanting sense yet sorrow take And beare a Part with him who all them wrought And Man though borne with cryes shall pittie lacke Thinke what had beene your state had hee not brought To these sharpe Pangs himselfe and priz'd so hie Your Soules that with his Life them life hee bought What woes doe you attend if still yee lye Plung'd in your wonted ordures wreâ—ched Brood Shall for your sake againe GOD euer die O leaue deluding shewes embrace true good Hee on you calles forgoe Sinnes shamefull trade With Prayers now seeke Heauen and not with Blood Let not the Lambes more from their Dames bee had Nor Alâ—â—rs blush for sinne liue euery thing That long time long'd for sacrifice is made All that is from you crau'd by this great King Is to beleeue a pure Heart Incense is What gift alas can wee him meaner bring Haste sinne-sicke Soules this season doe doe not misse Now while remorselesse Time doth grant you space And GOD invites you to your onlie Blisse Hee wâ—â— you calles will not denie you Grace But low-deepe burrie faults so yee repent His Armes loe stretched are you to embrace When Dayes are done and Lifes small sparke is spent So yee accept what freelie heere is giuen Like brood of Angels deathlesse all-content Yee shall for euer liue with him in Heauen COme forth come forth yee blest triumphing Bands Faire Citizens of that immortall Towne Come see that King which all this All commands Now ouercharg'd with Loue die for his owne Looke on those Nailes which pierce his Feete and Hands What a sharpe Diademe his Browes doth crowne Behold his pallid Face his Eyes which sowne And what a throng of Theeues him mocking stands Come forth yee empyrean Troupes come forth Preserue this sacred Blood that Earth adornes Gather those liquid Roses off his Thornes O! to bee loost they bee of too much worth For Streams 1 Iuice 2 Balm 3 they are which queÌ„ch 1 kils 2 charms 3 Of GOD 1 Death 2 Hell 3 the wrath 1 the life 2 the harmes3. SOule which to Hell wast thrall Hee Hee for thine offence Did suffer Death who could not die at all O soueraigne Excellence O
great vnto thee and great things small Follie appeareth Wisedome and Wisedome Follie. Fred of thy fleshlie care thou shalt rightlie discerne the beautie of thy selfe and haue perfect fruition of that all-sufficient and all-suffizing Happinesse which is GOD himselfe to whom thou owest thy being to Him thou owest thy well being He and Happinesse are the same For if GOD had not Happinesse Hee were not GOD because Happinesse is the highest and greatest Good If then GOD haue Happinesse it can not bee a a thing differing from Him for if there were any thing in Him differing from Him Hee should bee an essence composed and not simple more what is differing in any thing is either an accident or a part of it selfe In GOD Happinesse can not bee an accident because Hee is not subject to anie accidents if it were a part of Him since the part is before the whole wee should bee forced to grant that some thing was before GOD. Bedded and bathed in these earthlie ordures thou canst not come neare this soueraigne Good nor haue any glimpse of the farre-off dawning of his vncessable brightnesse no not so much as the eyes of the Birds of the night haue of the Sunne Thinke then by Death that thy shell is broken and thou then but euen hatched that thou art a Pearle raised from thy Mother to bee enchaced in Gold and that the death-day of thy body is thy birth-day to Eternitie Why shouldst thou bee feare-stroken and discomforted for thy parting from this mortall Bride thy bodie sith it is but for a tyme and such a time as shee shall not care for nor feele any thing in nor thou haue much neede of her Nay sith thou shalt receiue her againe more goodly and beautifull than when in her fullest perfection thou enjoyed her beeing by her absence made like vnto that Indian Christall which after some reuolutions of Ages is turned into purest Diamond If the Soule bee the forme of the Bodie and the forme separated from the matter of it can not euer so continue but is inclined and disposed to be reunited thereinto What can let and hinder this desire but that some time it bee accomplished and obtaining the exspected end rejoyne it selfe againe vnto the bodie The Soule separate hath a desire because it hath a will and knowes it shall by this reunion receiue perfection too as the matter is disposed and inclineth to its forme when it is without it so would it seeme that the Forme should be towards its matter in the absence of it How is not the Soule the forme of the bodie fith by it it is and is the beginning and cause of all the actions and functions of it For though in excellencie it passe euerie other forme yet doth not that excellencie take from it the nature of a forme If the abiding of the Soule from the bodie be violent then can it not bee euerlasting but haue a regresse How is not such an estate of beeing and abiding not violent to the Soule if it bee naturall to it to be in matter and separate after a strange manner many of the powers and faculties of it which neuer leaue it are not duelie exercised This Vnion seemeth not aboue the Horizon of naturall reason farre lesse imposible to bee done by GOD and though Reason can not euidentlie heere demonstrate yet hath shee a mistie and groping notice If the bodie shall not arise how can the onelie Soueraigne Good be perfectlie and infinitlie good For how shall hee bee just nay haue so much justice as Man if Hee suffer the euill and vicious to haue a more prosperous and happie life than the followers of Religion and Vertue which ordinarlie vseth to fall forth in this life For the most wicked are Lords and Gods of this Earth sleeping in the lee port of honour as if the spacious habitation of the World had beene made onelie for them and the Vertuous and good are but forlorne cast-awayes floting in the surges of distresse seeming heere either of the eye of prouidence not pityed or not regarded beeing subject to all dishonours wronges wrackes in their best estate passing away their dayes like the Dâ—zies in the Field in silence and contempt Sith then hee is most good must just of necessitie there must bee appointed by him an other time and place of 〈◊〉 in the which there shall bee a reward for leauing well and a punishment for doing euill with a life whereinto both shall receiue their due and not onelie in their Soules diâ—â—â—ted for â—ith both the parts of man did act a part in the right or wrong it carrieth great reason with it that they both bee araigned before that high Iustice to receiue their owne Man is not a Soule onelie but a Soule and Bodie to which either guerdon or punishment is due This seemeth to be the voice of Nature in almost all the Religions of the World this is that generall testimonie charactered in the minds of the most barbarous and sauage people for all haue had some rouing gesses at Ages to come and a dimme duâ—kish light of another life all appealing to one generall Iudgement Throne To what else could serue so many expiations sacrifices prayers solemnities and misticall ceremonies To what such sumptuous Temples and care of the dead to what all Religion If not to showe that they expected a more excellent manner of beeing after the nauigation of this life did take an end And who doth denie it must denie that there is a Prouidence a GOD confesse that his worship and all studie and reason of vertue are vaine and not beleeue that there is a World are creatures and that Hee Himselfe is not what Hee is But it is not of Death perhaps that we complaine but of Tyme vnder the fatall shadow of whose â—inges all things decay and wether This is that Tyrant which executing against vs his diamantine lawes altereth the harmonious constitution of our bodies benumning the Organes of our knowledge turneth our best Senses senslesse makes vs loathsome to others and a burthen to our selues Of which euills Death releiueth vs. So that if wee could bee transported O happie colonie to a place exempted from the lawes and conditions of Tyme where neither change motion nor other affection of materiall and corruptible things were but an immortall vnchangeable impassible all-sufficient kind of life it were the last of things wishible the tearme and center of all our deâ—ires Death maketh this transplantation for the last instant of corruption or leauing off of any thing to bee what it was is the first of generation or beeing of that which succeedeth Death then beeing the end of this miserable transitory life of necessitie must bee the beginning of that other all excellent and eternall And so causleslie of a vertuous Soule it is either feared or complained on As those Images were pourtraited in my minde the morning Starre now almost arising in the East I found my thoughts
life of all that liues Eternall Bountie which each good thing giues How could Death mounte so hie No wit this Point can reach Faith onely doth vs teach For vs Hee dyed at all who could not dye LIfe to giue life depriued is of Life And Death display'd hath Ensigne against Death So violent the Rigour was of Death That nought could daunte it but the Life of Life No Power had Pow'r to thrall Lifes Pow'rs to Death But willinglie Life downe hath layed Life Loue gaue the wound which wrought this worke of Death His Bow and Shafts were of the Tree of Life Now quakes the Author of eternall Death To finde that they whom earst he reâ—t of Life Shall fill his Roome aboue the listes of Death Now all rejoyce in Death who hope for Life Dead IESVS lyes who Death hath kill'd by Death No Tombe his Tombe is but new Source of Life RIse from those fragrant Climes thee now embrace Vnto this World of ours O haste thy Race Faire Sunne and though contrarie wayes all yeare Thou hold thy course now with the highest Spheare Ioyne thy blew Wheeles to hasten Time that lowres And lazie Minutes turne in perfect Houres The Night and Death too long a league haue made To stow the World in Horrors vglie shade Shake from thy Lockes a Day with saffron rayes So faire that it out-shine all other dayes And yet doe not presume great Eye of light To be that which this Day must make so bright See an eternall Sunne hastes to arise Not from the Easterne blushing Seas or Skies Or any stranger Worlds Heauens Concaues haue But from the Darknes of an hollow Graue And this is that all-powerfull Sunne aboue That crown'd thy Browes with Rayes first made thee moue Lights Trumpetters yee need not from your Bowres Proclaime this Day this the angelicke Powres Haue done for you But now an opall hew Bepaintes Heauens Christall to the longing view Earths late hid Colours glance Light doth adorne The World and weeping Ioy forth comes the Morne And with her as from a Lethargicke Transe Breath com'd againe that Bodie doth aduance Which two sad Nights in rocke lay coffin'd dead And with au iron Guard invironed Life out of Death Light out of Darknessâ— springs From a base Iaile forth comes the King of kings What late was mortall thrall'd to euerie woe That lackeyes life or vpon sense doth grow Immortall is of an eternall Stampe Farre brighter beaming than the morning Lampe So from a blacke Ecclipse outâ—peares the Sunne Such when a huge of Dayes haue on her runne In a farre Forest in the pearlie East And shee her selfe hath burnt and spicie Nest The lonlie Bird with youthfull Pennes and Combe Doth soare from out her Cradle and her Tombe So a small seed that in the Earth lies hidde And dies reviâ—ing burstes her cloddie Side Adorn'd with yellow Lockes of new is borne And doth become a Mother great with Corne Of Graines brings hundreths with it which when old Enrich the Furrowes with a Sea of Gold Haile holie Victor greatest Victor haile That Hell dost raâ—sacke against Death preuaile O how thou long'd for comes with Iubeling cries The all-triumphing Palladines of Skies Salute thy rising Earth would Ioyes no more Beare if thou rising didst them not restore A sillie Tombe should not his Flesh enclose Who did Heauens trembling Tarasses dispose No Monument should such a Iewell hold No Rocke though Rubye Diamond and Gold Thou onelie pittie didst vs humane Race Bestowing on vs of thy freeâ—giuen Grace More than wee forfaited and loosed first In Edens Rebell when wee were accurst Then Earth our portion was Earths Ioyes but giuen Earth and Earths Blisse thou hast exchang'd with Heauen O what a hight of good vpon vs streames From the great splendor of thy Bounties Beames When we deseru'd shame horrour flames of wrath Thou bled our wounds and suffer didst our Death But Fathers Iustice pleas'd Hell Death o'rcome In triumph now thou risest from thy Tombe With Glories which past Sorrowes contervaile Haile holy Victor greatest Victor haile Hence humble sense and hence yee Guides of sense Wee now reach Heauen your weake intelligence And searching Pow'rs were in a flash made dim To learne from all eternitie that him The Father bred then that hee heere did come His Bearers Parent in a Virgins Wombe But then when sold betray'd crown'd scourg'd with Thorne Naill'd to a Tree all breathlcsse bloodlesse torne Entomb'd him risen from a Graue to finde Confounds your Cunning turnes like Moles you blinde Death theu that heeretofore still barren wast Nay didst each other Birth eate vp and waste Imperious hatefull pittilesse vniust Vnpartiall equaller of all with dust Sterne Executioner of heauâ—nlie doome Made fruitfull now Lifes Mother art become A sweete reliefe of Cares the Soule molest An Harbenger to Glorie Peace and Rest Put off thy mourning Weedes yeeld all thy Gall To daylie sinning Life proud of thy fall Assemble thy Captiues bide all haste to rise And euerie Corse in earth-quakes where it lies Sound from each flowrie Graue and rockie Iaile Haile holy Victor greatest Victor haile The World that waâ—ning late and faint did lie Applauding to our Ioyes thy Victorie To a yong Prime essayes to turne againe And as ere soyl'd with Sinne yet to remaine Her chilling Agâ—es shee beginnes to misse All Blisse returning with the LORD of Blisse With greater light Heauens Temples opened shine Mornes smiling rise Euens blushing doe decline Cloudes dappled glister boistrous Windes are calme Soft Zephyres doe the Fields with sighes embalme In ammell blew the Sea hath â—usht his Râ—ares And with enamour'd Curles doth kisse the Shoares All-bearing Earth like a new-married Queene Her Beauties hightenes in a Gowne of Greene Perfumes the Aire her Meades are wrought with Flowres In colours various figures smelling powres Trees wantone in the Groues with leauie Lockes Her Hilles empampred stand The Vales the Rockes Ring peales of Ioy her Floods and pratling Brookes Starres liquid Mirrors with serpinting Crookes And whispering murmures sound vnto the Maine That Worlds pure Age returned is againe The honnye People leaue their golden Bâ—wres And innocentlie pray on budding Flowres In gloomie Shades pearcht on the tender Sprayes The painted Singers fill the Aire with Layes Seas Floods Earth Aire all diuerslie doe sound Yet all their diuerse Notes hath but one ground Re-echoed heeredowne from Heauens azure Vaile Haile holy Victor greatest Victor haile O Day on which Deathes Adamantine Chaine The LORD did breake ransacking Satans Raigne And in triumphing Pompe his Trophees rear'd Be thou blest euer henceforth still endear'd With Name of his owne Day the Law to Grace Types to their substance yeeld to thee giue place The old New-Moones with all festiuall Dayes And what aboue the rest deserueth praise The reuerend Saboath what could else they bee Than golden Heraulds telling what by thee Wee should enjoy shades past now shine thou cleare And henceforth be thou Empresse of the yeare This
steadfastlie before thee holdes a Glasse Indent'd with Gemmes where shineth all that was That is or shall bee heere ere ought was wrought Thou knew all that thy Pow'r with time forth brought And more things number lesse which thou couldst make That actuallie shall neuer being take Heere thou beholdst thy selfe and strange dost proue At once the Beautie Louer and the Loue. With Faces two like Sisters sweetlie faire VVhose Blossomes no rough Autumne can impaire Stands Prouidence and doth her lookes disperse Through euerie Corner of this Vniuerse Thy Prouidence at once which generall things And singulare doth rule as Empires Kings VVithout whose care this world lost would remaine As Shippe without a Maister in the Maine As Chariot alone as Bodies proue Depriu'd of Soules whereby they be liâ—e moue But who are they which shine thy Throne so neare With sacred countenance and looke seuere This in one hand a pondrous Sword doth hold Her left stayes charg'd with Ballances of Gold That with Browes girt with Bayes sweet-smiling Face Doth beare a Brandon with a babish grace Two milke-white VVings him easilie doe moue O shee thy Iustice is and this thy Loue By this thou brought this Engine great to light By that it fram'd in Number Measure VVeight That destine doth reward to ill and good But Sway of Iustice is by Loue with-stood VVhich did it not relent and mildlie stay This World ere now had had its funerall Day What Bands enclustred neare to these abide Which into vaste Infinitie them hide Infinitie that neither doth admit Place Time nor Number to encroach on it Heere Bountie sparkleth heere doth Beautie shine Simplicitie more white than Gelsomine Mercie with open winges ay-varied Blisse Glorie and Ioy that Blisses darling is Ineffable all-pow'rfull GOD all-free Thou onlie liu'st and each thing liues by thee No Ioy no nor Perfection to thee came By the contriuing of this Worlds great Frame Ere Sunne Moone Starres beganne their restlesse race Ere paint'd with purple light was heauens round Face Ere Aire had Cloudes ere Cloudes weept downe their showres Ere Sea embraced Earth ere Earth bare Flowres Thou happie liu'd World nought to thee supply'd All in thy selfe thy selfe thou satisfy'd Of Good no slender Shadow doth appeare No age-worne tracke which shin'd in thee not cleare Perfestions Summe primeâ—cause of euerie Cause Midst end beginning where all good doth paâ—se Hence of thy Substance differing in nought Thou in Eternitie thy Sonne forth brought The onlie Birth of thy vnchanging Minde Thine Image Patterne-like that euer shin'd Light out of Light begotten not by Will But Nature all and that same Essence still Which thou thy selfe for thou dost nought possesse Which hee hath not in ought nor is hee lesse Than Thee his great Begetter of this Light Eternall double kindled was thy Spright Eternallie who is with thee the same All-holie Gift Embassadour Knot Flame Most sacred Triade O most holie One Vnprocreatde Father euer-procreatde Sonne Ghost breath'd from both you were are aye shall be Most blessed Three in One and One in Three Vncomprehensible by reachlesse Hight And vnperceaued by excessiae Light So in our Soules three and yet one are still The Vnderstanding Memorie and Will So though vnlike the Planet of the Dayes So soone as hee was made begate his Rayes Which are his Off-spring and from both was hurld The rosie Light which comforte doth the World And none fore-went an other so the Spring The Well-head and the Streame which they forth bring Are but one selfe-same Essence nor in ought Doe differ saue in order and our Thought No chime of Time discernes in them to fall But Three distinctlie bide one Essence all But these expresse not Thee who can declare Thy being Men and Angelles dazel'd are Who force this Eden would with wit or sense A Cherubin shall finde to barre him thence All 's Architect Lord of this Vniverse Ingulph'd is Wit would in thy Greatnesse pierce Ah! as a Pilgrime who the Alpes doth passe Or Atlas Temples crown'd with winter glasse The ayrie Caucasus the Apennine Pyrenes clifts where Sunne doth neuer shine When hee some heapes of Hilles hath ouer-went Beginnes to thinke on rest his Iourney spent Till mounting some tall Mountaine hee doe find More hights before him than hee left behinde With halting pace so while I would me raise To the vnbounded Circuits of thy Praise Some part of way I thought to haue o're-runne But now I see how scarce I haue begunne With Wonders new my Spirits range possest And wandring waylesse in a maze them rest In these vaste Fields of Light ethâ—riall Plaines Thou art attended by immortall Traines Of Intellectuall Pow'rs which thou brought forth To praise thy Goodnesse and admire thy Worth In numbers passing other Creatures farre Since Creatures â—â—st noble maniest are Which doe in knowledge vs no lesse out-runne Than Moone in light doth Starres or Moone the Sunne Vnlike in Orders rang'd and manie â— Band If Beautie in Disparitie doth stand Arch-angells Angells Cherubes Seraphines And what with name of Thrones amongst them shines Large-ruling Princes Dominations Poâ—res All-acting Vertues of those flâ—ming Toâ—res These fred of Vmbrage these of Labour free Rest rauished with still beholding Thee Inflamde with Beames which sparkle from thy Face They can no more desire farre lesse embrace Low vnder them with slow and staggering pace Thy Hand-maide Nature thy great Steppes doth trace The Source of second Causes golden Chaine That linkes this Frame as thou it doth ordaine Nature gaz'd on with such a curious Eye That Earthlings oft her deem'd a Deitye By Nature led those Bodies faire and greate Which faint not in their Course nor change their State Vnintermixt which no disorder proue Though aye and contrarie they alwayes moue The Organes of thy Prouidence diuine Bookes euer open Signes that clearlie shine Times purpled Maskers then doe them aduance As by sweet Musicke in a measur'd dance Starres Hoste of Heauen yee Firmaments bright Flowres Cleare Lampes which ouer-hang this Stage of ours Yee turne not there to decke the Weeds of Night Nor Pageant-like to please the vulgare Sight Great Causes sure yee must bring great Effects But who can discant right your graue Aspects Hee onlie who You made deciphere can Your Notes Heauens Eyes yee blinde the Eyes of Man Amidst these Saphire farre-extending Hights The neuer-twinkling euer-wondring Lights Their fixed Motions keepe one drye and cold Deep-Leaden colour'd slowlie there is roll'd With Rule and Line for Times steppes meating euen In twice three Lustres hee but turnes his Heauen With temperate qualities and Countenance faire Still mildlie smiling sweetlie debonnaire An other cheares the World and way doth make In twice sixe Autumnes through the Zodiacke But hote and drye with flaming Lockes and Browes Enrag'd this in his red Pauillion glowest Together running with like speed if space Two equallie in hands atchieue their race With blushing Face this oft doth bring the Day And vsheres oft to statelie Starres the