me disburse My loue and seruice in this measure take it My worke 's Diume and my free will doth make it A perfect offering t' helpe gamst death and doombe Regard this frame for 't will out-last your toombe Willing and ready to do your Honor the best seruice that is in the power of Augustine Taylor THE ARGVMENT The Bride is call'd from all the Iles To come and scape her woe And heares the curses and the smiles Belongs to come and goe IF my affection would thereto consent I would be silent th' art so lewdly bent And shewes so little reuerence to my word That iustice tels me silence will afford Me more content and her it will appeare That I still speake to her that scornes to heare But yet be not too deaffe least vengeance cloud Descend vpon thee and then speake so loud It change thy deafenesse into death then heare And if thou canst not loue it 's good to feare Now thy creation and election done My onely care is to procure thee come Euen as a wiseman doth that wants a wife Seeke vp and downe where beauties are most rife And after seeking finds and finding loues And louing bids her home and daily moues Till she be mou'd to come then suite doth cease And they together liue in loue and peace So I did seeke thee first and found thee then And lik'd and lou'd thee woundrous well and when All this was done I did intreate thee home And vs'd the meekest meanes to cause thee come Solemnely I haue bidden thee do not stay Arise my loue my faire one come thy way Remember who inuites thee he that brings Honor to beggars and contempt to Kings Vnto thine enemies and the heathen foe A wofull portion fals a cursed goe In mercy and loue I come and send to thee With mildnesse meekenesse and much clemencie I call thee friendly in these dayes of peace I prethee arme thy selfe these calmes will cease And stormes will follow thou shouldst vnderstand Pleasure and sorrow still goes hand in hand The Sunne will leaue thee and runne out of sight Warre chaseth peace as darknesse chaseth light The time shall come that man and beast shall mourne Mountaines shall tumble and the seas shall burne The morning shall looke red as if it woo'd Tell vs the euening should be dyed in blood The moone shall view thee with a searlet face Dabl'd in clouds and stumbling in her pace The glistering starres shall cease and perish all For some shall be put out and some shall fall The Sunne in sable shall come sadly forth A greater plague them from the bitter north God did e're send shall from each coast appeare Farre worse then Egypt when the plagues were there These lower-lands shall looke each blast shall bring Shot or else powder towards the ruining Of new built Babel's for it must be knowne Bethel's her owners Babel's but her owne She sits aboue now thou knowes if thou know her But all her pompe shall end none shall sit lower A time shall come come loue before it come Each harpe shall silent be each Dauid dumbe Both Heauen and earth together shall conspire To send out vengeance lapt in balles of fire And they shall bust and vtter from within Death and destruction due rewards for sin Millions of dayes thy God for mercy made And in those dayes my care is to perswade And worke my loues returne before it be Too late to saue thy selfe and honor me One day I haue appointed for to bring All kindreds of the earth t' a reckoning The Monarch and the King the Prince and Peere The Stats-man and the Trads-man shall be there All sorts and sects I 'le call and bring as farre As shines the arcticke and th'antarcticke starre Not one shall faile to come at my command Whether they dy'd vpon the sea or land Yea euery one shall that one day appeare And ' mongst those all not one shall want one haire Then I my selfe will come in th' eyes of man As like a Lyon as I was a Lambe With more attendants glorious and bright Then Heauen shewes starres in a cleare freezing night Then Michaels trumpet shall command the dead To rise and come and leaue their drowsie bed T' appeare before a righteous Iudge for then Then he shall fit to Iudge that can condemne And iustifie th' outward and th' inward man According to deserts I will and can But these two parts in men do not agree Therefore they wrong themselues and iniure me But I will come and I will haue regard To all that euer lou'd me my reward I will bring with me and it is most true I will bestow on all estates their due Vnlike to earthly Princes voyd of measure They deale their bounties onely for their pleasure And turnes deserts a begging But looke to 't Peasants now ride and Princes go on foot This order I will alter and I 'le giue All good things vnto all that purely liue Consider thou must meete a Iudge that brings Life to wise Beggars death to foolish Kings Come and thy time to come to please me spend O come before the dayes of mercy end For in the dayes of warre there 's peace for them That loues my Syon my Ierusalem Prouide thy lampe and oyle for it may be I 'le come at mid-night for to call on thee It may be at the first or second cocke Or in the morning or at noone or not Vntill the euening when I will not tell It 's not for want of loue I loue thee well And I conceale this from thee in regard Thou may expect me still and be prepar'd For come I will and when I will and how And sudainely and gloriously looke thou T' attend my comming in thy beauty stand And I will leade thee home with my right hand And bring thee in but shut without the gate All those that lamplesse come and come too late I haue collected thee from many parts From Europe Asia and the wild Desarrs Of Sun-burnt Affricke from the plaines and woods From fields and vallies from the seas as floods From north and easterne coasts from east and west From th'hauen of troubles to the hauen of rest I haue call'd long for my loue th' art in debt Come for it's late O come and welcome yet For feare thou be benighted hast and runne I do beseech thee I command thee come Either for feare or loue I hope to see Thee seeke in season for my companie Regard who cals thy Lord then do not stay A faithfull louer doth dislike delay FINIS THE EPISTLE OF THE LORD TO his Bride vpon her Preseruation A Diuine legacy belonging to the Honorable Sr. Henry Salusbury and his Noble Lady Written By Augustine Taylor Preacher at Hawarden LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes. 1623. TO THE HONORABLE Sr. HENRY SALVSBVRY Knight and Barronet c. And his Noble Lady ELIZABETH Sister to the Right Honorable the Lord Vaughan c. Truely Honorable IF your great
friends so did thy father and mother As death doth fetch one nature brings another To keepe earth in repaire vntill there come The members of my Bride all knit in one Th' art now ship-like still flitting restlesse and Floting in miseries on this nether-nether-land And cannot anchor yet but shall land at The Mount aboue th' Armenian ararat I know thy poore Barke is in danger still Betwixt the promis'd good and present ill My Bethels plenties and thy Babels wants Drawes thee as Iron cast amongst Adamants Yet know if thou like Lots wife wauer do Thou'll loose the City and the Mountaine too Fergetfull loue I must first send to thee That thou shewes these signes of disloyalty I do not take it well thou art so slow That thankes for all the blessings I bestow Is yet vntruely payd Now I could chide But it becomes not me to vse my bride Discurteously I 'ld not be angry yet My loue to thee commands me not forget My patience therefore arme thy selfe with hast The dayes of peace will soone be ouer-past Hearken my spouse I haue some things to tell Concernes the health and wealth of Israel I do remember thee euen from that day Thou lay vnshapen in a lumpe of clay Voyd of forme life and beauty I begun Then to behold the workes that I had done In number many and in fashion faire T' adorne the earth and beautifie the Ayre I blest them all with order then I meant To make some pretious peece more excellent Then all the rest and to place that aboue And make that chiefe and that should be my loue And that I would preferre and raise to honor And that should be my bride and still vpon her Angels should waite And this is my decree What wrongs are done to her as done to me Shall be reueng'd Thou art this Bride I say And all I promise I haue power to pay Let all thy enemies thinke on 't my intent's That all like faults shall feele like punishments Thee pretious peece when I did meane to make With care and loue I thus in hand did take Let vs make man of other things I sayd Let there be such and they were form'd and made The Earth the Seas the Ayre the Fire and all That 's made in or vpon this neather-ball The Starres and Lights aboue the Moone and Sunne I did but speake the Word and these were done And they were well done but when I apply'd My powre and skill to frame my selfe a Bride I made thee matchlesse thus pure faire and free The blessed Heire of Immortalitie I 'ue made thee wise because true wisedome should Shew like a Ruby in refined gold And lodge in Princes breasts I 'ue made thee strong To vanquish all thy foes that thou a long Through Iordans flood to Syloes streame may passe And that as farre as Diamond doth glasse Thou may exceede the rest Truth did entreate That in thy breast she might possesse a seate And she shall keepe it for to keepe thee free From flattering lying and hypocrisie From enuy error and the worst that soe Thy substance may be better then thy showe The clod I made thee of was clay the time When th' earth was in her nonage in her prime When water earth and ayre were stor'd with plenties With seuerall sorts of many seuerall deuties The place where thou receiu'd thy first estate Was neere to Eden yet without the gate But I did bring thee Inn and did decree What I had done should be to honor thee And thou shall rule as chiefe thy rule shall stand I haue commanded all for thy command Consider thy state doth all else excell To haue a being and a being well Both argues power and mercy in the hand Of the great worke-man thou mayst vnderstand In this last act apparantly doth rest The difference betweene the man and beast Powerfull and pittifull thou shalt me proue Sure I thinke thou thinkes I deserue thy loue Do not mistake my loue 't is pure and free And thine 's deffectiue both in qualitie And in condition If the price were layd In ballance ' gainst the purchase 't would be sayd That I haue made a loosers match but still Power may performe and want may onely will What euer faults are thine if thou repent My pleasure is in mercy my intent Intends thy ioy my loue is setled so I had rather giue ten blessings then one blow FINIS THE EPISTLE OF THE LORD TO his Bride vpon her Election A Caelestiall legacy for the vse of the Honorable Sr. Thomas Sauage and his noble Lady Written By Augustine Taylor Preacher at Hawarden LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes. 1623. TO THE HONORABLE Sr. Thomas Sauage Knight and Barronet one of the Prince his highnesse Priuy Councell c. AND TO HIS MOST NOBLE Lady the Lady Sauâ—ge Daughter and heire to the Right Honorable the Lord DARCY c. Truely Honorable AS two great riuers when in one they meete Makes faire and fruitful all the neighbouring lands Euen so our Country when you too did greate Felt strength and comfort by your clasping hands Your bounties plenties beauties wit and loue Makes both your Honors to slane wondrous bright In Court and Country and me first did mone At your faire lampes to giue my candle light And since you loue the pious life of grace I 'm bold to bring this sacrifice to you It is diuine and therefore claimes a place In your great bossomes Truth sayth 't is her due To lodge in the best roomes of euery brest Yea euen in Princes for because it brings Th'externallioy and the internall rest Truths life and Honor and rewards makes kings Of meane men and this part which I present Vnto your Honors is Iehouahs voyce Descending to our terrence continent Vpon th' election of his Bride his choyce Wonder not why I write you are the sunne To Chesters neighbours ' mongst whom I 'm a starre Though dim and therefore I should haue begunne To tender my affection sooner farre Since your faire Country is my friendly nurse I owe this loue vnto your Noble nest What treasure I entoy I will disburse To make both loue and seruice manifest For you if I can write or Preach or pray Command me freely for indeede you may At your Honors Command in the seruice of GOD. Augustine Taylor THE ARGVMENT The Soule 's the Bride and least she swerue Or erre in any act The Lord his Syon to conserue Doth to his sonne contract MY dearest loue Oh that thou had the wings Of true affection Loue that 's fit for Kings Ought to be pure and lasting then be wise Prouide to offer since the sacrifice I manifest vnto thee man prouide Or loose the honor to be call'd my Bryde I call'd thee Bride stay Did I not mistake Did I not erre a man a Bride to make No no I did not I did fall in loue With my owne Image and I must approue My proper seate is in the soule
for her comfort I did thus begin Sweete Lady be not sorrowfull I am he Will pay the debt and end all misery Be not amaz'd the great Kings sonne am I A Prince that will not let his mercy die I 'le dye to giue thee life and thou shall rest Henceforth for euer in a Princes brest And this I 'le do to make an end of strife With my owne death I 'le purchase thee a life FINIS THE EPISTLE OF THE LORD TO his Bride vpon her Redemption A Spirituall legacy for the Benifite of the Honorable Lady the Lady Gerreard Written By Augustine Taylor Preacher at Hawarden LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes. 1623. ⧠TO THE NOBLE Lady Ellenor Lady Gerrard wife to the late Honorable Gilbert Lord Gerrard c. Honorable Lady VVHen sorrowes nights are ouer-past There followes ioyfull day Haplesse extreames can neuer last But styes and posts away To bring glad tidings in sad times I hold it wondrous fit And so doth all our best diuines And you may thinke of it I do present you with a gift Fit for a Princes hand Pray take it 't is the meanes to lift Soules to the holy land The full redemption of mankind I offer to your view A subiect to translate the mind From th' old man to the new I know you seeke Gods holy place And clothes you for his feast With pious loue purenesse and grace True zeale and all the rest Of those rich garments faire and meete For such a Princes Court And doubtlesse you shall one day see 't Though now my by report Imperfectly you are but told Yet quickly you shall see In Syons City wall'd with gold The Lambe in 's Maiestie Aduance your thoughts to heauenly things And you in the end shall soare Vnto that Court where's none but Kings Reioycing euer-more Your Honors deuoted in any Christian office Augustine Taylor THE ARGVMENT The promised Messias birth Conquers hell death and sinne And t' Eden backe with mickle mirth Brings Adam and his kinne IMmortall soule and my elected Queene Though hitherto thou hast most carelesse beene T' obserue my will yet now incline thy neart Or thou and I for euermore shall part See this epistle truely vnderstood Read it with teares for it is writ with blood A pretious price is found to pay thy det A sacrifice not ordinary to get For thou had but one God God but one sonne That sonne one life that life to death was done To bring old Adam backe to Edens blis And now learne what it cost to finish this I being promis'd came man did disdame me The world was proud and loft to entertaine me My earthly mother had so poore a kinne She was deni'd a lodging in the Inne When night and paine and teares and trauell tooke-her poore Mary was alone and all forsooke-her Sighing and seeking to find place for rest And at the last a stable was the best That could be spar'd this I had power to mend But I came rather like a lowly friend Then like a maister and so caus'd it try'd I came to shew my loue and not my pryde My pathes were plaine my cradle was a cratch I had no friends none shew'd such loue to watch For my arriuall the worlds loue was small Mary was mother mid-wife nurse and all No costly robes nor silkes nor cloth of gold Prouided was to keepe me from the cold Nothing but poore attyre and homely things Thus Princeps Regum terrae King of Kings Begun his Lambe-like raigne yea my pretence Was onely peace my armor innocence I did not many nights in safety nappe Vpon my louing mothers lowly lappe But warning came I must to Aegypt flee Herod was mou'd and making search for mee And I must runne or die for his intent's To wash his hands in blood of innocence The time wherein he did the infants slay Shall still be noted for a dismall day He aym'd at my fall but he fell we see And murther'd many to haue metwith mee But he mistooke himselfe and miss'd his ayme And I to Bothlem safe return'd againe In spite of Herod prophecies did ring That Dauids sonne was borne to be a King I did sustaine temptation for thy sake Much toyle and trauaile I did vndertake To make thy burthen light I dare presume To sweare betweene my cradle and my tombe I knew no perfect rest I had no bed Foxes had holes and birds were furnished With nests and lodgings but my head had none Mine was like Iacobs state when he left home And his old parents to procure his rest From angry Esau with his kin in th' east He was benighted in a strange land where He neither found friends nor companions there His pillow was a stone his bed was earth A naturall musitian made him mirth Surmis'd the Nightingall he could not get Wherein to wrape himselfe from nights could sweat His vncoth roome was all with greene be spred And rouing cloudes were curtaines to his bed His canopy was heauen where he might view Millions of Starres fixt in the blackest blew He went to bed as mildly as a lambe And slept as moderatly as a man And rose as earely as a Larke and fed With more content then e're he went to bed Then towards his vncles he doth post amaine To proue if Rachels loue he may obtaine And at the last his prentiships and paine Winnes his faire bride and he comes home againe With 's Lady in his hand his slockes before His seede about him and his Princely store Comes after with his seruants and thus hee With beauty riches health and dignitie Comes home attended I with Iacob may Compare my trauailes so that by the way I make some difference by the difference gather I left a fayrer home a better father To tread strange pathes where I was neuer knowne I sought for strangers loue and left my owne Iacob was neuer in such miscrie I was both worser cloth'd and lodg'd then he I went to fetch my bride from amongst those That dwelt farre further off and were my foes He payd but loue and seruice for his bride I payd my seruice loue and life beside He brought his home with riches and renowne With ioy and gladnesse vnto Sichem towne And for her mouing tents he hath her giuen Faire fixed temples stately types of Heauen His bed was on the earth mine was within He slept for sorrow but I slept for sinne I rose more earely to prepare thy way For I saw sun-rise before he saw day I 'll bring thee home adorn'd with better things The power and honor of all earthly kings And let their powers together lincked bee All cannot make one worthy t'waite on thee I spent my dayes in sorrow for thy good I sayl'd to th'Cradle in teares to th' graue in blood And more then this I was content to doo My middle time had mickle sorrowes too I liu'd releeuing poore healing and feeding I wipt those eyes that wept wounds that were bleeding I cur'd
Lord thou knowes I haue no more to giue But I 'm for more farre more indebt yet trust Since thou wilt iustifie me so vniust Thou wilt regard my nothing nothing breedes He that possesseth all things nothing needes That thou accepts my faith for righteonsnesse I can no more do and I will no lesse In words and actions then shew thankfulnesse Since it hath pleas'd thy greatnesse to admit My poore defectiue impotence vnfit To be a bride for thee I 'll hence forth striue T' extinguish all my illnesse and depriue Those vices of their lodgings that haue beene My welcome guests before I was thy Queene What I haue beene I 'll cease to be and frame My selfe to beare the beauty of thy name True modesty and loyalty shall rest To waite vpon thy spirit in my brest Assist me with thy grace and thou shall see All th' ornaments proper for Maiestie Prepared for thy seruice I confesse Thou might'st haue had thy spouse ' mongst princesses Of greater honor and of nobler race I know poore Ruth my grandame had no place Whereinto rest but by permission yet Because she 's faire and lowly Boaz will let Her gleane amongst his reapers and withall Strictly commands his seruants that they shall Not offer once to blame her tels her rather It is his pleasure that she stay and gather In his then goe t'an other field and thus Changes small fauours into Maximus And at the last this fruite his loue doth yeild Takes her and makes her mistris of the field Sure she was faire being honor'd with such store That lookt so louely when she was so poore Euen such was I a Ruth on whom no Ruth The word bestow'd vntill the word of truth Came to suruey his vineyard and gaue mee Commission to worke there and liberty To claime a sacred peny and in th' end Supposing that the office of a friend Was not grace great enough he chooseth rather To manifest th' affection of a father And builds againe of a poore wretch vndone A blessed bride for his eternall sonne My Lord I do not vtter this to thee For thou art sensible of my miserie I tell the neighbouring nations least they ghesse I 'm prone to ill but too proud to confesse I know my faults and betweene griefes and feares My body 's like a barke that sayles in teares Made to transport thy choyce the soule from th' earth Towards the faire land of euer-lasting mirth And on these seas of sorrowes Lord vouchsafe To be my Pylate and conduct me safe Vnto the shoares of peace and thou shall see My loue so beautifi'd with constancie That thou 'll be pleas'd to say I do approue The price of life is payd with coyne of loue Great Prince I 'm very poore infirme and weake Disable without thee to thinke or speake The smallest good therefore I 'll still intreate That as my dignity thou didst create Thou would'st maintaine it though the cause be mine Thou knowes it honors thee to honor thine As the Kings honor 's made of subiects duties So are thy glories made of thy Queenes beauties I take it such are thine no I mistake Thine are thy owne since thou didst please to make Me free t' inioy them when I thee adore I but repay what I receiu'd before Since by thy bounties I in plenties liue Giue thou me more and more that I may giue To others that to all it may be seene Of beauty and bounty th' ast compos'd thy Queene With hands that neuer err'd blest with the senses Of plenty the meet'st mettle to make Princes Lord lend me all thy graces till I rise From earrh to glory in thy Paradise In the meane time accept my sacrifice Which Baptist-like I send before aboue My soule flyes after with the wings of loue FINIS THE EPISTLE OF THE BRIDE TO her Lord declaring her Confidence A Heauenly legacy for the vse of of the Right Honorable IOHN Earle of Bridg-water and his most Noble Countesse the Lady Francis Written By Augustine Taylor Preacher at Hawarden LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes. 1623. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE IOHN EARLE OF Bridg-water c. And to his most noble Lady Francis Countesse of Bridgewater The issue of the Ancient and Illustrious House of Derby * ⎠* Right Honorable IF you admire wherefore I bring This offring to your hands My reason 's this I saw day spring The first vpon those lands That was your birth-plot and for that My heart and hand this giues And know your Honor die shall not So long as English liues Another reason's I confesse I liue vnder the wing Of your good mother Patronesse Of Syon where I sing And Preach by Gods commission I Am sent to call in ghests To see the Lambe in 's Maiesty Where peace and plenty rests And dearely humbly I intreate Your Honors to that place Where you shall sit in glories seate And see God face to face Your Noble dispositions bee So generally approu'd That for your true Nobilitie Y' are both both prais'd and lou'd And so God grant you may be still 'T is that I wish to see And if you please t' approue my will Feare God and fauour mee Your Honors to be Commanded Augustine Taylor THE ARGVMENT The faith of Isr'el's here express'd Her disobedience done Humility's by her profess'd And all her good begone GReat King of Israell may I be so bold To speake a few words more some part 's vntold Of that I meant to vtter vouchsafe t' heare My speech preferred with a reuerent feare Thy ancient seruants prudently fore-seeing Him men deny or doubt to haue a beeing They can doe no true seruice doe expresse The first good that man doth is to confesse The being of one God and Scripture saith The Honor thou admits is built on faith Lord I beleeue and thou mayst shew thy might To helpe my vnbeliefe that in thy sight I may be perfect and I will approue My haruest's from the seeding of thy loue My Lord this is my faith I sted-fastly Beleeue all things deliuered of thee 'Twixt th'Alpha and th'Omega of thy booke And I 'm perswaded all the paines thou tooke Tends to my rest thy promises of grace Are th'euidence I keepe for glory's place The poorenesse of thy comming birth and kinne As I conceiue was onely for to winne The loue not prayse of men thou didst agree T'ore come temptations that we might be free Thou washt their feete that did attend on thee I take it to teach me humillitie And as a friend that is to take in hand A long and dangerous voyage doth command His kinted and acquaintance to be fit To share of 's friendly farewell and being met They sole mnize it sadly and then parts With discontent and heauinesse of hearts And this last token ties their loues t' attend Euen so my Lord my husband and my friend Did institute a supper that I might Keepe him though absent euermore in sight And then he tooke his
all my buildings thou do'st know my hearts Desire is onely t' entertaine those things That my saluation and thy honor brings Furnish me so with faith that my grand-foe Attempting to effect my ouer-thowe May faile and fall and vanish giue me that Faith that set Noah vpon mount Arrarat That which remou'd Henoch from of the earth And without death a gaue caelestiall birth I doe but wish that sword to vanquish sinne Which Dauid brought gainst th' vgly Philistime When woes be set me round and sinne and death Then let my faith aduance me from beneath To thy abiding City'mongst the iust Lord of thy mercy change my faith to trust Faith doth confesse Christ but trust doth perswade The spotlesse offerings that my Iesus made Were mine and for my sinne and soules reliefe This I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeliefe Another thing I craue is patience to Accept contentedly and vndergo Afflictions that may happen grant to mee Such store of patience in all misery That my deserts may cause report to spread Iobs dearest daughter liues though he be dead Teach me to welcome sorrow ' mongst the rest Of other passions that possesse my brest Make patience power the greatest that I may Passe the worlds nights to heauens glorious day Next furnish me with strength make me of might To maintaine combate in thy Gospells right And to my strength adde valour for these too Being diuided can no seruice doo To merit thankes or prayse the foes intent Preuaileth when my valour 's impotent And when my strength wants valour I am like To loose the field because I dare not strike Therefore I sue for both th' are fit'st for mee Because I but desire them t'honor thee Then make a sword of both to cut off strife Venter thou it and I will venter life And yet I venter nothing for I know I haue nothing but what thou didst bestow And as thy owne command it thine I rest ' The best of seruants can but do her best Yet gracious Lord direct me how to make Euen for thy passion and compassion sake My prayers more compleat because I haue Great neede of many things and cannot craue So as I may obtaine except the most Powerfull assistance of the holy Ghost Helpe to preferre my sacrifice if thou Will some more pacience vnto me allow To temper all my passions in such measure That neither sorrowes nor deluding pleasure Possesse me with excesse then I shall doo Thee soueraigne honor and me subiect too To make thy Bride victorious I do pray With reuerence loue and feare that I still may Inioy that pacience which can bring me past The blew-red vaile with victory at last Into thy holiest holy here beneath Afflictions miseries cares feares doome and death Fills all my dayes so full of discontent That till I see that ladder thou once sent Vnto my Father Iacob set for mee T' ascend I looke for noe felicity My Lord by all the gracious promises Of thine betweene the first of Genesis And the Omega of thy sacred booke And by the paines that my Messias tooke By his vnualeu'd merrits and by all He sayd or did from 's birth t' his funerall Free me from all my sinnes and now remoue The clouds of sinne and vengeance from aboue That my voyce may come to thy sacred eares And fetch my pardon from these cares and feares Lord quit me out of hand and let me see The glorious state of immortalitie I 'm weary of these nether-lands and would Come see my dowery that with purest gold Thou hast so richly wall'd and pau'd so faire With Berill Topaz and such stones as are Most fit in forme and beauty I intreate That as thou hast prouided me a seate In Syon thy most holy heauenly hill Thou'll place me in 't O let it be thy will To helpe me home in hast that now I may Change my blacke night for thy bright endlesse day FINIS AN EPISTLE OR A Legacy for the vse of the Right Reverend Father in God IOHN Lord Bishop of the Isles of Man c. By Augustine Taylor Preacher and Minister of the Lord our God at Hawarden LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes. 1623. TO THE RIGHT REuerent Father in God Iohn by the Diuine Prouidence Lord Bishop of the Isles of Man Rector of Hawarden c. MY Lord you know a heauenly muse should bee Esteemed as men prize eternitie I know your brest containes a muse diuine And therefore will not vnder-value mine Of all that liue I dare a fauour claime But those whose all shall perish with their name Right Reuerend Phillips Phillip the great King Of Macedon did cause a child to bring Quotidian warning thus for him to scan Phillip remember thou art but a man A fairer title I deliuer can Phillis consider you are Lord of Man Both men and man approues it in that I le You haue sate graciously a happy while Vnto mans makers glory and your prayse Among'st most reuerent Bishops all your dayes Shall be accounted happy many aime At profitable Lordships and for gaine Are Lords of more but baser mettle farre As farre as doth the Sunne exceede a Starre Men should beleeue it because God hath sayd Man doth exceede all workes that e're God made Stay man the soyle no man the soule is blest I grant that truth and then it needs must rest Y' are Lord of both others but of the soyle Their couetous carefulnesse and temp'rall toyle Affirme no lesse whereas your Lordship may With much content with Princely Dauid say The place wherein my lot to me befell Is passing faire and like me wondrous well You might haue bathed in a greater fountaine But a small Dyamond's worth a mighty mountaine Some lesser things are priz'd the great'st aboue The quality not quantity breeds loue Happy was man to haue the man of God Find out her port he hath remou'd the rod Of wrath and fury out of all her coasts And how to call vpon the Lord of Hoasts In her owne language he hath taught her know Such benefits good Bishops doe bestow Vpon their flocke Now babes and sucklings can And doe extoll the Lord of Heauen and man Pitty't had beene you should haue left the I le For your preferment better many smile Then one and it is better that one loose Then many I haue knowne your Lordship choose To preferre generall before speciall good Your pious learned care 't is vnderstood Hath truely newly setled all the land And taught the ignorant to vnderstand The holy word of God and 't is thought fit You honor God your King and selfe by it In seeing that establisht yo 'aue begune Ioy in it Lord you haue more honor woone By making th' ignorant intelligent Of God and men then euer shall be spent My friends the cause I prayse this Lord 's to mee As neare and deare as Paul to Tymothie What erst was ruin'd by the great neglect Of 's predicessors he doth re-erect In sumptuous stately
flourish faire and free and fast Comely and seemely both to like and last Some bidden come not some vnbidden come Thus some proue wiser farre then other some Some like the driuen dust are parcht and dry'd Some like the branches by the riuer side Are faire and fruitfull and doe cause the streame Draw beauty and plenty with her siluer teame Vnto the good all good shall happen still And vnto th' euill ill because th' are ill Such thing desires it like and so it comes That Caine's at oddes with all his fathers sonnes For hating's brethren and contemning's God He ranne a vagabond to the land of Nod And liu'd vnlou'd vnpiti'd vnlamented And some thinke di'd vntimely vnrepented For so shall all that doe the Lord dispise Or offers him a broken sacrifice So our lewd poets doe God makes a poet And the thing made forgets or doth not know it A speciall good God meant vnto the earth First when he did intend a Poets birth Gods perfect image catch it those that can Is heauenly measures in an earthly man When Moses troope had pass'd the scarlet flood His inward ioy we had not vnderstood But by his Hebrew song and onely that Makes the man prays'd the maister wonder'd at Iordans obedience at braue Iosuahs feete When it show'd him a passage faire and meete When walls of water stood like walls of glasse Vpon both hands to suffer him to passe And bring his army in at Cana'ns doore The land Iehouah promis'd long before These things had beene vnknowne and beene vnsung But for the musicke of a sacred tongue With Baraks victory and Sisâ—raes fall We had not beene so well acquainted all But for the heauenly muse of Debora That Barak wonne the honor of the day That ancient Kishon washt mount Tabors feete And all our enemies away did sweepe That Heauen sent ayde to earth and all the Starres Behau'd themselues like souldiers in those warres That men intended mischiefe and God crost it That Iaell wonne the day and Iabin lost it We had not knowne these had been wrong'd with death But that th' are infants of a muses breath That God doth iustice loue but mercy rather And that although man's feeble earthly father Forget him and forsake him God will not This had beene vntold or told and forgot But that the sacred breath of holy man Preserueth more then Brasse or marble can That Iesses sonne was fetcht from following sheepe An hoast of men to leade defend and keepe That he once wore a sheepe-hooke in his hand And then a royall scepter did command That he sate in the field vpon a stone And after in the pallace on the throne That he was capt with wooll against the cold And after crown'd with purest beaten gold That of a Sheepheard God thus made a King And turn'd his fasting into banqueting That he that sometime â—llow'd ewes with yong Did leaue that labour and apply'd hiâ— tong To prayse Iehouah in an Hebrew song Gods greatnesse goodnesse highneste workes and wonders We know and had not knowne but for his numbers Dauid I meane he that in word and deede Both did and sayd for God and Iacobs seede Thankes be to Salomon we are not to search A sacred muse betwixt Christ and his Church To sing the nuptials 't is already done By Isr'els King and Dauids sacred sonne Asaph and Ethan well deserned thankes For placing th'Arke of God on Sylos bankes With triumph and reioyceing Amos sonne Seeing his Lord his Vineyard hath beguine Vpon a fruitfull hill sayd I will sing To my King Vineyard of my Vineyards King And so proceed and all the world yet heares When great Iehouah fell a dealing yeares To Hezekiah Iudahs holy King To gratulate his Lord no better thing Had of his owne to giue then freely trips A heauenly measure from his princely lippes Praysing the God of life death night and day The scripture warrants what you heare me say That Maries soule so greatly did reioyce To heare the tidings by an angels voyce That she should be a mother and beare a sonne That should redeeme a wretched world vndone We had beene ignorant of these good things But that glad Mary had amuse that sings Vnto this day and by her muse we know Th' humble are set aboue the proud below That Simeon in the Temple sung to all His Sauiours lullaby and 's owne funerall That his old armes so happy were t' imbrace The Prince and heire of glory and of grace His owne tongue testifies and thus I chuse The sacred script of many heauenly muse T'exhort wits that are bearing and doe breede Choycest inuentions henceforth to proceede More regularly religiously I meane Leaue Babels partched commons seeke the streame That keepes the skirts of Hermon euer greene The on 's a strumpet th' other is a Queene And those that striue her beauties to expresse Shall know her matchlesse endlesse happinesse God sayd all those that sought her honor should Be fed with Manna and be cloath'd with gold And led with Angels and haue Saints society Ierusalem to dwell in and variety Of those delights and ioyes both all and some That God prouided for the world to come But Esaus timelesse haplesse gracelesse seede Shall lucklesse liue in misery and neede And be in bondage still a voyce diuine Sayth Esau must not drinke of Iacobs wine Then since there 's due rewards layd vp for merits And like deserts like punishments inherits We 'll idolize no more nor men nor treasure Let him that hath a muse can tune a measure To the worlds eare bestow it in such wise T' haue life and honor by his sacrifice Leaue all rediculous fictions take aduise Learne either properly to similize The truth or tell it plainely you should ken What 's vnlike truth should euer dislike men Make your proceedings perfect and then proue By outward actions your true inward loue Lasciuious voyces but makes deafe the season Th' are stuff'd with mickle rime but little reason That poesie may be honor'd lâ—â—'d and prays'd And like to him that 〈◊〉 with glory rays'd Out of the dust of ignorance and death Refuse your subiects and refine your breath By sucking sweeter ayre study to bring Such songs a Saints may sing before their King Like towers well built your workes shall last and then Both purchase grace with God and loue with men FINIS AN EPISTLE Dedicated to the Right VVorshipfull Sr. Thomas Smith Knight Maior of Chester and High Sheriffe of that County Palatine c. To the Right Worshipfull Sr. Randall Manwaring Knight c Edward Whitby Esquire Recorder William Gamwell Iohn Ratcliffe Robert Whitby William Aldersey Charles Fitton Hugh Williamson c. Esquires late Maiors of that ancient and Honorable City And to the Worshipfull Mr. Nicholas Ince Mr. Thomas Whitby Mr. Brereton Mr. Peter Drink-water Mr. Andrew Gamwell Mr. Robert Berry Mr. Humphrey Lloyd c. Alderâ—â—n of the same c. All temporall and eternall happinesse Right Worshipfull