see Not one from Dissolution free VVe know or what 's equivalent Believe our souls which God first sent To make our bodies move and live Shall go to him who them did give VVhen once their Maker them commands They strait return into his hands Thus we see almost every thing Circling about as in a ring The winter season of the yeer Is now turn'd Summer every where This summer will to winter turn And that freeze which before did burn Rivers which borrow from the main Their streames do pay them back again Since nothing under heaven hath rest But floating up and down 't is best To look above and fix mine eyes VVhere not the shadow of change lyes No variations there but all Stand still in state pacifical Go then my Dust to Dust but thou my soul Return unto thy Rest above the Pole Cant. 1.5 I am black but comely O ye Daughters of Jerusalem A DIALOGUE Between the CHURCH and her DAUGHTERS Daught YOu were our Mother once most bright and fair Admir'd and lov'd by every eye No earthly beauty could with you compare But now y' are of another dye VVe ne're beheld a Moor more black then you Are by this unexpected change VVe hardly can believe it to be true The sight so uncouth is and strange You are become a widow desolate You have no Suitors as before VVe are asham'd to own you since of late Most men have cast you out of door Church Despise me not although that black I am The reason you shall understand From an extreme hot Country late I came From that Egyptian Sun-burnt Land There I was scorcht and lost my beauty there By lying long amongst the Pots And Brick-kilns heavy burthens I did bear Thus I contracted all my spots Yet be not you asham'd of me for I Though black without am fair within My soul is purged from impurity And grace hath now excluded sin It was the plot of my Beloved who Seeing me proud and wanton grow Of my unparallell'd beauty serv'd me so To keep me up he brought me low He took away the lustre of my face But gave another to my mind And now I do account it no disgrace Since this the better far I find 'T is not the fairness of the face but soul VVhich doth invite my Lord to love If he perceive the inward parts be foul The outward not at all him move No matter though I black to others seem VVhilst I am comely in his eyes If he me worthy of his love esteem I care not who doth me despise VVhen he shall find it fit to wash off all My black and outward grace restore Like the Sun after an Eclipse I shall Shine brighter then I did before Isaiah 57.15 Thus saith the High and Lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit LOrd thou hast told us that there be Two dwellings which belong to thee And those two that 's the wonder Are far asunder The one the highest heaven is The mansions of eternal bliss The other 's the contrite And humble sprite Not like the Princes of the earth VVho think it much below their birth To come within the door Of people poor No such is thy humility That though thy dwelling be on high Thou dost thy self abase To th' lowest place VVhere ere thou seest a sinful soul Deploring his offences foul To him thou wilt descend And be his friend Thou wilt come in and with ' him sup And from a low state raise him up Till thou hast made him eat Blest Angels meâ—â— Thus thou wilt him with honour crown VVho in himself is first cast down And humbled for his sins That thy love wins Though heaven be high the gate is low And he that comes in there must bow The lofty looks shall ne're Have entrance there O God since thou delight'st to rest In the humble contrite brest First make me so to be Then dwell with me Lam. 3.39 Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins WHy doth a living man complain VVhen for his sins he punish'd is Since his complaint is all in vain And he no ease obtaines by this But rather adds new torments to the sore And by impatience makes his sufferings more So have I seen i' th' Fowlers gin A bird by striving out to get The faster hath entangled bin And ne're could scape out of the net VVere he a while but quiet he might spy Perhaps some hole or other through to fly But man of all things hath least cause To murmur or complain at all Since by oft breaking of Gods Lawes He justly in this toil doth fall For sin and suffering are correlatives A Malefactor well deserves his gyves A mercy 't is that he yet lives And hopes a pardon he may have Not so much favour the Law gives It 's the Law-givers part to save He ought not to complain but to be glad VVhiles he 's alive and pardon may be had VVhen thou chastizest me O Lord And for my sin dost make me smart I 'l not return an angry word But take it from thee in good part Since thou exactest of me less then I Deserved have for mine iniquity Hosea 2.19 I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in Righteousness and in judgment and in loving kindness and in tender mercies LEt all Records be searched o're and o're Such an unequal marriage as this Was never seen or heard before VVhere heaven and earth God and man kiss VVhere Majesty and misery do meet Power and infirmity each other greet Thou art the King of Glory Lord of life Thy Spouse at best a Creature poor but since Her fall deform'd and no fit wife VVill make for thee so great a Prince Go court the Angels then yet they though bright Are creatures too and scarce pure in thy sight How much less I that on my belly creep And cleave unto the earth that did begin As soon as I was born to weep As soon as I could go to sin VVhen I polluted in my blood did lye No eye would pity me but all past by Cast out i' th' open field I was to th' shame And loathing of my person in the day That I was born then my Lord came Like the Samaritan that way And took me up thy mercy did thee move Not my desert that was thy time of love Nor is thy love fickle as most mens be VVho soon grow weary of their former choice VVhen they a greater beauty see But thou with me wilt still rejoice Thou hast betroth'd me to thy self for ever And if I leave thee not wilt leave me never Thou that didst love me when I nothing had That lovely was endue me with thy grace For with that wedding garment clad Thou wilt no blemish in my face Or any other part of me espy But I
twice born that made this Poesie Nature imparted little to his wit 'T was grace which had the greatest hand in it His pen came from the wing of th' holy Dove Dropping no gall but innocence and Love No scurrilous obscenity to make It vendible and with the Rabble take No tenter stretch'â— conceits no puff-paste strains Which serve not to instruct but wrack mens brains No such as their invention draw from wine And reele into a Verse but all Divine Clear as the beams are of th' inlightned day Smooth as the Galaxy or milkie way Pure as Ezekiels waters which did glide Forth of the Sanctuary on each side Made not to please the Pallat of the foule And carnal man but to revive the soul That humbled is at sight and sense of sin To cheere his spirits comfort him within To scare bold sinners from their wicked course And win them to a penitent remorse That they who take these Poems up as men May lay them down as Saints made by his pen Thus Ambrose catch't an Austin by his quaint Divinity the Manichee turn'd Saint E. P. The Table THe Accident 135 Affliction brings man home 22 The Ague 134 Angels our guardians Psal. 91.11 12 18 The Antipodes 90 All Saints 110 The Ascension 107 The passing Bel 94 The Blind man Mark 10.51 49 Gods Bottle Psal. 56.8 14 The heavy burden Psal. 38.4 12 The bush burning Exod. 3.2 2 Care cast on God 1 Pet. 5.7 75 The child and the old man 130 Christs second coming compared 89 Christ calumniated Matth. 11.19 46 Christs cup Matth. 26.39 48 To Christ Jesus 140 The Church black but comely Cant. 1.5 29 The Circulation Eccles. 12.7 27 No continuing City Heb. 13.14 71 The good mans clothing Job 29 14. 8 The Circumcision 105 Man complaining without just cause Lam. 3.39 32 Country Disputations 133 To day heare Gods voice Psal 95.8 20 An Apostle a Divel John 6.70 52 Of Divine Love 8â— The Dove and Serpent Matth 10.16 4â— The dream 10â— The drunkard 12â— Gods two dwellings Isa. 57.15 3â— The Eccho 8â— Faith and works Jam. 2.20 7â— Fear of falling 1 Cor. 10.12 6â— Former favours earnests of future 1 Sam. 17 37. 7â— The fountain Zach. 13. â— 40 To Doctor Hammond 122 The best Harbinger John 14 2. 56 The good harvest 101 No hiding from God Gen 3.8 p. 1. The Christians hope not in this life 1 Cor. 15.19 64 Gods Jewels Mal. 3.17 42 The impartial judgment Rev 20.11 12. 76 The Inquisition Zeph. 1.12 39 To his kinsman Sir E. B. 118 To the Lady M. C. 125 To the Lady M. T. 120 To the Lady P. 121 To the Lady R. 119 The Larum 95 Against going to Law for trifles 127 Much in a little Psal 37.16 11 The three lives of a Christian Gal. 2.20 67 To the malicâ—ous man 128 What is man Psal. 8 4. 10 To one that married a rich but most unhandsome woman 131 The Mystical marriage 34 To his Cousin Mistriss M.B. 123 Themist 126 Noâ—e but God Psal. 73.25 15 Paul Paradox 2 Cor. 12.10 66 Passion without Reason Jonah 4.1 36 The Pastoral 84 The path of the just Prov. 4.18 23 Christ persecuted in his members Act 9.4.5 58 Peters prayer Luke 5.8 51 The power of Prayer Exod. 32.10 3 Lay mens preaching 98 Upon Doctor Prideaux 116 A Poem of Grotius translated 111 Two of Boethius translated 114 11â— The Race Phil. 3.13 14. 69 The Resurrection 206 The Rock Numb. 20.11 4 Scylla and Garybdis 96 Secret things belong to God Deut. 29.29 6 The holy separatist Psal. 4.3 9 The Snake in the garden 81 Snow in May 138 Treasures only in heaven Matth. 6.19 20. 43 The Temple of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 60 The contrary effects of Tobacco 110 The tooth-ach 93 Upon denyal of Tythes 87 The Vine wasted Psal. 80 12.13 16 The way the truth and the life Joh. 14 6. 57 The wind and sunne 102 The souls wish 88 The wounded spirit Prov. 18.14 25 Youths Memento Eccles. 12.1 26 GEN 3.8 And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the Trees of the Garden WHat fancies sin in our first Parents wrought That they a hiding place so quickly sought From Gods all-seeing Eye As if that he Who form'd the eye were blind and could not see Thorow the thickest trees or darkest shade Which in that Garden he himself had made Such simple fools are their posterity Who seek out places of obscurity To sin unseene and mask themselves all over That God should not their wicked deeds discover As though that they from him themselves could shrowd Like Juno from Ixion in a cloud Or like the Wood-cock hide their heads and then 'Cause they see none think none sees them agen Be not deceiv'd a double folly lies In sinning first then hoodwinking Gods eyes All 's one to him the darknesse and the light The night as clear as day is in his fight Think not by putting of a candle out Or drawing of a curtain round about Thy bed or by fast barring of thy door To shut God out or make him see no more Thou canst not be invisible to him Who did behold thy substance every limme And member of thy body ere that they Were perfect and received day by day Their form and fashion the womb to him was Cleare as the Chrystal or the purest glasse Search the worlds closest corners o're and o're 'Mongst all thou canst not finde a place that 's more Invisible and secret then reveal Thy sin to God which thou canst not conceale And what thou canst not hide from him confesse So seeing hee 'le noâ— see thy wickednesse But with the whitest Robe wil cover thee That without fear or shame thou may'st him see EXOD. 3.2 And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush and he looked and behold the bush burned with fire and was not consumed LOe here a sight Presented to the eye A Bush on fire flaming bright Yet not consum'd a wondrous mysterie The Bush the Church Affliction is the fire Which serves not to destroy but search And try her gold raising the value higher It gathers dust And â—ullied is with ease Wherefore to rub off all the rust To cast it in this fire God doth please Whence it comes forth Far brighter then before And is advanced much in worth One pound being equal now unto a score This bush that flame Could never long withstand Unlesse the Lord were in the same T is he that doth uphold it with his hand Whiles he is there And doth his light dispense The heat we need not greatly fear How ere it may seeme grievous to our sense For though we be I th' fiery furnace cast Our faith the Son of God may see Preserving of our very haires from waste Much more he will By his almighty arme Defend the souls of his Saints still That by this fire they shall
of a Dove To fly unto the bosome of our Love There we should rest securely from all harmes Embracing and embraced in his armes But what is this behold another sight Two men or Angels rather clad in white Angels Leave gazing thus ye men of Galilee For this same Jesus you shall shortly see Returne again in the same manner as You now beheld him hence to Heaven pass He 's gone but to prepare for you a place Against the time that you have run your race Leave wishing too for wishes will not raise You to the mansions of those endlesse joies Where he resides but let your thoughts all bend In heavenly conversation to ascend Follow his holy steps for so you shall Have your Ascension bodie soul and all Apostles We thank you for your counsel and obey This having said they all depart away Th' Angels to heaven th' Apostles homeward went Expecting when the Spirit should be sent And they endu'd with power from the Lord To save the world by preaching of the Word Upon all Saints day SUch honour have all the Lords Saints that we Keep this day holy to their memorie And reason good for they examples are To us in life and death of vertues rare For though all vertues in some measure met In all the saints as lines i' th' center yet Some special grace in every one did dwel Wherein each one the other did excel Thus Abram for his Faith was most renown'd Job for his singular Patience was crown'd Moses for Meeknesse did all men surpasse Elias for his Zeale most famous was David is for an Upright heart commended Josias for a Tender heart transcended John the Evangelist for Charity And John the Baptist for Austerity Saint Paul for his Humility surmounted When chief of sinners he himself accounted And least of all th' Apostles though indeed For pains and parts he did the rest exceed Peter for Penitence the prize doth bear Who for his sinne shed many a bitter teare Now as their life to us serves for a light So is their death most precious in Gods sight By that we learn to live by this to die By both we come to immortality Since then they are such happy guides wel may We solemnize at least one annual day Unto their honour yet not guiltie be Of superstition or Idolatry When we observe this day we do no more Then reverence them as Saints not them adore God's the sole object of our invocation They but the pattern for our imitation And 't is our prayer alwaies on this day That we their godly living follow may Til we with them at last come to partake Of joyes unspeakable for Christ his sake Whiles thus we celebrate this festival None can us justly superstitious cal To Christ A Poem of Hugo Grot. Sil. lib. 1. p. 10. Translated O Christ which art the head of every thing From whom a better life then this doth spring Thy Fathers measure yet unmeasured Whom whiles that he himself contemplated In his high mind he streams forth light of light And sees himself in 's equal image bright Like whom the world and the worlds guardian man Was made but O he suddainly began To be rebellious his high honour lâ—st And prest with crimes which him most deerly cost Becoming guilty of the greatest pain In this state lay and had for ever laine But that thy Father his case pitying did Give thee who with himself before wast hid Under concealed light eternal love Unto his Church did him to mercy move His truth by dreams he wil reveal no more Nor visions by his Prophets as before But willing now a living Law to make And lasting league with men lo thou didst take A mortal body and a man-like face Yet not begot the way of humane race By filthy lust but thou conceived wast By power divine born of a Virgin chaste Though thou no purple hadst to cloth thee then Bâ—ing newly born nor bands of armed men To compasse thee about and be thy guard Yet Citizens of heaven keep watch and ward And divine Anthems sang about thy stal More royal thus then any Princes Hall The beasts and shepherds thee incircled there Poor but far happier then all Kings they were In that they knew thee thou a new come guest Wert by thy heaven to earth made manifest The Magi stood amaz'd a starre to see Ne're seen before how great say they is he That 's born to honour whom new stars appear Yee â—erie signes of heaven your light forbear Forbeare ye wandring stars and Charls his Wayne To guide the Passengers upon the Maine For through the various waves of things below And life's uncertainties this Star doth show The way not that which unto Babylon brings Proud in the Courts of her Arsâ—oian Kings Nor to the Palaces of Tibur stout Nor to Jerusalem's turrets but points out The Cottages of Bethlehem and the door Of shepherds tents Jewes seek your King no more Amongst the Cornets and the Trumpets sound And th' Arms wherewith mans furie doth surround Himself ye know not wretches as ye be How neer a thing to heaven is povertie How sweet to suffer tel the Parthians now Goe tel the Romans tel your Herod how Hee 'll make the blind to see the lame to walk Hee 'll make the deaf to hear the dumb to talke Hee 'll heal all plagues and sicknesses with ease By 's word not herbs and calm the raging seas Thousands he wil with little food sustain Himself long time with none and raise again The dead make water wine at his command And walk upon the sea as on dry land Let them whom jewels deck let Martial men Try if they can perform the like again These my poor Christ can doe nor doth he cure Bodies alone but minds of men make pure Purges their brests that are possest with sin And heals the plague-sick world which we live in Thus a right way he takes whiles those that stand And mightie are he puls down with his hand Those that are weak and fallen he erects But look what stirrs i' th' heavens What strange aspects And strife of things Whiles so great good in thee Is recompenc'd with hateful crueltie Not by the Sythian or the barbarous men Of Affrick or the north Pole Citizen But by good Abrahams off-spring who alone Of all the nations was thy chosen one Such mischiefe black ambition can do Whiles't being incens'd with pride and hatred too It rages under faigned piety A simple fate thou didst not perish by But as a thief thou di'dst though innocent To undergoe our sin and punishment The sins of all the world did lye on thee Since Adam ate of the forbidden tree From that first hour to this they prest thee all On us those bonds on us those blowes should fall Those sharp black thorns should prick our temple veins The Sergeant should us drag to endlesse pains The nails should pierce our hands the spear our side And we without delay
be crucified But so it did thy Father please and Thee To mingle Mercy with Security Boet. Met. 4. l. 1. Translated HE that lives quiet in a setled state And treads below his feet high minded fate That either fortune upright can behold With an undaunted face and courage bold Not all the raging threats o' th' sea nor yet Vesuvius smoaking fires when ere they get Out of their broken Chimneys nor the bright Flashes of lightning which are us'd to smite The highest Towers til to ground they fall Can move this man or trouble him at all Why doe men so much Tyrants rage admire Since they want strength unto their fierce desire Hope for no good from them and fear no harm So you their feeble anger shal disarme But he whose fears are great or hopes are bent To what is not his right nor permanent His Buckler casts away his ground he leaves And to enthral himself a chaine he weaves The 5. Met. of the second book THe former age but too much blest With fruitful fields content did rest Not with dul luxury yet lost Their hunger staid with little cost A slender Chessnut them suffis'd They had not yet the way devis'd To mix live hony with their wine Nor were they grown so proudly fine In their apparel as to staine White fleeces in a purple graine On Sallets sup'd sweet sleep they took And drink had from the running brook The lofty Pine was then their shade Not yet through deep seas did they wade Strange coasts the Merchant had not sought For wares far fetch'd and deerly bought Then the shril trumpets did not sound Nor bitter hatreds then were found To die their horrid arms with blood For how could fury think it good First to make War when it could see Nothing but deadly wounds to be The pay of blood-shed O â—hat now Our much corrupted times knew how From their ill customes to return To th' ancient manners but they burn With love of gain which is so great It puts down Aetna's fires for heat Alas who was 't that first made bold To dig those precious Perils Gold And richer Jewels which would fain Concealed from our sight have layne Upon the Right Reverend And most Learned Dr. PRIDEAUX late Bishop of Worcester SInce Prideaux dy'd farewel the Muses nine Farewel all Learning humane and divine For why should we pretend to any part Of Science when the Genius of all Art Lies dead and buryed Now to make a verse And think therewith to deck his golden Hearse Were like a boy t' a Generals grave that runs And shoots off squibs in stead of greater guns To solemnize his Funeral 't would he thought Done in a jeer and he be whipt if caught Alas we cannot speak his praise for death E're since it rob'd his body of his breath Hath left us speechless all tongues were his own All learned Languages to him were known He with deep judgment had more Authors read Then others Indexes and might be sed To be a living Library admir'd By this last age and by the next desir'd The University is in despair To find a Successor like him i' th' chair His clear decisions he delivered there As Oracles divine received were His Arguments and Answers would admit Of no Replies so home so sure they hit Preferment he ne're sought it sought him rather First he a Doctor was and then a Father Of this our Church we justly mourn his fall Who was a Bishop Oecumenical His Diocess of Knowledg was so vast That throughout all the Universe it past Betwixt the Puritane and Papist he Like a strong Rock fast fixt was in his see Against both Factions he did upright stand Inclining not a jot to either hand But a sound Protestant he liv'd and dy'd One of the Learnedst e're was of our side They that lov'd Learning and a Scholers name Raise Pyramids to his immortal fame To his much honoured Friend and Kinsman Sr E. B. WEre I to draw Griefs picture to the life I 'd take 't from you now mourning for your wife Armes folded fixed eyes and full of tears Repeated sighes neglected cloaths and hairs Pale face no words but what are pumpt by force Small difference is betwixt you and a corse Sure 't is not you but your Ghost come to tell How much you lov'd your Lady and how wel That having but one soul between you two She being gone you had no more to do But vanish strait such power hath love to make An husband pine away for his wifes sake Yet all this but of grief 's the outward part I cannot limâ— the sorrow of your heart Nor can I see nor can you shew the pain And anguish which you inwardly sustain Only I can imagine that a flood Runs from the red sea of your own heart-blood That every time a tear falls from your eye A crimson drop followes it instantly That every sigh like to an hollow wind Doth but presage a sanguine showres behind That to your best beloved fain you wou'd Swim through both rivers of your tears and blood But stay a little whiles the furious tide Of your swoln sorrow flowes on every side T' oppose it were the next way to be drown'd But when it ebbs you may behold dry ground And walk securely through that sea to th' shoar In which you might have been o're whelm'd before Heark then your Lady calls to you from far And prayes you turn your grief for her to care Of your deer children that as Poets fain Minerva was the issue of Joves brain Without a mothers help so they may prove The issue of your mind as of your love Thus for their being and their breeding too They 'l owe a double duty unto you To his truly honoured Lady the Lady R. MAdam Though you have many changes seen Yet y' are the same as you have alwayes been Times work no more on you then upon heav'n In all estates y' are so serene and even Surely Copernicus opinion's true The earth 's the only thing that moves and you As being of an heavenly constitution Unshaken stand in all this revolution Both in the Church and Sâ—ate with you it fares As with the Angels or the fixed Stars Which give their light and influence to men Yet are not soiled with their ills agen You are as good and vertuous nay more Religious since those times then e're before For though that most grow worse by imitation Of th' Epidemick sins are now in fashion 'T is contrary with you who do detest All sin the more the more it is profest And as when heat's with cold environ'd 't is Hotter by the Antiperistasis Just so your Piety by opposition Of others wickedness receives addition And may it still to that degree proceed That you may never more perfection need To the noble Lady and to him much endeered the Lady M. T. WE envy Shropshire now since it of late Doth you impropriate Not letting us have the least share
him I could eat The Author now and sel him to buy meat Cartâ—right is Wit throughout but I read o're More then his four playes his â—ast pious four And then his several Gratitudes unto Him whose head taught him and purse fed him too Who gave him to buy books and gave him skil In each of them to chuse out Well from Ill The Learned Pious Conâ—â—ant Duppâ— hâ— Who was and is stil Reverend in those three Whom these three voice and pen and heart cannot No not Cartâ—rights own enough celebrate In these he kept Christs law lov'd God and then His next act was to pay his debt to men He did it here for this one to him wou'd Be Universal ev'â—y neighbourhood Though he out-sobers out-words out-wits all Grave Virgil Horace nice Salt Martial Yet more then in 's though unprofane verse wou'd â—â—rench my soul in his Diviner stood Those Sermons in which he did wind about Our passions more then Cicero could do 't In which he did out-sense deep Plutarchs skil And taught so wel almost all else taught ill Unlesse when 's Father Duppae 'gan to preach Who us to live and taught him too to teach Oh for that Text where he forbad to ly And prest home truth in unbound Poetry Where David like he did instil and charme Us to be honest though to our own harm Charg'd truths upon us such as do shine here In this smal volume scorn'd and damn'd elsewhere O for his Passion-text that we might buy Th' inestimable price at Sixpence fee That we that winepresse which at Edom was And Christs Church trod might taste from a new press And here we hav 't i' th' dialogue between Christ Angels and Apostles of slain sin Jesus is up again he did not die He but lay downe that death it self might lie I who this book throughout love Adore here As though all Horace was to Scaliger Precious and rich yet above all the rest He did affect his Lydia dialogue best He who t' ave made That would give Empire though A world he offer here he bids too low For as the whole is sacred and each line Though 't is not God yet it is each Divine So here 't is not Apostle only who Does speak and Angel but 't is Jesus too What would that Learnings lover now impart To speak with an Apostle heart to heart For they did not converse as some of late With face of love but with a brest of hate What would his inquisition give to hear An Angel vocally round him i' th' â—are What would he nay what would he not bestow A world almost another Jesus too To hear his own Christ speake who since sixteen Last hundred yeers was neither heard nor seen This Copy is the blessed Jesus and The rest do all as one John Baptist stand Round about this before behind each where To make that way plain for the Lord t' appear This Copy is the Word and the rest are The Voice and Eccho of this Character This is the supreme heaven without this Is heaven too and what 's in heaven Blisse But O when he does joyes of heaven tel Chearfull and without dread paines of hel Whither the Saviour Christ does convey some And whither the Judge Christ does others doome How does he with mixt artifice contrive Either for fear or love that all should live I dare not name all left I emulate The bulk of his Town with my swelling Gate APOSTROPHE To the AUTHOR YOu Sir who study and sport too this way Whose spare hours heaven and whose serious day Whose two week Sermons are to others aim Whose whole week-life is to that your own claim Who preach both waies b'Example and by Rule Whose life 's a Sermon and whose house a School Who your own self do without hire supply With breath and patterne this twin Curacy Who make each day the Lords whilst there are some Do grudge him one in seven who make your home To be his pious house whilst some there are Who scarce allow him his own house for prayer You who do read and meditate and live Scripture and thereby midst of world's frowns thrive You know they who on Gospels first word look Learn from that first word this is all the book They who proceed and search on find that this Is only Scripture all else writ amiss They who wade further yet know there 's not one Word besides this This is the Word alone And yet though nothing else is Book but what God himself made the Man not that he wrote Though nothing else be Scripture but pretence Because if not the same with this not sense Though nothing else be Word 'cause Parrots may Without this talk to as good ends as we Yet as those birds are said to come more near To what we speak then other Foules o' th' air Because they imitate our Cadencies So we do more speak when w' approach to thee Blest be the charity then of your wise choice Not to vex us with an unmatter'd Noise Since though in hundred sheets of paper he Has silent been who does not edifie Since without this though Stentor he out roare He hath said lesse then th' mad Bul or wild Boar Since without this each other book 's a crime It robs my purse and what 's more deer my time Blest be your guidance too that t' all were giv'n Both to discourse and write and Print for heav'n He that writes next this is his praise or curse He makes the Reader if not better worse But friend you often aske why 't is that I Preach to th' next ear and not to th' distant eye Why 't is that I wh'ave taskt my self a scheame In learnings own behalf forbear that Theame Pray ask no more how can you wish my heir Were come to th' birth when there 's no midwife near Copy 't once more and tel the brave Lord N. Be he Mecaenas and I wil write Then HAbes haec è manu subitaneâ prope incogitanter effusa quippe ab eo cujus nulla in instituto pars est Tibi placere qui cum caeteris Dominantis fortunae ludibriis insultibus par es undiquaque similis et Tibi constans Soli illius Approbanti Lenocinio irasceres vir aliter Pacatissâ—mus sed lectori tuo voce invitatoriâ prodesse Ejus interest non tui quod Fercula haec è Promptuario tuoenatantia ut sitiat ipse Collaudo Unum hoc mihi cujus {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Facultatisque qualiscunque aut quanullacunque in animo est Res Angusta Domi Tumulus secundus Satis est utrumque quod est omne punctum tulisti Tu. Vale hìc sed è supra Internos Angelus ipse Tu diu Vale supra inter Affines Angelos tâ—os Semper sed Sero July 26 1653. GULIELMUS TOWERS B. D. On the Divine Poems of his friend the AUTHOR SOme say a Poet 's born not made but I Say he 's