pining all his life there did scarce trust His own hands with the dust Yet would not place one peece above but lives In feare of theeves Thousands there were as frantick as himself And hug ' d each one his pelf The down-right Epicure plac'd heav'n in sense And scornd pretence While others slipt into a wide Excesse Said little lesse The weaker sort slight triviall wares Inslave Who think them brave And poor despised truth sate Counting by Their victory 4. Yet some who all this while did weep and sing And sing and weep soar'd up into the Ring But most would use no wing O fools said I thus to prefer dark night Before true light To live in grots and caves and hate the day Because it shews the way The way which from this dead and dark abode Leads up to God A way where you might tread the Sun and be More bright than he But as I did their madnes so discusse One whisper'd thus This Ring the Bride-groome did for none provide But for his bride John Cap. 2. ver. 16 17. All that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the Eys and the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world And the world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever The Mutinie WEary of this same Clay and straw I laid Me down to breath and casting in my heart The after-burthens and griefs yet to come The heavy sum So shook my brest that sick and sore dismai'd My thoughts like water which some stone doth start Did quit their troubled Channel and retire Unto the banks where storming at those bounds They murmur'd sore But I who felt them boyl And knew their Coyl Turning to him who made poor sand to tire And tame proud waves If yet these barren grounds And thirstie brick must be said I My taske and Destinie 2. Let me so strive and struggle with thy foes Not thine alone but mine too that when all Their Arts and force are built unto the height That Babel-weight May prove thy glory and their shame so Close And knit me to thee That though in this vale Of sin and death I sojourn yet one Eie May look to thee To thee the finisher And Author of my faith so shew me home That all this fome And frothie noise which up and down doth flie May find no lodging in mine Eie or Eare O seal them up that these may flie Like other tempests by 3. Not but I know thou hast a shorter Cut To bring me home than through a wildernes A Sea or Sands and Serpents Yet since thou As thy words show Though in this desart I were wholy shut Canst light and lead me there with such redress That no decay shal touch me O be pleas'd To fix my steps and whatsoever path Thy sacred and eternal wil decreed For thy bruis'd reed O give it ful obedience that so seiz'd Of all I have I may nor move thy wrath Nor grieve thy Dove but soft and mild Both live and die thy Child Revel. Cap. 2. ver. 17. To him that overcometh wil I give to eate of the hidden Manna and I wil give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it The Constellation FAir order'd lights whose motion without noise Resembles those true Joys Whose spring is on that hil where you do grow And we here tast sometimes below With what exact obedience do you move Now beneath and now above And in your vast progressions overlook The darkest night and closest nook Some nights I see you in the gladsome East Some others neer the West And when I cannot see yet do you shine And beat about your endles line Silence and light and watchfulnes with you Attend and wind the Clue No sleep nor sloth assailes you but poor man Still either sleeps or slips his span He grops beneath here and with restless Care First makes then hugs a snare Adores dead dust sets heart on Corne and grass But seldom doth make heav'n his glass Musick and mirth if there be musick here Take up and tune his year These things are Kin to him and must be had Who kneels or sighs a life is mad Perhaps some nights hee 'l watch with you and peep When it were best to sleep Dares know Effects and Judge them long before When th' herb he treads knows much much more But seeks he your Obedience Order Light Your calm and wel-train'd flight Where though the glory differ in each star Yet is there peace still and no war Since plac'd by him who calls you by your names And fixt there all your flames Without Command you never acted ought And then you in your Courses fought But here Commission'd by a black self-wil The sons the father kil The Children Chase the mother and would heal The wounds they give by crying zeale Then Cast her bloud and tears upon thy book Where they for fashion look And like that Lamb which had the Dragons voice Seem mild but are known by their noise Thus by our lusts disorder'd into wars Our guides prove wandring stars Which for these mists and black days were reserv'd What time we from our first love swerv'd Yet O for his sake who sits now by thee All crown'd with victory So guide us through this Darknes that we may Be more and more in love with day Settle and fix our hearts that we may move In order peace and love And taught obedience by thy whole Creation Become an humble holy nation Give to thy spouse her perfect and pure dress Beauty and holiness And so repair these Rents that men may see And say Where God is all agree The Shepheards SWeet harmles lives on whose holy leisure Waits Innocence and pleasure Whose leaders to those pastures and cleer springs Were Patriarchs Saints and Kings How happend it that in the dead of night You only saw true light While Palestine was fast a sleep and lay Without one thought of Day Was it because those first and blessed swains Were pilgrims on those plains When they receiv'd the promise for which now ' I was there first shown to you 'T is true he loves that Dust whereon they go That serve him here below And therefore might for memory of those His love there first disclose But wretched Salem once his love must now No voice nor vision know Her stately Piles with all their height and pride Now languished and died And Bethlems humble Cotts above them stept While all her Seers slept Her Cedar firr hew'd stones and gold were all Polluted through their fall And those once sacred mansions were now Meer emptiness and show This made the Angel call at reeds and thatch Yet where the shepheards watch And Gods own lodging though he could not lack To be a common Rack No costly pride no soft-cloath'd luxurie In those thin Cels could lie Each stirring
How like the Eyes quick winke His Cottage failes whose narrow span Begins even at the brink Nine months thy hands are fashioning us And many yeares alas E're we can lisp or ought discusse Concerning thee must passe Yet have I knowne thy slightest things A feather or a shell A stick or Rod which some Chance brings The best of us excell Yea I have knowne these shreds out last A faire-compacted frame And for one Twenty we have past Almost outlive our name Thus hast thou plac'd in mans outside Death to the Common Eye That heaven within him might abide And close eternitie Hence youth and folly mans first shame Are put unto the slaughter And serious thoughts begin to tame The wise-mans-madnes Laughter Dull wretched wormes that would not keepe Within our first faire bed But out of Paradise must creepe For ev'ry foote to tread Yet had our Pilgrimage bin free And smooth without a thorne Pleasures had foil'd Eternitie And â—aâ—e had choakt the Corne Thus by the Crosse Salvation runnes Affliction is a mother Whose painefull throws yield many sons Each fairer than the other A silent teare can peirce thy throne When lowd Joyes want a wing And sweeter aires streame from a grone Than any arted string Thus Lord I see my gaine is great My lesse but little to it Yet something more I must intreate And only thou canst doe it O let me like him know my End And be as glad to find it And whatsoe'r thou shalt Commend Still let thy Servant mind it Then make my soule white as his owne My faith as pure and steddy And deck me Lord with the same Crowne Thou hast crownd him already Vanity of Spirit QUite spent with thoughts I left my Cell and lay Where a shrill spring tun'd to the early day I beg'd here long and gron'd to know Who gave the Clouds so brave a bow Who bent the spheres and circled in Corruption with this glorious Ring What is his name and how I might Descry some part of his great light I summon'd nature peirc'd through all her store Broke up some seales which none had touch'd before Her wombe her bosome and her head Where all her secrets lay a bed I rifled quite and having past Through all the Creatures came at last To search my selfe where I did find Traces and sounds of a strange kind Here of this mighty spring I found some drills With Ecchoes beaten from th' eternall hills Weake beames and fires flash'd to my sight Like a young East or Moone-shine night Wich shew'd me in a nook cast by A peece of much antiquity With Hyerogliphicks quite dismembred And broken letters scarce remembred I tooke them up and much Joy'd went about T' unite those peeces hoping to find out The mystery but this neer done That little light I had was gone It griev'd me much At last said I Since in these veyls my Ecclips'd Eye May not approach thee for at night Who can have commerce with the light I 'le disapparell and to buy But one half glaunce most gladly dye The Retreate HAppy those early dayes when I Shin'd in my Angell-infancy Before I understood this place Appointed for my second race Or taught my soul to fancy ought But a white Celestiall thought When yet I had not walkt above A mile or two from my first love And looking back at that short space Could see a glimpse of his bright-face When on some gilded Cloud or flowre My gazing soul would dwell an houre And in those weaker glories spy Some shadows of eternity Before I taught my tongue to wound My Conscience with a sinfull sound Or had the black art to dispence A sev'rall sinne to ev'ry sence But felt through all this fleshly dresse Bright shootes of everlastingnesse O how I long to travell back And tread again that ancient track That I might once more reach that plaine Where first I left my glorious traine From whence th' Inlightned spirit sees That shady City of Palme trees But ah my soul with too much stay Is drunk and staggers in the way Some men a forward motion love But I by backward steps would move And when this dust falls to the urn In that state I came return COme come what doe I here Since he is gone Each day is grown a dozen year And each houre one Come come Cut off the sum By these soil'd teares Which only thou Know'st to be true Dayes are my feares 2. Ther 's not a wind can stir Or beam passe by But strait I think though far Thy hand is nigh Come come Strike these lips dumb This restles breath That soiles thy name Will ne'r be tame Untill in death 3. Perhaps some think a tombe No house of store But a dark and seal'd up wombe Which ne'r breeds more Come come Such thoughts benum But I would be With him I weep A bed and sleep To wake in thee Midnight WHen to my Eyes Whilst deep sleep others catches Thine hoast of spyes The starres shine in their watches I doe survey Each busie Ray And how they work and wind And wish each beame My soul doth streame With the like ardour shin'd What Emanations Quick vibrations And bright stirs are there What thin Ejections Cold Affections And slow motions here 2. Thy heav'ns some say Are a firie-liquid light Which mingling aye Streames and flames thus to the sight Come then my god Shine on this bloud And water in one beame And thou shalt see Kindled by thee Both liquors burne and streame O what bright quicknes Active brightnes And celestiall flowes Will follow after On that water Which thy spirit blowes Math. Cap. 3. ver. XI I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that commeth after me is mightier than I whose shooes I am not worthy to beare he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Content PEace peace I know 't was brave But this corse fleece I shelter in is slave To no such peece When I am gone I shall no ward-robes leave To friend or sonne But what their own homes weave 2. Such though not proud nor full May make them weep And mourn to see the wooll Outlast the sheep Poore Pious weare Hadst thou bin rich or fine Perhaps that teare Had mourn'd thy losse not mine 3. Why then these curl'd puff'd points Or a laced story Death sets all out of Joint And scornes their glory Some Love a Rose In hand some in the skin But crosse to those I would have mine within JOy of my life while left me here And still my Love How in thy absence thou dost steere Me from above A life well lead This truth commends With quick or dead It never ends 2. Stars are of mighty use The night Is dark and long The Rode foul and where one goes right Six may go wrong One twinkling ray Shot o'r some cloud May clear much way And guide a croud 3. Gods Saints are shining lights who stays Here long must passe
O're dark hills swift streames and steep ways As smooth as glasse But these all night Like Candles shed Their beams and light Us into Bed 4. They are indeed our Pillar-fires Seen as we go They are that Cities shining spires We travell too A swordlike gleame Kept man for sin First Out This beame Will guide him In. The Storm I See the use and know my bloud Is not a Sea But a shallow bounded floud Though red as he Yet have I flows as strong as his And boyling stremes that rave With the same curling force and hisse As doth the mountain'd wave 2. But when his waters billow thus Dark storms and wind Incite them to that fierce discusse Else not Inclin'd Thus the Enlarg'd inraged air Uncalmes these to a floud But still the weather that 's most fair Breeds tempests in my bloud 3. Lord then round me with weeping Clouds And let my mind In quick blasts sigh beneath those shrouds A spirit-wind So shall that storme purge this Recluse Which sinfull ease made foul And wind and water to thy use Both wash and wing my soul The Morning-watch O Joyes Infinite sweetnes with what flowres And shoots of glory my soul breakes and buds All the long houres Of night and Rest Through the still shrouds Of sleep and Clouds This Dew fell on my Breast O how it Blouds And Spirits all my Earth heark In what Rings And Hymning Circulations the quick world Awakes and sings The rising winds And falling springs Birds beasts all things Adore him in their kinds Thus all is hurl'd In sacred Hymnes and Order The great Chime And Symphony of nature Prayer is The world in tune A spirit-voyce And vocall joyes Whose Eccho is heav'ns blisse O let me climbe When I lye down The Pious soul by night Is like a clouded starre whose beames though sed To shed their light Under some Cloud Yet are above And shine and move Beyond that mistie shrowd So in my Bed That Curtain'd grave though sleep like ashes hide My lamp and life both shall in thee abide The Evening-watch A Dialogue FArewell I goe to sleep but when The day-star springs I 'le wake agen Goe sleep in peace and when thou lyest Unnumber'd in thy dust when all this frame Is but one dramme and what thou now descriest In sev'rall parts shall want a name Then may his peace be with thee and each dust Writ in his book who ne'r betray'd mans trust Amen! but hark e'r we two stray How many hours do'st think 'till day Ah! go th' art weak and sleepie Heav'n Is a plain watch and without figures winds All ages up who drew this Circle even He fils it Dayes and hours are Blinds Yet this take with thee The last gasp of time Is thy first breath and mans eternall Prime SIlence and stealth of dayes 't is now Since thou art gone Twelve hundred houres and not a brow But Clouds hang on As he that in some Caves thick damp Lockt from the light Fixeth a solitary lamp To brave the night And walking from his Sun when past That glim'ring Ray Cuts through the heavy mists in haste Back to his day So o'r fled minutes I retreat Unto that hour Which shew'd thee last but did defeat Thy light and pow'r I search and rack my soul to see Those beams again But nothing but the snuff to me Appeareth plain That dark and dead sleeps in its known And common urn But those fled to their Makers throne There shine and burn O could I track them but souls must Track one the other And now the spirit not the dust Must be thy brother Yet I have one Pearle by whose light All things I see And in the heart of Earth and night Find Heaven and thee Church-Service BLest be the God of Harmony and Love The God above And holy dove Whose Interceding spirituall grones Make restless mones For dust and stones For dust in every part But a hard stonic heart 2 O how in this thy Quire of Souls I stand Propt by thy hand A heap of sand Which busie thoughts like winds would scatter quite And put to flight But for thy might Thy hand alone doth tame Those blasts and knit my frame 3. So that both stones and dust and all of me Joyntly agree To cry to thee And in this Musick by thy Martyrs bloud Seal'd and made good Present O God! The Eccho of these stones My sighes and grones Buriall O Thou The first fruits of the dead And their dark bed When I am cast into that deep And senseless sleep The wages of my sinne O then Thou great Preserver of all men Watch o're that loose And empty house Which I sometimes liv'd in 2. It is in truth a ruin'd peece Not worth thy Eyes And scarce a room but wind and rain Beat through and stain The seats and Cells within Yet thou Led by thy Love wouldst stoop thus low And in this Cort All filth and spott Didst with thy servant Inne 3. And nothing can I hourely see Drive thee from me Thou art the same faithfull and just In life or Dust Though then thus crumm'd I stray In blasts Or Exhalations and wasts Beyond all Eyes Yet thy love spies That Change and knows thy Clay 4. The world 's thy boxe how then there rost Can I be lost But the delay is all Tyme now Is old and slow His wings are dull and sickly Yet he Thy servant is and waits on thee Cutt then the summe Lord haste Lord come O come Lord Jesus quickly Rom. Cap. 8. ver. 23. And not only they but our selves also which have the first fruits of the spirit even wee our selves grone within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body Chearfulness LOrd with what courage and delight I doe each thing When thy least breath sustaines my wing I shine and move Like those above And with much gladnesse Quitting sadnesse Make me faire dayes of every night 2. Affliction thus meere pleasure is And hap what will If thou be in 't 't is welcome still But since thy rayes In Sunnie dayes Thou dost thus lend And freely spend Ah! what shall I return for this 3. O that I were all Soul that thou Wouldst make each part Of this poor sinfull frame pure heart Then would I drown My single one And to thy praise A Consort raise Of Hallelujahs here below SUre there 's a tye of Bodyes and as they Dissolve with it to Clay Love languisheth and memory doth rust O'r-cast with that cold dust For things thus Center'd without Beames or Action Nor give nor take Contaction And man is such a Marygold these fled That shuts and hangs the head 2. Absents within the Line Conspire and Sense Things distant doth unite Herbs sleep unto the East and some fowles thence Watch the Returns of light But hearts are not so kind false short delights Tell us the world is brave And wrap us in Imaginary flights Wide of a
faithfull grave Thus Lazarus was carried out of town For 't is our foes chief art By distance all good objects first to drown And then besiege the heart But I will be my own Deaths-head and though The flatt'rer say I live Because Incertainties we cannot know Be sure not to believe Peace MY Soul there is a Countrie Far beyond the stars Where stands a winged Centrie All skilfull in the wars There above noise and danger Sweet peace sits crown'd with smiles And one born in a Manger Commands the Beauteous files He is thy gracious friend And O my Soul awake Did in pure love descend To die here for thy sake If thou canst get but thither There growes the flowre of peace The Rose that cannot wither Thy fortresse and thy ease Leave then thy foolish ranges For none can thee secure But one who never changes Thy God thy life thy Cure The Passion O My chief good My dear dear God! When thy blest bloud Did Issue forth forc'd by the Rod What pain didst thou Feel in each blow How didst thou weep And thy self steep In thy own precious saving teares What cruell smart Did teare thy heart How didst thou grone it In the spirit O thou whom my soul Loves and feares 2. Most blessed Vine Whose juice so good I feel as Wine But thy faire branches felt as bloud How wert thou prest To be my feast In what deep anguish Didst thou languish What springs of Sweat and bloud did drown thee How in one path Did the full wrath Of thy great Father Crowd and gather Doubling thy griefs when none would own thee 3. How did the weight Of all our sinnes And death unite To wrench and Rack thy blessed limbes How pale and bloudie Lookt thy Body How bruis'd and broke With every stroke How meek and patient was thy spirit How didst thou cry And grone on high Father forgive And let them live I dye to make my foes inherit 4. O blessed Lamb That took'st my sinne That took'st my shame How shall thy dust thy praises sing I would I were One hearty tear One constant spring Then would I bring Thee two small mites and be at strife Which should most vie My heart or eye Teaching my years In smiles and tears To weep to sing thy Death my Life Rom. Cap. 8. ver. 19. Etenim res Creatae exerto Capite observantes expectant revelationem Filiorum Dei ANd do they so have they a Sense Of ought but Influence Can they their heads lift and expect And grone too why th' Elect Can do no more my volumes sed They were all dull and dead They judg'd them senslesse and their state Wholly Inanimate Go go Seal up thy looks And burn thy books 2. I would I were a stone or tree Or flowre by pedigree Or some poor high-way herb or Spring To flow or bird to sing Then should I tyed to one sure state All day expect my date But I am sadly loose and stray A giddy blast each way O let me not thus range Thou canst not change 3. Sometimes I fit with thee and tarry An hour or so then vary Thy other Creatures in this Scene Thee only aym and mean Some rise to seek thee and with heads Erect peep from their beds Others whose birth is in the tomb And cannot quit the womb Sigh there and grone for thee Their liberty 4. O let not me do lesse shall they Watch while I sleep or play Shall I thy mercies still abuse With fancies friends or newes O brook it not thy bloud is mine And my soul should be thine O brook it not why wilt thou stop After whole showres one drop Sure thou wilt joy to see Thy sheep with thee The Relapse MY God how gracious art thou I had slipt Almost to hell And on the verge of that dark dreadful pit Did hear them yell But O thy love thy rich almighty love That sav'd my soul And checkt their furie when I saw them move And heard them howl O my sole Comfort take no more these wayes This hideous path And I wil mend my own without delayes Cease thou thy wrath I have deserv'd a thick Egyptian damp Dark as my deeds Should mist within me and put out that lamp Thy spirit feeds A darting Conscience full of stabs and fears No shade but Yewgh Sullen and sad Ecclipses Cloudie spheres These are my due But he that with his bloud a price too deere My scores did pay Bid me by vertue from him chalenge here The brightest day Sweet downie thoughts soft Lilly-shades Calm streams Joyes full and true Fresh spicie mornings and eternal beams These are his due The Resolve I Have consider'd it and find A longer stay Is but excus'd neglect To mind One path and stray Into another or to none Cannot be love When shal that traveller come home That will not move If thou wouldst thither linger not Catch at the place Tell youth and beauty they must rot They 'r but a Case Loose parcell'd hearts wil freeze The Sun With scatter'd locks Scarce warms but by contraction Can heat rocks Call in thy Powers run and reach Home with the light Be there before the shadows stretch And Span up night Follow the Cry no more there is An ancient way All strewed with flowres and happiness And fresh as May There turn and turn no more Let wits Smile at fair eies Or lips But who there weeping sits Hath got the Prize The Match DEar friend whose holy ever-living lines Have done much good To many and have checkt my blood My fierce wild blood that still heaves and inclines But is still tam'd By those bright fires which thee inflam'd Here I joyn hands and thrust my stubborn heart Into thy Deed There from no Duties to be freed And if hereafter youth or folly thwart And claim their share Here I renounce the pois'nous ware ii ACcept dread Lord the poor Oblation It is but poore Yet through thy Mercies may be more O thou that canst not wish my souls damnation Afford me life And save me from all inward strife Two Lifes I hold from thee my gracious Lord Both cost thee deer For one I am thy Tenant here The other the true life in the next world And endless is O let me still mind that in this To thee therefore my Thoughts Words Actions I do resign Thy will in all be done not mine Settle my house and shut out all distractions That may unknit My heart and thee planted in it Lord Jesu thou didst bow thy blessed head Upon a tree O do as much now unto me O hear and heal thy servant Lord strike dead All lusts in me Who onely wish life to serve thee Suffer no more this dust to overflow And drown my eies But seal or pin them to thy skies And let this grain which here in tears I sow Though dead and sick Through thy Increase grow new and quick Rules and Lessons WHen first thy Eies unveil give thy Soul
Had some glimpse of his birth He saw Heaven o'r his head and knew from whence He came condemned hither And as first Love draws strongest so from hence His mind sure progress'd thither Things here were strange unto him Swet and till All was a thorn or weed Nor did those last but like himself dyed still As soon as they did Seed They seem'd to quarrel with him for that Act That fel him foyl'd them all He drew the Curse upon the world and Crackt The whole frame with his fall This made him long for home as loath to stay With murmurers and foes He sigh'd for Eden and would often say Ah! what bright days were those Nor was Heav'n cold unto him for each day The vally or the Mountain Afforded visits and still Paradise lay In some green shade or fountain Angels lay Leiger here Each Bush and Cel Each Oke and high-way knew them Walk but the fields or sit down at some wil And he was sure to view them Almighty Love where art thou now mad man Sits down and freezeth on He raves and swears to stir nor fire nor fan But bids the thread be spun I see thy Curtains are Close-drawn Thy bow Looks dim too in the Cloud Sin triumphs still and man is sunk below The Center and his shrowd All 's in deep sleep and night Thick darknes lyes And hatcheth o'r thy people But hark what trumpets that what Angel cries Arise Thrust in thy sickle H. Scriptures WElcome dear book souls Joy and food The feast Of Spirits Heav'n extracted lyes in thee Thou art lifes Charter The Doves spotless neast Where souls are hatch'd unto Eternitie In thee the hidden stone the Manna lies Thou art the great Elixir rare and Choice The Key that opens to all Mysteries The Word in Characters God in the Voice O that I had deep Cut in my hard heart Each line in thee Then would I plead in groans Of my Lords penning and by sweetest Art Return upon himself the Law and Stones Read here my faults are thine This Book and I Will tell thee so Sweet Saviour thou didst dye Unprofitablenes HOw rich O Lord how fresh thy visits are 'T was but Just now my bleak leaves hopeless hung Sullyed with dust and mud Each snarling blast shot through me and did share Their Youth and beauty Cold showres nipt and wrung Their spiciness and bloud But since thou didst in one sweet glance survey Their sad decays I flourish and once more Breath all perfumes and spice I smell a dew like Myrrh and all the day Wear in my bosome a full Sun such store Hath one beame from thy Eys But ah my God! what fruit hast thou of this What one poor leaf did ever I yet fall To wait upon thy wreath Thus thou all day a thankless weed doest dress And when th' hast done a stench or fog is all The odour I bequeath CHRISTS Nativity AWake glad heart get up and Sing It is the Birth-day of thy King Awake awake The Sun doth shake Light from his locks and all the way Breathing Perfumes doth spice the day 2. Awak awak heark how th' wood rings Winds whisper and the busie springs A Consort make A wake awake Man is their high-priest and should rise To offer up the sacrifice 3. I would I were some Bird or Star Flutt'ring in woods or lifted far Above this Inne And Rode of sin Then either Star or Bird should be Shining or singing still to thee 4. I would I had in my best part Fit Roomes for thee or that my heart Were so clean as Thy manger was But I am all filth and obscene Yet if thou wilt thou canst make clean 5. Sweet Jesu will then Let no more This Leper haunt and soyl thy door Cure him Ease him O release him And let once more by mystick birth The Lord of life be borne in Earth II. HOw kind is heav'n to man If here One sinner doth amend Strait there is Joy and ev'ry sphere In musick doth Contend And shall we then no voices lift Are mercy and salvation Not worth our thanks Is life a gift Of no more acceptation Shal he that did come down from thence And here for us was slain Shal he be now cast off no sense Of all his woes remain Can neither Love nor suff'rings bind Are we all stone and Earth Neither his bloudy passions mind Nor one day blesse his birth Alas my God! Thy birth now here Must not be numbred in the year The Check PEace peace I blush to hear thee when thou art A dusty story A speechlesse heap and in the midst my heart In the same livery drest Lyes tame as all the rest When six years thence digg'd up some youthfull Eie Seeks there for Symmetry But finding none shal leave thee to the wind Or the next foot to Crush Scatt'ring thy kind And humble dust tell then dear flesh Where is thy glory 2. As he that in the midst of day Expects The hideous night Sleeps not but shaking off sloth and neglects Works with the Sun and sets Paying the day its debts That for Repose and darknes bound he might Rest from the fears i' th' night So should we too All things teach us to die And point us out the way While we passe by And mind it not play not away Thy glimpse of light 3. View thy fore-runners Creatures giv'n to be Thy youths Companions Take their leave and die Birds beasts each tree All that have growth or breath Have one large language Death O then play not but strive to him who Can Make these sad shades pure Sun Turning their mists to beams their damps to day Whose pow'r doth so excell As to make Clay A spirit and true glory dwell In dust and stones 4. Heark how he doth Invite thee with what voice Of Love and sorrow He begs and Calls O that in these thy days Thou knew'st but thy own good Shall not the Crys of bloud Of Gods own bloud awake thet He bids beware Of drunknes surfeits Care But thou sleep'st on wher 's now thy protestation Thy Lines thy Love Away Redeem the day The day that gives no observation Perhaps to morrow Disorder and frailty WHen first thou didst even from the grave And womb of darknes becken out My brutish soul and to thy slave Becam'st thy self both guide and Scout Even from that hour Thou gotst my heart And though here tost By winds and bit with frost I pine and shrink Breaking the link 'Twixt thee and me And oftimes creep Into th' old silence and dead sleep Quitting thy way All the long day Yet sure my God! I love thee most Alas thy love 2. I threaten heaven and from my Cell Of Clay and frailty break and bud Touch'd by thy fire and breath Thy bloud Too is my Dew and springing wel But while I grow And stretch to thee ayming at all Thy stars and spangled hall Each fly doth tast Poyson and blast My yielding leaves sometimes