all wrath that did begin This wofull combat in thy soule for loe What we should suffer thou didst undergoe Hence were thy griefes thy bloody sweats and teares Hence were thy supplicavions and thy feares Hence were th' affrighting passions of thy soule As man alone thou could'st not them controle The spirit of man infirm'ty may sustaine But who can beare th' Almighties deep disdaine To see the Sonne of God sweat drops of blood 〈…〉 And yet no wonder though â— wond'rous cause Produce effect that reason quite dissâ—nowes If hell and death have pains in tollâ—â—able If flesh be weak and humane faith be feeble What wonder was it though with flesh aray'd Thou of th'Eternalls wrath wa st so dismay'd The wonder is how thou our true Phisition Knowing our sicknesse and our sad condition Cor Id'st by the drinking of our poyson'd Cap Refresh our soules and eke revive our hope O that in this thy wofull agonie We could but read our own perplexitie So should our sighs and teares in time prevent Th' eternall throbbings of deaths punishment But since we cannot as we would recall Our mispent time and so repaire our fall O teach us in our lives to follow thee That with thee we may finde conformitie Of comfort in our crosse so shall thy grace Once make us to enjoy thee face to face Yea let the path or way be what it will Let griefe and toile and tears and torment still Beat down our outward Man yet let us make Our inner man more strong by faith and take Example by thee both in life and death To seek Gods favour and to 〈◊〉 his wrath The Surpryse CANTO 3o. THrice hath the Sonne of righteousnes display'd The soure-sweet symptoms of a soule dismay'd And thrice hath zeale-bred pray'rs prevayling power Recleer'd th'eclypses of his darkned houre Thrice hath he bidden his Discyples pray Lest to tentation they should one the way But while he checks their watch they 're still asleep Droun'd in the bottome of secur'ties deep So frequent are our foyles our faith â— unsteady That flesh is ever weak though th'spirit's ready Yet once more will he rouze them from their rest And print this farewell Sermon in their breast My friends saith he oft have I bid you watch Lest Sathan in his snare your soules should catch But you havedroup'd you have been drouzy still Hence forth goe sleep and take your rest at will For th' houre is come The Sonne of Man 's betray'd The Traitounis at hand and for his avde An armed Legion com'th yet none can take My life from me but for my poore sheeps sake I lay it down and take it up againe And by my willing death you life retain Arise let us goe hence Scarse are they gone When loe the traitor and his legion Come all along and to my Saviour goe First to surprize him then work his ov'r throw And first comes Judus in a poore Lambs fleece Though inwardly a raying Wolfe be is Throwing his arms about his Masters neck Doth greet him with this foule dissembling check Haile Master to his word he joyns a kisse And by that signall tells the troupe who h 'is But ô my Saviour meekly doth enquire Friend wherefore com'st thou so dost thou desire By this thy kisse to kill the Sonne of Man The task is foule goe on doe what thou can Hadst thou but as a stranger been suborn'd Thus to betray me I could well have born 't Or hadst thou as a causlesse hatefull foe Conspir'd to work and perpetrate my woe I would not then have grudged But to see Him who did dip his hand i th' dish with me And him who in my bosome lately lay Lift up his heele against me and betray Me to the death 't is strange but Father what Thou hast begun continue consummat Fie on thee Judas Sathans first born sonne Hadst thou but kept one spark of grace within Thy hellish breast these words of friendly love Might have suffic'd thy treach'rous heart to move And pull'd thee down upon thy soules bow'd knees To beg the pardon of thy treacheries But ah as one poore bubbling drop alone Can hardly gutter flint or Porphire stone So hardly can one word though ne'er so â—â—ue An indur'd heart to sense of sinne subdue Whil'st thus he spâ—â—ks to Judas all the â—est Of that proud rable have themselves addrest To apprehend him straight way He but saith Whom seek you friends Jesus of Nar areth Say they he answers Surely I am he Which words import he 's God and Man trulie Iam did from the burning bush foretell The safe redemption of his Israel And this word He doth his human'ty show Who by his death should satisfie the Law For he 's the Man and truly onely He Who gives man life and imâ—ortalitie No sooner hath he spoke â—hose words I 'm he When by those words consounded back they flie And to the ground doe fall such was the power And piercing virtue of my Saviour He doth enquire againe Whom would you have Jesus say they the man of Naxareth I surely am the man saith he the truth I have already told you from my mouth If me you seek then let those goe their way From you I shall not flie but with you stay For what is writ of me fulfill I must Let those goe safe lot me sustain the worst Not long agoe my Saviour hath foretold The times were comming in the which men should Of two coats sell the one and buy a sword Peter remembreth this Prophetione Word And seeing Matchas proudly lay his hand Upon his Master draweth forth his brand And ayminght proud Malchus head that blow Did crop his eare and cut it quite in two Surely the sword of Peter was but just Who stops his ear to God and man doth trust May justly lose his eare his eye his hand And all his body that doth God withstand But Peter here doth wrong could he but know 't He beats the stone and quts the hand did throw 't The blow on Judas should have been moresure Who th' Author was of this distemp'rature Malchus but acts false Judas falser plot 'T is pitty Judas had not Malchus lot Yet that poore Peter now may wisely know That good intention's not enough to show The actions good and that shows cannot hide The hidden frailty of a self-sick pride Christ bids him put his transhing sword againe Into his place for humane streng this vaine And he who by the sword his will doth cherish Shall sometime by the sword both fall and perish Dost thou not know saith he that what a cup My father doth propine I must drink up Thouh it were ne'er so bitter were 't not so This world should perish in an endlesse woe Or dost thou think that if I pleas'd t' escape I could not this earths drossie globe ov'rleap And riding on a thousand Cherubs wings Prepareany ineseue with the King of Kings Or think'st thou not but if I lov'd t'remove I
happy byrth A wakes the powers both of heav'n and earth In a melodious harmony to ring A peale of Hale-lu-jahs to their King And so it is for whiles these shepheard boyes Who Pan-like pipe their pastorall Oades and Joyes On oaten reeds had softly laid them down To watch their flocks from stealth's confusion Lo th'Angell Gabriel from heav'ns glorious throne Is sent t' unclasp heav'ns long clasp'd sanction And tell them that their greater Pan was borne Whose stafe and sheep-hook should be made of thorn Feare not says he my frends I come t' unfold The sweetest news that ever yet was told In heav'ns high Senat or in earths deaf-eare Let such then as have eares to heare mee heare For lo In Bethlehem there 's born to day That Hyerarchick-prince whose hands must sway The trinall-Mace of heav'n of earth and hell And all those armies in then bosom dwell Thus hath hee spoke and straight a glorious Chore Of Angels in a Diapason's loare Second his message with the sweetest sound That in D-la-sol or in E-la's found Glory say they be to the Lord on high To men all peace and all prosperity And upon earth let blessings and good-will Each hungry maw and empty cup full-fill Ne're did the fractions of a ratling thunder When first it bursts the roarid-clowd asunder Bring more affrightning terror to the eare Of some weake stripling conquered by feare Then doth this Vision wound the soule and sence Of these poore shepheards fraught with ignorance Yet up say they goe let us quickly try The truth of this so strange a Heraldry For sure hee must bee some great Potentate Of whom so great things be prognosticate And he whom these Seraphick Chores adore Must own an earthly Monarchy and more To Bethleems walls then in all haste they run Before Aurora could display the Sun And finde the Saviour of the world display'd And in poore Bethleems armes despis'd and layd Not usher'd nor attended but with wake Neglect and penury for our plenties sake Here O what find they or what find they not A Lamp of light ecclips'd with darknesse blot A new-born Babe yet got before all time A spotlesse Lamb yet spotted with our crime A King of Kings yet served as a slave A Lord of life yet vassal'd to the Grave A very God yet cloath'd with flesh and bone A Prince yet harbour'd in Confusion What 's here I pray that carnall eyes or sense Can honour with Religious reverence A Carpenter a Hand-maid and a child A Cottage and a Crib with beasts defil'd Yet loe for all that basenesse they behold They tell to Mary what the heav'ns have told To them whose heart doth all those sayings hide Till God and Time her doubtings should decide But ay me happy happy Virgin-maid Me thought of late my staggering Mase had stray'd Too farre in pointing out thy humbled station In thy Sonnes dark eclipsed Incarnation But ah I see sublunar griess doe still Renew their Tides for e'r they obbe they sill And glut themselves with our afflictions load Untill our grave become our last aboad Needs therefore must I rouze once more my quill And make her drink once more the Nectar'd rill Of divine Numbers that I may expresse Those teares that toyle and bitter wofull case With which thy harmlesse heart is pierced thorow Whilst thy deare suckling our first griefs doth borrow Seven times hath Titan now with swift Cariere Run all th'Ecclyptick of his bandilier And couching seven times in th'Atlantick deep Hath lull'd as oft Earths drowsie globe asleep Loe now his eight and new approaching Ray Hath call'd on Phaeton to proclaim the Day And by the sacred Ceremonious Rites Of Legall sanctions now the Heav'n invites The ever blessed Virgin-maid to sacre Her Sonne by Circumcision mans Peace-maker But ah great Nymph what dost thou now and why Greet'st thou thy Sonne with such a cruelty That ev'n in stead of those sweet warbling aires That should his griefes beguile and charm his cares Thou mak'st the Runnals of his pretious blood Distain the ground in so impetuous flood What hast thou quite forgot that pitious strain Which Nature wafting in affections Main On all that tender Progeny bestowes Which from her bowels and her belly flowes Or tell me dost thou think that this poor vail Of flesh wherein th'Eternall's Sonne doth dwell Although it truly was assum'd in thee Can ev'r partake thy sinfull Leprosie No no I feare dread Nymph I wrong too sore Thy Loves deep Ocean and thy Faith 's rich store For ne're a drop of that his Crimson dye Fall's to the ground but with a Sympathy Of griefes of teares and sorrow-ringing-knell Thou didst his scriechings and his teares bewail Yea what is more I finde thee Royall Dame So wrapt 'twixt Faith and Fear 's obstrep'rous flame That whilst th'intend'st by Circumcisions stroak To consecrate thy Sonne to beare our yoak No sooner dost thou precognosc his teares Or yet presage his smart by thy weak feares When loe me thinks I heare thee sweetly say My hope my help my love my life my stay Ah shall I live and be reserv'd to see My hearts delight and Soules sole balm thus be Both cut and carved by the butch'rous knife Of any Flamine who did e're take life No no my Love my Darling my Delight Love cannot so her Gordian knot bequite As once to make thee but become a pray To bloody rigour in a legall way Back Phoebus back for shame goe hide thy head And golden Tresse in Thetis watry shade Look not on such a savage sight nor see So foule a Scean presented unto thee Earth stop thy mouth and doe thou drink no more These crimson drops of blood and spotlesse gore Which my poor babe distills but rather mourne And to thy wonted Chaos straight returne And O thou Flamine whosoe're thou be Whose hand 's accustom'd to this butchery Here I adjure thee by that sumptuous All Which Heav'n or Earth doth sacred count or call Touch not my Sonne with such a bloody knife For in his wound I bleed and lose my life But rather kneeling at his De'ties throne Know that his wounds and scars should be thy own Yet whilst againe thou ruminat'st th' Abysse Of Gods unshun'd decree and Righteousnesse O how I see thee bound thy fraile desire And what thou canst not comprehend admire For since th' Eternall gives this strict command That every male inhabiting this Land Of Promise should by Circumcisions badge Be known a Co-heire of his heritage O how thou daunt'st thy thoughts and curb'st thy tongue As sacrilegious instruments of wrong And though thy flesh a while had th'upper hand Yet now I see the Spirit doth countermand The fraile suggestions of thy naturall will And to his righteous lore subject them still For thus me thinks I heare thee plead Altho 'T is hard to see my Sonne dismembred so Yet since 't is God who hath my comfort been Whose Love my life doth every way maintain
diffembling hearts To goe and take him where soere they could And for their paines doe promise heaps of gold Me thinks I see that foul malignant spirit Who doth eternall darknesse pit inherit Sitting at top of this lewd Councell-table Breath this advice to his unhallow'd rabble My friends saith he you descant on a theam Whereon depends or ignominious shame Or never fading honour strive therefore T' acquit your selves as men for I bhorre That in such exployts those which follow me Should faint for feare or swerve for infamie Dally no more with strangers for this fact A home-bred traitor's fittest for this act For when a stranger stands afarre for fear A bold Dome stique dar'th and draweth near 'T is long since I did know the wayes of man 'T is long since I his greatest strength did scan Yet did I never finde so safe a way As by a friend upon a friend to pray With Adam when at first I meant to wrestle I caught the Linot in his breast did nestle And by that rib which from his side was taken I knock'd his pate since then 't is alwayes shaken Whil'st Sampson as a Naâ—'rite kept his haire Nor Gath nor Ekron could with him compare But when in Gaza Dalilah pinn'd his harp He found that Sorecks Scissers were 〈◊〉 sharp When no man could prevaile for Ahais fall At Ramoth Gilead then did I enstall A lying spirit in Zedekiah's mouth He play'd the Prophet Achab felt the truth In vain therefore you doe this man assaile By strength of hand Desire you to prevaile Conduce with Judas let him have some gain I fire the match he blows't lay you the train This spoke like to a Persian Decree Dagon doth seale the Statute hence go'th he But ô how wofull wretches be all you Who to this statute and decree doe how It had been good that you had ne're been born Better not be at all than be forlorn They call anon for Judas he doth come They greet him with applauding welcome home They doe intreat him that he would betray His master to them he at first sayes nay But being urg'd he sayes what will you give And I shall bring him to you safe alive They give him thirty silv'rings for his pay And he to catch his master goes away Of late that spirit who feeds on endlesse fire Did put a snare of Mammons foul desire Before my Master that worlds plenteous store Might make him worship him and what is more Of late I heard thee very Judas say To Mary Magdalen what meanes this pray And store of pretious oyntment were it sold And put in treasure for the poor it would Afford three hundred pence to ease their need Their backs to cover and their bellies feed Where 's now thy Piety and pirty gone How is thy soft heart turn'd â—'a heart of stone Ah now I see th' art sent to Mammons schoole For he is peâ—â—â—y-wiâ—e and thou pound-foole I will deliver him to you thou say'st But this is more proud wormling then thou may'st Had not his Father giv'n him by Decree Had he not giv'n himselfe most willinglie Had not the holy Ghost anoynted him To be a sacrifice for human crime Nor damned thou nor all the Dev'ls of hell Could make one haire from off his head to fall But now the bargain 's made the price is payd The Sonne of Man to sinners is betray'd The Passeover that night must needs be kill'd And so th' Almighty-father's will sufill'd No man doth shew himselfe more apt or bent To snatch the seale of the old Testament Then he whostands the better Cov'nants foe That he partakes and lets this other goe O foul hypocrifie I deep induration That cares not for true piety but fashion And by hid fraud seeks to blind-fold the eyes Of that great God who unseen all things sees They sit at table and the Passeov'r eat Jesus beholding this white Dev'll at meat Cries Verily some one that sits nigh by Hath sold me and this night shall me betray Who would not think but shame in Judas face Should have bewray'd both him and his trespasse But sinnes bad custome hath so steel'd his brow That he to blush for shame forgetteth now Of all the rest each one can search and say Tell me good Master is it I or I The Master for a time doth hold his peace Then opes his mouth and boldly to his face Layes down the modell of his treach'rous way That so his future state he might display It cannot be saith Christ but needs must come Offences but woe to the man by whom The sonne of man shall be berray'd it had Been good for him a mill-stone had been layd About his neck and then perfidiou he Should have been thrown into the deepest Sea Yea good it had been for him that his mother Had never borne him All this he doth smother And with a bold out facing count'nar cecry Speak plainly Master rell me is it I Christ having charg'd him by his accusation For his indictment addes this affirmation Now thou hast said it what thou dost goe doe Take here the sop I reach thee goe goe too And what thou dost doe quickly for the will Of my great Father I thirst to fulfill Nor will I drink more of this grape of wine Till in the heav'ns I drink it fresh and fine No sooner hath he spoke those words when loe Sathan mans hatefull and orewarching foe Entreth in Judas and doth take possession Of his foule heart for all his faire profession Some ignorant by stander would have thought Surely this man some speciall good hath wrought That thus his Master doth the rest ore-top And onely greet him with this speel all sop O but by outward gifts no man can prove Either Gods righteous justice or his love For many times the wicked have excesse While as the righteous perish its distresse Better it had been for that false Disciple That he no lamb should eat or wine could tipple Then that by their big morsels Bathan should Make his foul heart his secret den and hold Not that or bread or wine could keep within Their secret bosoms such a snare for finne Or that a sop dipt in so fowre a sauce Of such a bad effect could be the cause No that were hard no man should then digest His daily bread but Sathan should arest Their soules as capriues act him were it so That by their food he could their soules ov'rthrow No no that bread and wine were then no more A common dyet as they were before But Sacramentall then they were and thus Exchang'd from common to a sacred use He who did eat them without faith and love Did reap no profit to his soules behove But he who in true faith those morsels ear Receiv'd a better and spirituall meat Even that true bread of life that came from heaven And that true wine which to the Saints is given Judas foul heart being emptl'd of all grace It was no wonder
whose right hand doth plant The rut'lant starres amidst the Firmament Who pav'st the Ocean with thy orient gem Plant in my soule thy Artimesian stem And like the lotos in Euphrates bosome Be thou the Sun that still re-clears my blossome But ay me what is this I now doe heare Thee say to Mary Mary come not neare And touch me not Art thou that fi'ry bush Which made old Moses stand afar no tush The flames and threats of Sinay now are gone And thou art made our very flesh and bone Yea thou hast bid us touch and taste and feele How good thou art to Isr'els Common-weale And yet as if thou wouldst some distance try Thou stopp'st our wonted famil'arity It is not long since thou endur'dst a touch Which justly tearmed might have been Non-such A Traitor kissed thee a Rascall knave Did with his buffet and his spit out-brave Thy glorious face thy head was crown'd with thorns Thy hands and feet were pierc'd and with proud scorns Of thy unlook'd for death a speare did part The water and the blood from out thy heart Those touches thou endur'dst but ay me now Thou call'st for distance but I know not how It can subsist with thy unchanged love To change a sweet imbracet'a sad remove But pardon me my God for now I finde That too much love hath made her judgment blinde For since she saw thee put in porta mortis Her eyes have still been drown'd in aqua fortis And in her rapture whil'st she cryes Rabboni She turnes her Benjamini to Benoni For though thou still be what thou wast before True God and Man yet art thou now some more Then man and mortall but immortall now Kodesh laihova is writ on thy brow The Vrim and the Thummim on thy breast Tels Aaron's dead and Melchisedeck â—s Priest And since true life hath triumph over death Now must we live no more by sense but faith And by the spirit not the flesh must we Now seek our God and his felicitie Some eight dayes hence Christs Disciples meet And in a private chamber closely sit The doores being shut Christ Jesus commeth in And greets them with his 〈◊〉 then doth begin To rouz their 〈…〉 Soulles from â—eare to â—aith Which oâ— salvaâ—ion 〈…〉 promise hath To waken Thomas from his misbeliefe For lack of faith ' mongst many sins is chiefe Thomas saith he thou hast of late deny'd To trust my Resurrection till my side My hands my feet and all my wounds doe give Thee by thy touch true reason to believe I pitty this thy weaknes for I know The sourse and fountain whence this stream doth flow Is not proud malice but infirmitie The sp'rit speaks faith flesh infidelitie T is true that when those wounds I did receive And from my Crosse was carried to my grave Thou didst not see me for thou rann'st away When Judas by his kisse did me betray But now thou art return'd and so am I Thou from thy fears I from mortality And since I see upon thy fingers end Thy faith and resolution doth depend Come come thy touch not only shall be fed But al 's ' thy other senses satisfied Come come I say behold those wounds of mine And let not misbeliefe ' gainst faith repine Reach here thy fingers boldly touch my hands Touch those my feet see how my side yet stands Wide open with those wounds which did of late My harmlesse body cru'ly penetrate And be not thou a faith lesse Did'mus more But make true faith ov'rflow thy hard hearts shore Thomas no sooner doth stretch out his fingers To touch Christs side when loe from off her hingers Christ pulls his heart which then was hard as stone And with the touch of true contrition Makes him bewaile his infidel'ty more Then he was bent to harden it before O now I finde saith he and cryes aloud Thou art the Christ my very Lord my God O happy Thomas what a happy change Is this which now doth in thy bosome range Of late thou saidst Unlesse I surely see The stamps of death in his mortalitie I will not trust what ever can be sed That he from death can be recovered But now behold what nature could not see Faith doth perceive behold that Mustard tree Of faith in thee hath been most shrewdly shaken Yet from the root it hath not quite been taken O what a forcelesse force of heav'ns high thought This alteration in thy brest hath wrought For one thing thou didst see believe another And this made Faith and Nature joyn together One thing thy eyes did see that he was Man Thy heart believes him God 't is more than can By natures rules or documents of art Couch in thy conscience or confirm thy heart But ô the power of the Almighty who Unto the weak joyns grace and nature so That what weak nature cannot work for want Of strength grace there doth furnish supplement And though that faith doth build her house on that Which to the nat'rall eye 's unseen yet what May help weak nature and procure her strength She doth amasse together and at length From both their Magazens draws forth that store Of grace which Sathan can deface no more Thrice happy Thomas who didst thus believe Because thou saw'st but if that God shall give The grace to such as never saw to trust Thrice happy they their faith shall make them just For when they by the heav'ns great power shall Arise to make their last Judiciall Account their unseen faith shall make them see Death hath no sting Grave hath no vietorie Thus standeth Thomas to the faith converted From him a hard heart by a touch is parted Christ to the rest of those his brethren saith Brethren these times require much strength of faith Harken therefore to what I to you say 'T is long since I first said I goe my way And you were heavy that I so should speak For then your faith was wav'ring faint and weak But now your eares have heard youe eyes have seen What I have suffred yet my wounds be green Gird up your loynes therefore henceforth be strong For he who wrongeth you to me doth wrong And whoso harmeth you he harmeth me I love you as the apple of mine eye Yet must not I alwayes on earth remain I to my Father must return again And to your Father to my God I goe And to your holy one and God also My God is your God and my Father 's yours The gates of hell and all their darkned powr's Shall not be able ' gainst you to prevaile My Scepter and my Rod their strength shall quaile Full forty times brave Titan now hath run About the world and stay'd where he begun Full forty dayes hath he yea each day once Saluted and adieu'd both Horizons Full forty times hath Pha'ton's Chariots wheel Bid Flora both good morrow and farewell Now now 't is time that Jesus should goe hence T' enjoy the throne of his magnificence Not
not received but despised Although in him the Godhead be comprised But ay me ay me why should we rebuke Thee Bethleem for that thou didst ore-look Thy long long look'd-for Monarch and disdain'd That God within thy doores should be maintain'd We we our selves are guilty much much more Of pride and lewd contempt at whose hearts dore He knocketh by his word each day we live And yet the sluggards answer to him give 'T is night say we from sleep why dost thou wake me A Lion by the way shall tare and take me My cloaths are off how can I put them on Cant. 5.3 My feet are washt and shall contagion Of Earths bedurting puddle make them foule And so my quiet and my rest controll No no this is no fitting time to talke In bed I rest goe thou abroad and walke O God of mercy grant us mercy for Our sinnes are risen to so huge a score That perish needs we must unlesse that thou Who made the Cock for Peters cause to crow Crow by thy Spirit in us and so make clean Our hearts that thou in them mayst still remain Thus was my Saviour in disdain receiv'd Whilst worms wretches were with pomp embrav'd He 's made an abject subject to disdain That we poor wretches might be born again He 's wrap'd in rags his bed's a crib of Clay That we might weare his Righteousnesse alway His harbour is a Cave yet doth hee'nlarge The heav'n of heav'ns to be our heritage And he who in himselfe is Lord of life Hath but one mayd for mother and midwife Man when at first he sinn'd did put on cloaths Yet such as subject were to dust and moaths But Christ new born is cloth'd with rags though clean Yet sure I am both peevish poore and mean And yet 's no sooner clothed with our flesh Than subject to our cursed nakednesse Jacob to gain his Father Isacks blessing Array'd in Esau's cloaths obtain'd his wishing But Christ arrayed in my flesh that he Might steale a blessing from himselfe to me Takes on him both my curse my sinne and shame And joynes me Co-heire to his Diadem That as my cloaths doe tell me I am Man His cloaths may tell me I 'm a Christian Up then my Soule up up and change thy cheere For loe how base so ev'r this Babe appeare By him thy Manna from out heav'n thou hast And eke by him Rephydim to thy taste Sends out her cooling rills Heavn's made thy house The World thy walk the Creatures serve thy use Twice now hath Salem by her Enemies Sigh'd out her Funerall dying obsequies First by the hoast of stern Nebuchadnezar Then by the trophies of triumphing Caesar An Idumaean now in Sion's known Jordan now counts her streams no more her own And what 's the worst of ills Jury sits mute Augustus taxeth she doth contribute Judge yet a righteous judgement sure will I And rest upon Gods providence for why He drawes great Caesar here t'enact but that Which many Prophets earst prognostioat And chiefly I will scan that sacred truth Which he of old proclaim'd by Michu's mouth For loe 't is written Bethleem though thou be Mich. 5.2 Despis'd in Judu's voyd of Majestie Yet out of thee shall rise that Ruler who Shall by his wounds and stripes and bloody flow As Judah's righteous Shepherd straight regather All wandring Israels flocks to their true Father Then O the deepnes of thy wayes my God! Who knows thy Paths or treads thy Judgments road How secret are thy Counsels actions just And favors great to such as in thee trust Where but in Bethleem that 's the house of bread Should our Soules bread of Life be harboured Or where but in the house of David may The heire of David Davids Scepter sway No holy David now from farre I smell What made thee thirst to sip of Bethleems well 2 Sam. 23. And having got a draught from thence didst yet Powr 't on the ground and wouldst not drink of it Now now I see it was this living water Which Bethlehem doth from her bosom scatter That thou didst long for and desire to taste That it might give a coole refreshing Rest To those impoyson'd scorchings which did burn In thy affections and Soules sacred Urn Yet wouldst thou not so much as drench thy lip Therewith but made it on the ground to trip That so a sweet drink-offring it might be For safety of their lives who brought it thee Recalling to thy mind that time drew neare Wherein thy Sonne should in our flesh appeare And from thy Stem a glorious sprig should spring Whose blood should quench the fiery Serpents sting And from his side should send the sweetest water That ever Fountain from her sourse should scatter Come then sweet babe and by that nectar'd draught With which th' art richly furnished and fraught Revive my Soule refresh my scorch'd desires Which thirst for thee more then the Hart requires To taste the current of those chrystall brooks Whose windings kisse the earth's meandring crooks Come come and by this document of thine Wherein thou lay'st aside thy glories shine Teach us who are but worms and dust and ashes To lay aside our prides empampring flashes Whose smoke of vanity and humane glory Doe turn our best hopes to a tragick story For if the Master have no fitter fare Why should the servant grudg his sober share No no my soule content thy self 't is hee Who knows no sinne that 's now made sinne for thee And being richly-rich is now made poore That his distress might thy true wealth secure Hee 's base that thou maist be exalted scorn'd That thou with glory maist be still adorn'd Hee dies that thou maist live and lies in grave That death dominion o're thee may not have Why shouldst thou then or frown or faint or fret For change or alteration of thy state No know that thy Redeemer lives above And that hee doth chastize whom he doth love For standing waters putrifie and rot When they who in a restless current trot Live to themselves and also t' others use VVithout contagious sench or dregs abuse If then wee suffer with him so shall wee Reigne with him in his matchless royalty And if his Crosse we shall deny he shall Deny us to his fathers Angels all Why should we then for mis'rys blustring blasts Quit-claim that glory which for ever lasts No let our Crown be here like his of Thorn Glory thereafter shall our heads adorne And if with him wee taste a cup of gall His bowls of new wine suit our festivall The Advent CANTO 5o. AS they who for their Zenith have the Pole When Titan first renews his Caprioll In their Horizon on their tip-toes stand To get th' approach of his long look'd for brand And write the welcom of his good new yeer In bloody Rubricks of their Calender So now whilst long and desolate night of deep Discomforts have made Syon's daughters weep Their glorious new-born Titan's
armes present The blessed seed that seales our Government That as unto the first-born did belong The double portion and revenge of wrong So in his double portion we may have Grace upon Grace and our destroying Grave May so bee shut that wee may sing and cry Death where 's thy sting Grave where 's thy victory And that this second Temples lofty frame May far exceed the first house prototheam And that which God by Haggai's mouth did speake May now in time a full perfection take Loe here the man to whom the hid desire Of all the nations in a zeal-bred fire Are captivate doth stand that all th' opprest By sin in him may find true ease and rest The first house sure by ceremonious rites And Typick emblems of spirituall sweets Did lead the Priests and people both to run And hope th'approach of this imperiall Sun But now the body 's come the shades evanish And Titan's new-born rayes night's clouds doth banish And though the Oracles be dumb though th' Ark Preserve no Manna nor no budding Mark Of Priest-hood for on him all those rely'd He finish'd them they him presignify'd Yet loe this day the never erring Word Of God is brought to pass and doth afford More lively consolation to the Soule And those sad raptures which our peace controle Then all the bathings purgings exhalations That great Jedidiah put for expiations Could furnish to the sinne perplexed hart For Antimony ' gainst the Serpents dart For now the long contesting jar doth cease That kept at ods Truth Mercy Justice Peace Whilst in our flesh our first begotten brother Makes all those Graces kisse each one another Blest then be God who when his Church is tost 'Twixt swallowing Calpe and Abila's coast Hath sent his Son as Palinure to guide And bring her safe to shore gainst Neptun's pride And make her when shee 's shut from out Shem's tents In Japhet's state-house hold her Parl'aments For he hath sworn that hee will ne're forsake her Till like a faithfull-Bridegroom homehee take her The Epiphany CANTO 6o. WHere am I now what splendor strangely rare Is this which darting through the Heav'ns and aire Dazles my sight with such a glorious ray As makes my Muse to stumble at mid-day For whil'st of late my weakly warbling quill Did only from her Virgin-snowt distill The tear-drown'd ditties of a Virgin milde And wofull accents of a wailing Childe Loe now perforce I soare and tread a march Alongst the confines of th' Etheraeal arch And in th' abortive birth of rhime descry The radiant troops of heav'ns brave Infantry Not that I mean by search of curious art T'investigat each circle zoane and part Wherewith our azur'd heav'ns being cut asunder Doe parallel our earthly globe that 's under No no who shall with roaving straines aspire To search these tapers of Celestiall fire T' unfold the Zodiak in his foure-fold Trine And heaven-divider Equinoctiall Line Our Tropiques colours and our Zeniths hight Our Pole Horizon and our Nadir right With Dand's daughters may attempt to bring From Lethe's never empty'd sourse and spring Their buckers full of water but in vain For by the way they empty still again I cease therefore t' inquire why Saturnes spheare Revolves his course but once in thirty yeare Why Jupiter by twelve yeares milde aspect Doth churlish Saturnes froward frownes correct Why cruell Mars with proud out-braving pace Doth in two twelve-months moderate his race Why Titan heav'ns Lieutenant once a yeare Confines and crownes his still renew'd Cariere Why Paphian Venus and old Juno's foe Are not asham'd once every yeer to goe And tread a March behind Apollo's wheeles Like Lacquayes waiting on their Masters heeles And why Luciua in her Love-bred-passion Should each Month once in fresh new-fangled fashion Greet her Apollo that by his bright shine Of twelve stolne kisses she may make thirteen No leaving those and their unsearehed sourses Their Apogae's and Pyrogae's in courses Their Progresse Transits and their Applications Directions Revolutions Separations Their Quadrats Sextiles Trines and Oppositions Conjunctions Lights-translations Prohibitions Their House their Exaltation and Triplicity Their Term their Face and such essentiall dignity How Fortitude stands here and doth importune And how Debility there threats a misfortune How this Sâ—ar's fix'd that strayes and proves erratique How this Conjuction's partile and that platique I leave to Chalda-Star-gazers and those Whom Nile and Tigris in their armes inclose And in a modest path shall onely bring My Muse to quiver on a maiden string How he by whom heavn's starres both rise and fall Makes Starres doe homage at his Pedestall Come then thou great irradiat morning Starre By whom Oryon and the Pleyads are Thou Star of Jacob by whose power and might The Stars were made ' gainst sisera to fight Thou thou whose dread and uncontroll'd command Enforc'd the Sun in Gibeah to stand And Moon i'th'Vaile of Aialon to stay Till thou thy force didst to thy foes display Thou whose right hand seven rut'lant Stars dost hold And crown'st thy Church with radiant Stars of Gold Even thou whose light so decks thy smallest Saint That he exceeds the Stars o'th'Firmament And by thy light dost make their light more rare Then brave Aurora when she cleeres the aire And finally Great thou whose dreadfull rage Hath thrust that wandring Star from out lights stage Whose name is Wormwood and hast plac'd his Cell In chaines of darknesse and the depth of hell Come thou I say and by that Spirit of thine Whose light lends light to every Star to shine Rouze up my Muse to that all-conquering Verse Which may in sacred hymnes and Odes rehearse The unmatch'd love and the immortall glory Of thee my God in pain-born Rhimes best story For when thou like the Bride-groom of our Soul Didst for our sake thy Majesty controll 'T is true that no externall pompe or show Which lacquaies humane greatnesse here below Did waite upon thy birth or yet advance Their footstools to support thy radiance Thy head no royall Diadem did wear Thy back no curious Tissue roab did bear Thy bed did smell no incense thy reposes Knew neither Turn-sols Lyllies Pinks nor Roses But all thou hadst thy nakednesse t' ore shade Was a poore hole to hide thy glorious head Yet as the heav'ns of late in love sent forth Their Gabriel to Annunce thy wondrous birth So now in still unwearied love they send This blazing Star thy cradle to attend By whose direction three great forraign Sages Scorning their home-bred wealth and heritages Are now content to come from farre and see Earth wedded to th' Prince of Eternitie Thy starre they saw and wrapt with dread amaze To see a starre dart forth so splendid raies And smother all her neighbr'ing lamps as farre As Titan doth his sister Cynthia's carre Straight way they run and with industrious care They search their antient Annalls every where Their Oracles and Sybils more and lesse Their Journals and their Ephimerides
To see from whence and for what wondrous cause This radiant Torch so rich a splendor showes But all 's in vain nor Art nor Nature may I'ts scite light motion to the world display For all of those are in this subject rare Divine miraculous extraordinare But he from whom Nature first beg'd her light And hidden Science by his artlesse might Inspires those Sages and doth make them see This Star's the Prodrome of that Majestie By whom the Sonnes of Japhet now are led Within the Tents of Shem to hide their head Fie on thee Juda Salem fie on thee Why didst not thou as well as they foresee The glorious sun-shine of thy Visitation And greet the worker of this great Salvation But ah thy snorting dreams did thee deceive For thou didst still imagine thou shouldst have A Prince of such a temporall arm and power As to a honny-sweet should change thy sowre But loe whilst thou in darknesse lov'st to sleep A Nation com'th from farre and stately keep Their festivals of Joy thy Tents about Whilst thou and eke thy children are thrust out O God whence com'th't that those above the rest Have known thy Starre and so themselves addrest In paths of toyl and tedious pilgrimage To searrh thy birth as they did see thy badge Could Nature or her handmaid Art discover Thy Star or it distinguish from another No surrely no Combine them both in one And both shall teach us but confusion For without grace the naturall Man 's a foole And Arts chief Doctor when he sits at Schoole And doth investigate Heav'ns Earth and Aire And all those hoasts which Capriolls here or there In Natures precincts still the more he sees Arts hidden secrets Natures mysteries And sees not God the more his wit shall serve To glut his fancy but his soule to starve Thus they being led by the Celestiall light Through rocky Deserts and the toyls of night Doe come at last to Bethlehems walls and there This Torch stands fluttering o're them in the aire Till by thy guiding grace they doe espie The place wherein this Monarch-Prince doth lie No sooner doe they this sweet Babe behold Then by heav'ns inspiration they are bold T' unload their asses and their Camels backs T'untrusse their fardles and ungird their sacks And lay these sumptuous presents richly sweet Gold Mirhe and Incense at the Sucklings feet Whether they by Prophetick spirit did see His Kingdome Priesthood and his Prophecie Or if that by affections naturall Vain They thus doe greet him as their Soveraign I struggle not too much Let this suffice That in Religious awe they bow their knees And with a sacred sweet consorting voyce Thus doe they greet him and thus they rejoyce Thrice great thrice blessed and thrice holy Lord By whose Majestick uncontrolled Word What e're was fram'd within the point of Time Or hath a being in the aâ—â—r'd Clime Whose right hand doth from all Etern'ty bear Our clasped Issues unshun'd Kalendar Whose wisdome pow'r and deep providence guides The Delian Princesse in her sev'rall tides How boldly may we now rejoice and sing And call the carroling beav'ns thy praise to ring Who mak'st thy wondrous light to shine even there Where death made darknesse his Cubiculare Of old whilst Jacob was desir'd to blesse Josephs two sonnes with a Prophetick kisse He wisely cross'd his armes and his right hand He puts on Ephraims head where he did stand And on Manasseh made his left hand stay And so by practice he did prophecy That Japhets seed should dwell i' th' tents of Shem. And eke Manasseh bow to Ephraim This day we see that Vaticiny true Whilst we wilde prodigals our necks subdue To thee our God making Manasses share Rich as the vintage of Abiezer Since Israel therefore will not heare heare then You Heav'ns and Earth and shame the sonnes of Shem For we will praise th' Eternall and record The never failing goodnesse of the Lord. O blessed Babe how great art thou what store Of blessings girds thy Loyns for evermore For thou art he who dost exalt the horn Of Judah and his Pallaces adorn With bowls of Nectar and Ambrosian dyet And mak'st her graze in pastures of true quiet The Scepter of true Government 's on thy shoulder And thou shalt crush thy foes to dust and powder On Davids throne thou as his Sonne shalt sit In Judgment and in Truth t' establish it Yea Peace and Plenty shall thy steps attend And of thy Kingdom there shall be no end O loving Childe how lovely-faire art thou How sparkling are thy eyes how sweet thy brow How fragrant are the odours that distill On thee from Gilead and Hermonims hill Amongst the flowr's thou' rt chief the Rose the Lilly The Pink the Turn-sol and the Daffadilly Have no such odorif'rous smell or taste As thou reverb'rat'st from the West to th' East Live ' then sweet Babe the miracle of Time Earths mighty Champion Balm of humane crime Let thy great voyce in Peace resound throughout Earths flowry kirtle and Seas glassie spout That so thy favour in each part may be Immortall Nectar to Posteritie O what are we great God what 's our deserving That to confirme our faith so prone to swerving Thou dost thus shake heav'ns solid Orb and make Thy selfe a Vassall for a Vassals sake O that we could discern aright and know What duty service feare and love we owe Thee for that endlesse love wherewith thou hast Reclaim'd us from our wandrings to thy rest Teach us ô teach us so to run our race In patience and in patience to possesse Our Soules that thou at thy great day may'st clear Our Aegypt to a Goshen's hemisphear And change the tenour of our tragick story To the Catastroph ' of an endlesse glory The Massacre CANTO 7o. DIstraction tumult teares oppression jarre VVrath causlesse envy cruell murther warre Yea all those woes which Fury can forth bring Are now the Discant which my Muse must sing For whilst of late th' Eternall did invite By secret motions of his sacred Sp'rit Three Eastern Sages wisely to imbrace Th' occasion of their long long-look'd-for peace Like to Apollo's Priests intranc'd they rove From Herod's Palace to the Courts of Jove And with a thundring voyce they roare and cry Where 's Juryes King where where 's that Royall boy In whom the heav'ns have daign'd t' exalt the Throne Of Sions hopelesse Desolation His Star hath brought us from our home-bred joyes From ease from rest and from our quirks and toyes And made us tread those paths of sad exile T' imbrace the comforts of our widow-while Scarce had they breath'd those accents of unrest When vulture-feare layes hold on Herod's brest In such a sort that curs'd Erynnis crew Doe both his senses and his soule subdue What 's this I heare quoth he what threats be those Those wandring Pilgrims to the heav'ns up-throwes What brainsick tidings of a new-born King Are those which now through Jewryes Coasts do ring
at hand Yet 't is not he such transmigrations now Dare plead no place amidst a Christian crew For by th'Eternals uncontrol'd decree As dust we are so to the dust goe we And till the time that heav'ns shall be no more Our bodies are not what they were before Nor shall our soules or lifes true quickâ—ing spirit Their wonted dwelling houses re-inherit Who is it then Now I perceive 't is he Concerning whom the Prophet Malachy Hath by a divine wisedome thus foretold Wonder you fooles come come you wise Behold Before the comming of that dreadfull day Wherein the Lord his glory shall display Eliah first shall come and by his voyce The father in his children shall rejoyce The children to their fathers wiser Will Shall bow their necks and be obedient still Lest comming to them with a searching fan His vengeance finish what their finnes began Yea sure I am 't is he for now I finde The Scribes and Pharises whose judgement 's blinde I. â— Run to his Baptisme though in scorn that so They may th ' Eternals Counsell overthrow But all in vain he with a soaring eye Rips up their hidden deep hypocrisie And by his threatning duely milde and grave Their hid dissimulation doth outbrave O vip'rous brood ô froward generation O Serpent-Issue of a sinfull Nation Who hath fore-warn'd you to eschew the doome And scape the scorching wrath that is to come Bring forth therefore bring forth I charge you here Those fruits of new-birth which makes faith appeare And glory not that Abraham's sonnes you are For he who calls what 's not as though it were Can make those senssesse stones if he have need Bring forth to Abra'm a Religious seed No rather know that these be now the times Wherein the hand of Justice fannes our crimes And trenching axes laid unto the Root Cut down the wither'd sticks are void of fruit 'T is true indeed I baptize you with water But loe there 's one to come who what I scatter Shall recollect he reaps where none was sown And but advantage will not have his own He 's great indeed and mightier farre then I I am not worthy his shoo-straps t'untye With water I baptize you ô but he Shall baptize with a fire of Deitie For in his hand he holds that searching fan Wherewith he doth his barn-floores treasure scan If we be found true wheat his hand shall keep Our soules from falling in th' infernall deep But if like chaffe we prove his swallowing ire Shall thrust us headlong in a quenchlesse fire Stray then no more through those poor desert fields Which neither state nor pomp nor glory yeelds To gaze on me a Reed toss'd too and fro Where any whirl-windes puffe delights to blow But rather in a wise discretion learn Your gracious Visitation to discern For this is he that should be sent expect None other to relieve your soules defect Looke on his wayes and by his works goe try The true prognosticks of his Majesty By him the blinde have eyes the lame their hands The deafe their eares the dead are loos'd from bands The Leaper's cleans'd and what is more the poore Receive the Gospell and the Crosse endure And that your Judgements may lack all excuse Behold the stone you builders did refuse Shall be approv'd and on the Corners top Shall stand that there by faith by love by hope His children may a living house be made To hold him for foundation and for head Loe where he comes my soul doth sweetly know him Bow bow your haughty necks yeeld what you ow him For he 's that great immac'lat Lamb of God Who having layd aside his wraths sharp rod Doth by a love-sick Mercies bloody gore So purge our sinnes that sinne stands ours no more Ne're did the swallowing Nilus rapid waves Provok'd to anger by th' Aeolian slaves Hurle down his streames to the Asphaltick lake With greater force than doth the Baptist shake By those his roaring thunders the proud knees Of these dissembling Scribes and Pharisees Yet scarce hath he like that fore-running starre VVhich doth proclaim th'approach of Titan's carre Fore-warn'd the world of that Imperiall Sun Whose race in Truths eccliptick line is run When loe that spotlesse Lamb whose spotlesse love And suffrings weds us to the Lord above Comes straight unto him and in modest fashion Without or pomp or pride or ostentation Requires to be baptiz'd in Jordan's flood The typick Emblem of his saving blood But John remembring what he was replies O sacred thou whose throne transcends our skies Why dost thou crave to be baptiz'd of me Since I should rather be baptiz'd of thee The servants state is not above his Lord Nor can my weaknesse that true strain afford Of due obedience that belongs unto thee O get thee from me for thy eyes undoe me Peace saith Immanuel John thy flesh is weak Th'Eternals hidden Counsels to partake For ne're hath flesh his riddles truly view'd But he who with his Heifer first hath plough'd Wouldst thou then know wherefore I doe desire To be baptiz'd of thee who can with fire Rebaptize thee Know that my Charge is such As without Unction none usurps to touch I doe not run unsent my Father hath Before all time decreed That by my death The sting of death and of deaths Lords great power Should so be curb'd that they no more devoure That I may then obey my Fathers will Ambros in Luc. c. 3. And all the law of Righteousnesse fulfill VVhich may contemper Mercies milde sweet yoak To Justice proud though just revenging stroak And so become a righteous Mediator Betwixt the Creature and the dread Creator I must be baptiz'd first that so I may My heav'nly function to the world display Adde hereunto that in this flesh of mine Which from the earth is earth from heav'n divine I must the state of of every thing renew And to my Gospell Moses Law subdue Man must be new the old man now must perish And by a new-born faith his soule must cherish The heav'ns shall be renew'd th' old flie away The Earth renew'd shall smell like maiden-May The Law is old a new command I give That men henceforth by faith love hope must live And as the Covenant's chang'd so must the Seale Make room for Grace and bid the Law farewell And what is more That Man may see I love To make his mansion in the heav'ns above Loe here his badg and cognizance I take On mee not for my own but for his sake That when my father Man's great Seale shall see On my fore-head and man made one with me He may from man his furious wrath withdraw And make him Heyre by Grace not by the Law And that vain man may never scorn those rites By which as Canals of coelestiall sweets Th' Almighty pours his Grace upon their Soule Men may their haughty hearts and necks controule To bow unto his Ordinances for No soule shall enter in at mercies door
is done he looketh on them and anon O strange mirac'lous rare Conversion Without his word the water 's turn'd to wine Sweet as the Malmsey rich as Muscadine Drink woman now faith he drink drink and fill To others also Cana's grapes distill Not such a wine as doth my word therefore Bid them come drink who love to thirst no more But all 's in vain I bid men drink for why Nothing but blood will mans soules thirst allay O God what heav'nly hierogly phick's here Of that sweet Nectar and Ambrosian cheere Which thou our soules Bride-groom shalt for us make When to thy Cana thou shalt us home take For there our mariage-supper is prepar'd Legions of Angels shall thy Bride still guard The fatling's kill'd thy bowles of wine are drawn Thy table-cloaths are dainty Cyprian lawn Thy bed of love is made and richlier hung Then that where th'Epithalamy was sung To Salomon and Pharoh's daughter for Their best magnificence and proudest store Endur'd but for a time but this for ever Shall satiate his guests and finish never In Cana water was exchang'd to wine But in thy house whoso shall sit and dine Shall with the fatnes of thy house be fill'd And drunk with that sweet rill thy side distill'd Whil'st on the Crosse thou stretch'd thy armes abroad T' imbrace thy Bride and heave her to her God O then since all things that be necessare For such a wedding feast thou dost prepare Prepare our hearts also to meet thee when Thou call'st us from out Meshechs sinfull den That so the Bride-groom and his Virgin-bride May in the Tents of love for ever bide From Cana to Capernaum next day My blessed Saviour undertakes his way Where dwelt a reverend grave Centurion Whose servant 's sick in whose compassion The Captain comming unto Christ doth thus Intreat him Master master pitty us For loe my servant 's with a Palsie taken And of all hopes of health is quite forsaken Since then all hopes of humane helps be gone And we be left to mourn his griefes alone I pray thee let thy helping hand supply His great distemper and necessity Goe saith my Saviour get thee home for I Will quickly come and cure his malady No saith the grave Centurion take no pain Great master to turmoile thy selfe in vain I am not worthy that thou glorious thou To come within my roof thy self shouldst bow Speak but the word alone and he shall live For that thy word can heale him I believe Loe I am one set in authoritie Subdew'd to one and many unto me To one I say goe hither and he go'th T' another doe this and that straight he doth Unto a third I say come and he commeth Thus what I will is done and none presumeth To disobey what I command my word For their obedience is a law assur'd When Jesus heares those words he stands amaz'd And on the following troops a while he gaz'd And saith at length In truth and veritie Such faith in Israel I did never see But this I tell you that the time 's at hand VVhen many from the VVest and East shall stand VVithin my Churches faithfull glorious pale And be baptiz'd as sonnes of Israel And with old Abraham Isaac Jacob they Shall eternize a solemne holy day VVhile as the children of the kingdome shall In utter darknesse mourn a Madrigall Goe therefore saith he to the Captain goe And as thou hast believed even so Be it to thee and at that very houre The servants life and health was made secure O God how dost thou by this grave dispute To Japhets children freely contribute The promise of eternall life if they By faith shall on thy words their rest relye Give us therefore what of us thou requir'st And then require of us what thou desir'st Now babling fame hath took her wings to flie Through all the neighboring Regions farre and nigh And make the glorious powers of this man Controll the Earth and daunt the Ocean For whatsoere he doth is quickly told And in fames Ephimerides inroll'd To shun therefore the peoples vain applause Whose changing currents oftner ebbs then flowes Down to Tiberiâ—'s sea he goes that thence He may show favour to the Gadarens But whil'st he 's in the ship his former toile Perswades him in a sleep to rest a while His eyes are scarcely shut when loe dark clouds Obscure the heav'n and proud Aeolian thuds Distemper so the Main that Neptunes locks Wax hoary-white with dashing ' gainst the rocks Here one pround wave doth Babel-like arise And with tumultuous threats affronts the skies Another here falls to so vast a deep That Pluto's wak'ned from his morning sleep A midst this surly gust the poor ship's ross'd And with impetuous windes and tides so cross'd That his Disciples in their feare doe rore And for their health their masters help implore Help help great master say they help awake And on thy perishing train some pitty take For if thou doe not now extend thy power This swallowing tempest will our soules devoure He straight awakes and unto them he saith O you of trembling hearts and fainting faith What doe you fear Peace winds faith he th' are still Peace raging Seas and they grow calm at will By this the Ship is brought unto the shore And neither winds nor seas molest them more O thou controller of the windes commotion O thou dread daunter of th' undaunted Ocean Speak peace to our tumultuous souls for why Unlesse our sp'rituall tempests thou allay Unlesse thou swage and calme their storms in time We sinke and perish for we cannot swim No sooner were the windes by is word appeas'd No sooner 's Neptune by his word asswag'd When Jesus with his few Disciples goe To Gadara that they his power might know But by the way that Sp'rit who works our spight And in our ruines takes his chiefe delight Having intrench'd in his prodigious roles The mortall bodies not th' immortall soules Of two poore men while as they see him come Like ramping Lyons and like Boars in fome Th' approach his presence and in fury cry Jesus thou sonne of God who dwel'st on high What have we here to doe with thee for this Of our just torment in the deep abysse Is not the full time and we suffer wrong If there before due time thoudost us throng What is your name sayth he they answer Legion For we be many in this humane region And as thy Father is the Lord of hoasts So we as many love to scoure their coasts Come out come out saith he you cursed crew And of these wretches take your last adiews If we must needs goe out then let us goe Say they and enter in those swine for loe Whan thou ejects us from this Isle of man Thy little world we must doe what we can To rob him of his best approved pulse And nestle there because we lose himselfe Goe goe saith he they goe and take possession Of those poore beasts and
in so fearfull fashion That they no sooner feel their grievous yoak But to the Sea they run and there they choak O glorious thou who to the world didst come T' unlose those snares which Sathan thrusts on some And leav'st some others to those sp'rituall bands Which in eternall darknesse prison stands Restrain our enemies rage controll his power Lest his assaults doe our poore soules devoure Ne'er did a swarm of hony sucking Bees Pursue a Waspe from out their Colonies With greater spight or more enraged spleen Then doth that blockish beastly Gadaren Republick thrust my Saviour from their coast Because of these few swine which they had lost O the blind change and choise o' th' sonnes of men Who ere they lose this worlds poore pelf will len ' Their Soules a pray to Sathan and betray A lasting glory for a moments pay With speed therefore my Saviour homeward goeth Because they loth'd his power and his truth And there behold a croud of sick folks lie A waiting him to cure their Maladie For some ev'n from their mothers wombe lay lame Some Leprous some Lethargique and some maim Some with an Apoplexy were o'retaken Some with a paralitioue blow were shaken Some with a Dissenterie doe decay Some with a Calcule on their reines doe cry Here one had eyes but now he 's dark and blind Here one was wise but now 's distract in mind A menstruall flux doth here distain a woman A burning Ague to another's common All those he healeth and so doing hath Gain'd many a Pros'lyte to the Christian faith But above all I stand amaz'd to spy How at Bethesdaes poole huge heaps doe lye Of poor weak sick diseased persons who Attend her motions and her watry flow For here an Angell at some speciall season Beyond all reach of humane sense and reason By moving of the waters gave release To all that were diseas'd in any case Providing alwaies that they stepping down Should drench themselves in her first motion An hieroglyphick of our Baptims washing Whose watry streames can never cleanse our tashing Unlesse th'Arch-angell of the Covenant Joyne his dread power to the Element A man oppress'd full eight and thirty yeere With strange diseases is at last brought here On whom Christ Jesus having fix'd his eyes Doth not enquire what were his maladies Where those his griefs did hold him or how long He had been bound with that infirm'ties thong But only asks him if he would be cured Of that saith he great Master be assured I hunger for my health but can not stirre To taste this waters first distemperature I cannot helpe my self and none I have To help me when their helping hand I crave Another alwayes stepping down before me Is cur'd and I as if all did abhorre me Must this my griefe and languishing sustain Till he who wounds me binde me up again Rise rise then saith my Saviour rise and walk I pitty thy distresse I heare thy talk The poore man riseth as Christ doth appoint And is restor'd to health in every joynt Behold saith Christ poore man now thou art whole And from thy crown unto thy very sole There is no bruise goe goe and sinne no more Lest worse befall thee then thou felt'st before Glad should I be if my poore Muse had breath To follow my Redeemer in that path Of strange stupendious miracles whereby In flesh he did expresse his Deity But wearied now she needs must rest a while And draw away her Pencill from that toile Which he from place to place did undertake To ease our sorrows for his mercies sake Only this one poore thing she must relate How he did Lâ—â—arus re-animate That in his Resurrection we may see Our Resurrections rich felicity As Chyrstall brooks have still the broader course The neerer they approach great Neptunes sourse So now the neerer that my Saviours dayes Draw to an end the more he still displayes His heav'nly wisedome and mirac'lous power When opportun'ty did the same procure Sicknes to man is prodrom of his death From which no nat'rall man exemption hath Even Lazarus whom Jesus lov'd is now Sick to the death and to the grave must bow Whil'st he is sick his sister Mary sendeth A messenger to Christ who first attendeth Him in his doctrine and thereafter saith Sir he whom thou dost love now almost pay'th His debt to Nature by his death for loe A burning Ague worketh his o'rethrow I know thou lov'st him and he loveth chee Let then thy love to him extended be For thou art love it selfe and from thy love It is that we doe live or breath or move I know saith Christ he 's sick but not to death Although this fit of Fever out his breath Yet shall the glory of the Lord appeare In his return to this lifes hemispheare And that the Sonne of God may glory have Let him be sick yea fick unto the grave A little after to his friends he saith Let us goe hence my staying here delay'th The work of God for Lâ—zarus our friend Lies fast asleep and I doe fully mind T' awake him up again for none but I Can rouze him from the graves deep Lethargy If he doe sleep say his Disciples then He shall be well for sleep doth soften pain But here they doe mistake they meant that sleep Which on our weâ—ried eyes doth softly creep But Christ did mean that sleep which in the grave Shall on each mortall man dominion have No no saith Christ to speak the truth indeed Our brother's dead and death doth on him feed And I am glad for your sakes that I was Not there when death o'return'd his short hour-glasse Alas my Saviour how canst thou be glad To see man under his afflictions sad Dost thou delight in our distresses no Thou tak'st no pleasure in our griefes or woe But as a loving father who doth see His only sonne in that perplexity Where wounds and blowes on th' one side threaten death And Triumph on the other promiseth Eternall honour hath more joy to know The fame which from out those his wounds shall flow Than he is sad to see his crimson blood Expatiat like a Dalmatian flood So from our light afflictions whil'st thou spies The trophies of thy glory to arise Thou dost much more rejoyce than thou canst grieve To see us wrestle and in end survive To Bethany he hasteth then for there Mary and Martha had their chiefe repaire And being come Mary with speed doth run To greet th'approach of this Imperiall Sun She sees him and down at his feet doth fall Master saith she hadst thou been here at all My brother had not dy'd Mary saith he Thy brother shall rise up again trust me I know saith she that at the gen'rall doome He shall arise and unto Judgment come Mary saith he hold but thy peace and thou Shalt see Gods glory manifested now Where have you laid him come come let me see They point the place He with a
date I for my last and glorious change shall waite For He who was dead is alive and shall To me be Alpha and Omega All. The Trophee CANTO 7o. CHrist had not come from heav'n to earth but that He might our dying soules re-animat He had not liv'd on earth so long to try Cares watches griefes reproaches misery Had he not meant to write us an example In patience upon their necks to trample Nor had he took our flesh if not to die That by his suff'rings he might satisfie The wrath of God due unto mans offence And reconcile that sin-bred difference Nor had he dy'd were 't not to rise again And reunite us to our Soveraigne Nor did he rise but that he might ascend And so bring our Redemptions to an end Thus was he born thus did he live and thus He hath both dy'd and rose againe for us That our new birth new life and new death may By him be turn'd to an eternall day Now if that any ask who shall perswade VVeake man that he such mighty power had The trembling earth the darkned sunne the grave The quickned dead the rent vaile and that slave VVhich in earths centers dwels can all declare The Virgins sonne and eke th' Almighties heire True God and Man earths Monarch heav'ns great King Did those stupendious works t' effect forth bring But if sublunar things subject to errour Can neither work our joy nor strike with terrour Our hardned hearts let glorious Angels then Serve to extirpate misbeliefe from men For they did by their presence shake those fooles VVho by their spears and staves and murth'ring tools Sought to detaine the Lord of Life i' th' grave Let all such guardians such reward still have Then to some weaker women whose true care And love to life had quickly brought them there They furnish matter of true consolation Declaring his true life whose death and passion Had but of late their soule so pierc'd with woe That naturall comfort could not cure their blow Such as our conscience is or good or bad Accordingly we are rejoyc'd or sad When God to us his countenance doth show Or in a cheerfull smile or frowning aw The righteous Man is like the Lyon bold The wicked shrink for feare within their hold And one day when their joyes away shall fly Then shall they shrink and feare eternally One woman there was of a speciall note The Magdalen of late known by her spot But now by penitentiall tears made clean She greater grace and favour doth obtain For he whodwelleth in the heav'ns doth weigh The hearts of men in scales of Veritie And looks not on our outward carnall things But on that treasure which the heart forth brings To this poore woman then they first doe talk And with her in the way of comfort walk That she who sometime was a sinner might To after-sinners shew the wondrous hight The depth the length and breadth of mercy that Unto the penitent's accumulat For God doth not take heed to what we were But unto what we by adoption are For still his mercies supr'abound and more Where sinnes abundant plenty dwelt before If he can see our tears our cheeks distaine And bubble up from true repentance vaine Some eight dayes hence this Nymph began to weep And make her tears bedew her Masters feet Her eyes as yet have not shut up their sluces So deep 's the memoyr of her youths abuses And eke so fresh the relish of his smart Who spent his blood to purge her sinfull heart That she cannot her throbbing sighs restrain Nor from her restlesse seas of teares refraine But when sh'ath weep'd enough she still weeps more And ' gainst her sorrowes cannot shut the doore VVhil'st thus she weeps she turnes unto her stay And bowing down beholds where Jesus lay And loe two Angels there doe sit the one VVhere Jesus head did lye and rest anon Another she espies there where his feet Had their impression in the hard rock set They see the woman weep and thus enquire VVoman why weep'st thou what dost thou desire She answers Sure I weep not without cause For here of late in deaths devouring jawes My Lord did lye but now alas he 's gone And none can tell me whither no not one They thus reply what foole art thou to seek The living ' mongst the dead did he not speak And preach to you last day in Galile The sonne of man must suffer and third day Rise up again he is not here goe goe Tell his Disciples that he 's rise But loe VVhil'st thus they parley Jesus comes and still Rebukes her for her mis-informed will VVoman saith he woman what dost thou mean VVhat wilt thou never from thy teares abstain She takes him for the Gardner and saith Sir If you have took him hence pray let me heare VVhere you have layd him and be sure from thence I will re-bring him at what-ere expence To those fond words my Saviour saith But Mary She answers him Rabboni Without tary Falls down before his feet to kisse them but He to that fond affection yeeldeth not O doe not touch me Mary saith he for I am not yet ascended but what 's more Expedient for the world goe quickly tell My weak Disciples that the gates of hell Which gap'd against me now have no more pow'r To hedge me in for I have broke their door And to my members doe propine Lifes cup That they may dine with me I with them sup O what a masse or magazen is here Of pretious comfort by a Gardiner Breath'd to a woman O what large extent Of pardon 's sealed to a Penitenâ—â— For whil'st I see her thus so sadly weep And him comfort her ' gainst her griefs I keep In minde that Program which of late he told Blessed are they who mourn for loe behold They shall reap comfort and thrice blessed they Who ask seek knock for verily I say They shall receive and finde and enter for To such my Father doth not shut his door Next this whil'st I behold the great mistake Wherein her true affection although weake Made her believe a Gardner she had seen I doe impute it to her tear-drown'd eyn I cannot choose but make my soule to smile At this so happy fraud and sweet beguile For never man did to my weak esteem Give him a fitter stile or truer name For where did ever garden in the stower Of stormy rage produce so sweet a flower Or where did ever Gardner plant or frame So rich an imp in such a withring stem Did he not first in Paradise re-plant The promis'd Primrose of the Covenant In Baal-haman graft'd he not that Vine About the which the Saints their armes doe twine Is not he Sharons Rose the Valleyes Lilly Engeddies Camphire Bethleems Daffadilly Gethsemans Gilly-flow'r and Golgaths Rheu And Arimathea's Turn-sol ever true It is not then a great mistake to call Him Gardner who makes those to rise and fall O glorious Gardner