warming-pan all this is Hope Fear 's Antidote the Proto-pharmacon Of grim despair or else sure there is none Doubt's prime discusser who doth her arraign At mercie 's bar where she by faith is slain Hope's Jacob's ladder which doth pierce the Sky Whereby enfeebled faith may mount on high Strength to renew and act more lively on In order to the souls salvation She is the constant'st grace that can be nam'd To stead us here and never makes asham'd Charity SWeet cement of the Bridegroom 's sweetest Bride Whereby her distant parts are unifi'd Strong Ligament of love that linkest fast Her dislocated joynt's thy very tast Is full of Heav'n and thy corruscant face Transcends the Cherubims and ev'ry grace However good and great is without thee Like a dead corpse whose limbs unfouled be Miracle-working faith is void and vain Unless the soul thee likewise entertain And God-compelling prayer 's an empty blast Where thou art absent and shall off be cast When thou unit'st no distance earth affords That can divide their hearts that are the Lords Thou joyn'st the members militant of Christ All in one bodie and so joyned ty'st Them in firm union with the rest above Who are triumphant so that all by love Joy the same joy think the same thoughts and pray The self same pray'rs in heart both we and they In Spirit now are one and so shall we One bodie mystical hereafter be Though now this flesh polluted taint our pray'rs Our thoughts and joys whence ours come short of theirs In actual perfection soul-desire Wing's our Intentionalls as high to spire As theirs inthron'd though we imprison'd lye And unreleasable until we die But then eternal love shall work alone When Hopes fruition and faith's vision Shall them determine in immortal glory And they be needless as these transitory Unsatisfying sublunary joys We dote on here the quintessence of â—oys Divinest love was privie counseller When God elected us and she past o'er His six days labour with delight when he Created us and what for us shâ—ld be All these loves wonders pass our admiration But oh when we relapst our renovation By a redeeming Jesus makes us see Much more then love if more then love can be Yet sure 't was love alone procur'd that bliss But such a love as neer was love like this Love is the glew that hold's so long together Heav'ns goodly frame and all that is beneath her For did not she prevent it our least sin Would ruine us the world and all therein And tumble all the creatures down pell-mell Into the lowest worst of creatures Hell Ah sacred Charity what tongue can raise A Trophy fitting thy deserved praise The Cherubims and Seraphims that be Most glorious creatures stand amaz'd at thee Thy lustre dazles them their pure eyes fail To view thy purer face without a vail And none but three in one and one in three Hath pow'r with fixed eyes to look on thee I 'm sure thou blindst my muse for she is flown A flight beyond what common sense will own And now she 's at her pitch must re-decline To Christians Charity from love divine Charity suffers long and kind she is She envies not nor vaunts her self amiss She is not puffed up nor doth behave Her self unseemly nor her own doth crave She is not soon provoked thinks no ill Nor in iniquity rejoyce she will But in the truth she beareth all things too All things believes and her hopes all things woo And she all things endures she 'l never fail When prophecies and tongues shall nought avail And knowledge quite shall vanish for all these Are but in part and consequently cease When our prefection comes but Charity Remaines entire to all eternity This sacred writ records of her perfection A testimony that should win affection As will as credit Sure were man not blind With pride and envy and too much inclin'd To base self-love sheep of our shepherd's fold Would never let their Charity grow cold As many do in this sad age who by A false-fir'd Zeal extinguish Charity Had we hearts to let Charity work in us She from our schismes and factions so would win us Which now nigh prove what we have earst heard told Quot homines sententiae toâ— of old As to unanimate both Church and State Which both are grown inanimate through hate And interchanged jealousies that neither Can well endure what 's good for both or either And God would soon foundations settle here Of that bless'd government which shall appear Ere long in all opposers spite and last When all Dominions else shall down be cast And shall in perfect peace all scepters sway In earth's vast round and all shall it obey When Jews shall called be as Scriptures told And with the Gentiles fulness make one fold And have one faithful shepherd o're them all Melchisedeck whom we Christ Jesus call Lord re-unite our hearts in love that thou May'st perfect that great work and all may bow Before thy throne when thou in peace shalt raign Through Heav'n and earth through the sea main Epigram on Charity SHall I by rules of convertibles pry Into a secret and not soar too high If God be love love God then Charity Is elder sister to eternity Or rather morher as is plain to see If one Creator t'other creature be These theo-critical conceits may enter Into thy thoughts my muse but do not venture To scan them far lest thou shouldst lose thereby The god of love the love of god and dy Weak-winged â—ouls whâ—… stormy winds do roar Flutter below dare not a loft to soar Forbear poor flea to wade within the brim Of that abyss where Elephants must swim PATIENCE 1. VIctorious Queen that foyl'st all Potentates That dare assail thee By thee prevail we When Faith and Hope are non-plus'd by cross fates Thou can'st them both recover And keep us that we give not over Nor yeeld the day before the field be won Wer 't not for thee poor Christians were undone 2. In persecution thou the Cordial art That our hearts easest And us releasest From passions that would else breed endless smart Thou mak'st our burthen lighter Though thou disclaim'st to be a fighter No Christian Champion ever won the field Where thy tri'd valour forc'd not foes to yeeld 3. Our God-man general by thee o'ercame Earth and Hell's crosses And salv'd our losses Whose Patience unparallel'd became She was the primest feather In his triumphant plume And either She in our Helmets must be worn or foes Will win the day and we the prize shall lose 4. She from the manger to the garden chear'd Our dearest Saviour VVhose meek behaviour Astonish'd men and his Condemner fear'd Gethsemane nigh tiring VVith blood-sweat passion fear inspiring VVhen God and Man were both nigh at a loss She chears to Golgotha and climbs the Cross Epigram on Patience AS Palm-tree press'd or Plantine trod best grows So Patience by suff'rings foes o'erthrows To LIFE
makes them both Heav'n and Hell Her age in times meer infancy was vast Transcending all Arithmeticians skill The number of her fore-past years to cast Though they should use the stars that Heaven fill Each grass and grain of dust that Earth can shew And all the drops and sands in Sea and shore With the Ayre 's Atomes they would be too few Were each a thousand thousand millions more For figures that grand number to express To which they would amount Howe'er when time Shall be no more her youth will be no less Then at the first O wonder most sublime Here muse and stand amaz'd presumptuous man Who squandrest pretious time in seeking that VVhich when possess'd annoys Content ne'er can Be found in Treasures Honours Pleasures flat False titillations They the fancy please With momentaneous tickling but the foul Can no satiety receive from these Whilst her diviner eyes espie their foul And gross delusions winning us to waste Our time of grace short week of working dayes On toyes and trifles care away to cast Neglecting our creation's end his prayse That formed us and so to lose our pay In that eternal Sabbath's rest to come And gull us with false hopes that fade away When Judgement dooms us Hell for our sad home Whose everlasting flames should us deter From their allurements and our souls provoke No longer true repentance to defer But take upon us our Redeemers yoke Embrace his endless love And let that force Our souls to grace by holy violence Redeem our time by Faith and true remorse And giving neither God nor man offence For on the husbanding of this short span Of our frail life eternal life depends Or death eternal Oh! when this we scan It should unbottom us from all false ends And keep us firm in truths sincerest wayes And in the pathes of life that when times race Is run and all distinguishments by dayes Hours months years shall here no more have place We may enjoy Eternity above Whereof that we may not at last be mist But ponder still in heart what doth behove Eternity Ah dearest Lord assist AMEN The Epigram on the same ETernity my Muse doth quite confound Her true Description never Mortal found Rings Snakes and Globes with such round things as those Th' Ancients for her diâ—…e resemblance chose A boundless Plain a pointless Parallel A Circle that includes both Heaven and Hell Yet hath nor Centre nor Circumference Demonstrable to Reason or to sence Each Mathematick poinâ— of whose vast Ring Equals her whole Dimension Wondrous thing Yet true as strange Nay more I 'll tell you what Think what man cannot think and she is that She rounds my Verse no man her depth can sound Eternity my Muse doth quite confound Objections Solutions and Chorus Objection 1. WHy should onely Man desire To transgress his Makers Laws Who made him so high aspire That all earthly things he awes Solution 1. NOthing but corrupted Nature Made Man so perverse a creature Nothing but renewing Grace Can Mans guilt and filth deface Objection 2. WHy should Christ from glory come To be born in coursest home Live and die in pain and grief For unthankful mans relief Solution 2. NOthing but divinest Love Brought our Maker from above Who for all his grief and pain Craves but Love for Love again The CHORE OH admired Love divine Suit our hearts with love to thine Then adieu false creature-joys Welcom Truths and farewel Toys Man's Heart 1. A Curious triangle methinks I see Immur'd by Heav'ns Eternal Architect His seed-plot of each Grace divine to be A glorious Paradise without defect A Paradise in Paradise that 's slight The Paradise of Paradise the throne Of the worlds great Creator whose delight Was fiâ—… therein his Majesty thereon Such was Mans heart and such might still have bin Had he baulk'd Serpentine deceit of sin 2. But ah most horrid fate since Adam fell This Nursery a Wilderness is grown Eden of Eden is the Hell of Hell And Graces plants by Pride's puffs over-thrown Earth-mice have eat the seeds the thorns and briers Hemlock and Wormwood have o'er spread the ground Once till'd to grace Lusts and corrupt desires With all their base productions there abound And what was once the King of Glories home Is wholly now a Den for Fiends become 3. World flesh and devil this triangle have fill'd Having got full possession plac'd therein A cursed rabblement of Elves that build Fortifications and strong holds for Sin The blessed Founders greatest Enemy Who in them rests secure thence Grace repells Though profer'd by the Lord spontaneously And all good Inclinations quite expells Whence from a sp'ritual Cana-an it 's grown No less then a mysterious Babylon 4. It 's now the old Red Dragons Nursery A new Plantation of each hateful crime The Shop of that accurst Apothecary Who therein doth his pois'nous drugs sublime Pride's Mercury Zeal-chilling Ellebore Intemperancies Swine-bane Antimony Of Infidelity and thousands more The Opium of dull security And Lusts Cantharides these he refines By them to work his mischievous designes 5. The cunning Gardiner doth oft-times graft Bud and inoculate to shew his skill Produc'th fair-seeming flow'rs on stocks stark naught And specious fruits from roots corrupt and ill But these like Sodoms Apples vanish quite If try'd by touch which sorts he mostly plants In a close corner for his own delight Allotted to Hypocrisie where wants No dressing that the Devil can afford To nourish plants accursed and abhorr'd 6. Stand you but there at gaze and you will deem Your self in Heaven with Saints incircled round Whilst it is Hell and Devils for they but seem And are not real as will once be found The Angels trumpets that at last shall blow Our Resurrection-summons them shall blast And we their painted falsities shall know Themselves in everlasting flames be cast Their rotten Roots which all shall plainly see Proclaim who Impt them and whose Imps they be 7. Dread God! shall this Intruder still possess Thy sacred portion and thy choisest field 'T will make him question thine Almightiness Avenge thee Lord and force the fiend to yeild Root out his worthless plants and replant thine New turn the ground and sow thy seeds of grace Afresh therein and let thy power divine Cherish them there Satans rank weeds deface Batter his raised forts his forces rout Re-enter in thy Right and turn him out 8. Renew thy sin-demolish'd Image here Hallow this little frame to thy great praise New mold new make the model hence cashier Innate corruptions plain the crooked ways Throw down the hills and hillocks raise the vales Manure the barren ground more fertile make The erst unfallow'd plots re-build the walls Thy wonted pleasure in this fabrick take Lord it did cost thee dear when thou went'st hence To purchase it with thy heart-blood's expence An Epigram on the same COuld not Creations Title keep Gods Right In mans false heart that subtile Serpents spight Compell'd him to
running A way chalk'd out by thine and our most cunning And mortal foes a way devis'd at Rome VVhich will these lands to desolation doom Our bodies to sharp sword and famine thin Our souls ro utter darkness for our sin Deprive us of thy candlestick that live And to posterity dark Lanthorns give To guide in pathes of death and to deceive Our progeny false Gospels to believe Unless thy grace prevent Bless'd God arise And let thy foes be scatter'd that despise And persecute thy truth and people thus Draw us to thee and be thou GOD WITH US Cease our divisions chase all schisms and errours All Heresies and Ath'ism hence with terrours And with confusion unto those that broach'd them And recantation to those that approach'd them Let Reformation true at last come in To our distracted Church and State which sin Hath long kept off let love with truth and peace And blessed union daily more increase In these distressed lands chase hence the swarms Of black-pits locusts whose inveigling charms Dicotomize the world whose industry Makes King fight King and men make war with thee Lord let eternal mercy turn us thus From all our sins and all thy wrath from us For none but thine Almighty hand can cure Our desp'rate wounds thy enemies make sure Shortly to sway these lands and therewithal To ruine thy reformed Churches all Unless thy grace prevent Help Lord at need It 's in the mount it 's time thou help indeed For vain is mans false help we fools have try'd By Egypt's friendship to be fortifi'd Whose broken reeds have pierc'd our heedless hands And drawn thy judgments on these sinful lands Avert them Lord and turn us unto thee Thy fury just from us else lost are we Thy stock of wonted mercies we have spent And are undone unless thy grace prevent We set up Princes Lord but not of thee Rulers whom thou know'st not who'll fatal be Unto this land and make us soon repent Our foolish choice unless thy Grace prevent Oh let the BRANCH spring forth and bud and bear If thou so will'st whilst we are pilgrims here The birth is at wombs mouth Oh God help strength To bring that bless'd production forth at length Which our sins keep obstructed in the womb And let the Son of David's Kingdom come But out great crimes defer that blest event And urge thy wrath Lord let thy Grace prevent Prevent our just-deserved ruine Lord Let love obliterate our crimes abhor'd Recruit our stock of grace so vainly spent And our just fears Lord let thy grace prevent Angliae Omen OH stupid England how hath S. befool'd thee Not to give ear to what thy G. hath told thee But to F. P. thou willingly canst hearken Which will I fear thy brightest glory darken E. and D. fight like fools by J. deceived To make S. sport unless by G. relieved G. chalk'd thee out a way yet thou refusest Therein to walk his mercies thou abusest Pervert'st the means of grace to schism and faction Wrest'st profer'd peace into perverse distraction P. B. is spil'd whence P. in mirth exceedeth Whil'st P. spoyls P. the heart of C. C. bleedeth And thou still glorying in thy shame abidest Sweet mercies scornest judgments fierce deridest Exceed'st in pride oppression blood and thieving Excess and bold profaneness never grieving For all thy horrid acts whose exclamation Rings up to Heav'n and croaks thy desolation For which thy crimes one of these are attending Thy soon repentance or thy latter ending It is not to me unknown that divers exquisite pens have poëtically translated the following Lamentations whose Labours I honour and aym not herein to detract from neither strive I to claw mans ear or tickle his fancie but have as neer as I was enabled kept the very words of the Text it self in our most usual English Translations hoping the divine gravity and interwoven plainness of that stile may prove powerful above all mans ingenious flourishes hereon as fitting best the parallel times and people whereâ—n and for whom they were first written Amen Hodie mihi Cras tibi Let Jury Britain's warner be Let Jebus London teach That we Gods ways may heed and see Whilst Jews to English preach The Lamentations of Jeremiah in metre CHAP. I. verse 1 HOw doth the thronged City sit desert How art thou widowed O thou that wert The great among the Nations Princess took Of Provinces and now in tributes yoak verse 2 Her nightly tears make torrents o'er her cheeks In vain she comfort from all lovers seeks Her friends perfidious all are foes become verse 3 Judah's gone captive from her native home Because of servitude and great affliction Among the Heathen she finds no refection Her persecuters 'twixt the straights o'ertake her verse 4 Zions wayes mourn since solemn feasts forsake her Her Priests do sigh her gates are desolate verse 5 Virgins afflicted She in bitter state Her soes are chief and prosper for the Lord Hath her afflicted for her most abhorr'd And multipli'd transgressions and her Sons Her enemies led captive all at once verse 6 All Zions Daughters beauty is departed Her Princes are like Harts in pastute thwarted verse 7 As finding none and they are strengthless gone verse 8 Before pursuers Jebus now thinks on Her pleasant things in days of old enjoy'd By miserie 's afflicting hand made voyd Her Sons faln in the hands of enemies Quite helpless foes her Sabbaths did despise verse 9 Jerusalem hath sinned grievously Therefore removed of her friends cast by Who saw her shame she sighs backward turns verse 10 Her filth is in her skirts and she adjourns The day of her last end whence she descends To wonderment yet voyd of cheering friends Lord view my sorrow for the foe doth boast verse 11 And snatch our pleasant things we value most She in her Temple sees the Heathen Nations Whom thou forbad'st t' approach thy Congregations verse 12 Her people sigh and seek their bread they give Their pleasant things for food them to relieve See Lord consider for I vile am grown verse 13 Is it to you as nothing have yee known O all by-passers any grief like mine In his fierce angers day by sacred Trine verse 14 Afflicted fire from Heaven he hath sent Into my bones his net spread with intent My feet to trap Yea he hath turn'd me back And made me faint and desolate alack verse 15 His hand hath bound the yoak of my transgressions Which wreathed mount cause my neck 's oppressions My strength he made to fall he gives me over Into their hands from whom I can't recover verse 16 In me he trampled on my men of might Assembled those that crush'd my young men quite As in a wine-press he that wears Heav'ns crown The Virgin Judah's Daughter hath trod down verse 17 For this I weep mine eye mine eye fleets on Because from me the Comforter is gone That should relieve my soul And desolate My children are ' cause those prevail'd
decay in age but this strength wins And grows with age it self the elder still A miser grows more griping grow he will A judgement sad a man should labour most For what he least doth need spend time and cost In that which he must forthwith leave to others And knows not unto whom mean-while smothâ—… His souls desires of seeking grace indeed That is the gain he most of all doth need Perhaps with Magus he befools himself Hoping to purchase grace with worldly pelf There 's no such barter feasible One grain Of grace exceeds the wealth of earth and main In truest value God and Mammon prove Incompatible masters whoe'er love One must despise the other God loves peace Mammon's contention 's Prince strife cannot cease In hearts by him o'ersway'd Treasons and Wars Bloodsheds oppressions violence and jars Are his hearts-solace And all other evils Are rife in him as in the very Devils Lord fortifie our souls by thy free Spirit Against this slavish sin whose justest merit Is guerdon of Injustice for she swayes And corrupts Justice by her bribing wayes Throughout the earth And take this at farewel Though here thou do'st thou shalt not do 't in Hell An Epigram on the same HArd-handed Mammon why do'st gripe so fast Thy gain will surely be but small at last Thy muck is ordure thou art a gold-finder Thy close-fist griping doth thy holding hinder 'T will squeeze betwixt thy fingers and be lost Unless thou gape to save it Oh haste post And lest thy sweet beloved ware should fall Hold fast with arms with hands teeth mouth and all Take take it all And then withall take this Thy body 's rob'd of rest thy soul of bliss All cannot unto either of them buy A moments ease to all Eternity Lust A branch of sin GIve leave to venial Sin the lists to enter She 'll soon display the height of your adventure And prove the Whore that gave her that slight name A lying gossip though a mincing dame Lust hath both botch and blain of sin's worst pest And therefore mortal is as well's the rest Nay none is so infectious she strikes dead By glance of eye by sight of clothes or bed Of parties not infected yea each sense She poisons with her flaming pestilence Sight hearing smell taste touch and all infect By secret Magick her enamour'd sect A smile a song a sent a cup a kiss Heart-wounding and most mortal to them is Yea which her venome more admired makes Of pest-free people she the plague oft takes At distance vast Oh most stupendious wonder Of parties many hundred miles asunder Their Lust hath sometimes on a picture fir'd Which shadow made the substance more desir'd And thus the Jewish Dames did doat of old When they did Chaldee counterfeits behold Nay her insinuating Necromancy Works where's no real Object on the fancy And stupifying reason sense and all Makes some in love with meer Idea's fall Whose souls of judgement she hath made so void To joy in that that cannot be enjoy'd And Lust contemplative hath so produc'd Incestuous Monsters 'twixt self-thoughts abus'd Lust is the Devils fueller makes fires And blows into a flame unchaste desires Contriving ever by deceits to win Others to be partakers of her sin And mostly if it end in publick shame They each on other strive to lay the blame Which shews in hearts where lust hath got possession A great aversness to a plain confession Which should blaze penitence This fire obdures And crusts the conscience where it once inures She 's now become one of the chief commanders Of the infernal Legions for her panders Are pride excess and sloth yea avarice Dotes mostly more on her then any vice If she come cheap But if the price be high Her flames at thought thereof expire and die Lust is on earth grown a commandress great Who ere the Crown do wear she keeps the seat The Throne and Scepter royal she doth sway And for the most part Monarchs makes obey Our first that title got of faith's defender Prov'd herein a notorious faiths offender A King perhaps most Christian may be stil'd Or Catholick and yet be so defil'd With lust's pollution as to merit scorn From Catholicks and Christians yet unborn Who will hereafter see with clearer eyes Then this dull age their covert Crimes espies For palaces and earth's most large possessions Are most deprav'd by lust excess oppressions And such like vices which have often been Lust's bawds whereby we Saints intrapt have seen For Ammon's sword had spar'd Uriah's life And he had not been drunk but that his wife Was grown by lust's enchanting forceries A pearl at once in both poor David's eyes What he abhorr'd to think she made him do Blinding his eyes of soul and body too And his son Amnon by his incest foul Wrought his own drunken death and wrong'd his soul Whose fratricidious brother past all shame Out-vi'd his incest as a sin too tame For such a roister who in Sol's bright eye Before all Israel in contempt did lie With his dear Fathers Concubines a fact Fitter for Devil then for man to act This sin inveigled had two brothers more Of their twelve Patriarchs in times of yore Reuben and Judah both herewith defil'd Wittingly one but t'other was beguild Nor could burnt Sodoms cinders terrifie Heav'n-rescu'd Lot from lust's Nicanthropy Nor both their judgements afterwards prevent The Benjamitish Gibeah's punishment The subt'ly wicked Prophet Balaam blew This cole in Isr'els hearts so them orethrew Whom his inchantments could not hurt at all Being Devil-proof and yet by lust did fall Old Eli's sons hereby Gods wrath provok't To his Ark's loss and Isr'els being yok't Under Philistims and their own sad deaths Which robb'd one 's VVife both's Father of their breaths The Preacher wisest of meer mortals who Knew most of men knew so much women too That lust infatuated the most wise Wresting his wisdom to Idolatrize So he to whom Jehovah twice appear'd To Chemosh Molech Milcom Altars rear'd To Ashtaroth and all the host of Heav'n For which his son was of ten Tribes bereav'n Whence Jacobs seed dicotomiz'd remain Their kingdom never unifi'd again Herod's base lust dish't up the Baptist's head Lust the Corinthian laid in 's father's bed The Gentile's great Apostle she disturb'd And could not by his praying thrice be curb'd At least not conquer'd Since as well's before She hath been Satans messenger to more She 's both to us and heathens though she mince Leidger Embassadour for Hell's black Prince And Rome's sly Nuntio's Machiavilians pure Did ne'er attain their errands ends more sure Aegypt's great Cleopatra fair grown foul By lust's pollution lost both soil and soul The greater Hercules whose very name Wonder-strook men was blasted by this flame All whose twelve matchless labours fam'd persever And yet his fame 's eclips'd by lust for ever The greatest Jupiter by lust o'ercome From God turn'd beast and was a bull become True 't was a faigned
faith meek Abel off'red sacrifice More excellent and pleasing in God's eyes Then Cain's his elder brother Enoch's faith Caus'd his translation that he saw not death By faith did Noah warn'd the Ark prepare Wherein he and his houshold saved were By faith the faithful's father Ur forsook And to an unknown place himself betook By faith he and his seed did sojourn there In a strange land their Tabernacles were By faith old Sarah Issue did receive And quite past age had strength seed to conceive By faith tri'd Abram Isaac offered Accounting God could raise him from the dead That Isaac blessed his two sons hereby And Jacob Joseph's sons when he did die By faith departing Joseph mention made That Isr'el out of Aegypt should evade By faith was new-born Moses three months hid And when he came to yeers refuse he did The Title of King Pharao's daughter 's son And rather chose to bear affliction With God's poor Israel then for a season Sin 's pleasure to enjoy faith was his reason Hereby he Aegypt left Passover kept And sprinkling blood lest he should them have swept Who the first-born destroy'd By this they post Through Red-Sea dry-shod while th' Aegyptian Host The like assaying were o'erwhelmed all By Faith the Walls of Jericho did fall And Rahab saved was But should I tell Of Gideon Barak Sampson Samuel Jephta and David of the Prophets all Whom faith to do or suffer forth did call Whose faith wrought righteousness Kingdoms subdu'd Obtained promises and stop'd the rude And savage Lyons mouths and quencht fierce fire Escap'd the sword made weakness to aspire To be most strong wax'd valiant in fight And turned Aliens Armies all to flight How women have their dead reviv'd receiv'd And others tortur'd would not be reliev'd With the unnumbred wonders faith hath wrought Unparallel'd and passing humane thought Time would me fail for no tongue can express Faith's famous miracles were they much less Whose all-subduing pow'r none can resist She makes th' Almighty God do what she list For if faith as a grain of mustard-seed Can Mountains move as in truth's word we read None can imagine any thing is hard To a firm faith from sinful doubt debarr'd Faith is the clew that in earths pilgrimage Convey's the Lord's elected heritage Through the world's labyrinth and brings them home Unto the King of glorie 's presence-room She is the souls perspective glass whereby She spies what friends or foes in kenning lye If Pyrates cross us or we victual want Faith 's both our ammunition and provant She is the winde that drives the needle card And Pilot that directs she is our guard Nay she 's our Sun by day our Moon by night Our Star that brings us to our Saviours sight Next whom she 's all in all to those that sail For Bliss-port and without her all must sail Epigram on Faith MY soul thou' rt bliss-ward bound make faith thy friend Eternal bliss is at her fingers end He that the same bestows is in her eye who 'll cease to be as soon as her deny Stupendious wonder God should stoop so low As to be creature-rul'd yet I will show True reason for 't and briefly that is this It is his will whose will true reason is Hope FIrm Anchor of our souls that moar'st them fast Unto the sacred Rock when thou art cast On what side ere thou fall'st thou hold fast tak'st And in that adamant impression mak'st When our weak faith's Sun-beams eclipsed are We sail by thee alone our only Star In those dark obfuscations which sometimes Becloud the best at sight of their high crimes Which interpose a foggie mist between Our faith 's dim'd eyes and Christ and like a screen Repel the light and heat that should proceed From his bright Rayes unto our souls in need Then thou our Pilot ready art at hand When we are toss'd in deeps to drive to land Thou art the Master's Mate though faith be chief And in her absent actings yeeld'st relief When she 's asleep or else unactive grown And we upon the quick-sands well-nigh thrown Thou bring'st assistance with thy gentle gale That we a while may with a by-wind sail Till faith do re-enliven and recover Until her soporif'rous fit be over When she awakes and wash'th her spethom'd eyes In Penitences laver thou dost rise And succour her enfeebled arm and hand Depriv'd of their late holdfast thou dost stand And her support who if thou wert not nigh Would languish in those fainting fits and die VVhen Faith is mir'd in pudly sink of sin And tired quite thou wad'st through thick and thin To draw her out rub'st her benummed limbs Till by regain'd agility she climbs And tow'rs aloft and tramples down her foes And conquers all the pow'rs that her oppose In sad desertions when the wounded soul Studie's by art to make her fair parts foul Hope gently wipes her spots and rins'th her eyes That she may clearer view the mysteries Of love Divine and not despair to cry For mercy which she else would do and die Hope in our souls a kind of being gains Ere saving Faith can act and this restrains New Faith from failing whence she term'd may be Her elder grace without absurdity And though Plerophory which some attain Seem hope needless to make when that they gain She 's needful still and fades not till fruition Of what is hoped then shall blessed vision Withal determine faith when she shall see What she believ'd and thence both useless be When doubts and fears which here them both annoy'd â—hall be discuss'd and quell'd by bliss enjoy'd â—in's sting envenom'd quite extracted be And death be swallow'd up in victory Then necessary uselesness attends Them both when they have both attain'd their ends â—aith Hope and Charity may well be call'd â— Christian 's tria Omnia and install'd â—he Princesses of other gifts and graces â—nd in Christ's Church rightly supply the places â—o Sulphur Salt and Mercury alotted â—… nature's schools by those whom Art besotted â—he three chief corner-stones in Sion's wall â—emove but these and you will ruine all â—ea rob a man of hope faith soon will die â—nd so will everlasting Charity â— hope surcease soon by degrees expire â—…r hope of all the three keep in the fire â—…e gains them life and heat and them inflames â—ith Zeal Divine the surging waves she tames â—hich in the storms of passions or affections â—f Spir'tual or temporal afflictions â—nd perturbations them would overwhelm â—…d she not steer their course and sit at Helm â— sacred hope steer on our course aright â—…rough this dark vale of tears in darkest night â—hilst faith is hood-winkt Charity inchill'd â—… other graces dead thou only skill'd â—… give sight heat and life unto them all â—…lp hope at need dear God or else we fall Who dying we shall live thy face to see And to enjoy and be enjoy'd by thee Epigram on Hope WEak faith's chief crutch deserted soul's sole prop Charities
Give her a Vomit of Repentance true Steept well in tears and taken next the heart Till that be broke each day the same renew A paradoxick Cure in physick 's Art Purge oft by fasts and prayers till thereby An Issue thou procure in either eye 11. Take a good quantity of detestation Of hatred and abhorrencie of sin Chiefly of that neer to thee in relation Which hath thy Darling and Beloved bin Thy right hand thy right eye cut off pluck out And cast from thee these wounds will cure no doubt 12. When thou hast soundly thus evacuated Thy sinful humours if thou faintish grow And feel thy strength somewhat too much abated By Faith this Cordial take that I thee show A dose of God-mans blood mixt with his merits 'T will thee restore and cheer thy heart and spirits 13. The greatest Doctor ere on earth did tread A better med'cine ne'er prescrib'd to man This life restores to men whole ages dead Nay this eternal life procure thee can But after vomit still beware returning And in and after purging keep zeal burning 14. This will restore God's Image lost by sin Make thee his son thee with his Spirit fill Free thee from keeper and the jayl thou' rt in Hereby thou mayst both covenants fulfil Open thy windows and unclose thine eyes And higher mount then Lark or Eagle flies 15. By this thou may'st flie higher then the spheres Out-mount all mortal thoughts and live most free From worldly thraldoms crosses cares and fears Have God's imperial throne prepar'd for thee To King it in when thou from hence shalt soar To raign with him in joy for evermore The Epigram MY soul take my advice It 's good no doubt Thou and thy Jayl were both turn'd inside out Pray him that made you both for Jesus sake He 'll thee henceforth thy keepers keeper make 'T would main advancement to his glory be Could'st thou o'er-rule this wretch that now rules thee Another on the same TRanscendent wonder that who 's born most free A slave unto himself should freely be That the diviner soul of god-like birth Should be a vassal to a lump of earth But she had never thus imprison'd bin Had not this body captiv'd her by sin Mortifie thou this body for 't and then Thou shalt regain thy liberty agen Subdue its lusts break its proud heart asunder Then by Christ's help thou 'lt keep thy keeper under To Christians rigidly censorious DEar fellow-members of that mystick head Who is our Jesus and our Christ should be Who ever must be so acknowledged By those that hope his face with joy to see Cease all rash judgment look on me a worm The most unworthy member of you all Who cannot as I would base self reform Yet trust in him to do 't who 's all in all Who sees and governs hearts with much more ease Then men can actions let his love divine Calm your incensed spirits and appease Your zealous hearts forbear to judge of mine Or others mens estates by bare surmise To stumble at our failings for we stand Or fall to our great master who espies The thoughts words deeds of each heart tongue and hand And judgeth all uprightly whom nor fear Nor favour e'er can sway nor bribe corrupt Happy are you that can your wills forbear And them subject to his who interrupt Lusts passions and affections natural By his assisting grace for thereby 't is Alone that you can stand and though we fall Often and much rob us not of the bliss Of your conniving Charity but give Mild censures of our states for our desires Like yours are infinite wishing to live In each particular as God requires But ah corrupted nature so much sways In our frail hearts and all our duties taints We leave his pure to walk in our vain ways No less might you wer 't not for his restraints Forbid Lord that I here should plead for sin In customary practise unoppos'd It 's crimes in which we fall not wallow in Our hearts the while being otherwise dispos'd Death's body that is in us towes us on To do what our oppressed souls abhor Whence none can us deliver but who 's gone Yet staies with thee our pardons to implore On whom alone for mercy we depend Since 't is thy will who won shall wear the prize His merits not our own our cause defend And they alone thy justice can suffice Our morning-dews our menstruoâ—s raggs are full Of emptiness as well as filth that soiles Our souls with self-conceit which renders dull And dead our duties and our graces foils So whilst we in our selves for something look We overlook our souls Pau-pharmacon And swallow Satans subt'lest bayt and hook Which so besots mysterious Babylon Self-merit which can ne'er God's test endure Though we may hug our selves in high-flown hopes They 'll vanish soon and we shall stand impure In his pure eyes who 'll storm down all self-props Dear brethren militant who here wage war Against world flesh and Devil our common foes If any of you herewith tainted are As many doubtless are though who none knowes Let me beseech your interchange of pray'rs For us to graces sacred throne and ours Shall be for you this mutual love repaires All Christian breaches cry with all your powers For our more strict obedience and we 'll cry With ours for your humility the while And let 's all cry for Christian unity Betwixt us all divisions do defile Our mothers face they sully her fair skin And schism hath branded truths sweet self with lies Whilst we neglect the danger we are in And foster errors which our foes devise Purposely to divide that they may raign And ruine undescri'dly Church and State To bring us back inslav'd to Rome and Spain Oh haste prevention lest it prove too late Let 's joyn hearts hands and heads let 's cry aloud With true repentant tears for our high crimes Which cry for vengeance and are yet allow'd Frist mend our selves then we shall mend the times For we have marr'd them and till we reform They 'll grow but worse in spight of wit of force Or policy And we shall have a storm Insensible by all our foot and horse Defend dear Lord defend these sinfull lands From thy impending judgments and retract Thy unsheath'd sword and let not their fierce hands Thy just revenge on these vile Nations act Who are thy foes and ours though our deserts Plead strongly so to have it but reclaim Our sinful lives and turn our stubborn hearts That we at last may at thy glory aim And scorn self-ends the Idol of this Land Lest self-ends bring us to self-ends indeed As well as in intention Lord thy hand Alone can save us blessed God proceed Wonders to work within us In our change As thou hast long without us wonders wrought Turn us from bad to good thy plagues estrange Which unrepented sins have on us brought Restore us unity and peace divine Let thy sweet Gospels
redeem what was his own Unforfeited It now his right is grown By purchase too Lord keep what now thou hast For we shall lose it if thou hold not fast A fairer purchase ne'er was bought or sold Nor fickler for the Purchaser to hold Were not thy Mercy great and stupifying 'T was ne'er worth making much less worth thy buying Infancy EPitome of man why such sad chear As cries and tears at thy first entrance here Sure thou confut'st philosophers of old Who tales of spheres harmonious musick told Such a celestial quire must by and by Ravish thy soul with charming melody But thou art deaf to them they mute to thee 'Twixt deaf and dumb new-met what sympathy Alass but small But thou thus dost not cry Their errour to confute or to descry Thou 'st cause enough besides thy pain in birth And birth to future pain whilst here on earth Thou com'st from whence thou hadst content before And whilst thou' rt here shalt never have it more Can thy diminutive heart chuse but mourn To restless pains and crosses to be borne Alas what hath this empty world that 's rare To please thee with a teat a bib fine ware A rattle whistle toys with crying after These rarities may justly challenge laughter Though not worth joying in nor yet injoying But that thy crying fits are husht with toying Yet this I 'll say for thee who in no wise Canst for thy little self apologize Men riper year'd pursue as eagerly More noxious bables and sing lullaby To their deluded souls in those enjoying Which mostly are their selves and souls destroying Bacchus wins men with bibbs Cupid with teats Whilst Mars with whistles calls to famous feats But all-commanding Mammon rattles makes With cursed coyn-baggs cheating metal-cakes Worse then At'lanta's apples in the way To Heav'n they force us both to stay and stray Oh then let 's cease to laugh at thy weak wits And learn to mourn for our own frantick fits Far better we delighted in thy toys Then by our own to lose eternal joys But ah thy innocence in act could wee In that perfection equalize but thee We happy were Such must we be for none But some way such shall Heav'n attain alone Lord make us such for only thou canst tame Our headstrong natures and make us disclaim Proud self who flown aloft doth meteorize And with false flashes dazles faith's weak eyes Extinguish Lord this fatal Comet in us Infantize thou our high-swoln hearts and win us To humble meckness by thy peerless skill Make us stout men yet little children still That with humility and innocence ' Gainst all assailants we may make defence And strive to victory Oh thou most high List us for soldiers of thy infantry The Epigram WEakest of creatures what come naked forth Into the world's vast wilderness it's worth Thy cries and tears yea cares and fears beside What may thee in this solitude betide Yet ne'er despair take for thy comfort this 'T is the most beaten road to future bliss Husband thy teares treasure them up in store To mourn for sin thy joy shall be the more Foes thou hast great and many but a friend That 's gone this way unto the journey's end Hath weak'ned them yea will them all subdue Only believe in him he 's yet in view In eye of faith keep still thy innocence Be still a child in giving no offence Keep thy friend's foot-steps home to Heaven door For 't is Heav'ns-God's-son that is gone before Puerility INfancy was illiterate and past In wordless craving to be pleas'd in hast The A. B. C of man next treads the stage It foots the world's great ball which riper age Doth head and hearts so much that oft' it strains Her heart-stings to a crack oft' breaks her brains Childhood's a pretty fiddle but the rod Doth spoil it's case and makes it's musick odd And harsh which else would mostly pleasant be Though much more out of tune the Birchen tree Terrifies more in schools then English oaks ' Erst did their foes at Sea with thunder strokes Whence some of this small tribe will dare aver Nero not half so bad 's a school-master See see our way-ward nature native hate To means whose ends might us felicitate We willingly will precious time advance To loss of knowledge gain of ignorance A barter that breaks all the Merchants trust Yet satisfies none but the Devil and lust His foes not creditors Hark wanton hark Walk in the day for danger 's in the dark Knowledge no burthen is save unto those Whom ignorance marks out for wisdom's foes Learn but what 's good and what is evil shun Play on as long 's thou wilt the game is won Surely thy life 's a puppet-play wherein â—hy acted parts allude to future sin â—hy pot-guns may to Cannons grow thy cash Of rounded slats breed love of that base trash That so inchants earth's pilgrims that they sell Their lives their souls for coyn to purchase Hell Thy plays in which thou pris'ners tak'st descry The course of wars where some pursue some fly Thy hood-winck't sports give ignorance her due â—n emblem fabulous whose moral 's true These thy now counterfeits in future times Become thy real actions and thy crimes Lord what a gallimaufry of deceit â—s man's frail life who first doth counterfeit Next rea-lize those vanities which tend At last to falshood and an endless end End end these wanton toys play not the sot To make a trade of that which profits not â—eason thy new-made clome with sipid liquor These us'd as recreations may make quicker Thy parts of soul and body for that trade In whose sole profit thou art marr'd or made Oh! 't is of high concernment weigh thy time And weigh it to the grains it 's rare pastime Full fraught with true content rich gain to boot And now 's thy time yea now 's high time to do 't Each minute this way spent will win thee store Of wealth and bliss when time shall be no more Think in thy play each step of thine steps on One step towards thy grave which steps-time gone Thou never canst recal to re-imploy More profitably for thy future joy When thou dost learn thy book each letter think Sin 's embleme as the paper 's stain'd with ink Sin staines thy self each sin 's a letter foul A capital character for thy soul Wherein to read its doom if penitence Rinse not away with blood guilt and offence Learn'st thou to write Ah! then thou act'st to life Thy own life's acts to sins-blurs far more rife And prone then fairest paper is to take The blurs that thy miss-guided pen doth make And learn from hence occasions to avoyd Whereby thy soul with sin might be annoy'd These uses make of thy occurrent playes And of thy labours too that so thy wayes By both may better'd be Though this seem hard It 's worth thy pains and will return reward Reward that will requite thy vigilance Ten thousand-fold
any more Yet sow good seed and plow thy furrows deep And thou shalt reap rich harvest in thy sleep Dotage AH what a sight is here a man turn'd child Nay infinitely worse with sin defil'd Yet knows it not See proud rebellious Chit Who vaunt'st of youth strength beauty wisdom wit Health and accursed Policie weigh well This rue-ful spectacle which might excel Thee in them all in time but now bereft Of all by his own natures trait'rous theft Thou the same nature hast of the same mold And may'st be such perhaps ere half so old Oh pride thee not in these indowments so Thou seest their frailty how they come and go This less then man worse then child once thoughâ— He never should have to this pass been brought Nor can believe he 's so which much augments His sad condition utterly prevents His Reformation makes him doat along In Hell's wide rode with a presumption strong That he 's in Heavens path and knows the way As well's the best and scorns to go astray When he no more that way doth know or minde Then new-born Infants know or plod to finde The North-west passage to the Indies hence Howe'er if you 'l him teach he takes offence Ah wayward froward and untoward man To God and all that 's good A Negro can Lâ—ave his black skin unto a snow-white hue Much sooner then man can himself renew It 's far more easie to make Earth change place Then change corrupted Nature into Grace 'T is madness to a truce to seek to win them The quintessence of Opposition's in them Cease therefore self-deluding-man to try To compass an impossibility Rouze up thy soul his pow'rful help to crave Who is Almighty and alone can save Who only can such change as this effect And all the fraud of thy false Heart detect Whose Will perverse is greatest foe to grace Cashier old Will and give new Will the place This poor anatomy of man doth still Retain in height of strength its wonted will Though totally of other strength depriv'd And would retain that if it were three-liv'd Oh saddest sight Let 's view it once again It 's a meer Magazine of grief and pain Mortalitie's Memorial here is limm'd Full to the life and with Death's shadows trimm'd The snuff of man half in half out if blown It seems the quicker Is but quicker gone Once it was man now a meer living creature Not prefect man nor beast of humane feature You 'll think I doat to doatage thus to speak Lest it miss-apprehend me for it 's weak Yet wilful too of reason quite bereft Almost of sence it hath no sences left Save pains-sense unimpair'd few active now Unless you lingua and non-sence allow For senses too as some loose wits would have them In women for their labour e'en beknave them Yet I to doaters on my harp may strike A note as well's to infants much alike But I 'll speak faire Father youâ—… run the ring Of nature like a man or some such thing A child you crawl'd from earth your mother's womb Now are a child crawling to earth your tomb You 're going whence you came are what you were Except that innocence which did appear First in your soul which sin deleted hath And made you the old man a child of wrath 'T were better far you had continu'd still Such innocent yet I can teach you skill How you more innocency may recover If you 'll re-act your childs paâ—… rightly over Weep heartily and cry for your sins past Neglect of duties want of true fore-cast In your unlawful actions and desire The Gospels milk sincere blow in the fire Of that small spark of grace that God affords Your half-extinguisht soul and blaze records Of your true zeal though weak hugg the sweet breasts Of divine consolation make attests Of good desires by lifting up your eyes And hands to him that gave them let your cries Be for the bread of life cast off the toys Of this deluding world slight her false joys Allot to alms the treasures earth affords Chaunt out your tuneless songs your phraseless words To his great glory who such love hath shown To your poor soul when you deserved none Play with the babes of grace and take delight In little children such in God's pure sight If any beat thee to thy father cry Thy moan to him brings certain remedy Hang fast upon thy elder brothers neck Kiss kiss the Lamb his Bride with garlands deck Such plays content the soul whereas your joys Unsatisfying are yea sinful toys Look on the se-ven candlestick's bright lights Insite in purest gold joy in such sights Reject world's worthless trifles catch the crown To thee held forth and so in peace lye down In earth's great cradle hush'd in silence shy Where earthquakes rock and windes sing lullaby 'Till thy exciting by those trumpets blasts who 'll summon dead to life that ever lasts In Resurrections morn whose joys transcend Immensly voyd of measure as of end The Epigram BRave man what doating now who would have thought Thou to this market wouldst thy hoggs bave brought Love is youth's doatage make thy doatage love Then doat on spare not on the things above They 're worth thy doating on and thou shalt see Thy doatage seeds spring to eternity Death GReat King of terrours Sythe-man of the earth Whose harvest rounds the year thou ne'er hadst dearth Since the world first was peopled nor shalt have Till it unpeopled be the silent grave Is thy head-quarters where all mankind keep Their gen'ral Rendevouz lull'd fast asleep In equal darkness yet in quiet rest There 's no distinction of the worst from best Great small friends foes all undisturbed ly Of Sympathy void and Antipathy Lay Calvin with Calvus a popish Priest Their arguments a child may here untwist Put Alexander into Codrus toomb He 'll never justle for more elbow-room Cesar's with Pompey's dust will co-unite As well as Jonathan's with David's might Death is the truest Leveller that smoothes The lofti'st turrets with the lowest boothes No controversies in her court arise No titles question'd there in any wise The plaintiff and defendant there may ly In peace together with their Lawyers by Each on both sides as here perhaps they were Much to their prejudice but not so there The taxing souldier and the taxed clown Shall be joynt-tenants when they here ly down In sweet ungrumbling silence land-lords great And tenants poor shall have a like estate In this demesnes the Emperour and groom Partake without precedency this room No fears or jealousies disturb their rests No Herauld needs to place this princes ghests 'T is a Decree in this great Court alone TAKE PLACES AS YOU COME or else have none Yet no distaste is taken if it hap A beggar placed be in Caesar's lap Death strikes with equal stroak lays equal rates All Adam's progeny with her are mates More perfect order never yet hath been In any Monarch's Court that Earth
lave the blurs That in thy book appear Make no demurs In thy great suit for pardon get it out With restless speed in thy proceedings doubt Lest Errour be in thy Original Or any other Writ and make sure all As thou go'st on cast often thy account And see to what thy sums receiv'd amount And how expended what thou see'st amiss Amend in future by more carefulness For past debts take Repentances keen knife And raze them out then to avoid all strife Smooth it with Faith's rough pummice o'er and o'er Thy Creditor never will charge it more This play seems foul but is not though he know Thy crafty trick he loves to have it so And though such tricks may Merchants seem to stain It both augments his glory and thy gain Now shall the Earth-amazing Dooms-day be A day of joy and comfort unto thee Thy hearts chief solace in the saddest fits Whose thoughts might formerly have scar'd thy wits Look how the chased Hart desires the Brooks The blind Gods Herd their living Idols looks As Mariners nigh shipwrack'd wish for shore Or tyred School-boyes learning to give o'er As poor deserted Souls for faith do long The faithful for Plerophory so strong Will thy desires wishes and longings be To see that day once terrible to thee Thy soul once thus sublim'd will ever cry With yerning Bowels Come Lord Jesus Hye And with the Spirit and the Bride will say Come come Lord quickly while it is to day That Trump whose very thought the world doth fray Will be thy Cock-crow to eternal day The Epigram STout Man why quak'st to think on this days sound Thy fear doth from thy inward guilt redound Sweep clean thy conscience mundifie thy Heart Through-captivate thy will to his whose art Of love did thee redeem thence Judgements trump Will cheer thy soul whose thought now doth it dump At this Assizes fear not to appear The Judge will read thy Neck-Verse for thee here Plead guilty and condemn thy self before Confess and so be sav'd for evermore Lord what vast difference herein appear'th Betwixt thy Laws of Heaven and ours of earth Hell HOrrid'st of Creatures who wast solely made To please Eternal Justice thy black shade Abounds with Contradictions freezing fires With torrid chilness Infinite desires Void of the least attainments Howling theams Compos'd all of Exordiums fiery beams Flashing yet light-less This school's Alphabet Abjures Omega they who there are met To roar out Palinodes and Elegies Are still beginning Cain if there he lies Is no whit farther in his lesson come Then he that last went hence to that sad home Nay Lucifer grand-paedagogue of all Hath not learn'd A. B. C. since his first fall Though our and his great Master taught him better The Dullard is not yet past the first letter His lesson's now as far from learning out As 't was when first he troopt the Angel-rout Into Rebellion and the Lesson's dire 'T is wo and lamentations in a fire Tormenting not consuming burning still Still killing yet doth never fully kill Eternal labour with eternal loss Uncessant cares and yet uncessant cross A death-less death a life-less life remains Which multiplies the terrour of the pains Measureless endless hapless hopeless fate Whoe'er comes here findes it too soon too late Too soon to sense the pain but to prevent That sense too late since too late to repent Ah careless cureless heedless headless man Leap not into the fire out of the pan Whilst here Afflictions Cauldron thou dost shun Thou darest Hell and so art quite undone Temporal crosses may be better born Then those eternal do not counsel scorn That 's good and given gratis strike thy sails Stoop thy top-gallant Will it nought avails Poor Sculler these to mount in a Bravado When he 's in viron'd with a strong Armado If thou stand out thou' rt sunk and lost for ever Submit submit to change thy will endeavour Look ere thou leap thy foot is at pits brink Move but a hairs-breadth forward thou must sink And sink eternally see here the Chasm Against whose wounds there is no Cataplasm Who falls here wounded is beyond all cure And must beyond all time his pains endure This Dungeon hath nor joy nor rest nor ease Nor comforts nor a hope of ought like these But desperation of them and assurance Of perpetuity of pain 's endurance View view bewitched man this place of wo Jehovah's Magazine of Terrour Lo This Den from beatifick Vision is Excentrick quite exterminate from bliss Its Ghests all captive mourners who delight Each other to torment and to affright Mutual Assassinates and merciless Unsatiate in fiercest cruelness VVhose hideous howlings raving roaring cries Gnashing of teeth loud shreeks would rend the skies Shake all the earth to shivers melt proud man Into a floud of tears make beauty wan Strength feeble and his specious frame dissolve To nothing once to hear them Oh! revolve This frequently in heart lest Hells dark flame The thought whereof should wildest Mortals tame Prove the first light that gives thee sight of sin And sense of second death when once thou' rt in There 's no Redemption Poenitence too late VVill but increase thy torment not abate Here shalt thou see Nimrod's stern progeny Tyranniz'd o'er as they lov'd tyranny Gygantick Cyclops may tormented be By Pygmey feinds t' augment their misery The pompous Dives there shall not command One drop of water from a Lazar's hand Nor it obtain yet begging heartily To cool his parched tongue although it fry Abaddon and Apoll'on here do raign Great Lords of mis-rule o'er the damned train ' Mongst whom confusion is the perfect'st order And greatest mercy worse then horrid'st murder Where Lucifer and Beelzebub now ly Inflicting pains and pain'd eternally These lapsed Angels knowing their own fate Irrevocable are incens'd with hate Against both God and man but wanting power God to infest they seek man to devour Whom living they by flatt'ry strive to win But dead torment most justly for his sin Their first plot is Gods image to deface Once stampt on us now re-ingrav'd by grace Since our base forfeitute of that great favour In Paradise by breach of good behaviour Whilst sweet redemption crusht that curst design They now do re-inforce to undermine Us by our neerest friends the world and flesh Yea self on self fiercely assaults afresh And did not an Almighty pow'r defend us These our three friends to those our soes would send us Blessed Redeemer with thy banner shield us Oh let thy Spirit still assistance yeild us Against those subtile falshoods fly devices VVhereby Hell 's regent our poor souls intices Confound his plots and by thy grace relieve us And from this dismal dungeon Lord reprieve us The Epigram SEâ— man thy creature's creature this curst place Of endless torment thy sweet meats sow'r sawce Thy honey's gall house of thy sins foundation Tophet the cell of thy deserv'd damnation Critical Atheists have a question stirr'd VVhere it should
be thereto wise men demurr'd But I 'll resolve that doubt whoe'er thou be Atheist approach and feel draw neer and see And doubtless thou shalt have full satisfaction For thy nice question and each godless action Thou' rt right i' th' way no guide needs yet know this Death will most surely shew thee where it is Heaven ETernal Majesty who here dost raign My Muse assistance by thy Spirit daign In mercy pardon this my bold adventure The holiest of holies thus to enter Oh! circumcise my heart my foul lips touch VVith thy great Altar's cole ere I approach Thy honour's dwelling Sanctifie my verse Let this its Our ano-graphy rehearse Soul-charming strains that ravish may with love My self and others of the things above I kiss thy threshold Lord and so creep in VVhere 's no approach for ought defil'd with sin Not that i 'm pure but foul yet purged cleer Lo Lord my sacrifice and Priest are here At thy right hand of glory with thee one The glory both of thy right hand and throne The wonder of thy mercy love and grace VVho bears all Heavens joys summ'd in his face The Heav'n of Heav'n Men cannot wish more bliss Then to behold thy sacred face and his Though but a moment who such sight might have Would hug the silent hushtness of the grave Kiss death yea woo Hells self on the condition When time 's spent to the snuff to have fruition Of that transcendent joy Oh grace divine Incomprehensible save by the Tri'ne It forc'th my tongue-ty'd Muse rapt with delight To stutter forth a far-short Epithite Oh su-per-su-per-su-su-per-la-tive Stupendious Love Into whose depth to dive Would non-plus Heav'ns Angelick Hierarchy VVonder-strike all the Saints to Lethargy Yet as if these essentials of that joy VVere too too small for mankinde to enjoy Too slight a guerdon for a sinful worm VVhose sting death-stung the Lord of Life whose form First most divine is self-deform'd by guilt God for augmenting circumstantials built This New Jerusalem Joys splendid throne A City whose high walls are precious stone Her streets transparent gold her unshut gates Of Orient pearls all of unvalu'd rates VVhere needs nor Sun by day nor Moon by night For God's great glory gives eternal light The Lamb 's the Lamp thereof within it walk Earth's saved Tribes whose musick and whose talk Are Allelu-iahs whose white Robes out vie The purest snow in candor such no eye Of Mortal ever saw nor heart of man Can half conceive where Jesus leads the Van Of sacred Myriades host of Lord of hosts VVith millions of Angels for the posts And scouts of that Coelestial Army grac'd VVith many thousand-thousand Kings all plac'd In thrones of glory crown'd with endless peace And sceptred with triumphant Palms where cease All oppositions to eternity For all their Enemies subdued lie Chain'd up in deathless flames in sulph'ry smother Tormenting and tormented by each other Doom'd to so horrid and immense a curse As God himself can wish his Foes no worse But what need Joys Antipathetical Where Sympathetical drown heart and all In sweet satiety and pleasing fulness Blessedly void of nauseating dulness This feast's cates cloy not ne'er so freely ta'en The Ghests need fear no surfeiting or bane Yet it 's a lasting everlasting feast Like free for all the greatest or the least Here winged Cherubims bring in the Ghests From all Earth's quarters after Death's arrests That Vinegar prepares their appetites To feed on unexpressible delights For that 's Gods wonted way as all Saints know who 'll feast above must taste sowre sauce below Afflictions are Preparatives to bliss VVho rightly bear one rarely t'other miss I might say never Lord what fools are we VVhom sense misseads to doat on what we see Hear feel smell taste with Organs physical Sense-comforts have Soul-poyson in them all The Spider sucks them thence and heedless Bees Fixing on them their ' fore-got honey leese And labour too Avaunt avaunt dear souls Let Faith's bright eye aspire beyond the Poles And view those everlasting Mansions there Void of disturbance anguish care or fear Of all that discontents all that annoys And full refert with boundless endless joys Here the celestial choristers declare Their maker's glory chaunting hymns most rare Sweet odes and Epithalamies they 'll sing To celebrate the nuptials of their king Mount Sion's Lamb Lyon of Judah's tribe Whose bless'd inauguration they 'll describe In soul-amazing notes that ravish quite All ears with sweet excess of choice delight The Heav'n and Heav'n of Heavens ring with peals Of acclamations at the open'd seals The mystery of God fulfill'd they 'll see And joy therein to all eternitie Methinks I hear the most melodious songs The none-such ditties warbled by those throngs My towring soul transmounts the cast back skies Sensing in her degree those rhapsodies Hyper-noetick strains that quite transform My lowly muse into a lofty form Make nature lethe-drunk inflame my heart With restless longing there to bear a part Where who the least part bears shall bear a weight Of countless endless glory great yet light A crowning burthen burthenless who bear The Cross right here shall there the crown right wear An Amarantine Crown of glory lasting Further beyond then 't is to everlasting Lord why doth this dull lump of earth detain My mounting soul from their consort that raign With thee in glory I should groan to be Dissolv'd that I thy presence bright might see Whereof a glympse I spy but sinful flesh Still conjures up desires of life afresh Of life not worth desiring now I view The difference 'twixt it and this that 's true True life is only here our life below Is but a mock-life meerly life in show But real death Lord that I here might stay And wait at my Redeemer's feet for aye But ah it cannot be I must descend And re-invested be in flesh to end My task by thee appointed me beneath Till summon'd by thy Pursevant grim death Or judgement's change I re-appear before Thy throne to be with thee for evermore Dear God in mercy dangers all prevent That may affayl my soul in this descent From sin-defilement keep her pure and free And then thy will be done O Lord on me Yet ah i 'm loath to part my soul much fear'th To fall from highest heav'n to lowest earth Guide me and her Lord while we there remain And then ere long we shall return again The Epigram OH what all-dazling lustre's here whose bright Corruscancy deprives all eyes of sight All tongues of words expressive and all hearts Of comprehensive thoughts all these weak parts Are stupifi'd hereat yet this great throne Was made for worthless man's fruition What miracles hath mercy more to do What! forgive sins give sinners heaven too There needs no more of mercy for man's lot Get hea-ven and get all that need be got Of getting other things learn the forgetting For when all 's got heav'n's all that 's worth the getting Valedictio
vanitatibus 1. FArewel fond Cupid with thy gamesome pleasure Childhood and youth inchanting Whose self-betraying leasure Thy pathes of vanity is always haunting And whose fanatick souls Like Dotterels those foolish fowls Are caught by imitation And train'd to death by doating on the fashion 2. Honour Our manhood's bubble and her bauble Charming us with vain-glory To seek what is not stable And dare damnation for fame transitory Chameleon-like to live By airy praise that others give And slight our souls salvation Farewel there 's danger in so high a station 3. Farewel old Ages folly cheating treasure False deâ—ity of worldly wife Who crave that past all measure Which needless is What most they need despise Who Ant-like without rest Labour to fill their borrow'd nest Then Cuckoo-like leave unto strangers Eggs nest and all to finde eternal dangers I must acknowledge the ensuing-valedictions to be unto more relations then I ever had at one and the same time in being But ayming to express according to my low power the nothingness in worth of our temporal to our eternal enjoyments at sight of the blessed society above I have briefly and abruptly bid farwel to all below Amen Sequuntur Quatuordecem Valedictionis Quatuordecimales 1. To the World and its Inhabitants FArewel my fellow-citizens of Earth Frail self-like Mortals made of flesh and blood Whose greatest fear 's death sickness war and dearth Though you I love I 'll leave your Neighbourhood For I am bent for new discoveries My faith another world hath in her eye Far situate beyond the azure skies Whose subjects all are Saints thither go I There shall this drossy flesh and blood refin'd Immortal grow and free from all your fears Where whilst my Saviour's presence cheers my mind My heart shall vent no sighs my eyes no tears But fill'd with joy from age to age I 'll sing Sweet Allelu-iahs to my God and King 2. To Europe and Europaeans FArewel my worldly fellow-quarterers Plac'd in the Earths Right eye by grace divine Who gives more knowledge to thy sojourners Then to all quarters else where Sol doth shine Ye are most civiliz'd of all the rest Of this worlds pilgrims though proud China boast Of her two eyes compar'd with thee at best She must confess at least one of them lost I must remove my quarters though so good For I have took up new beyond the poles Dear-purchas'd by my General 's heart-blood To those that quarter there you 're blind as moles There I shall know as I am known and be Perfect in Knowledge to Eternity 3. To Britain and Britain's FArewel dear Country-men Heav'ns Paramours For God hath choycest blessings heap'd on you Beyond all other lands That Isle of yours Earth's Cornucopiae may be lik'ned to Wherein are all things needful for man's life Plenty of most But oh the means of grace By Gospel-Ministers though now at strife So plentiful in no Land ever was But I must take my leave lest your dissention About the way to life should error breed In my frail heart I 'll therefore for prevention To everlasting unity with speed To Grace's Crown of glory I ascend What needs the means when l 've attain'd the end 4. To Shire-mates FArewel my Shire-mates whom this Isle's division Hath neighbouriz'd to me and me to you Whose rights have in one Counties Courts decision Peace to maintain and to give each his due Native vicinity commands my love Yet I must traverse all my actions hence I 'll get out an injunction from above To try at God's tribunal each offence There I a righteous Chancery shall finde Yet have my Judge my advocate to be And have no costs unto my foe assign'd The Playntiff Satan who impleadeth me On trespasses oft' done against the Judge Who will release me pray then who can grudge 5. To Parishioners FArewel Parochial Neighbours whom this Nation By custome in one Register inrols And hath held of one Church one Congregation And chosen one for Curate of our souls These civil ties and neighbour-hood endear You much to me But I must from you part Amongst you I of Schism and faction fear Another Congregation hath my heart Where one-ness indivisible appears Whose Curate is the Bishop of our souls Melchi-zedeck whose flock is free from fears Of Wolf or Fox of ravenous beasts and fouls Yet guarded by a Lamb whose song we 'll sing With Saints and Angels till the heavens ring 6. To Servants FArewel my Servants for my Covenant Requires me to depart mourn not for me For your attendance I no more shall want Your Master and mine own I go to see I must confess a truant I have been And in his service faith-less dull and dead Yet he hath sworn he 'll pay my wages in If I but with his only Son will wed Serve I him but the twinckling of an eye I shall have wages payd eternally His Debtor deep and desperate was I Who sent his Son to die to ransome me Oh love stronger then death my soul away Make speed lest thy dear Master for thee stay 7. To familiar acquaintance FArewel acquaintance I 'll acquaint you where Are better to be got then you and I I 'll challenge you to dare to meet me there And promise you rich fare and melody Ambrosia Nectar and the Poet's cates Are husks and gall to that celestial fare The Spheres harmonious musick jars and grates To their Diviner Quavers warbled there Where no associates we so base shall find As Earth's most potent King or Emperour True joy shall fill the body soul and mind With contentation lasting evermore What poor society doth earth afford Draw up my heart of steel dear loadstone Lord. 8. To intimate friends FArewel my mind 's embosom'd darlings dear ' Mongst whom one heart may many bodies serve And act unitely in them all It 's clear I highly prize your love Yet needs must swerve From hugging your enjoyment for I 'm call'd By the great friend of friends the god of love VVith his triumphant friends to be install'd In Love's great Principality above The King of Kings commands me I must hence To more and greater friends then Earth affords Detain me not Nor count this an offence If I cease to be yours to be the Lords I 'll be both his and yours if you 'll his be And you in him again shall meet with me 9. To Brothers Sisters and Kindred FArewel my flesh and blood my kindred here Our homogeneal parts at first were one 'Till rib-made Eve made two who still one were Millions of millions now in number grown Adieu t' ye all but most to those most near I have attain'd new consanguinity All of my elder Brothers blood d' ye hear Yet not of mine but of divine affinity A breed of quondam men now glorifi'd Who sing sweet Requiems eternally To their inthroned souls not to be ey'd By Mortals opticks where the starry Skie Their foot-stool is their seat the glorious flore Of his great Throne