those Joyes through worldly Toyes Lord here we yeild thee thanks though soyld with Errours And round about beset with many Terrours For turning Brittaines Iland from a Beast To be Baptiz'd and of Baptiz'd the Best While she doeth firmely to thy Pledges stick To thy true Seales and Spirits Candlestick Praysed be thou who hast to us reveald The Certaine Meanes whereby we may be heal'd Of Natures Spots and those Contagious Evills Heapt on us by the World the Flesh and Devills More in these Latter Times then heretofore When our Great Tempter lay enthralled more And of his Stings curb'd by the Holy Ghost Till Babels Whore perk'd up and rul'd the rost Which sacred Meanes we humbly pray thy Grace May still support us in our New-mans Race As we begunne so with more Love to burne Untill thy Sonne Incarnate shall returne With Finall Doome to judge the Dead and Quick The Dead in Faith and the Church Catholick A joyfull Hymne to be sung on the Lords Day winding up the Sevenths Dayes Exercise REjoyce yee Saints hoyse up your highest Sayles And magnify with loud Hosaâ—â—aes hayles The Lord that first saluted from the Grave Fraile Adams Sonnes and them their debts forgave Spread forth his Sabbaths Palmes sing joyfull Psalmes Attend his word and to the Poore give Almes How Amiable and Cordiall is thy Word Above all Objects els O mighty Lord How ravishing with Pleasures Manifold Surmounting Musick Pomp or heapes of Gold Sounds in our Hearts the Heavenly Bridgroomes voice How sweetly ring those Peales of Hallowed Noise Thrice Holy sung by Hoasts of Cherubins Thrice answer'd by Love Flaming Scraphins O Unity thrice blest in Trinity O Trinity thrice blest in Unity For the pursuit of which Harmonious straine Though fully we cannot as yet attaine To that brave Pitch by reason of our Fogges Thy Grace yet drawes the will and dries our Bogges So if we glaunce as through a Glasse a while At their sweet Tunes and in thy Laud Compile Some zealous worke to testify our Love And ready will which therewithall may move Thy Saints on Earth to warble forth thy Prayse Thou art well pleas'd as with the Widowes Mite Who Abrams deed didst by a Ramme acquite Teach us O Christ to waigh th' effect and Cause Of this Dayes Rest like those whom at Emaus Thou mad'st with zeale to burne the selfe same day When thou didst Rise and metst them by the way That we with Vowes and Sabbaths true Delight May think on thee without the least despite Of Spleene or Gall which might prophane the Time And blacke our Soules with a Notorious Crime If we neglect our Duties and thy Call Now to appeare at this thy Feastivall Wâ—thdraw our mindes from Natures fond desires Or Ruffling showes which might put our Fires And make some justly call our Day of Rest A Carnall Time or Saturnalian Feast Restraine our Longing Fits from all excesse Of Meats and Drinke which might our Wits oppresse And by their mounting Fumes up to the Braine Thee to neglect our Noblest Part constraine And cause us Nabal-like the Sots to play When we to Thee our Thankfull vowes should pay For on this Day thy Cabinet stands ope And we on it for store of Jewells hope O let us not like to that Thorny Ground Be choakt with worldly Cares but Fruitfull found And watchfull still attending on thy Word At this thy Sabbaths Feast it to record And edify our Neighbours as our selves Before our Crimes link us with frantick Elves Or to Conclude before thou do remove As Sonne of Man in Person from Above To judge Mankinde which shortly we expect And on the seventh Day as some suspect Good Lord by vertue of thy Sabbaths Rest According to thy will grant our Request That as thou didst with Body Glorified Rise up from Death so we Soule-purified May Rise from Sinne and up to Heav'n ascend And not to Hell like damned Ghosts descend All Glory be to Thee as heretofore In Persons three one God for evermore Amen Another Hymne in our Redeemers Prayse LEt all that soil'd the Precepts Ten New Day-light crave through Christ. Amen And let all Angells Saints and Men For ever blesse Christs Name Amen Amen Amen sound we like Thunder That at our Zeale the World may wonder That at our Noise the World agast May turne to Christ now at the last To tune his Prayse with Newer Tongues And with the Heart more then the Lunges Let Christ be Alpha in our Songes And our Omega as belonges To Catholickes of Christian stock The Spirits seed Sheep of one Flock Let all our Thoughts conspire in One To fixe our Faith on Christ alone And with one voice aloud to Sing Christ is our Head Judge Saviour King The Prince of Angells Gods Delight The Crowne of Saints Mens only Light The Womans Seed the Sonne of God Which on the Head of Satan trod The Lion borne of Judaes Ligne The Root of Jesse Mount Calvares Signe The Glorious Starre of our New Birth Whence springs our Peace and sweetest Mirth The second part BOth First and Last as we begunne Let us applaud our Makers Sonne With lowd Hosannaes every day Like chirping Birds in Moneth of May Like Consorts Tune or Ring of Bells Let us shew how our Love excells And never cease Christs Name to ring Till we meet all as in one Ring Or Circle round whence no Disunion Shall ever part our Hearts Communion Like Nightingales in Summers Bowre Let us on Christ thinke every howre And never leave to blaze his Story Untill we meet this Lord of Glory This Lord of Lord that crusht the sting Of our great Foe for which we sing All prayse to him that conquerd Sinne And did for us the Triumph winne Amen The New-mans Song of Thankesgiving after the Receiving of the Communion WE took this Day Christs Flesh and Bloud Drest in the Forme of sacred Food We fed on Bread surmounting Wealth We drank Christs Wine of Saving Health O Mystick signes O Grace Divine Transferred from the Heavenly Vine And Living Bread that came from God To warme and change our Earthly Clod We took those Signes like Baskets rare But opening them most dainty Fare We found to please our Spirits Tast We found enough to break our Fast. We felt our Soules cast in New Mould And changed from the Creature Old Love made us all of one consent Faith wrought in us the Lords Intent To mind his Passion Death and Love Till He to Judge comes from Above By these two Gifts we grow to be Christs Body from disunion free By them like Floure bak't in one Loafe The Lord feedes us under our Roofe By them like Lines we meet in one Firme Center in Gods Truth alone Gods Truth that blest our Christian spouse With happy Lot like Obeds House Blest for the Ark while there it stayd When Others were by it dismayd The second part WE yeeld thee Thanks most Gratious Lord Who doest Faiths Light to us record
time got Captiv'd John And through a frisking Wench slaine thereupon I heare quoth he that thou a Prophet art From Heaven sent Salvation to impart Thy Deeds import no lesse for who but One Of Gods owne Choyce or his beloved Son Can doe such workes beyond set Natures reach Or utter such deepe points as thou dost preach Enflamed with the sparkes of thy renowne Which flyes abroad throughout our spacious Towne I come to thee desirous to be taught In the true way and so to Heaven brought Our Saviour turn'd to our Faiths Alphabet And him to learne Truths A.B.C. did set Not Principles of mens Philosophy But Rules which Stony hearts doe mollify He must said Christ who will Gods Kingdome see Become New-borne and so an Infant be That saying is quoth Nichodemus strange How can I now my Ancient yeares exchange For a New Birth I shall get sooner roome In an old Tombe than in my Mothers wombe Jesus convinc'd his Errour and mistake With this reply Thou dost my speeches take In a wrong sense for truth I tell to thee None enters Heav'n nor shall Gods Kingdome see Except he be of Water and the Spirit First borne and then that place he shall inherit That part of Man borne of the Flesh is Flesh More Old than of the Spirit which is fresh Young and Gallant he which is borne hence Leads a new Life and voyd of Lusts Offence When the wind blowes thou hear'st a noyse and sound But know'st not whence it comes nor whither bound So fares it with the Holy Spirits man How he came rapt with Blisse he can not scan He knowes not how his Spirit New became By Grace unseene from the Great Spirits Flame When Nicodemus heard this Lesson rare He answered these things not likely are How can it be that Man without Commotion Of Natures sense should apprehend this Motion Of his New-Birth by the quicke Spirits Seed And grow so strong except some thing him feed Except some Rayes which we not Outward see Or God-head rap the Mind how can this be Bear'st thou a Doctours Style and dost thou teach Said Christ and know'st not this which I doe Preach I speake the Truth and what my Soule hath seene I testify yet all in vaine hath beene If when I speake of Earth youâ—le not beleeve Sure if I tell of Heaven you will grieve None ever yet that Glorious place ascended But through the word which from that Place descended Yea none comes there but who by faith on earth Beleeves Gods Word the second Adams Birth The Womans seed foretold in Paradise Who should confound the Charmers Sorceries Who was fore-doom'd to be sâ—ung in the Heele By the Old Serpent and Gods wrâ—th to feele Whom men lift up and wicked Satan stung As the Brasse-Serpent in the Desart hung Out of this Text all ye who are misled With glozing sinnes your destiny may read That no man shall behold Gods Glorious Face Unlesse by Grace Regeneration raze Sinnes aspicke stings for those stings that zeale And Love be stampt in him with Heavens Seale Unlesse we leave to serve the Old Mans Lord And hate his Life and Lawes in thought and word Unlesse we looke on Him who was lift up On Calvares Crosse and pledge him in his Cup Unlesse we leave our sinnes and to conspire Against his Saints Hell is indeed our Hire Hell is Mans Hire Except his Earthly Clod Be sanctify'd and rebaptiz'd from God His Braine Heart Tongue and Soules chiefe Faculties In one must with Christs Nature sympathize Which spight of sinne Gods Spirit soone or late By Grace effects in the Regenerate Which comes to passe by pondring Truths Record Christs Testament his Covenants and word Shunning Scandall the cause of foule offence By a pure Life Faith Love and Penitence And lastly by oft cheering up the Soule With that Repast which Nature doth controule That Mysticke Lambe unseene yet reall flesh Slaine yet living now Soules to refresh Thus doth the Holy Ghost worke and Create A new borne Babe a Soule Regenerate Ev'n He that quickned Christ in Maries wombe Will breath on him and make him then become By Motion calme unseene and secret meane Christs lively Member pure Reformed Cleane Conformed to the Head our Elder Brother Whose last command was this Love one another Now by these signes our Britaines sure may know Whether they be of his true Christian Row To be Baptiz'd without the Sacred Spirit Is surely never Heaven to Inherit They be but Nurles half Christians dwarfes or elves Nor Hot nor Cold which doe perswade themselves By Baptisme bare with Water the Communion And Outward workes to be of Saint-like union For what will our great Charters Seale availe If to performe the Covenants we faile That is to love our New mans Lord and Head Learne his New Law and a New life then lead God by Christ's death more power did restore With that Free-will which Adam lost before Grace gave to us this Supernaturall Free gift to cope with the Will Naturall This Will our New-man hath from Bondage free Because true Faith brought Bondage on his knee Which as Love-tokens each good Christian hath Left him by Grace to lead him in Christs path But if he slights this Path being Catechiz'd How can he be with Flames Characteriz'd How dares he say that he doth harmelesse save His Sureties triple vow except he rave If he delights in Carnall talke or Lust More than Gods Word his Faith lies in the dust Devotion failes whilst sinne in Man doth raigne Whilst Satans raigning fancy guides his braine Nor can Gods Graâ—e within his heart fix anchor Till it be cleans'd of rust and Natures rancour Or if it burne it quickly may expire By Carnall meanes and blasts except the Fire Of zeale be kept still in by daily use With watch and ward from Holy things abuse Except the Soule for God Faiths Tything powres Heapt daily from the foure and twenty houres This is a Mystery which few observe And fewer like but give themselves to serve The vicious Times more for Promotion striving Or Plots to please rich humourists contriving Then Grace to beg with humble hearts and sorry Then first to seeke before their owne Gods Glory Joyne we our wills to his we shall be pure For Christ his death Old Adams Plagues did oure But now a dayes in worldly Policy Some temporize to hide their Lunacy Like Adams nakednesse till time more mellow And ripe shall change their Youthfull haires yellow Or else because against the Holy Ghost For sinning they doe tremble to be lost If once New borne of the same Flaming Spirit They lose their Talent or chance to bury it O causelesse doubts like to Hob-goblins Feares As though Gods spirit loathes the sighs and teares Of his poore Converts nay he will assure And helpe to make their rathe Election sure No Fits stop them like Agues stormes or Raine But Grace moves to their Centred Hearts againe Though I confesse that
Physitians threats And the repugnant Nature of the meates Nay though they know some meats may cause offence Unto the Weake the Old man will dispence That on a Friday in a Papists sight They feast on Flesh his Conscience to despight Against the rules of Civill Modesty As if they meant their Neighbours Swine to tye To Meazeld troughs against the Owners Will Who bred them up with other kind of Swill As bad perhaps as Sugar-sops or Fish Which raise up Lust more than the fleshy dish Of old it was not so Good Christians then In feeding with the Jewes like Prudent men Abstain'd from Porke and puddings stuft with Blood They liv'd content with their Mosaicall Food To win weak soules to Christ they seem'd content lawes With all things except sinne indifferent For whose deare sake they would each Countryes Observe and weare a Fooles coate were there cause And so sometimes we play the Humourists Faiths essence sav'd to raise up Catechists But since our Head commands a Publicke Fast How dare the Members gape for much Repast But mutually joyne with their Christian mates Of the same Church to calm the threatning Fates On Jonathan a thundring sentence past Because he brake unwittingly a Fast And shall our Gulles unpunished escape Who wilfully commit an Heath'nish Rape And violate the Law with carnall taste Out of crosse-spleene conceite and wanton waste Nor for restraint of Wind necessity Or for raw Ayre but of meere Vanity A little serves the Hungry Maw to heale Why then will they devoure more at a Meale Than twice five ounces of substantiall Food And so much weight of drinke to do them good More frugall yet when Fasting dayes commence Least Fumes oppresse the Braine Sleepe presse thâ— sence To keepe in plight thereby the Bodies Frame For the Soules Feast and Belly Gods to shame Such Food as will not over soone corrupt Bisket Rice Pulse or soft Panades supt A smal thing cheeres the heart Midriffe calmâ— As wines one draught kept Timothy from Qualmes Why then will Christians play the Epicures And frustrate make the Soules and Bodies Cures By causing Fumes to breath up to the Braine Where they beget the Soules and Bodies paine Excesse of Meats beyond the Golden Meane Turnes into Fat and Excrements uncleane It taints the blood breeds Dropsies Feavers Gouts Or duls the wit and makes them heavy Louts Unweildy for Faiths Active Qualities To please our God with humble Sacrifice Of Vessels some are Rough some Porcellane Of Bodies some turne Pure and some Prophane Note this in Beasts their dung lets us to weet That Swine and Dogs smell rancke the Stags more sweet Now Gryllus chuse thy mould Hogs Stags or Dogs If Stags be scant Dogges stinke then take the Hogs And wallow in his mire untill thou feele The meazell'd Plague and like a Dizzard reele These Points and others moe grave Levites preach Where they enjoy their Rights how the breach Of Fasting comes which makes me tel my friends He that neglects the Churches moane offends For which and the like crimes he ought to sob Who thinkes it no offence Gods Tythes to rob The Arts contempt and robbing them of Hire Cause many Plots and strange combustions fire In humane breaâ—ts Divines to Simonize And other Wits to raile and Libellize At Lawes or Times or else they fly from home To Doway Spaine Saint Omers or to Rome Whence what ensues I leave for Politiques To judge while others turne home-Empiriques False Sycophants or Mountebanks to seeme More wise or skilfull in the worlds esteeme When to themselves they guilty are of fraud But Need allures dame Beâ—uty like a Baud To prostitute or rather want of Grace That makes the Whore the Modest to outface Yet now I hope our forraigne-built Plantations Will Britaine free from many Imputations When Drones remov'd the rest more elbow roome Shall have to thrive like Honey-Bees at home Unlesse which God avert the Pestilence Abate our swarmes and crosse good mens Intents Mean time the world on wheels runs mad by fâ—ends And furies led whom they mistake for friends One while they tempt to Apish imitation Whilst Pygmies swell with Gyaâ—â—s transformation With â—urld bold Ruffians Haire immodest face Proud costly robes with Gold and needlesse Lace And thriftlesse puffes winkt at perhaps to raigne For Trades increase Customes or Mercers gaine For whose support with rich Caparizons Tâ—ades with Coach-mares make oft comparisons By these our Off-springs tainted 〈◊〉 Turne Harpyes Peacockes or Hermaphrodites By these high sailes hath Hospitality Sunke in deepe Gulfes with Christian Charity The multitude of sinners gone amisse Makes â—inne to seeme the lesse and so doth this Another while our Gentry with delights They traine to tread Gods gifts with dogs kites Or else to gape for Others goods at Play Oft to the losse of their owne worldly stay Whilst Satans wily fiends subordinates Confirme such Gamesters for his Reprobates But late they triumph'd when against the Rheume Some did create a God of Indian Fume Whereby men craz'd their memory and wits And parcht their Vitall Blood more then befits O Custome charm'd besotting Christendome Besotting Braines against the day of Doome Tobaccoes smoake no other Humour drawes Then Spawling which it selfe doth chiefly cause Nor doth this Hells evaporating Puffe End here although worse then a Candles snuffe To qualify the Dampish sooty Braine It must be moistned oft for Tavernes Gaine With Wine or Beere that the heate Naturall May swim with Flegme as the Moist Radicall Lies dampt with drouth of sense-benumming smoake And this they doe so long untill the Heate Of Nature failes corrupt with sulphures sweate The Braine thus soild how shall Gods grace erect The Spirits Temple in the Intellect By hearing Faith gets roome but if by fits Their senses quaile their quailing hurts the wits Then let this be in Brasse or Marble plac't Who smoakes Tobacco much he doates at last Who can deny but Satan in our Age Is let more loose with violence to rage And with his Angels daily goes about To batter Faith and true Zeale to roote out He is let loose to range about at Pleasure And more then Love pricks men to dreame of Treasure We prate of Faith but Pride eates up the fruites We talke of Peace but that ends in Law-suites For feare of humane Plots Saints oft are dumbe And Love is by the Dragons wiles become A thing of naught a Cypher without fellowes Whilst Golden hopes of Lucre blow the bellowes As Passengers their ship being weake and riven To sâ—ndry Coasts for many Leagues are driven Of gusts and stormes of Gulfes they make report Before they can arrive at Safeties Port So now are Saints by Gog and Magog vext And glad to fly with civill Broyles perplext Out of their Native soyle to Strangers Armes For refuge against Mars his fierce alarmes As witnesse now of late the Valtoline France Belgia Hesse all Dutchland and the Rhine So others are by suits and quarrells
faign'd To sundry Courts for many miles constrain'd Through thicke and thin to travell for small cause Vnder pretext to answer breach of Lawes To lose their precious time and spend the same In strife which Christ injoyn'd to Holy flame To satisfy Officialls greedy willes More than need is for moulture to their Mills As our King James of famous memory With lightning glaunce checkt this foule injury Our coyne by bribing Tongues grows scant of late And men for want of meanes waxe desperate How many Motions do some make in vaine And endlesse Pleas with in ward joy retaine Such Sophisters in Paper-length to draw And spin rich Suites will white the blackest Dâ—w And blurre the Candor of the holyest man But seldome helpe to save the weake and wan But O! are not those Christians whom they gull Christians they are O worldlings whom ye Lull A sleepe to feed upon like Canniballs They looke not like those Popes or Cardinalls Or those great mighty men whose flesh and Soules Are to be prey'd on by the Mysticke Foules At Gods triumphant Supper No these are Your Brethren whom to pill and poll ye dare Like to the Aierie fiends typ'd by those foules Who feed upon the jarres of carnall Soules On whose weake passions wits and fits ye work Whilst under Sugred Pills doth danger Iurke Who knowes not that the fiends of Hell rejoyce At these your broiles to heare your screaming noise Therefore repent before thâ—s waning light â—huts up the world with terrours of the Night Be sparing of your Crotchets for his sake Who spar'd not on himselfe our sinnes to take Let to your brawles sixe months a period fixe Submit to friends award without Law-trickes Or costly fees what ye suggest for wrong Not vaunting of a Mercenary tongue I need not warne our Gravest Counsellours Who for the New-man spend more pretious houres In grieving at debates then taking Fees For they decline Gods wrathfull cup of Lees But I exclaime and raise with Hue and Cry My Wits against our Petty-fogging fry Those Mountebankes that Hollow-hearted crue Which cogge with Truth and stir up Guls to sue Who make no Conscience in an honest cause To vexe Good men and scandalize the Lawes Such men I onely blurre Let Honey Bees Live by their painefull Hire and well-gain'd Fees I envy not their Station nor their store But pray that they in Grace grow more and more I wish to them all Happinesse and Joy That they with Love their Labours fruite enjoy For unto such our Patriots Common-weale Can not more portions then they merit deale Yea those ripe silver haires I honour most Who with good Lawes helpe to entrench Gods host From raving Ravening Wolves which but for them Had long since spoyl'd our Tents stil contemne Our Clergies Rites reform'd and their intents Supported by our Christian Parliaments These were indeed the Champions of our State Against Romes Bulles and the degenerate From their Allegeance to our Native Prince They Abbots sloth and Legates did convince By casting out Romes painted Wares and Trash For which brave Act and memorable Lash Besides the Gospels Light God yet is pleas'd To leave their Ranke a prop for the diseas'd So some are blest with an Immortall Lot Whilst uselesse Drones like shooting Meteors rot They merit too in Britaines Orbe to shine Like Starres that move in the Eclipticke Line Who waigh the Lawes with Reason Right and Ruth And at the first acquaint men with the Truth What the Event will be what danger lies For daring Justice with surmized Lies And specially those Lawyers I commend Who Clients suites with expedition end Scan well my Lawes ye Masters of the Law And ye that be their Clients stand in awe Of Judgement justly due for your dis-union For your contempt of Love and Christian Vnion Be slow to wrath speake faire doe good to all Forgive your foes and raise up them that fall Look that false Mammons wiles tempt not your zeale Lest for your bribes Astraeas Common-weale Grow to contempt like that Monasticke state Of Ghostly forme which ye supprest of late Through many tongues the devill moves despight And yet may seeme an Angell of the Light That Spirit which through Ahabs Prophets spake Now tempts most men in falshood to partake And likewise workes in nimble factious pates That they for cursed hire spread more debates Which but for their suggestions would expire Or dormant lye as under ashes Fire God loves a mild a free and open heart Which melts like wax to see his neighbors smart As I went on our discords to attone My Zeale broke forth into a Prophets Tone Unkennell ye that old and crafty Fox Whom having catcht cease not to thumpe box Him other whiles If for the Palsies griefe To nose his scent ye yeeld him some releife Be sure in Chaines to keepe him alwayes bound For if let loose and he abroad be found Your tender Lambes the hope of all your flocke Can never scape nor well endure the shocke Of his slye trickes O therefore let him now Be wisely lookt unto that he may bow Make roome for Lambes from spoyle and theft secure Wash rince and scoure and keep your vessels pure Flay not Christs sheepe but feed them without strife As he for you hath sacrific'd his life Let none Gods place of judgement undertake For Coine but for true zeale Conscience sake Let none for wealth accept a Benefice For the Soules gaine was Christ his chiefest prize Let Dives bid his golden gods avant Cashiering quite all things extravagant Let Christian Dames leave off the Peacockes traine And now resume their modest Garbes againe Let Souldiers of the Fort Ship Tent or Toung Live with their hires content not offering wrong Let them of all degrees both Old and Young Both High and Low of Sexes weake and strong Let all Repent before th' Eternall Day Breakes forth which shortly without more delay Will fatally conclude their civill jarres Their greedy wiles their Pomp and bloody wars But put the case that Day comes not so soone As Fooles conceive yet Orbed like the Moone Mans braine receives the forme of glistering notions Except betimes he curbes the Old mans motions Whence if they break through those Ideaes roome Into the Heart there Idols they become The New man is sent backe by Carnall sinnes As was Gods Arke by Dagons Philistines And in his Place those Puppets he observes Whom more then Christ he loves oftner serves Thus Worldlings wise in darkenesse roame about As well as they whose Light strife hath put out The Way unto Gods Paradise is streight Narrow and steepe to which transcendent height Fraile flesh and blood must not ascend unlesse The Soule be in this world purg'd more or lesse By twofold Flames whereof the one Hels paine Resembles th' other heates with zeale the Braine Like as the Body growes in Quantity And in the Fourefold Humours Quality So the New man shootes up drawes us to grace If we doe
stop the Old mans wily race Deatb Crownes a Saint and none can dy in Christ Except he living here become his Priest For Gods Elect must lead a Righteous Life Subject to Christ as to her head the Wife She knowes no male but one she stands in Aw Yet loves him deare and his Advice is Law Sweet heart quoth he lose not the mornings Prime But as Christ thee doe thou redeeme the Time With Prayers Zeale true Love and Fruitfull Deeds For of ten thousand Soules scarce one well speeds Now he that hath discretion in his pate Must marke these Maximes ere it be too late When strife for Love dreames we take for watching When Praise for Preyes and Grace we looke for Catching And when from Fasts we fal to Feasts and bibbing Then Abbaes streame stayes in the lowest Ebbing Our Advocate craves it to flow againe The Father yeelds and so to every veine Their streame flowes faire untill our changling fooles Have sought to other Streames from Muddy Pooles The Trinity then loathing Braines so sicke Their Motions stop and men dye Lunaticke From which Relapse Distrust and Lunacy Blesse we our selves as from Apostacy If I speake well or rave with puft up Learning Judge they who have the Spirit of Discerning In the meane time keepe we Gods Trumpets Feast And watch till it shall summon us to Rest. All Feastes expir'd in Christs his Oracles Or were exchang'd for our Soules Spectacles In memory to keepe our Saviours Name The Blessed Virgins and th' Apostles Fame With watch against the brats of Antichrist Which beare Christs Name but not the markes of Christ. To blaze these Newes I finde none more Divine Then Epiphanius and Saint Augustine Since the decease of those good Fishermen Which toyl'd to free soules from the Devils den For he that markes them blazing Heretickes May soone convince our moderne Catholickes Who were baptiz'd and styl'd Regenerate Went out from us but since degenerate Christs Oracles next to th' Apostles Time Shone as bright starres six hundred yeares in prime But afterwards by Pompe and Sodomy They were left Breathlesse for Anatomy Yet to the Spirits Feast of Shavelings slighted Our West hath beene by Prophets late invited To cleanse Christs Church from Superstitious Feasts Proclaiming Truth against the Mounted Beasts Mysterious charmes Soule-gulling Merchandize Which Gospel seem'd till Wickliff prov'd them lies Truthes Oracles which Antichrist supprest Are freely now in our owne Tongue exprest Each Parable made plaine to Babes reveal'd And every Mysticke Leafe lyes now unseal'd In spight of the Red Dragons Floud and Fraud And maugre all the Trickes of Babels Baud So that we may unlesse our Riots let Escape and breake out of the Hunters Net Strange Fires croaking noise from Balaams lips Cannot dash out our Light nor yet eclipse Those Rayes whereby the murthered Lamb of late Cheares up his Faithfull Bride and Sions state Relying on his Ayd and powerfull Arme His Spirit warmes and keeps from Leaguers harm But clandestine and by sly cheating trickes Some winne more Games to Babels Meretrix He that deceived Eve by subtill Traine Would our returne into her stewes againe Perswade By Sions Rents they shortly hope To blurre our Church and re-invest the Pope With his Old Keyes and with his Golden Crosse In Gods owne Temple Graces to ingrosse And for small cause to excommunicate Nay for neglect of Fees to shut Heavens Gate They hope to put by Satans Tares late sowne Our Laymens ward of Premunire downe But why cast I such Goblin doubts abroad When the Last Knell determines our aboad Our short aboad on Earth O let us then Repent and waile our sinnes deare Country-men Let us renew whilst that it is to Day Our Sacrifice and vowes of Love repay Oft musing on Saint Paules advice that now We Christ no more after the flesh must know But as it were in traunce the New-mans way To waigh his Crosse and Passion every day The Service which belongs to Him alone Withdraw not from that All-sufficient One By kneeling to our fellow-servants downe For Ghostly helpe who saved but their owne Deare Soules by vertue of that Costly Blood Which on the Crosse was shed for our joynt good If we beleeve as Saints have done before us In Christ alone Hels sting can never gore us Thinke on my words O ye backe-sliding Soules Who pay to Saints your vows like Market Tolles Thinke on your owne and Christ his painefull death The Judgement day and gaping hell beneath Our dayes are few Times period is at hand And Christ his Arke will shortly saile from Land The waves of sinne swell high Love growne too cold In most mens Hearts Mens ruines doth unfold True Faith for want of more Devotions heat Exiled pleads before Gods Judgement seate Against Mankind as at the Flood of Noah To plague the world with flames worse annoy Mens hearts are hardned like the Fiends of Hell For if a Prophet doe sinnes doome foretell Disswading them from Broiles O how they swell At the Good man with rage and passions fell Imposing for his paines Rackes shackles shame Or silencing or blacking his good Name Before Doomes-day this darke Prodigious fault Must follow next upon the Whores assault For though the Church Triumphant doth rejoyce To see her Fall our Jarres supplant our Joyes And so instead of Psalmes to Heaven sent We temporize or with her Complement Awake therefore ye watch-men with your flocke Lest you and they be hurld against the rocke Of scandall to our Churches infamy Ending in Schismes Broyles or Phlebotomy Thinke on the Fowles which ere the Sunne did set Abram had watcht and then huge darkenesse met Awake I say out of your slumbring sleepe Look to your charge in time Christs wandring sheep Behold our Soules great Shepherd is at hand Though some are loath the Signes to understand The last dayes Bell or Clocke of Mortals time Be watchfull ye were best will shortly chime Christ shortly comes the Faithfull to requite And to confound our Mysticke Gyants might No Tyrants threats no double tongue will serve Fee nor Reward the guilty to preserve Gods Darts like Comets threate our Westerne Orbe And Justice will the Austrian faction curbe Gods Angell now beginnes to goe about To warne before Doomes-day the Christian Rout Already hath his Holy Trumpets sounded Christ shortly comes to save the sick and wounded Watch Fast and Pray and cheare up one another This is Gods will by Christ our Elder Brother His warning peale rung forth unto the Jewes But scorn'd by them he left to us these Newes Because they slighted what they might have held The Word of Life the Light which they beheld The Lord remov'd his precious Candlesticke Clear'd others sight and left them blind and sick The Obstinâ—te I meane not all of them For some beleev'd before Jerusalem Demolisht lay yea thousands were baptiz'd Both then and since of the Crew Circumciz'd Some Jewes baptiz'd were by th' Apostles some At Christ
O God most Just and for his sake we trust Thou of meere Grace wilt us repute as Just Before we be by Satan crusht Before our Bones lye in the dust Now is the Time or never to us ayd For after death when we in earth are layd What Sacrifice what Offering wilt thou have Thy Christ hath ransom'd us and thou dost crave No more then his deserts to save Sinners from Hels devouring grave Christ is our Head him onely we adore Christ is the Saint whose helpe we still implore Christ is the Light which harts more cold then Ice Hath warm'd and chear'd by the Soules Exercise Christ is the Lambe that paid the price To Justice due for humane vice This Sacrifice regardfull of the strife Twixt Heaven Earth for our sicke soules releife Most gracious Lord we to thy Grace present Not to fulfill Romes Amulets intent Or unction charm'd for Sacrament But with pure Faith Loves Balme to vent Both which thou hast from Heaven sent Both which on Earth yeeld thee content Amen The Second Dayes EXERCISE The Argument The Mystery explain'd of Christ his Birth Why he came poore and strange to Carnall Mirth Here they are toucht who soile his Feastivalls With Riot Pomp or drunken Bacchanalls THe Scribe of late who blaz'd the Churches state From Christs Ascent till this yeares present date Now represents a more Soule-quickning part And to win strayes drops on the stony heart Alluring them by sacred charmes to watch And waite on Him who made poore Bethlems cratch Borne there without Male-Sire in Judaes Land Like Daniels Mountaine-Stone cut without hand More glorious than the Romane Capitoll Or Rhodes Colosse in the Sev'n Wonders Roll. For this sweet Trance to rebaptize the Will To rowze the Braine the Soule with zeale to fill Draw Christians neere and view the Stable-Cratch Where lay the Virgins Son Draw neere dispatch And humbly greet this Heav'ns Earths umpeere Whose Joyfull Feast good Christians every yeere Do solemnely renew for twelve Dayes space Till that bright Starre ends at his Native place Wisemen they were who did this Light partake Led by that Flame which through the Prophets spake Had we their Star or Iacobs Staffe for Guide Diviner Dreames our Fancies would betide We might then hope with safety and with Ease To passe the Spanish Straights and Mid-land Seas In spite of Moorish Pirates or Algiere And without feare of Turkes to domineere Till we arriv'd at last on Joppaes Strand And so from thence survey that Holy Land Where dwelt sometime a Shepheard Royaliz'd Out of whose Ligne Our Saviour Humaniz'd The second Adam our soules Shepheard came As well from God as from Just Abraham But how cam'st thou quoth Zeale to found out Truth In tuned forme a worke for Joviall Youth No humane skill can ancient yeares exchange From whence then spring these Tunes these motions strange In thee whose Beard bewrayes that Melancholy Strives to supplant the sanguine humour wholy He that inspir'd poore Fishermen to rowle Deep Mysticks with New Tongues and to enrowle For after-times his Gifts on them conferr'd Hath now fresh Heat into my veines transferr'd To scare the Proud to cure the crazed Foole Like that which sometimes stirr'd Bethesdaes poole He guided me to Bethlem Nazareth To Jordan Salem and Gennesâ—reth Whence by Christs Birth Deeds Crosse and rising up From death to Life we cheere up Soules that droop For there is no distemper nor disease But if we fixe on Christ we shall find ease Christ paid the Price for our infirmities Christ onely is the New mans Sacrifice To honour Him with Soule-rapt Extasie God breath'd in me sweet-working Poesâ—e Slight not then Readers my conceites but heare With spungy eares what I deliver here God grant that these work more sung of his Sonne Then all my former workes and I have done Old things are done we must be borne anew Rise Libertine and Christ his Birth renew Rise up thou lazy Soule thou pampred Sot T is neere Sun-set leave we this sensuall Cot For Castawayes who spend their time in pleasure And cannot in a yeare find one dayes leasure To meditate upon Christ crucifyed With humble thoughts and vessels sanctifyed Nor on Christs Birth how that his Incarnation Availes us more than Adams first Creation O why came he into the world a stranger And would be borne in a poore homely Manger Why did the Lord of Lords himselfe abase To take on him our faults but to give place To Justice which equality requir'd Which to shame Pride harmoniously desir'd Gods Righteous Zeale did satisfaction aske But Man could not performe so great a taske The infinite high Wisdome was offended And for a price as infinite intended The whole world shooke the Elements did warre The Planets starres and humours fell to jarre All chang'd their former course The Sun lookt pale Fiends into Hell were like Mankind to hale There were but two and they from goodnesse fell How could their Race then be but slaves to Hell Soft hasty wit I saw the New man comming Just at their Fall to curbe the Devils cunning I saw their Griefe their Penitence and Crosse I saw Gods Grace Conditionall after Losse I saw Gods Seale of Pardon for their Sinnes When their bare Limbs he cloth'd with Coates of Skinnes For when our Parents sinn'd they were asham'd Shâ—me wrought remorse Then Christ Gods Mercy claim'd The second of the Glorious Trinity Tooke pitty on Mans losse of unity The Word that spake when Light and Life began Claim'd share of Grace for his Reformed Man As a Just Sire and his Mild wife do treat How their lewd Child they might reclaim or beat So Justice did and Graâ—e expostulate What should become of Adam and his Mate Justice alleadg'd their voluntary Fall But Grace oppos'd the Serpents Charmes and Gall The One protested Death but the kinde Other Sought with Gods Love the sting of Sinne to smother The One did Man a Turne-coat Traâ—tour name The Other on his Frailty layd the blame The One Mans wicked Thoughts insisted on The Other Mans Repentance stood upon Justice strict Law but Grace against Laws Scourgâ— Gods Court of Conscience did most strongly urge And sweetly pray'd her Sister not to ranke Mankind with Fiends for One though mortall Prank This Matter then of mighty consequence Betwixt them Both yet standing in suspence With various Pleas concerning our Salvation Or in Hells Flames our finall Reprobation The Virgins two did mutually agree To compromit the same to Gods Deâ—ree On which Suspence these Glorious Attributes With Zeale and Love concluded their Disputes Th' Almighty then consulted not with any Of Angels Ranke though there he had full many Not for their Zeale with Seraphins approv'd Nor Cherubins though them he dearely lov'd They Spirits were but of a Creatures mould Then mystickly the Father did unfold The Matter to his Sonne and Holy Ghost Gods Honour sav'd how Man might not be lost Nor left depriv'd of Light and Favour
harme the Soule Then let not worldly wits our New Man Scorne Though vile he seeme or of the Hope forlorne For he that outwardly lookes vilified May passe yet for a Creature Justified Whil'st that he beares the Cribbe where Christ was borne In mind with his Red Crosse and Crowne of Thorne Be meeke therefore ye States and people all All from the Kings Bench to the Coblers Awle Thanke God for them whom for your Good he sends And ponder that which to your safety tends Repent ye of your Sinnes depend on Grace That so Christs merits may your sinnes deface Thinke Daily on the New Mans Crucifixe And Christ his Cratch in your Remembrance fixe Pray oft against lewd Francies Provocation And let your Deeds to Love have more relation Compare our yeares from Christ his Incarnation With the Floods Time from Adams first Creation And one Thousand sixe Hundred fifty sixe May to the World a Fatall Period fixe In Desolation to all hardned Hearts In Dissolution of our Earthly Parts If all the Signes foretold by Daniel Christ Paul and S. John fall out with Antichrist True Signes indeede which Faith and Love withdraw By Warres Pride Schismes and Wiles in winding Law Besides this Signe that Gods two Prophets lay Martyr'd ere Babel could her charmes display And who can tell but when th' Electors fayle Romes Empire sets and Doomes Day shall prevaile That Empire which began when Christ was borne Ere he returnes shall set and be forlorne Since that which barr'd in Paules time his Revealing Lies waste what bootes the Antichrists Concealing Now whilst we looke for Times extreamest Date And Christ his Comming either soone or late Let us salute his Cratch his Birth admire And pay our vowes to him wiih zealous fire Great Abraham rejoyc'd to see his Dayes When rapt to Paradise he felt his Rayes So did that Baptist Babe in Mothers Wombe Spring by Instinct with Joy to heare him come Conceiv'd in Flesh of that Immortall Flame Which promis'd was Sinne Death and Hell to shame So Angells sung of him Propheticke Layes So Simeon sung with Anna songs in praise Of Bethlems Babe both ravisht at his sight When Mary cloz'd her due Mosaicall Rite Acknowledging the true Messias Borne Of Evahes seed to save the Soule forlorne And so shall we in minde feele Musick rare If we muse on our New Mans Birth with care I meane that Sparke which at our Baptisme rose Within our Hearts three Monsters to oppose Then freely we his Gospell may imbrace And sing this Lullaby with measur'd pace The Holy Ghost to save fraile Adams Race Breath'd a sweet Flame in Mary full of Grace This Flame infus'd in Flesh both Man and God We greet and cloze his Birth with Simeons Ode Thy Birth and Name doe saving Health betide O Maide-borne Man God by the Fathers side Thou art the Gentiles Light Emanuel The Glory Head and Crowne of Israel Whose Glimpse we having seene in sacred Trance Lord now in Peace us to that Light advance That Light which thou conceived'st in our Flesh To save Mankind and Satan to suppresse The Light of Soules thy true essentiall Forme Of Mary borne Eves Off-spring to reforme Whom with Thee and thy Spirit three in one We honour praise and serve Great God alone Without depending upon Angels Saints Or such whom Baal for Advocates be Saints A Hymne in Memory of our Saviours Birth and Incarnation ALL yee that are of Spirit mild And long to greete the Virgins Child Lay by a while your worldly Cares The Outward mans bewitching snares And let us now submissive sing The Cradle-cratch of Heavens King Blest be the wombe which Jesus bare Blest be his Name that saves from care Fraile Adams seed if they repent Their time mispent to Satan lent Christs onely Name doth Satan shame Then let us all sound Christ his Fame Let every Heart submit to Christ For without Christ none can subsist Blest be the Brests which gave him sucke Blest be thy Cratch which hadst the lucke O Bethlem with a Starre to boote To spread abroad King Davids roote In thee was the Messias borne Jewes Shiloh Prince yet held in scorne Because he did not personate A Royall Babe with open state But that he lay in Manger base They waigh'd not well the Mysticke Case That Mary did Eves want supply Our New-man Adams qualify How Christ was come to humble Pride And by Low Ebbes Flouds to divide That Christ at first grew like a Graft From Heaven sent to put downe Craft Whence like a shrub but Cedar now The hugest Tree he makes to bow And so must we stoope often Low Ere we shall like this Cedar grow We must embrace his Cribbe and Crosse Ere parted be our Gold from Drosse We must Cashiere wilde Fancies wags Our high Conceits and Merits brags Then Yee that hope Gods Babe to meet Waigh more then Plumes your Peacocks feete Sith Christ before a bed of Downe Preferr'd a Cratch beate Pleasures downe I meane those snares which ye shall fâ—nd To cheat good Time and mad the mind And beare about you more his Markes Then Carnall Toyes or Nine dayes sparkes Observe what things ye vow'd of late At your New Birth to shun and hate Ere ye presume to kisse this Child O yee that are by Nature wild The Third Dayes EXERCISE The Argument The Life which Christ led in our vale of Teares Vntill of Age he grew to Thirty yeares How then he was Baptiz'd by Holy John And tempted thrice by Satan thereupon THough Christ a Child inherent Righteousnesse Originall and Actuall did possesse And in his Youth sufficient gifts inherit To cope with Hell yet by the Sacred Spirit He was not led into the Wildernesse Till to more yeares he grew of Manlinesse That in all points like us excepting sinne He might on Earth his Humane course begin Cloath'd with our fâ—esh expos'd to scorners gall Temptations Death and yet o'recomming all For never God his children leaves for trials Till he them armes gainst Satans false espials Now I review the shadow of his Diall Backe to his Swathes with a short true Memoriall Of his rare gifts and Heavenly Qualities Which more more shot forth with properties Convenient for his greene and tender Age Whil'st here he went his earthly Pilgrimage From his Conception Birth and Cradle Blest I doe proclaime of Babes this Babe the Best Nature and Grace contended in his Feature Till they it form'd a peerelesse lovely Creature And what they did if ought at all let slip His God-head made compleat their workmanship O would my Lord now doe the like for This This weakeling which with awfull sense I kisse This Embryon or Conception of my braine Christs Portraiture which I shall draw in vaine Except the Spirit of th' Evangelists The Holy Flame which guided to the lists Of the Triple Combat this Man of men Doe purify my style from Blots uncleane And my swift Trance from Superstitious fury Whilst I from Wales to
attempt And bring to passe which Satan well foreknew Although he strove Gods Judgements to eschew In vaine he strove our Sun-shine to eclipse Where such as these come from a Christians lippes Alas what poore weak Fame a Nine dayes wonder Doe worldlings rove at if their Ends they ponder When men ground Faith on Humane Policy The Lord reputes it but Hypocrisie When he vouchsafes to lend some Miracles He doth it to confirme his Oracles To be divine and not Humane positions He doth it freely without Compositions And with a Caveat too that none waxe proud As though the gift were for their Owne allow'd Why should a Saint expect for Miracles Whilst he enjoyes Faith and Truthes Oracles For this regard did Jesus put to flight With Holy writ the Fiend with all his slight Thou shalt not tempt by any meanes said he The Lord thy God who first Created thee That is the Scripture thou shouldst muse upon And if infring'd what vengeance hangs thereon Thus Jesus twice already for our faults Endured had the Devils bold assaults Him now againe the third time he assayles To captivate or make him strike his sayles And knowing nothing in this worldly frame Can tempt a Saint like to Ambitions Flame Nor sooner can the finest wits defile As is Recorded on old Athens File Then to be pointed at by Peoples Prease Loe this is he the rare Demosthenes He comes no more with Scripture in his mouth But with the whole worlds Empire North and South The Eâ—st and West he labours to entangle Christs Senses like to Tybers Fishing Angle Wherewith his Vicar Crownes like Gudgeons tooke That Beast with Lambes two Hornes Dragons hooke So long agoe described by Saint John The man of sinne and that Perditions Sonne Whom Cardinalls at his Installment Grace With Triple Crowne and on Masse Altar place He rapt him in the twinkling of an eye To a high Mountaines Top thence to descry As from Mount Neâ—o where Canaan was showne To Moses many Kingdomes of his owne All the round world he there made to appeare In a false Mappe doubling the Hemisphere The like Romes Prelate scarcely could install For his to Right Castile and Portingall So Satan did his Monarchy contrive As Neptune stood on his Prerogative That great Command with triple forked Mace By Lot to me and not to him did passe Out of meere Grace and Love I beare to thee Sayes he to Christ if thou wilt worship me And homage doe these Crownes I give in Fee These States for thee and thine for ever be No greater snare could Lucifer invent Our Second Adams minde to circumvent No Motive nor more working Argument Then Scepters or a Mitred Governement As Mahomet tooke hold upon the First With th' Alcoran and of them all the worst Of Christian men usurp'd aspiring higher Both swords to manage and approaching nigher To the red Dragons claymed Jurisdiction With Soules and Bodies sale and interdiction But Gods deare Sonne did out of hand Controule These Lofty towring Flames Soules tainting foule He would not listen to Supremacies Nor to the worlds suggeste Primacies His Kingdome was not of this worldly station Of mortall Stampe but for sick soules translation By Fiery Tryalls to Jerusalem Not built with hands a place which fooles contemne To coole therefore our Thoughts irregulare Our Saviour thus put by the Serpents snare Not asking him as our late Exorcists Vaine questions but him packing from the Lists He could no longer his Just zeale refraine But instantly repuls'd him with disdaine Avant Satan make here no more abode Packe hence I charge thee in the Name of God Thou of my Faith hast made sufficient Triall But of his Rights I cannot brooke denyall I cannot heare with Patience Blasphemy Against my Fathers endlesse Royalty Who swayes this Globe by Aristocracies Democracies and awfull Monarchies The Lord thy God as Scriptures doe observe Thou worship shalt and him alone must serve Such Checking Words spoke with a Conscience cleane Free from ambitious thoughts and Deedes obsceane With vowes and Fasts aswell to purifie Themselves as the Old man to mortifie Oft naming Jesus Christ our Advocate Will quickly Satan chase or subjugate There needs no Charmes Masses nor Exorâ—ismes No holy water Reliques Crosse nor Chrismes To dispossesse or send the Devill packing Let such those trust where Faith Love are lacking When as I know as who is free my selfe â— braine or dreame neere cast upon this shelfe With Gales of worldly winds in shew most faire Gulling my Sense like Atomes in the Aire With false Selfe-love by him an Idoll prays'd With subtle Theames by his suggestions rays'd Such as on wits for want of vowes have play'd Or with such Quirkes as our late Sects display'd Or with wild fits and moods extravagant Let me but say with Jesus Christ Avant At their first comming with a pious mind At Christs sweete Name God sends them backe confin'd Let me review his Wounds I may be bold To conjure Satan from his strongest hold This Shield I take no other helpe I looke From Heaven or Earth against this Fishers â—ooke Christs coate I weare no other Ayd I crave Then His who other crave doe surely rave To other Saints whom they Gods Courtiers caâ—â— I say with Job Poore helpers are ye all Against Sinnes Rage and Satans proud Bravadâ—â—s Against his Plots his wiles and Ambusâ—adoes My Faith though weake supported mee witâ— Armes Contritions Grones prevented all my Harmes In Christ his Robes I feared no Annoyance Fenc'd with his shield I â—â—ung at him defyance After Resisting I did ever finde My Foes departed and good motions sign'd Or printed in my Heart unknowne to me From brutish Elves to guard my New-man free This should be writ in Cedar or in Gold The man Newborne who is for Grace enrold Shall sure be tempted by some wicked Fiend Whom if at first he doe suspect for Friend And not receive his Baytes with hearts delight That Man shall winne the Field through Christ his Might And from thenceforth with greater dowries blest Shall surely live and dye a Saint profest His Soule with Christ shall rest in Paradise His Body at Doomes-day with Joy shall rise In this we have our Master for Example Who by the Crosse on Satans head did trample As living he his motions had repell'd And with Gods Word three times had him refell'd Although he was alone and destitute Of Humane helpe yet he made Satan mute After his Conflicts to congratulate And him releeve in the like hungry State As was Elias who in Horeb past His Forty daies by meanes of fore-repast It is recorded that the Angels came Which shewes Gods Care Faiths strength Satans shame But here 's a doubt a question scrupulous Which to decide for me were perillous Lest that I seeme in Negromanticks vers'd Or that my Rule by Saints might be revers'd Whether these Assaults Reall were or visions Or mixt with Satans Jugling Apparitions To argue that Gods Sonne
Frogs or Locusts wast our meanes of Light When the Baptiz'd our New mans Gifts do slight And sell mens Soules when one betrayes another And of Christs flocke the Brother hurts the Brother When Children to their Sires rebellious prove And Wives to Husbands faile in mutuall Love These tearing Vnions Bond by loves divorce Those razing Natures Fort without remorce When both these States the Churches mysticke type Each other cloy with Tares or fruite unripe When men create New Christs both here there Or then in Heaven Christs body seeke elsewhere When his bright Light shines in the utmost West Which like to Lightning rose first from the East When most mens zeale shall frozen be and cold Then every houre looke for the End foretold Which End steales on like Daniels desolations Or Noahs Flood which overtooke all Nations Whilst they were feasting like our Libertines Who slight these Flames as they those Crystall signes Heed Readers then your Monitors advise And scorne not this his Servants Sacrifice Other good Rules to us Christ left behind To cleare the sight of the most sinfull blind And those in solid words more comprehending In one short Parable more by descending From Generals to formes Particular Conducting Saints to the Archangels war With easie steps and edifying phraze More than by thorny doubts Meanders maze Which course if Preachers now adayes would trace With Catechizing Lectures to make place For Seed to spring not halfe so many Tares Would choke pure-seeded hearts with worldly cares If in their Sermons to the simpler sort They leave to canvase and to make report Of matters past their reach and Apprehensions Or such deepe points which might provoke contentions As Gods Essentiall Forme Pelagian doubts The Soules Free-will hels place or whereabouts Departed Saints are seated till Doomes-day And not the Pulpit beate with an Affray On Bellarmine and other Clerkes unknowne WhoÌ„ they with Latine there would tumble down If they shoot not Wits Squibs against the Truth Nor Legend-dreames to sindge the eares of Youth If they Preach nothing but Christ Crucified And saving Faith sinne would lye mortifyed Their zeale would spring if they with zealous mood Expound Christs Gospell to be understood Men would repent sinnes Baites if they disgrace Dividing the Lawes Thunder from mild Grace Some kind of sinnes which daily he beheld Committed by poore humble Soules he held More veniall of compassionate regard He pittyed them and their petitions heard If with Contritions Grones they did lament And of their sinnes unfainedly repent To shew his Love unto the Convertite To lift up Soules from discontented plight And that none should despaire of Clemency He did these short similitudes apply A man had lost one sheepe of many score But finding it with toyle rejoyced more Than for the rest which never stray'd at all From their owne Ranke his whistle or his call A Woman next he cited who did boast More of one silver peece which she had lost And after search recovered then of nine Left in her purse that never made her whine For further proofe he brought the Prodigall Who spent his meanes both use and Principall Most lavishly yet afterwards Repenting With teares he found his Fathers hearts relenting That his Returne a New-man from a Beast He welcom'd with a Calfe and made a Feast Such Joy Christ said transports the Angels Quire When men Repent and seeke their Heavenly Sire They triumph more for One poore Convertite Then for lesse Strayes or more in life upright So pittifull was Christ that to unfold His Love Remorce and mercies manifold Were endlesse paines above Capacity Of Humane wit clog'd with Infirmity As may appeare by that Adulteresse Led by the Scribes when seeing her heavinesse He bad her to goe home and sinne no more And when himself stood tortur'd at deaths doore He comforted the Theefe with Paradise Because he askt for Grace with dolefull eyes But for the Higher sort who proudly dar'd Maskt under Lawes pretence with burdens hard To Tyrannize upon mens Consciences And by Schoole Quirkes or wrested sentencâ—s Of Scripture to molest the Churches union Those with a woe he doomed for disunion With such who force the gift of Chastity Unlesse God gave it on Humanity Who barring Saints Gods Im age to beget Would weave for foule Asmodâ—eus Priests a Net Christ utterly mislikt such Scandalists Like them who dare beyond Religions Lists As petty Kings to Lord it by their gripes Wounding the Poore worthy of many stripes Those he Judg'd to be for above all sins Then raigning strong and whereby Satan wins Most in our Age smooth-fac'd Hypocrisy He loathed as foule thoughts Soules Leprosie Eight severall woes therefore against the Scribes He thundred for their hollow deeds and Bribes Who knew his Masters will and did it not But wilfully would loyter play or plot Some lewd designe against his Masters profit Or saw his losse and not informes him of it Such witting slaves he sentenced to be Worthy of smart in a most high degree It griev'd him much to see Wisemen contend Like Ideots and fond children to no end For shaddowes on the wall for Dignity Short lasting Pompe for so true Liberty Quite losing through their Pride and vaine desires They quench the flame of Intellectuall fires Christ saw these Flashes Dreames and Fooleries And oft lamented them with weeping eyes To shun therefore Gods wrath and to fulfill While we on earth survive his Fathers will Of force we must he said forsake our owne Though dearest Lusts and tread Temptations downe We must take up his Crosse and that prefer As Heavens doore and our Remembrancer Before our Parents Children or Alliance And on his Blood to fixe our whole Affiance To Penitents through Faith hee preach't Remission Of sinnes but Plagues for temporiz'd omission The which with Teares hee Prophesied would light For wilfull sinne on every faithlesse wight This Judgement on Jerusalem foretold By Romes proud Conquests afterwards tooke hold When Abrahams seed the Circumcized Ligne Were quite expulst the Land of Palestine And sithence we the Christians of the West Yea and the East whom Infidels molest Have felt for sinne Gods Plagues of Vengeance due And shall feele worse unlesse we change our hue With better Leaven then the Pharisees Our Faith like ill bak't bread soone putrifies O hardned hearts O most unhappy men How oft sought Christ like to a carefull Hen Her wandring Chickens or a loving Brother To reunite your strayes and wrongs to smother How oft likewise hath he recalled home Into his Flocke our Westerne Christendome God grant our Bâ—itaines may regard this pittance These crummes of mine not slighting their admittance Into his Fold least Antichristian foule Devoure their seed and their New man controule Lest for their want of Faiths Lampe-oyle in Heaven They be like to the Foolish Virgins driven From the Kings Feast or that they hide their Talents Or they shut out for want of wedding rayments Or like those Clownes who their Lords
therefore the Fiend Conspir'd to bring to passe his damned End Which was to ruine Christ and all his Crew Before he could on Earth Gods Church renew But could none other of th' Apostles winne Save this Perditions Child to act that sinne Judas suborned thus his Instrument Against his Lord and Master did invent An ambushment Christs Body to betray Though he his owne and Soule did cast away To Satan for a Prey For when he saw As Purser that he could no money draw More than he had by Christ his Company And that at Simons house in Bethany Whilst he summ'd up with avaricious Care His Theft he markt how Christ went poore and bare Not caring for the world or worldly gaine His chiefest ayme and would not then restraine The woman which powr'd Nard upon his Head And feete an Oyle that might him much bestead If to the Druggist sold he murmur'd sore He could not catch as he had done before This when our Saviour mark'd Why doest thou grudge Judas said he like a pelfe-serving drudge This Oyntment sold disposed to the poore I grant might have their wants relieved more But they are alwayes here so am not I. Embalmed thus know I shall shortly dye And through the world where shall be read my story Her loving deed shall publisht be with glory These words distasted foule Iscariots thought And to betray him now he hourely sought Away he went to the Chiefe Priests in hast And told them of Christs life and of this waste Now is the Time quoth he for you to take him Whilst he at night to Prayers doth betake him He names himselfe the Christ. I heard him say He would Gods Temple raze and â—ast away And afterwards râ—build it up as well In three dayes space in spight of Men and Hell The Priests were all of such a Chapman glad And presently a Contract with him made That their Catch-poles might without jeopardy Arrest him by the Nights obscurity For thirty peeces of that Countrey Coyne Which to their Treasure house they did purloyne By shifts and fraud for which they were reprov'd Of Christ before which them to malice mov'd Farre more for that than any other cause Though they surmiz'd the breach of Moses Lawes For plucking Corne upon the Sabbath day Or bringing downe their Temple to decay About that time the Paschall feast to hold On Maundy Thursday so enstyl'd of Old Jesus did sup that Evening tide his last At Salem in an upper roome where plac't With his Disciples twelve he first tooke Bread Bâ—est brake and gave it them whereon they fed After his blessing This my Body is His body sure Mans sacrifice for Blisse If rightly tane by a Just true Receiver With Inward taste and of a true Believer For otherwise who toucht Christ in the Prease Aswell as the Blood-flux'd had found more ease In the remembrance of his body naild Vnto the Crosse whereby the Saints stand baild From terrours here and in the world to come Nay warranted in Spirit they become Against doomes-day from the darke second death He blest the Cup alike with holy Breath After the New mans way and bad them drinke The Sacred Wine and on his Blood to thinke As lately at our New mans Sacrifice With bright day-light confounding Heresies My ravisht Muse beheld the Heavenly Vine With Purple Grapes for Mortals prest to Wine â—This costly food Soules Manna purging vice The figure of his Bodies Sacrifice This Type of Blood unbloudyed Mystery Christ left for Saints to keepe in memory His death untill his comming from above Where yet he sits to intercede and move For Penitents his Father wrong'd by Man This way I feed through Faith And who dares scan Another sense yet with Humility Let him here stop as with the Trinity Of Persons in the Godhead which he ought More to admire than by transcendent thought To soare more high than Eagles to the Sunne Where by the stame his sense may be undone Since how wee change to Christ no more hee knowes Then Babes the manner how the Spirit blowes The Sunne drawes up Earths vapours And so can Christ lift like Stephen up our Inward Man This humblenesse of mind when Christ had supt That Evening as it were to interrupt Our Future doubts he shew'd by stooping downe To wash his Servants feete with Love unknowne To which he added that the Marke for ever True hearted Christians from the false to sever Was mutuall Love which a Commandment New He styl'd for without Love Faith proves untrue Our soules and bodies are the Church where God In the third person holds his sweete abode But if we hate good men God dwels not there For the true Churches Roofe Love ought to beare The Sacrifice all done Christ went his way Out of the City as he us'd to Pray Accompanyed with his Disciples true For Judas was departed to his crue His Masters nippe made him the sooner goe Doe quickely that which thou intend'st to doe To execute his Treason and Compact And to receive his bire while Jesus rackt With griefe prepar'd by Fervent Love aswell As Faith and vowes against Sin Death and Hell With his ensuing griefes he had acquainted His Chosen Mates how he should be attainted Bound and arraign'd that night how thereupon As scattered Floâ—kes his servants would be gone And him would leave amidst his Bloody foes Enthrall'd and sore distrest with dismall woes But Peter trusting to his rusty sword Seem'd to distrust his Lords Propheticke word No Mortals force nor death nor Furies grimme From Gods deare Sonne should ever sever him Before the Cocke crow thrice thou wilt deny Replyed Christ me and my Company Thou and thy Mates before the Mornings peepe Will flye for feare like weake and heartlesse Sheep There close unto Jerusalem confin'd Neere Olives Mount a place for him assign'd By Destiny which was his Fathers Will To vent the throbs which did his Inside fill A Garden styl'd of Old Gethsemanee Secure at Nights from Worldlings Company There Jesus felt what might the stoutest quell A world of griping cares of Torments fell The dreadfull vengeance which the Godhead past Upon Mankind his owne so over cast And almost sunke with Agonies of sorrow That one had thought he could not live till morrow His tender Body did extreamely languish And did partake of more and sadder anguish Then other mens wanting the Nature Male In the mixt frame of his Conception Female Or weaker earthly Flesh whereby he stood So tortur'd that he sweated drops of Blood So sensible so full of piercing paine That he could not but more then man complain Like him whose youthfull Lockes chang'd into Gray In one nights space on fame that the next day He should be slaine But Sweates to sacrifice Of streaming Blood exceedes all prodigies And shewes that Saints by meanes most violent Win Grace to Natures sore astonishment Christ by this Strange Pro-passion tortured Shewes that his Mind as Body languished His Agony surmounted all mens
broome Of Discipline sweeping foule Lusts away And the Worlds love which bring into decay The Heavenly Seed choakt up with Pompe cares Like Earthly Graine with Cockle Thornes Tares What makes a Surgeon use Corroding Waters For Festred Soares but that they are Abaters Of the proud Flesh why doe Physitians give Their Bitter Pilles unto the Sicke that grieve Of causes hid but that the bodyes sink Cannot be Purg'd of Filth and Humours stink By sweet Receipts no more should Gods Eâ—ect The Joyes of New Jerusalem expect Without first passing through the Bloud red Seas Of Sorrowes deepe to gaine perpetuall ease I meane not Griefe for losse of worldly wealth Or Carnall Friends but losse of Saving health Griefe for the wordes ecclipse Griefe for our sinne Griefe for the Snares which Saints are toyled in Who to this dying Doctrine will encline His Heart and to Austerity confine His Life he shall be crowned for his durance With Heavens Blisse whereof Christ gives assurance With these true Golden Rules seal'd in the Heart None gaines the Godheads love without some Smart Who Christ his markes more here of Torture beares In Heaven be the brighter Garland weares A Hymne explaining the cause of our Saviours Sufferings on the Crosse together with the effects of his Buriall WE were the Cause and none but we Why Christ was naild unto the Tree We were the Cause worse then the Scribes Nay worse then Judas with his Bribes Of Christ his death and Guiltlesse Bloud We tore his Flesh like Vipers Brood We drunk his Bloud like Cannibals Who men Redeem'd when they were Thralles The Jewes misus'd Him but one day Whereas we dayly him betray And Crucify the Lord againe Saints in his Limmes for spite or Gaine We rave farre worse then did the Jewes Our Carnall Lusts and Ghostly stewes Our Pride Deceites and Avarice Our Riots Feasts and Fopperies Our Healthes Debates and losse of Time Shew why Christ up the Crosse did climbe Let us then waigh with Penitence Sinnes fiery sting the Crosses sence Let us bewayle our wretchednesse Which brought our Saviour to distresse And think upon these Rules with Feare That Trees which are both dry and seare Shall sure be fell'd since blooming Wood Hath beene destroyed as with a Floud And that all Soules shall suffer losse Unlesse they muse upon the Crosse And thereby hope for inward Peace The Spirits gifts and sinnes release By vertue of that Costly Price Which hung thereon for Sacrifice For which high Deed while we have breath We never will forget his Death But in our Mindes wee will infixe His Merites Love and Crucifixe His Living Rock can hide our Soares As Josephs Vault entomb'd his Coarse We may to Blisse rise up from Bale As Jonas did from out the Whale If on his Wounds wee fixe our Soules Like Doves that pitch on Rocky Holes The Seventh Dayes EXERCISE The Argument Old thinges made New now is Jewes Sabbath Day Chang'd to the Lords to mind our Saviours sway Who Rose stay'd here sixe Weekes then went his way To Heav'n Men Inspir'd on Whit-sunday OUr two Dayes storme is cleer'd come let us sing And Tribute pay to our Triumphant King Who trampling on our Foes hath led the way To Resurrections Port on the third Day After his Death which first of their Weekes Date â—ld Hebrewes Calendar did Calculate O Blessed Day most blest in the Exchange Whilst we do not from zeale like worldlings range But all with joy for this our Worlds Creation And Christ his Rising minding our vocation As likewise for the Holy Ghosts descent On Whit-sunday ten dayes from Christs Ascent We Holy keepe our Lords this Seaventh day And in his Prayse our thankfull Hymnes display Who did because our sinnes the Old withstood Transferre a newer Feast cleer'd by his Bloud Though Christ was Lord Sabbaths prime perfection The manheads Crowne yet he to make defection Of that Dayes Rest did never Condescend But left it us untill Times finall End He left it us to mind th' Eternall Day When Time with baldnes never shall decay That Feast of Feasts with none can paralell For it above all Triumphs beares the Bell The Harmony whereof no Tongue can tell And more doth Our then Our the Sixe excell The which whilst we looke for let us foregoe Our Deeds prophane and Pious dutyes doe On this High day Let us congratulate With Jubilees our Resurrections state And our through Christ redinte-gratious Peace With God the Father in his Flockes increase Let us cheere up our Soules with Joyfull Psalmes ' And shew our Love by Prayers Vowes and Almes Let all the Earth let Christians all rejoyce And heare Gods word the Lord of Sabaoths voice Not in a Language strange or Noise unknowne But in that Tongue which men doe terme their owne Let them with understanding sound his Fame And Glorify Jehovahs awfull Name With Voices Musick sound and Symphony With Davids zeale and Asaphs Harmony Unanimous let us proclaime his Glory Not dreaming wise but in a reall story To be admir'd of all the Sonnes of Men And Registred with adamantine Pen All Glory be to thee as heretofore In Persons three one God for evermore Who least that Cares might dull our Inward sight Hast Weekely left us one of brighter Light Aswell to match the Hebrewes as to rayse New zeale on it for our Redeemers Praise Because Christs Faith stood firme not shakt at all His Manhead calling God God heard his Call Because his Manhead spurn'd Hells Crown of strife Preferring here on Earth an Humble Life And constantly endur'd the dreadfull shock Of Perills like a Shepheard for his Flocke And to his Father deare did pray alone For helpe he at the last did heare his Mone When he his Bloud had on the Altar shed Soone as he sayd All is now finished His sacred Soule straight way to Paradise Leaving the Crosse and his Bodyâ—â—yes â—â—yes Whence in Earths wombe after two Nights repose Brave Gyant-like refresht with wine he Rose His Body Rose from Grave from the Whales Belly Rays'd Jonâ—s-like to live Triumphantly For how could he whom God ordain'd to save Old Adams Seed be captiv'd in the Grave Thou art my Sonne Mens Light whom I begot Sayd his just Father and here take thy lot In choisest Soile The Hâ—athâ—n I give to thee For Heritage and all the world in Fee To bruize or breake for thy owne pretious merits Thou by thy bloud hast tam'd the wily Spirits O murther'd Lambe Hence-forth on my Right hand Sit in thy Humane shape none shall withstand Thy Powerfull will in Heaven Earth or Hell For thou shalt judge all Men and Furyes fell My sentence just thou hast appeas'd alone For which mysterious deed wee both are One. Because the Wine-presse thou alone hast trod Thy Flock shall ever dwell with mee their God Because for Sinne thou hast endured wrong Thou shalt divide the lest spoyle with the strong And for thy love to Man bought with
conceiv'd for Hauking fit Others more Sage in Types describe that Place A Starry Soile engâ—rt with Crystall Glasse Or Sea translucent with stones pretious rankes Pearle Amber Beds of Corall on the Bankes These may as Tropes rowze up the drowzy mind But to empale Gods Mansions were to blind The Artizans and to confound the Sense If curiously they break to Edens fence The azur'd Spheare wherto my hopes are bound Spirituall stands above this massy Round Of lively frame not like our mortals Land Or Temples built by carnall Creatures hand A Common-wealth secur'd from fiendes alarmes Wonne by our Saviours bloud and Ghostly Armes Which long before he promis'd to prepare For them that would through Faith his Foes out-dare There in the midst of Saints God rear'd for them A Metropole the New Jerusalem Not of Materialles wrought in Earthly mould But of Celestiall stuffe more bright then Gold Then Diamonds which Liquids may deface Or Canker-fretting Time the Fabrick raze The structure might be one with Fixed Starres Or like that Lamp which â—â—â—ting stints our cares An Orbe so farre transcending Edens site As doeth the Sunne the Moone the Day the Night Where He that made the Sunne more glorious spred The New mans giftes then Schoolemen ever read A Region of incomparable Light The Globe or Seat whereof no Humane sight Till Glorified can pry into nor Art By reason of the Lustre can impart No more then Paul by Christ in spirit brought Up to that Orbe of it could utter ought No more then we dare scan the Trinity Or weak Eyes see the Sunnes resplendencie Since puzled we in Natures secrets be What Natures Lord conceal'd how can we see Nay why should we presumptuously aspire To peep into Gods Ark or steale his Fire Old Scribes Prometheus voucht of Grace bereft For robbing Joves bright Fire a heynous theft Now more then this least Fancies me deceive I blaze not of that Orbe what I conceive Mansions of endlesse Joyes and sweet Repose God made for Men and Angels whom hee chose For Men and Angels who should side with Christ Against Hell-fiendes the Beast and Antichrist But whether in our Zones chang'd or refin'd Or Higher Orbes I leave it undefin'd Let this suffice no object represents There more then God to Soules departed hence Which honour'd Christ nor can divert their Sight From fixing on his Beames their whole delight Chiefly at that Eternall Jubilee When Saints shall from Hell-squadrons parted be By his great Light through Christ Saints there shall shine So bright that their new shape will turne Divine Compacted of the purest Quintessence Which Aire and Flame could work in Humane sence The Body which on Earth so clog'd the Soule Terrestriall shall no more that Guest controule But mounted up in Ovall Coach of Fire Elias-like doeth to the Heavens aspire And like high Eagles wings both here and there Comports with Christ the Manhead up to beare Of Motion swift of Strength without compare Like Seraphins all Love of beauty rare Leagu'd with the Soule in sympathizing frame Of Qualities aethereall mixt with flame Of glorious mould not subject unto sinne Disease or griefe as the first man hath been Like Cherubins all Light compos'd of Light Saints then shall raigne in a farre happier plight Install'd then Chinaes King or Tibers Priest With triple Crowne which cannot long subsist For these at death leave Corpse and States behind As those beare Bodies new like Christs refin'd With whom they reap more pleasures and content Then Tongue can tell Eares heare or Fancies vent No Sexes Forme shall then preoccupate The Sense since Fate had procreations date Worne out and cancell'd Lust in Evaes Race Her Choisest blest with even blooming Grace Because on Earth they trusted God alone And lov'd his Saints he made them with Christ One Both Young and Old though maimed burnt or drown'd Shall flourish then alike with Members sound Of Body span'd yet purg'd of Drossy Masse Perhaps like Christs which some would force to Masse With Knowledge ripe of Goodnesse voyd of Ill From Passions free and rectified in Will Perhaps at the same Age when Adam fell Or Christ Rose up triumphant over Hell There they shall sing and prayse the Lord alway Not having need at all to sue or Pray O how they move with mutuall zealous fire To prayse the Lord for sparing in his Ire Old Jacobs Tribes for chusing him and them While he did Esau and his Brood contemne They see themselves cull'd from the Gentiles throng Though they deserv'd to sing their howling Song For though God did all future things foresee He did till then no Reprobates decree But them reserv'd with Divells to partake Till Christ judge them to Tophèts burning Lake They know the state of all the damned Crew And thereupon their thankfull shoutes renew Ascribing Prayse with Hymnes Angelicall To Alpha and Omega God in all Of one consent one will one yea and nay With the like Musick and Harmonious Lay. Such Blisse on the eternall Sabbath day Crownes them when God their Bodies shall array Who in the Lambe believ'd and did their best By doing Good to gaine his Sabbaths Rest. As meaner Men made Lords weare Habites new So shall our Bodies then be chang'd anew The good invested with perfections rare The bad with hideous shapes and hellish Care Then many now which stalk with Peacocks Plumes With various Garbes with Licks and Baudes perfumes More ugly shall appeare then Toades or Bugges Which Children scare from screaming for the Dugges Nor will the Good then pitty the Distrest Because Gods love had Natures Foames supprest Embosom'd Couples which on Earth embrast The one shall be receiv'd the other cast Where humble Saints shall surely be preferr'd And Tenants set above their Lords that err'd Our Saviour Enoch and Elias led The way to shew that God the Quick and Dead Can raise that Mortalls have regain'd their Breath Yea from their Graves Saints rose at Christs his Death This Doctrine seemes to Carnall Sadduces â—carce true although they see in Summer Trees â—nd Corne to sprout with other vegetalles â—hough they see yearly many Animalls â— Swallowes are Silkwormes and Butterflies â—evived when the Sunne doth hotter rise Then since Those Life by the Sunnes heat have wonne Why should not Men by Him that made the Sunne Such Sotts have been and such I feare there are Too many Faithlesse ones that never care Here in this Life the certaine meanes to gaine Of glorious Shape in time to come againe Like skittish Maydes who at the fairy Game Do Daunce untill their Bellies swell with shame Nor how fares Truth nor what a Christian ailes Will they yet learne untill the Fiend prevailes What shall become of Body or of Soule So they may Feast and drinke without controule The Mirrours of the Moone are trimm'd a new Whose Face the foure Weekes Terme had dimm'd the Hew See they not bred of Putrefaction Flies And Barnacles from Wood or Pitch to rise To heare
That they who at thy Table feed In spirit must Christs Passion heed O let us then with Holy Traunâ—e From Carnall sense our Thoughts advance Let Christ behold us in the West Like to those Wise men of the East Greeting his Crosse and his Vprising As they his Birth and Manger Prizing Let Christ our vowes of Thankes behold Our Faith more Pure then Ophirs Gold Our Hearts more bruis'd then Myrrhes Perfume Our Love more sweet then Incense-fume This good Advise we will ingrosse Within our Soules and mount the Crosse. His Crosse we feele But now we heare An Angell say He is not here Christ whom yee seek is Risen up Having now made your Foes to stoup Untill Doomesday his Body none Shall see on Earth for he is gone To Heaven There behold your Christ On Gods Right hand a King a Priest An Advocate without a Fee Pleading to have Faiths Household free Draw neere his Throne and without doubt The Golden Scepter he holds out He will extend his Spirits Grace Whilst yee in Spirit seek his Face Not wresting your Soule-Feast more reall Then Paul who termes it Christs Memoriall This Traunce stirres up true Saints to Joy Like Him who though an Embryon Boy Within the Wombe seem'd to rejoice Soone as his Damme heard Maries voice The Babe did spring and so do we At our Soule-feast with Jubilee Unto the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Be Prayse both here and throughout every coast As of Old time hath been is now their due And ever shall in Heaven and Earth renew Let Heaven and Earth by Angells Saints and Men To God rebound with Glories sound Amen The New mans Song of Thanksgiving after our Ordinary Meales 1. THe Lord be Blest who gave us Food In season for the Bodyes Good Our God be prais'd for evermore Who our desires supply'd with store Of Meat and Drinke more then would serve For Natures use or we deserve No Need we feele no want we know So doth the Lord his Giftes bestow 2. He never leaves his Saints in need But Carks for them and for their Seed He leaves them not with Beggers shame To starve if they call on his Name He taught them how to blesse their Meate By giving Thankes for what they Eate No Need we feele c. 3. Unto his Flock just Abrams stock He Water gave out of the Rock With Manna fill'd their Hungry Mawes And Cloyd with Quayles their longing Crawes He Car'd for Ravens and their Breed And Ravens made Elias feed No need we feele c. 4. He David holpe in Banishment He Daniel made with Pulse content He with wilde Fruit did John sustaine And his Elect from Dearth maintaine He Thousands in the Desert fed With a few Fish and Loaves of Bread No need we feele c. 5. One Day He sends us store of Flesh Another time Fish salt and Flesh And commonly Bread Ale and Beere Milke Fruite and Wine our Hearts to cheere Yea Junckets fetcht from Sun-burnt Spaine Which do too oft our Tables staine No need we feele c. 6. How Gratious is Almighty God Unto vile Man an Earthly Clod Thus to provide and Carke for him That oft himselfe filles to the Brimme With more then serves for Nourishment For hungers sauce or Soules content No need we feele c. 7. God graunt that we his Creatures use Do Thankfull take without abuse Not loathing them as over-cloyd Nor them devouring over-joy'd That as of Need Saints toyle for Wealth So we Feast not for Lust but Health No need we feele no want we know So doth the Lord his Giftes bestow The New mans Triumph in English and Latine measures presented to the Kings most excellent Majesty WHo Christ his Birth Life Death and Rising up From Death to Life observes He soone shall stoup And quash the plots of Hells black Darkned Troup And likewise make the Outward man to droup With all his false Designes and fond Conceits Sprung from the Flesh or from the Worlds Deceites For as the Morning spreades the Dawning Light So Faith by Teaching shines and Daunts the Might Of that Huge Whale which waites with triple throat To swallow Soules as Preyes of Chiefest Note So much new Light spreades by the Gospells sound They now prayse Christ who were in Fetters bound And Sinnes keen Edge wherewith the Divell was wont To boare our Hearts turnes on the suddaine blunt And so remaines unlesse they grinde againe Their Augurs on the Whetstone of the Braine But how fares then our Souldier in that plight With Davids sling he doth the Monster smite Whether the Fiend within or from without Shootes Fire he doth for Christ stand bravely out For at the Broile his Inward Guardian springs Baptiz'd Fire-sindg'd and Grac'd mith Burnisht wings Of mounting zeale who thus the Triumph sings O happy wight which hath escapt the stings Of Mortall Jarres who though he understood His Foes Allures yet loath'd them and their brood O happy Soule which dar'd with Saints to side Against Gods Foes the Luciferian side Whom with Christs Merits arm'd nor swelling Tide Nor fiery Triall could from Christ divide Whom neither Charmes nor yet a thousand Braves Could terrify nor yet the rowling waves But to safe Port with Joy she brings the Crosse And Christ his Ship which Pirats did ingrosse Where she with Saints the Crosse Triumphant reares That Crosse which Saints on Earth have wonne â—ith Teares Happy is he who brooks a wrong-attaint For by the Crosse he lives a Canon'd Saint A Name indeed which overtops so farre The highest Spire or style of worldly Starre As doth Gods Grace above mens sinnes abound Or the Lambes Bloud more then our Merits sound Thrice happy Man I say whom Angells greete And whom Christs Will made for that Honour meete So Happy be the Best of Kings if these Our New mans Songs to judge he gently please For with our Crosse there growes sweet Inward Ease And with Our Crowne of Thornes a wreath of Peace The same in Latine Hexameter Novi Hominis Laurea Triumphalis QVi Natalitium Vitam Miracula Mortem Et Christi Corpus Redivivum mente revolvit Ille tenebrosae reddet Molimina Gentis Irrita Conatus Hominis veterisque repellet Seu de Carne fluant seu sint Phantasmata Mundi Sicut enim radiis Primordia Mane Diei Dilatat per opaca Fides sic sparsa coruscat Tergeminumque domat Monstrum Caetumque Trifaucem Qui vorat omne pecus Praedasque absorbet opimas Tantum Numen inest Fidei ut modo Carmine Christum Compede qui vincti quondam latuere salutant Quin acuta quibus terebrabat Pectora Daemon Tela repentino fiunt obtusa reflexu Sic que hebetata manent nisi devia forte voluntas Illa super Cerebri renovet Terebrata molare Quomodo tum Miles valet in discrimine tanto Nempe studet monstrum Jaculis superare Davidis Seu vis Hostilis tonat aut Civilis amictu Fraudis in orbe furit Christo Constanter adhaeret Nam Novus ex gemina Genius Baptismatis aura Numinis afflatu Zeloque micantibus alis Nascitur intus agit victoris ille Triumphum Sic canit O Faelix qui tot Certamina vidit Illaesus qui vafra Hostis stratagemata novit Et tamen haec spernit generoso pectore Miles O Faelix qui sacra Dei Praedonibus aufert Ausus ad extremum Fidei defendere causam Contra Luciferum Meritis innixus Jesu Non scloppi reboante sono non Marte nec arte Non Pugnis non mille Minis nec territus undis Donec in optati Navem ferat ostia Portus Et Crucis abductae renovata Piacula Christo Immolet Aetherea Laudes resonante Caterva Faelix quem signat Crux Ignea Nomine Sancti Nomine Pyramidas tanto exsuper ante vel Astra Quanto Peccatis existit Gratia major Quanto Hominum Meritis Sanguis praestantior Agni Ter Felix inquam quem Christi summa Potestas Angelicos inter Coetus dignatur Honore Sic quoque tu Faelix qui nostros imbibis Hymnos Judicio sensuque pio Rex optime Regum Cum Cruce nam crescit dulce Levamen Amen Eccho Cum Spina Sertum fulget O vale Vale Eccho FINIS z This Story is largely set out in that Treatise entituled Les Comptes du monde Adventureux Imprinted at Paris 1572.
Feares Whose eyes for sin gush seldome out with teares Nor can they force one brinish pearly drop Nor fetch true sighs thogh sighs might vengeance stop To which I joyne the burden which he bare Of Adams sins which did augment his care His delicate smooth mortall Flesh did strive With Hell and as it were sought to reprieve The comming vengeance of the Godheads Doome To every Mortall due even from the wombe And after he had crav'd his Fathers Ayd For his true Church thus for himselfe he pray'd Deare Father now let not my Soule become For Sinners debts charg'd with a greater summe Than Nature can repay But let me passe Without more paine poore man is like to glasse Soone broke bruis'd or like the wither'd grasse Unlesse he be supported by thy grace Unlesse thou please the Torture to abate Or give him strength hard is the Martyrs Fate I st possible thy Lees and wrathfull Cup To passe that I shall not sins banquet sup Ah no The Ordred course of things to come Must correspond with thy Eternall Doome Therefore my will to thine Lord I submit I kisse thy Crosse I love and honour it Such piteous plaints Christ with a troubled spirit Powr'd when no curse he for himselfe did merit And no marvell for he endur'd the scourge For all mens sins and all he sought to purge He tooke on his owne backe on his owne score The whole burthen which made him groan the more Of meere Free will and Love not by constraint He tooke on him our frailties as our shape That from the Hunters snare we might escape Our Pride our lusts mallice and wiles he bare And bath'd them in his sweat teares blood and care He suffred for all Adams Progeny Unlesse some madly crosse their Destiny And chuse the Kite the Foxe and Leopard Before the Spirits Dove or Lambe for Guard All Christians reape his Passions benefit Save those who had renounc'd him of despite Or those who fixt their hope on others Fate Distrusting him to be Sole Advocate O that men markt what their Redemption cost How Christs deare Blood hath Gods Hand-writing crost And that they waigh'd the Persons dignity Abased thus out of meere charity To Sacrifice his owne most guiltlesse Blood For saving from hell-fire fraile Adams Brood With weeping eyes and with a bleeding heart He came to his Disciples gone apart And in this posture sad besmear'd with signes Of griefes excesse Teares shed like brackish Brines He calls to them whom fast he found asleepe Awake my Friends from sleepe can you not keep Your selves one houre to watch and pray with me Arise I say for now my time I see Drawes neere I may not shunne what is decreed In Heav'n that I must ransome Adams Seed The Fatall Houre drawes neere that I must smart For Humane kinde Come let us hence depart With such Propheticke words he them awakt Although his heart strove with deepe sorrowes rackt And thereupon the beaten path they tooke Neere Olivet to crosse Old Cedrons Brooke Which running through Jehosaphats faire vale Did where they were bedew the Garden pale A Hymne in honour of the blessed Trinity for our New Birth and Spirituall Regeneration LEt us extoll with Sacred Mirth The Triple Spring of our New Birth The Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Recalled us from every Coast When we were tost And almost lost The Father chose us for our Good The Sonne redeem'd us through his Blood The Holy Ghost came from Above And seal'd us Faith with Flaming Love Yea Jordans Dove Taught us to Love The Turtle Dove loves onely One But losing Him she lives alone And so doe we as heretofore â—n Persons three one God adore One God implore For evermore The Sonne of God who represents The Fathers Person Excellence And Majesty we daily blesse And sue unto in our distresse For wrongs redresse Or more or lesse Above the Starres three persons shine Of God-head One One will Divine Who bath'd our Wounds and gave us Wine When we for paine were like to pine Christ is the Vine His Crosse the signe By them we change from Death to Life By them we hate fell Passions strife By them we doe these Rayes partake That Pride and Lust we must forsake And Fiends which rake For Tophets Lake For our Old Lord the Tempter now We Christ for our New Lord avow And for old Plots and Carnall lies With our New man we sympathize And Christian-wise We Sacrifice By his deare Blood we doe confesse He ransom'd hath our wretchednesse If we represse the Rebell Flesh He will not leave us comfortlesse But us will blesse With Joyes Excesse He as our Head Faiths Living Rocke Both God and Man of Judaes stocke Was borne and bath'd in Jordans streame To wash us from sins foule extreame This Holy Theame The New-mans Dreame We to thy Throne present O King Supreame Dipt in the Spring which from thy side did stream The Fifth Dayes EXERCISE The Argument Christ is surpriz'd and Peter him forsweares But soone repents False Judas raves with feares Led after floutes to Caesars Judgement Hall Christ is condemn'd to stint the Jewish brawle By Pilate to the Crosse where pain'd he dies Then Joseph begges the Bodies Obsequies HE that affects th' eternall Sabbaths Rest There with the Lambe to live for ever Blest He that desires to be a Saint profest And to the Sonne of God a joyfull Guest Must in this world for sad Good Frydayes Feast Reserve one Day within the Weeke at least He must take up the Crosse with Love-dread Note And weare with Abbaes sound Christs seameles coate He must lay cares aside be mov'd to pitty And for his sake sing out a dolefull Ditty T is not a Poets feast of Prognes Cooking Her guiltlesse Child but heere 's one worth the booking And looking on without nice wits rebukes By Men of Lowest Ranke as Greatest Dukes A Feast in blood before the Father laid By his deare Sonne to save the Soule dismayd A Feast indeed which Carnall mindes despise Because it types the New-mans Sacrifice O Happy Guests for whom this Feast is drest O Happy me if I could cooke this Feast According to the New-mans appetite And without blame to doe the Founder right If it be drest like to a Hodge-podge say What meate God sent the Scullion marr'd to day If well give God the praise and not to me Give Him the Thankes who sent these Cates to thee Bought at a Costly rate to cleare from Lust And passions Gall thy Soule and mine I trust To further this we must first Purify Our selves with Fasts and Nature mortify Not like our Gulles or gutling Libertines Who slight all Fasts vowes and Religious Lines Packe hence therefore ye carnall Epicures Touch not this feast nor our Mount Calvares cures Good Frydayes Priest warnes them that went astray With Peters Teares to greete that mournefull day Which puts the Soule in minde twixt Love and Feare To heed the Crosse each Fryday
in the Yeare Or oftner if Occasion so require To watch and cast Sinnes viper in the fire Now had the Priests the silent Night chose out To act their plot which they to bring about By Day-light fear'd lest that the vulgar sort Who late Hosanna cry'd might Christ support Or rescue from their foule injurious hands In spite of all their Scribes and bribed Bands Whilst He the path with his Disciples tooke Which led from Olives Mount to Cedrons Brooke That Brook which gliding through the Royall vale Did teares then from Gethsemane exhale Judas arriv'd who his Compact to gloze Thus with a kisse betray'd him to his foes Master All-haile at which watch-word a Band Of Armed men commanded him to stand And yeeld himselfe to the High Priests command Christ soone obey'd not willing to withstand The Serpents Hisse but like a Lambe gave way To their Arrest as to sterne Wolves a prey Knowing that now the Fatall time was come To satisfie Gods wrath for Adams Doome For at their first Approach to their demand Which Jesus was He them to understand Gave without false Equivocations wiles Wherewith Hels Dragon now the world beguiles I am the man said he But why come ye To apprehend with Clubs and Halberds me As if I were a Thiefe I dayly taught Among you in the Temple yet none sought Me to impeach Though at his Lightning word They backward fell and Peter drew his Sword In his Defence and lopt off Malchus Eare Yet he control'd the Fact bad them not feare Heal'd the Cropt Eare and voluntary went Along with them without astonishment To Annas house who to his Sonne in Law Transfer'd him bound whom when proud Caiphaâ— saw He on some points examined but still The witnesses produc'd agreed but ill For the chiefe Article they stood upon Or in blind zeale so seem'd to stand thereon Was for their high towr'd Temples casting downe And in three dayes to build it with Renowne Which words he spake by figure or a signe As he term'd Bread his flesh himselfe the Vine Unto the which when Jesus stood still mute Not answering with cavilling dispute Caiphas adjur'd him in the Name of God As him he lov'd or fear'd his smarting rod To tell if he were Christ Jehovahs Sonne Who Israel should restore then neere undone Our Saviour then engag'd to shew the Truth Undauntedly though Inward toucht with Ruth I am said he the very same and yee Shall me the Sonne of Man hereafter see A Judge from Heaven descending on you all I am that Christ Messias whom yee call When Caiphas heard this constant Protestation He rent his cloathes with yelling acclamation O Cursed speech Intollerable Tongue Worthy of stoning both by Old and Young So fum'd the Fiend so cry'd the Orgian Priest As at Gods Word did since the Foes of Christ As likewise to this day blood-sucking Rome His Members tempts with taunts and fiery doome No other proofe than this his Blasphemy Need we produce worse than Idolatry Who hearing this can from Revenge containe With outcryes loud they roar'd and did arraigne Christ guilty of a foule notorious crime Of Sinners the most capitall and prime They rail'd on him and could no longer brooke But buffeted and with their fists him strooke They strove who first his Person should deface And with a Reed they smote his Head and Face They bound his eyes and rapt with Lunacy With Girdes and Blowes they said Now Prophesie They spat on him who with his spittle cur'd The Blind mans Eyes and him his sight assur'd One while his tender Flesh the Serjeants nipt Another while with drunken Songs they quipt His Doctrine which they term'd New Oracles And by and by they mockt his Miracles Such spite they wrought on him with revel reakes Till word was brought to them The Morning breakes When Peter had observ'd who present was How all things did against his Master passe And that some charg'd him borne in Galilee Bewray'd by Speech of Christ his crew to be He utterly denyed and Christ renounc'd Which he with Oaths to save his life pronounc'd He never knew the man This thrice he swore But then the Cocke warn'd him that he forswore By which sure reall signe poore Peter knew That he had broke his Vow and prov'd untrue With trickling teares distilling downe his cheeks He then retires aside Gods Mercy seekes And with such words as these bewailes his fault Why did I wretch twixt God and Belial hault Why did I play the base Dissemblers part For feare of rage or momentary smart The Son of God my Saviour to deny Who for my sinnes fear'd not deaths agony Why did I not thinke better on my Fate Whereof my Lord forewarn'd me so of Late That Satan watcht to winnow me like Wheate Why did I not his Prophesie repeate That I would him thrice Craven like not know Before the Cocke should clap his wings to Crow Alasse that I a Member from my Head Disjoynted prove like Judas false and dead Alas that I Baptiz'd to Grace once feeling Good motions pine with Falling sicknesse reeling That I a Saint in Possibility Am turn'd Apostate by impiety That I late taught by Christs eternall word Am now become a Traytor to my Lord Alas that I whose feet my Saviour washt Should now so soone with Durty sinnes be dasht Sinnes paine I doe deserve and foule disgrace Because I strove ambitiously for place Because I stood too much upon my worth I well deserve from grace to be thrust forth O what is Man if destitute of Grace He shall presume with Saints to gaine a Place In stead of place with Saints he merits well With Lucifer to tumble into Hell But I disclaime Mens merits Grace intreat And fly from Justice to Gods mercy Seate Mercy I crave for Mercy still I cry And if that failes no other meanes I le try If for this fault I meete with Mercies streame I will take heed how ever I blaspheame I le clense my Heart with Folly lately stung And will henceforth reforme my erring Tongue I will redeeme my foule Apostacy That all the World shall see my Constancy I will protest the Truth that t is Damnation To cloake the Truth with mentall reservation Let him retaine Hels Scribe for Advocate That traines his Fellowes to Equivocate Though with his Tongue he hath untruely sworne Yet in his Heart he beares a Minde unsworne But I was taught within a better Schoole At Truthes Well-head than so to play the Foole. My Conscience upon whom my thoughts relied This Hearts true Judge tels me I foulely lyed There needs no tricke nor traverse in my Plea One may the Sands count sooner of the Sea Then reckon up the many sinnes I did Of Sinners chiâ—fe I vouch my selfe unbid Yet of all sinnes none troubles me so deepe As this my last for which I waile and weepe O would my eyes a Fountaine were of Teares If teares would please my God and ease my feareâ— I would