delight That bloody slaughter-house to peaces breast That lawlesse pallace to a place of right That slaughtring shambles to a liuing rest Made meete for iustice fit for happinesse Vnmeete for sin vnfit for wickednesse Yet the inhabitants though mischiefes slaues Were not dead-drencht in their destructions flood God hop'd to raise repentance from sins graues And hop'd that paines delay would make them good Not that he was vnable to subdue them But that their sins repentance should renue them verse 10 Delay is tooke for vertue and for vice Delay is good and yet delay is bad T is vertue when it thawes repentance ice T is vice to put off things we haue or had But here it followeth repentance way Therefore it is not sins nor mischiefes pray Delay in punishment is double paine And euery paine makes a twice double thought Doubling the way to our liues better gaine Doubling repentance which is single bought For fruitles grafts when they are too much lopt More fruitlesse are for why their fruits are stopt verse 11 So fares it with the wicked plants of sin The rootes of mischiefe toppes of villany They worser are with too much punishing Because by nature prone to iniury For t is but folly to supplant his thought Whose heart is wholy giuen to be nought These seeded were in seede oh cursed plant Seeded with other seede Oh cursed roote Too much of good doth turne vnto goods want As too much seede doth turne to too much soote Bitter in taste presuming of their height Like misty vapours in blacke-coloured night But god whose powerful arms one strength doth hold verse 12 Scorning to staine his force vpon their faces Will send his messengers both hote and colde To make them shadowes of their owne disgraces His hot Ambassador is fire his cold Is winde which two scorne for to be controld For who dares say vnto the King of kings What hast thou done which ought to be vndone Or who dares stand against thy iudgements stings Or dare accuse thee for the nations mone Or who dare say reuenge this ill for me Or stand against the Lord with villanie verse 13 What he hath done he knowes what he will doe He weigheth with the ballance of his eies What iudgement he pronounceth must be so And those he oppresseth cannot rise Reuenge lies in his hands when he doth please He can reuenge and loue punish and ease The carued spectacle which workemen make Is subiect vnto them not they to it They which from God a liuely forme do take Should much more yeeld vnto their makers wit Sith there is none but he which hath his thought Caring for that which he hath made of nought verse 14 The clay is subiect to the potters hands Which with a new deuice makes a new moule And what are we I pray but clayie bands With ashie body ioynde to cleaner soule Yet we once made scorne to be made againe But liue in sin like clayie lumps of paine Yet if hot anger smother coole delight Hee 'le mould our bodies in destructions forme And make our selues as subiects to his might In the least fewell of his angers storme Nor king nor tyrant dare aske or demaund What punishment is this thou hast in hand verse 15 We all are captiues to thy regall throne Out prison is the earth our bands our sins And our accuser our owne bodies grone Prest downe with vices weights and mischiefs gins Before the barre of heau'n we pleade for fauour To cleanse our sin-bespotted bodies sauour Thou righteous art our pleading then is right Thou mercifull we hope for mercies grace Thou ordrest euery thing with looke-on sight Behold vs prisoners in earths wandring race We know thy pitty is without a bound And sparest them which in some faults be found verse 16 Thy power is as thy selfe without an end Beginning all to end yet ending none Sonne vnto vertues sonne and wisedomes frend Originall of blisse to vertue showne Beginning good which neuer ends in vice Beginning flames which neuer ende in ice For righteousnes is good in such a name It righteous is t is good in such a deed A lamp it is fed with discretions flame Begins in seede but neuer ends in seed By this we know the Lord is iust and wise Which causeth him to spare vs when he tries verse 17 Iust because iustice weighs what wisedome thinkes Wise because wisedome thinkes what iustice weighs One vertue maketh two and two more linckes Wisedome is iust and iustice neuer straies The help of one doth make the other better As is the want of one the others letter But wisedome hath two properties in wit As iustice hath two contraries in force Heate added vnto heate augmenteth it As too much water bursts a water-course Gods wisdome too much proou'd doth breed gods hate Gods iustice too much mou'de breeds Gods debate verse 18 Although the ashy prison of fire-durst Doth keepe the flaming heate imprisoned in Yet sometime wil it burne when flame it must And burst the ashie caue where it hath bin So if Gods mercy passe the bounds of mirth It is not mercy then but mercies dearth Yet how can loue breed hate without hates loue God doth not hate to loue nor loue to hate His equitie doth euery action proue Smothring with loue that spitefull enuies fate For should the teene of anger trace his brow The very puffes of rage would driue the plow verse 19 But God did end his toile when world begun Now like a louer studies how to please And win their harts againe whom mischiefe won Lodg'd in the mansion of their sins disease Hee made each mortall man two eares two eyes To heare and see yet he must make them wise If imitation should direct mans life T is life to imitate a liuing corse The things example makes the thing more rife God louing is why do wee want remorce Hee put repentance into sinfull hearts And sed their fruitlesse soules with fruitfull arts verse 20 21 If such a boundlesse Ocean of good deeds Should haue such influence from mercies streame Kissing both good and ill flowers and weedes As doth the sunnie flame of Tytans beame A greater Tethis then should mercy bee In flowing vnto them which loueth thee The sunne which shines in heau'n doth light the earth The earth which shines in sin doth spight the haau'n Sinne is earths sunne the sunne of heau'n sins dearth Both odde in light being of height note eu'n Gods mercy then which spares both good and ill Doth care for both though not alike in will verse 22 Can vice be vertues mate or vertues meate Her company is bad her foode more worse Shee shames to sit vpon her betters seat As subiect beasts wanting the Lions force Mercy is vertues badge foe to disdaine Vertue is vices stop and mercies gaine Yet God is mercifull to mischiefe flowes More mercifull in sins and sinners want God chast'neth vs and punisheth our foes Like sluggish drones amongst a
When vnexpected things were brought to passe They were amazde and wondred where God was Hee whom they did denie now they extoll Hee Whom they do extoll they did denie Hee whom they did deride they doe enroll In register of heau'nly maiestie Their thirst was euer thirst repentance stopt it Their life was euer dead repentance propt it And had it not their thirst had burnd their harts verse 13 Their harts had cri'd out for their tongues replie Their tongues had raised all their bodies parts Their bodyes once in armes had made all die Their foolish practises had made them wise Wise in their hearts though foolish in their eyes But they alas were dead to worshippe death Sencelesse in worshiping all shadowed showes Breathlesse wasting of so vaine a breath Dumbe in performance of their tongues suppose They in adoring death in deaths behest Were punished with life and liuing beastes verse 14 15 Thus for a shew of beasts they substance haue The thing it selfe against the shadowes will Which makes the shadowes sad woes in lifes graue As nought impossible in heauens skill God sent sad-ohes for shadowes of lament Lions and beares in multitudes he sent Newly created beasts which sight ne'er sawe Vnknowne which neither eye nor eare did know To breathe out blasts of fire against their law And cast out smoake with a tempestuous blow Making their eyes the chambers of their feares Darting forth fire as lightning from the spheares verse 16 Thus marching one by one and side by side By the prophane ill-limnd pale spectacles Making both fire and feare to be their guide Pulld downe their vaine-adoring chronicles Then staring in their faces spit forth fire Which heats and cools their frosty-hot desire Frosty in feare vnfrosty in their shame Coole in lament hot in their powers disgraces Like luke-warme coales halfe kindled with the flame Sate white and red mustring within their faces The beasts thē selues did not so much dismay them As did their vgly eyes aspects decay them verse 17 Yet what are beasts but subiects vnto man By the decree of heau'n degree of earth They haue more strength then he yet more he can Hee hauing reasons store they reasons dearth But these were made to breake subiections rod And show the stubernnesse of man to God Had they not beene ordain'd to such intent Gods word was able to supplant their powers And root out them which were to mischiefe bent With wrath vengeance minutes in deaths houres But God doth keepe a full-direct-true course And measures pitties loue with mercies force verse 18 19 The wicked thinkes God hath no might at all Because he makes no shew of what he is When God is loth to giue their pride a fall Or cloud the day wherein they do amisse But should his strength be showne his anger rise Who could withstand the sunne-caues of his eyes Alas what is the world against his ire As snowie mountaines gainst the golden sunne For'st for to melt and thawe with frosty fire Fire hid in frost though frost of colde begunne As dew-distilling drops fall from the morne So nw-destructions claps fall from his scorne verse 20 But his reuenge lies smother'd in his smiles His wrath lies sleeping in his mercies ioy Which very seldome rise at mischiefes coyles And will not wake for euery sinners toy Boundlesse his mercies are like heauens grounds They haue no limittes they nor heau'n no bounds The promontary top of his true loue Is like the end of neuer-ending streames Like Nilus water-springs which inward moue And haue no outward shew of shadowes beames God sees and will not see the sinnes of men Because they should amend amend oh when verse 21 The mother loues the issues of her wombe As doth the father his begotten sonne Shee makes her lap their quiet sleeping tombe Hee seekes to care for life which new begun What care hath he think then that cares for all For aged and for yong for great and small Is not that father carefull filld with care Louing long suffering mercifull and kinde Which made with loue all things that in loue are Vnmercifull to none to none vnkinde Had man beene hatefull man had neuer beene But perisht in the spring-time of his greene verse 22 23 But how can hate abide where loue remaines Or how can anger follow mercies path How can vnkindenesse hinder kindnesse gaines Or how can murder bathe in pitties bath Loue mercy kindenesse pitty eithers mate Doth scorne vnkindenesse anger murder hate Had it not beene thy will to make the earth It still had beene a Chaos vnto time But t was thy will that man should haue a birth And be preserude by good condemnd by crime Yet pitty raignes within thy mercies store Thou spar'st lou'st vs all what would we more Chapter XII verse 1 2 WHen all the elements of mortall life Were placed in the mansion of their skin Each hauing dayly motion to be rife Closde in that body which doth close thē in God sent his holy spirit vnto man Which did begun when first the world began So that the body which was king of al Is subiect vnto that which now is king Which chastneth those whom mischiefe doth exhale Vnto misdeeds from whence destructions spring Yet mercifull it is though it be chiefe Conuerting vice to good sin to beliefe verse 3 Old time is often lost in being balld Balld because old old because liuing long It is reiected oft when it is calld And weares out age with age still being yong Twice children we twice feeble and once strong But being old we sin and do youth wrong The more we grow in age the more in vice A house-roome long vnswept wil gather dust Our long vnthawed soules wil freeze to ice And weare the badge of long imprisoned rust So those inhabitants in youth twice borne Were old in sin more olde in heauens scorne verse 4 5 Committing workes as inckie spots of fame Commencing wordes like foaming vices waues Committing and commencing mischiefes name With workes and words sworne to be vices slaues As sorcery witchcraft mischieuous deeds And sacrifice which wicked fancies feeds Well may I call that wicked which is more I rather would be lowe than be too hie Oh wondrous practisers clothde all in gore To end that life which their owne liues did buy More than swine-like eating mans bowelles vp Their banquets dish their blood their banquets cup. verse 6 7 Butchers vnnaturall worse by their trade Whose house the bloody shambles of decay More than a slaughter-house which butchers made More than an Eschip seely bodies pray Thorow whose hearts a bloody shambles runnes They do not butcher beasts but their owne sonnes Chief murdrers of their soules which their souls boght Extinguishers of light which their liues gaue More than kniue-butchers they butchers in thought Sextons to digge their owne begotten graue Making their habitations old in sinne Which God doth reconcile and new beginne verse 8 9 That murdring place was turnd into
helpe helpe and oppresse The sinfull incolants of his made earth He can redresse and paine paine and redresse The mountaine-miseries of mortall birth Now tyrants you are next this but a show And merry index of your after woe verse 5 6 Your hot-colde misery is now at hand Hot because furies heat and mercies colde Cold because limping knit in frosty band And cold and hot in being shamefast-bolde They cruell were take crueltie their part For misery is but too meane a smart But when the Tygers iawes the Serpents stings Did summon them vnto this lifes decay A pardon for their faults thy mercy brings Cooling thy wrath with pitties sunnie day O tyrants tere your sin-bemired weeds Beholde your pardon sealde by mercies deeds verse 7 8 That sting which pained could not ease the paine Those iaws that wounded could not cure the wounds To turne to stings for helpe it were but vaine To iawes for mercie which wants mercies bounds The stings ô Sauiour were puld out by thee Their iawes claspt vp in midst of crueltie O soueraigne salue stop to a bloody streame O heauenly care and cure for dust and earth Celestiall watch to wake terrestriall dreame Dreaming in punishment mourning in mirth Now knowes our enimies that it is thee Which helpes and cures our griefe and misery verse 9 Our punishment doth end theirs new begins Our day appeares their night is not oreblowne Wee pardon haue they punishment for sins Now we are raisde now they are ouerthrowne Wee with huge beasts opprest they with a flie Wee liue in God and they against God die A flie poore flie to follow such a flight Yet art thou fed as thou wast fed before With dust and earth feeding thy wonted bite With selfe-like food from mortall earthly store A mischiefe-stinging food and sting with sting Do ready passage to destruction bring verse 10 Man beeing grasse is hopt and graz'd vpon With sucking grasse-hoppers of weeping dew Man being earth is wormes vermilion Which eats the dust and yet of bloudy hue In being grasse he is her grazing food In being dust he doth the wormes some good These smallest actors were of greatest paine Of follies ouerthrow of mischiefes fall But yet the furious dragons coulde not gaine The life of those whom verities exhale These follie ouercame they foolish were These mercie cur'd and cures these godly are verse 11 When poysoned iawes and veninated stings Were both as opposite against content Because content with that which fortune brings They eased were when thou thy mercies sent The iawes of dragons had not hungers fill Nor stings of serpents a desire to kill Appal'd they were and struck with timerous feares For where is feare but where destruction raignes Agast they were with wet eye-standing teares Outward commencers of their inward paines They soone were hurt but sooner healde and cured Lest black obliuion had their minds inured verse 12 The lion wounded with a fatall blow Is as impatient as a king in rage Seeing himselfe in his owne bloody show Doth rent the harbour of his bodies cage Scorning the base-housde earth mounts to the skie To see if heauen can yeeld him remedy Oh sinfull man let him example be A patterne to thine eye glasse to thy face That Gods diuinest word is cure to thee Not earth but heauen not man but heauenly grace Nor hearb nor plaister could help teeth or sting But t was thy word which healeth euery thing verse 13 We fooles lay salues vpon our bodies skin But neuer drawe corruption from our minde We lay a plaister for to keepe in sin We drawe foorth filth but leaue the cause behinde With hearbs and plaisters we do guard misdeedes And pare away the tops but leaue the seedes Away with salues and take our Sauiours word In this word Sauiour lies immortall ease What can thy cures plaisters and hearbs afford When God hath power to please and to displease God hath the power of life death help and paine He leadeth downe and bringeth vp againe verse 14 15 Trust to thy downefall not vnto thy raise So shalt thou liue in death not die in life Thou dost presume if giue thy selfe the praise For vertues time is scarce but mischiefes rife Thou mayst offend mans nature is so vaine Thou now in ioy beware of after paine First commeth fury after fury thirst After thirst blood and after blood a death Thou mayst in fury kill whome thou louedst first And so in quassing blood stop thine owne breath And murther done can neuer be vndone Nor can that soule once liue whose life is gone verse 16 What is the body but an earthen case That subiect is to death because earth dies But when the liuing soule doth want Gods grace It dies in ioy and liues in miseries This soule is led by God as others were But not brought vp againe as others are This stirs no prouocation to amend For earth hath many partners in one fall Although the Lord doth many tokens send As warnings for to heare when he doth call The earth was burnt drownd with fire raine And one could neuer quench the others paine verse 17 Althogh both foes God made them then both frends And onely foes to them which were their foes That hate begun in earth what in them ends Sins enimies they which made friends of those Both bent both forces vnto single earth From whose descent they had their double birth T is strange that water should not quench a fire For they were heating-cold and cooling hot T is strange that wailes could not allay desire Wailes waters kinde and fire desires knot In such a cause though enimies before They would ioyne friendship to destroy the more The often weeping eies of drie lament verse 18 Doth powre forth burning water of despaire Which warms the caues frō whence the tears are sent And like hot fumes do foule their natures faire This contrary to icie-waters vale Doth scorch the cheekes makes them red pale Here fire and water are conioynde in one Within a red-white glasse of hote and cold Their fire like this double and yet alone Raging and tame and tame and yet was bold Tame when the beasts did kill and felt no fire Raging vpon the causers of their ire verse 19 Two things may well put on two seuerall natures Because they differ in each natures kind They differing colours haue and differing features If so how comes it that they haue one minde God made them friends let this the answer be They get no other argument of me What is impossible to Gods command Nay what is possible to mans vaine eare T is much he thinkes that fire should burne a land When mischiefe is the brand which fiers beare He thinkes it more that water should beare fire Then know it was Gods will now leaue t' enquire verse 20 Yet mightst thou aske because importunate How God preserude the good why because good Ill fortune made not them infortunate They Angells were