vayl That with Contentments doth abound Men are Trees of one spacious Grove The greatest men do seem the tallest But Grace makes little Trees improve Sweet favour lies in those are smallest A poor man may be Godly-wise And sin may make a rich man poor The silent Lamb 's the Sacrifice Whilst Lions proudly live and roar The Dove that Bird of Innocence Before the soaring Eagle's chose That we may justly learn from thence Humility to Heaven goes Lazarus poor diseased lay In misery Earth was his Hell Yet he to Abram found the way And Dives went in flames to dwell The rich man's title and his name To learn men con them o're and o're But they more glory have less shame That study to relieve the Poor He that at present lives in state Above the reach of worldly wrong May in another world relate He wants a drop to cool his tongue The Poor are pious Usurers For having lost their earthly leaven Their God with Interest confers Glorious rewards on them in Heaven Rich men delight to count their Gold 'T is pastime for their minde and eye Content is happiness in hold Such pleasure is in Poverty ¶ On Mortality WHen a rich Worldling dies first question is How Rich he di'd not is he gone to Bl ss Many make answer or in love or hate Rich very Rich he lest a good Estate Not well considering 't should be understood Many Estates are greater far than good Alas poor man his eyes are clos'd with sleep And his Inheritors rejoyce not weep He by Oppression heapt up ill got Wealth And they carouze it to their Ladies health Perhaps when living he undid so many He scarce hath Tear so much as Sigh from any The Poor instead of Prayers so much the worse Attend his Corps with Clamours and a Curse What fruit hath man in all these things his breath Is spent his labour too concludes in death His Mamon fails him all his stores so great Will witness 'gainst him at the Judgment-seat He leaves to others Principal and Use But that which â—…ollows him is the abuse He casts about to compass his by-ends Himself to ruine to inrich his friends So that each bag might make this Motto good If fixt thereon This is the price of Blood Hark then my Soul bestow thy fortunes hoard Upon the Members of thy blessed Lord. Give whilst thou iv'st 't is safe to do so for Thine eye is then thine own executor The Poor will praise thee in some pious Ditty And that may help for Prayer can save a City ¶ On a Wicked man LOrd what a creature is a wicked man His life is miserable though a span All his Religion is in outward forms Hâ—…s Dainties Meat and Manna turns to Worms The Mercies daily that adorn his table Do prove his Poyson make him miserable If his Estate be large it doth annoy His dangers keeping what he can't enjoy Or if he doth enjoy he so doth use it That the enjoyment is but to abuse it Luxury leaves him no time to repent But â—…ulls him to eternal punishment The pleasures of this world do pass away But pains and hellish horrours last for aye Lord help me then thy mercies to improve He is ingrateful gives not Love for Love ¶ On Pâ—…ce THe patient man is of a metal made Not hard but flexible He 's overlaid With heavy burthens which do try his skill Making Affections equal to his Will All which he bears rather than feed a feud Not out of cowardize but fortitude He by his yielding doth his foes condemn Rides Conqueror both of himself and them He above Nature is and so prolongs His Cognizance that he doth tire his wrongs To receive injuries that dayly fall Pronounceth him more than Heroïcal He God's best witness is and when he stands Before the Bar for truth his word commands He hears his unjust and with fate His Innocence dares to expostulate His Jaylors that attend him to the Sages Are not his Guard so fitly as his Pages His earthly Dungeon is an heavenly Vault Vertu 's his crime and Patience his fault His Rack or Wheel are the ascending stayers That reach to Glory all adorn'd with Prayers Good Laws are his protection not his ends Minds not revenge but loves both foes and friends If crosses do afflict he doth submit And is content 'cause Heaven thinks it fit He turns an evil into good 't is he Can make a Vertue of necessitie An easie enemy a certain friend To injuries can bow and condescend Than others far more happy he applies A satisfaction to his miseries He that can keep his angry spirit down Is better far than he that takes a Town Patience is the Prisoner's Walk Patience is the Dumb man's Talk Patience is the Lame man's Thighs Patience is the Blind man's eyes Patience is the Poor man's Ditty Patience is the Exiles City Patience the Sick man's bed of Down Patience is the Wise man's Crown Patience is the Live man's Story Patience is the Dead man's Glory When your Troubles do controul In your Patience keep yout Soul ¶ On the Tree of Life HArk O my Soul to cane th' infernal Pit Know it thy name i' th' book of Life be writ And for a certainty the same to finde Read o'r thy Conscience and peruse thy minde Think not of Heaveâ—…s Roâ—…l to have a view Examine thine own Heart 't will tell thee true For in the Conscience of a Saint doth lie An Holy Record of Eternitie If in thy Conse ence thâ—… hast writ God's Word Be sure the Book of Life doth thâ—…e record When at the day of Judgment God shall look Into his Register and when the Book Of Conscience lieth open then indeed The Saint and Sinner both may trembling read Wherefore my Soul so govern hand and pen Write now as not to fear to read it then On Acts 26. 28. ¶ Almost a Christian. LEarning well manag'd make the Graces glad But if abus'd the learned man grows mad And make his Learning as an Hand-maid sit To wait on the profa'ness of his Wit But Piety and Parts when they agree Learning then makes an heavenly harmony So did St. Paul's that pious Prisoner for He was at once a Slave and Orator Witness his pithy and his quaint responds To King Agrippa King except these Bonds I wish not only thou but all hereby Were both almost and wholly such as I Not half a Christian but to bear those Arms Of Faith that may repel the Devil's charms An altogether Christian 's not deprav'd Almost a Christian shall almost be sav'd ¶ Of Presumption IF thou' rt a disputant or proudly wise If ignorant yet seemingly precise Beware of being busie with God's Word To dive into the Secrets of the Lord. His Closet is his own and wo to they Shall pick the lock when God doth keep the key Then be not over-busie he that will Be sifting every Cloud to try his skill For his presumption he may have
wretch of little worth In sin my Mothers womb alas Conceiv'd and brought me forth Lord with thy grace enrich my heart Take out the filth therein Let fools pursue their idle Art To make a mock at sin Wo unto them their sins do draw With ropes them fast to tie That bind Iniquity their Law With cords of Vanitie If sinners could but count their score They'd fear a future doom Let him that sinneth sin no more Lest worser things shall come Whoso doth his transgression love Careless or lose or win He strangely doth himself approve To be a slave to sin Lord fix my heart still towards thee Especially at Pray'r Lest my Petition on my knee Become to me a snare Surely the quintessence of sin Satan that Judas is He turns a murtherer when in Leads the poor Soul amiss And kills it with a kiss ¶ The Check PEace rebel Sin and dare not to rebel For thou art dead Without the Law and thou that cam'st from Hell Art Captive led How durst thou say to him that dwells on high The Holy One Look on the World where all my wealth doth lie 'T is all as none Or yet how durst thou say unto the Christ If there be none Like thee or if by thee men do subsist Make bread of stone I read the sting of Death is sin but yet Sin that came first Poor Infant-man no sooner on his feet But fell and burst 'T is said that sin the Child is of the Devil But sin thou art His elder and the very self-same evil Caus'd him to start Then prithee say What is thy name for Death and Devil they Right understood Are both too good ¶ To the God of Heaven BRight builder of the heav'nly Poles Eternal light of faithful Souls Jesus Redeemer of Mankinde Our humble Pray'rs vouchsafe to minde Who lest the fraud of Hell's black King Should all men to destruction bring Didst by a strong impulse of Love The fainting World's Physician prove Who from a sacred Virgins womb Didst an unspotted Victim come Unto the Cross to cleanse the sin The wretched World was plunged in The sound of whose high Pow'r and Name No sooner any voice can frame But all in Heav'n and those that be In Hell how down their trembling knee Thee Christ who at the later day Shalt be our Judge we humbly pray Such Arms of heav'nly Grace to send As from our foes may us defend Be glory giv'n and honour done To God the Father and the Son And to the Holy Ghost on high From Age to Age eternally ¶ The Flower O That I were a lovely Flower In Christ his Bower Or that I were a Weed to fade Under his shade But how can I a Weed become If I am shadow'd with the Son ¶ On Darkness HOw Sinner Darkness better far than Light To be preferr'd It is because the Night Draws a thick Curtain over your black deeds But God's All seeing eye no Curtain heeds If he should shew severity to men And you in Hell you 'd hate your Darkness then ¶ On Love and Hatred I Love too much to hate what I should love I love too much to love what I should hate My Love and Hatred in wrong Centres move Such hateful love God doth abominate I love not Goodness neither hate I Evil My Hate to Vertue 's hot to Vice is cold I love too little God too much the Devil My Love and Hate wrong Objects do behold Lord change my Love to Hate my Hate to Love That so thy Just ce may of both approve ¶ On Justice and Mercy JUstice doth call for Vengeance on my sins And threatens Death as guerdon for the same Mercy to plead for pardon then begins With saying Christ hath undergone the shame Justice shews me an angry God offended And Mercy shews a Saviour crucifi'd Justice says I that sinn'd must be condemned Mercy replies Christ for my sins hath di'd Grim Justice threats with a revengeful Rod Meek Mercy shews me an appeased God Lord though my sins make me for Justice fit Through Christ let mercy triumph over it ¶ On Food A Man with all things needful may be sed God for both Soul and Body Food hath sent That for the Body is material bread And for the Soul his Word 's the nutriment If Bread I want my Body then must perish Without the Word my Soul will fail to thrive He that sends both sends both of them to cherish To keep both Body and the Soul alive Famine of Bread is a destructive Curse But Famine of the Word is much more worse Lord to my Soul thy Heav'nly Food apply Give that a life although my body die ¶ Christ All in All. CHrist is the Rock on which my Faith must build Christ is the Staff on which I safe may lean Christ is for my defence the safest Shield Christ is the Fountain that must wash me clean Who builds not on that Rock doth build on Sand Who leans from him trusts to a broken Reed He falls that fights not under his Command His Blood alone doth make me clean indeed Christ cleanses saves supports my feet from fall He is my only Rock my All in All. Lord to my Soul such Heav'nly Grace impart Thou may'st be Lord and Tenant of my heart ¶ I would but cannot I Would be rich but Riches fly away I would be great but 't is with Envy blended I would be fair but Beauty doth decay I would be brave but 't is with Pride attended I would be worldly-wise but that is Folly I would be strong but 't is a Beast-like guise I would be thought religious that 's unholy I would be learned but it makes not wise These vain Endowments soon draw to an end To each there is a But that doth attend Thus Fate who stops the race of worldly glory Shews such Endowments are but transitory ¶ The Voyage THe World 's a spacious Sea that 's large and wide And man a little Barque that sails therein His thoughts do drive him like the Wind and Tide The shelf that threatens shipwrack is his Sin His Heart 's the Pylot that this Ship doth guide Faith is the Freight with which he freely trades His Anchor Hope Thus doth he safely ride Heav'n is the Haven where the Barque unlades Needs must the Merchant in his Voyage thrive That safely doth at such a Port arrive Lord be thou Pylot to this Ship of mine That both the Ship and Lading may be thine ¶ The Careless Christian. I Do desire my Prayers may be heard Yet I my self regard not how I pray I fear God's wrath yet have I no regard To what I do or what I think or say I know his Promises are just and true Yet do I live as I believ'd them not I hear he Judgements hath for each ones due Yet careless I not terrifi'd a jot Searching my heart to finde the cause of this I find that in my heart no grace there is Lord since thy Grace
Wine enough when this is gone we 'll then Revive the Banquet with the blood of men Jud. My Lord now will I drink because my state Is more by much exalted now of late Then e're it was since Nature did display Over mine eyes the banner of the day Hol. This Wine benums my joynts my limbs do feel As if each one would with the other reel Since so it is I 'll stretch me on my bed Jud. Do so my Lord And I 'll secure thy head Thou need'st not fear those at Jerusalem They shall not come to thee thou go'st to them ¶ Judeth's Song of Thanksgiving WIth Timbrels and with Cymbals raise A tune wherewith our God to praise Divinity afford me Balm For sins and skill to sing a Psalm Of praise to God did Heaven frame Exalt him call upon his Name He breaks the Battels of the strong And I that was the Camps among Of proud King Assur even then When Israel seem'd a Prey to men Then did the Lord direct my ways I came from thence to sing his praise Out of the Mountains from the North The Enemy came thundring forth Their strength did threaten dismal ills Their numbers covered the hills He brag'd he would my Borders burn And make Jerusalem an Urn And kill my young men with the Sword Dash Infants brains against the board And make my Virgins prove their spoil But God prevented hath their toyl A Female hand By his command Hath conquer'd the Assyrian Land Our mighty foe he did not fight Nor did the Sons of Titans smite Neither did Giants force his care But Beauty was his only snare The daughter of Merari went With resolution to the tent Of Holofernes drank him dead And safely brought away his head Thus Lord I ventur'd to commit Two sins and sacrifice my Wit But with a chast and holy eye I shun'd ways of Carnality My people Lord I knew should live And thou art ready to forgive I boldiy went was not afraid Because assured of thine aid And to allure I thought it good The Garments of my Widowhood To lay aside and did attire My head to raise my beauty higher My Sandals ravished his eyes And he became my beauties prize For then to give his pride a check I strook his Faulchin through his neck Which act did make The Persians quake The Medes stout hearts did likewise ake Thus my exterminating arm By inspiration did alarm A mighey Host and did destroy Their chief Commander once their Joy A new Song to the Lord I 'll sing Thou art a great and glorious King Wonderful in strength and might Invincible the God of Fight To praise thy Name all things accord For thou mad'st all things with a word In thee all Creatures shall rejoyce Not any can resist thy voice Mountains and Waters shall remove Rocks melt as wax if they not love Shall man be subject to obey And his Inseriours go astray Do we not see year after year God's merciful to them that sear All Sacrifice too little is For him that is the God of Bliss The savour of the heart is sweet And he that sears the Lord is great Wo to those Nations that arise Against my Kindred they a prize Shall be to Worms their flesh as meat The Ravens of the field shall eat Whilst in Bethulia all my days I 'll spend to celebrate his praise ¶ On Man's Greation WE were created with a Word a Breath Redeemed with no less than Blood and Death How much a greater labour is it then Sinners to cleanse or breathe Souls into men ¶ The Mornings Ejaculation NOw that the Day-star doth arise Beg we of God with humble cries All hurtful things to keep away Whilst we in duty spend the day Out tongues to guide so that no strife May breed disquiet in our life To shut the casement of our eye Lest it admit of vanity Preserve the heart both pure and free From vain and troubled phantasie To tame proud flesh while we deny it A full cup and a wanton diet That when the day-light shall go out Time bringing on the night about We by leaving worldly ways May in silence sing God's praise ¶ The Evenings Ejaculation O Lord now night 's return'd again Our Bodies and our Souls refrain From being soil'd with filthy stain Let not dull sleep oppress our eyes Nor us the enemy surprize Nor fearful dreams our minde affright While the blackness of the night Holds from us the cheerful light To thee who dost by rest renew Our wasted strength we humbly sue That when we shall enclose our eyes Pure and chast we may arise Making Morning-Sacrifice All honour Lord to thee be done Thou ever-blessed Virgins Son With the Father and the Spirit As is thine eternal merit E're and ever to inherit ¶ On Tears TEars the sweet Musick of harmonious Souls Angels rejoyce and ready are in shouls To dance thereto it is their heav'nly skill Their Master's bottle with such pearls to fill And when the Soul in Sin 's consumption lies No Balsam's better than the briny eyes God loves not waters of a common ford All Rivers are not pleasing to the Lord. When Esau wept it was to think upon His Brothers fraud with indignation His Tears were mix'd his whispring thoughts within Cry'd 'T is my loss I prize beyond my sin Tears of Dissimulation too invite Men to believe God knows the Hypocrite When in devotion we our Case impart We should remember God requires the heart Tears of Contrition give the piercing voice At which both God and Angels do rejoyce Such as were Mary Magdalens who spent Full thirty years in weeping to repent St. Peter likewise waking look'd as sleeping His face b'ing surrow'd with continual weeping The Spouse of whom in 〈◊〉 her fears Like pools of Heshbon glaz'd her eyes with Tears As Musick on the water sounds more sweet Than on the land so Pray'rs with Tears they greet Almighty God with prevalence all hours God listens to effectual Oratours Then let our Tears into a deluge flow To drown our sins and wash away our woe May they shoot forth like showers in the Spring To bathe our Souls in 't is an Offering Well pleasing to the Lord. When Peter wept He look'd more lovely than as when he slept David pathetically ever sung When Heart and Harp with Penitence was strung When to repose he laid his weari'd head Not Diamonds but Tears adorn'd his bed And in the sacred Quire there 's much more mirth For one repentant sinner so by birth Than persons just Repentance needing none Though of an hundred there should want but one To Heav'n comes none but what are pure and cleer Heaven would not be Heav'n if Sin were there ¶ On Humane Frailty THe World 's a Monster And a humane life So full of strife That a dry morsel better may suffice With quiet than contentions sacrifice Man is conceiv'd In sin when born Become a scorn Addicts himself to vanities and lyes Poysons himself
it was and sweetly grew ¶ Prayer for Peace BLessed Saviour God of Peace When storms arise or shall increase Say thou the word and they shall cease Allay their fury quench their rage Whose factions would disturb the Age Their fiery zeal do thou asswage Be thou a Comforter to those That never do the Truth oppose Them strengthen and convert their 〈◊〉 ¶ On Mercy MErcy is comfort to the Poor 'T is that the Rich desire Lord we thy Mercies do implore 'T is that the Saints require Mercy it was that gave us life To move to think or say Mercy is Physick for our grief And teacheth us to pray O how can we for mercy call That have so wicked been Our Parents gave us such a fall 'T is hard to rise agen Yet 't is for Mercy still we crave 'T is that which must us raise Mercy first made and now will save And teach us how to praise Our sins increase more than our days Yet Mercy lets us live 'T is God that we for all must praise That doth these mercies give And shall we still run on the score Not paying any part Of what we ought to him before He asketh but a heart My Soul pay what thou canst of all thy store He that pays nothing ever owes the more ¶ The Swine LOrd I am thine Although possest O be thou mine And give some rest To me a beast O Christ be good To sinful man And with thy blood Lord wash me clean Be thou my food My staff my stay My King my God And thee alway I will obey Command my sins into the Sea That I may praise and honour thee ¶ The Penitent LOrd I 'm a sinner and my sins increase To such an unknown sum That should my rockie heart and eyes Nay my whole Microcosm a flood become And drown it self in Tears 't would not suffice To name my score Not then to pay But Lord thy blood is my rich store Thou art the Patron of the Poor But all the Balsam of thy blood Alas I know will do no good Unless I wash my griefs with Tears before O thou whose sweet and pensive face To laughter never gave a place Instruct mine eyes Without delay To melt away And then the less of Balsam will suffice ¶ The Soul awaked LOrd we again lift up our eyes And leave our sluggish beds But why we wake or why we rise Comes seldom in our heads Is it to sweat and toyl for wealth Or sport our time away That thou preserv'st us still in health And giv'st us this new day No no unskilful Soul not so Be not deceiv'd with toys Thy Lord's Commands more wisely go And aim at higher joys They bid us wake to seek new Grace And some fresh vertue gain They call us up to mend our pace Till we the prize attain That glorious Prize for which all run Who wisely spend their breath Who when this weary life is done Are sure of Rest in Death Not such a rest as here we prove Disturb'd with Cares and Fears But endless Joy and Peace and Love The Pleasures of the Spheres Glory to thee O bounteous Lord Who giv'st to all things breath Glory to thee Eternal Word Who sav'st us by thy death Glory O blessed Spirit to thee Who fill'st our Souls with Love Glory to all the mystick Three Who reign one God above ¶ St. Paul's Petition FRom Enemies where're they be My God do thou deliver me From them that do against me rise From private Foes inventing lyes From bloody men who loving strife Endeavour to ensnare my life The Mighty are against me bent Because I sinn'd and do repent Arise and visit with thy Rod Those Enemies of thine O God Their follies shew that they may be At last true followers of thee ¶ On the Conscience COrruption now adays doth spring so fast So regarded And rewarded That if my tender Conscience would be sold Or if for it a Dispensation Could be but got I doubt it not I 'd store up wealth in this our Nation One spark of Flattery would so increase My evil goods So that my woods Would make a lasting fire when I decease The World 's fond love might easily be bought If I could tell The way to sell The little honesty that I have got Were but this World my home perhaps I might Be apt to trade But here things fade Give me the Riches wherein Saints delight Though now I live in a corrupted Cell Which doth annoy I would enjoy The peace of Conscience there where Angels dwell Love upon Earth is good 〈◊〉 that doth last But the choice love Of God above Is everlasting and doth never wast Tush wicked World Heav'n is my Merchandize If in my way My sight should stray My home shall be the curtains of mine eyes A desp'rate fate it is the Worldlings run A Pearl to sell To purchase Hell They must be great or to be just undone ¶ St. Austin's Prayer Recommended to the devout Christian by P. Vrban the 8th BEfore thy holy eyes O Lord We sinners heartily accord Humbly to own our griefs of heart Are nothing to our just desert The evils we have done exceed What we can write or may be read Our Consciences our Souls affright And say Thy Chastisements are light We feel the punishments of sin And yet we do persist therein Weak Nature faints at ev'ry scourge Yet perverse wills do dayly urge Our restless minds do still provoke Thy Justice and despise thy Yoke We sigh away our days in grief Yet sorrow gives us small relief For when our sighs do once expire We wallow in our former mire If we repent 't is at a rate That we had need repent for that If thou revenge our stubbornness Thy Justice doth our hearts depress Thy anger fills our Souls with fears We weep but soon forget our Tears If thou stretch out thy hand we then Promise to turn to Saints from men But if thy Sword suspension shows We then forget to pay our Vows If thou dost strike we pardon crave And when thou pardon letst us have We sin again and ne're give o're With provocations more and more Thus we our guilty selves accuse Thus we thy mercies do abuse Yet Mercy Mercy still we cry Or we are drench'd in misery Then Lord O let thy goodness give Those streams by which the Angels live Our Souls inspire amend our days Touch thou our tongues and we shall praise All glory be to God on high The Father of Eternity To Three in One and One in Three ¶ The Believer HAppy is he that doth The truth Believe for he it is Shall kiss The Son of Righteousness shall surely come By his believing to believers home Let thy belief be true But few There are that do make that Their State Abraham left a Pattern good behinde him But few there are that seek him less that finde him I do believe a Tree Will be Pleasantly green when I With eye
to be thy Match or Mate then consult thy Honour if thou lovest the World and embracest the Earth canst thou hate Adultery with man and be an Adultress to God Let not a Strumpet stand in thy sight but especially suffer not thy heart to whore after Vanity If thou fallest into ill Company that shall court thee let not the Devil wooâ—… thee O my Soul thou most beloved above all Creatures that hast God for thy Huâ—…band Heaven for thy Dower and Eartâ—… for thy Service suffer not Hell to 〈◊〉 thy Pander to dote upon the World let thy Heart be an Habitation for Goâ—… and Heaven Thy Soul is the Lord of thy Body take then thy bodies homage not thine own ruine let thy Soul act the will of God and command the body to execute thine Let not thy body be thy God lest thou becomest a Devil to thy self Thy Soul is an Angels peer let it not then be a companion for Satan Let not thy Lordship be sold for slavery and misery for if thou maintainest not thy right Hell must be thy harbour Torments thy terrour and wicked Spirits thy company Thy Soul under God is the supream Soveraign of thy body be not then a subject to thy subject let not the law of the Members be the law of the Minde for the Senses are Handmaids to the Soul and she is the Princess of Heaven Thy Soul is a free-born-childe of Eternity Heir of Immensity the Daughter of Almighty God who is beyond all bounds of Time and Being to whom then oughtest thou to pay thy duty but to him alone Thy Body is but a prison to thy Soul thou art inclosed in the walls of Mud and gates of Sense Can there then be more pleasure in a Prison than a Palace Shall a Bodily Restraint be preferred before a Spirits Liberty Canst thou count thy Bondage to be thy Bliss Are Chains of Iron to be esteemed above the Treasures of Gold Are Fetters better than Freedom Earth is but a Goal to Heaven then be not so rash as to prize thy Goal before thy Delivery lest thou art cast into that Goal from whence there is no redemption It is most just that the Soul that prizeth the Devil's Chain before God's Liberty should have the Devil's Prison instead of God's Palace and befor ever his slave in Hell that would not be God's servant for a time on Earth O thou beloved Dove of God fly to thy Coelestial home belime not thy spiritual wings in slime and mud in Heaven is thy Treasure and where canst thou finde more Riches to invite thee Be not like the Crow to feed upon Carrion or like the blinde Beetle to place thy blessedness in Boggs Make not sale of thy self to buy a Goal when thou partest with a Palace for the purchase and becomest a Familiar to Bolts and Shackles Thy Soul is God's Jewel and thy Body is the Casket then keep thy Body clean that thy Soul may the better be preserved It is a bright Diamond of Heaven a Spark of the Divinity a Ray of Divine Glory set for a time in the Foil of Flesh till it pleaseth God to take it to himself and keep it for ever in his Cabinet Let not then thy Soul that transparent Diamond be an ornament to the Devil's finger when it may sit at the right hand of God where there are Pleasures for evermore Thy Soul is the Purchase of Christ bought with no less than the blood of the Son of God then sell not that for a Trifle which cost thy Saviour so great a price it is better to enjoy the Riches of Eternity than to purchase Vanity for a Moment Is thy body distemper'd then thou requirest Physick if wounded thou sendest for a Chirurgeon if naked it must have Cloaths and if hungry it must have Food For these thou shouldest depend upon God for he knoweth all these things are necessary But when thy precious Soul lies sick of sin hath wounds of the spirit stript of its innocence and starv'd for grace no regard is given thereunto not considering though thou usest humane helps it is God that gives the Blessing and is the Physitian both of Soul and Body That Soul that acts the part of a faithful servant to the Lord shall have a double reward The Crown of a Saint and of a Sufferer Certain Considerations worthy the Devout Souls Meditation THe Soul is Spiritual sin makes it Carnal The Soul is Immortal sin is the death of the Soul it makes it die to Grace and live in Grief The Soul is Noble sin makes it Ignominious The Soul is Lord sin enslaves it The Soul is Soveraign sin brings it in subjection The Soul is God-like sin makes it beastial The Soul is the Spouse of God sin makes it the Strumpet of the Devil The Soul is the Jewel of God sins casts it in the Devil's fire The Soul is a free-born Citizen of Heaven sin keeps it in perpetual imprisonment The Soul is God's Purchase sin cheats God of his due and the Soul of eternal Bliss A MISCELANY OF Divine Maximes OR Words fitly spoken Like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver 1. WOuldst thou be truly perfect love God with all thy heart and thy Neighbour as thy self 2. Let thy eye be always upon God and thy self and thou shalt never see him without goodness nor thy self without misery 3. None shall see God so much as he is visible and none shall ever love God so much as he is amiable 4. He that doth not covet to love God more and more can never love him enough 5. To whom God is all the World ought to be nothing at all 6. Let us be what God will so we be but his and let us not be what we will our selves against the will of God 7. In the service of God there is nothing little enough to be rejected 8. To meditate much upon God is good but the Souls greater advancement in Vertue consists in much loving him 9. He to whom God alone is pleasing is displeased with nothing but that which displeaseth God 10. In Divine matters a generous Soul finds greatest contentment in believing things most difficult 11. All our actions take their value from their conformity to the Will of God 12. Love and Suffering are the greatest duties we owe to God they being the two causes for which he died for us 13. He that neglects his own will complies best with God's 14. So love thy Neighbour upon Earth as that thou mayst enjoy his love in Heaven 15. Thou canst not love thy Neighbour too much but thou mayst too much shew thy love 16. One great argument of our love to our Neighbour is to bear with his imperfections 17. We should never endure to hear evil spoken of any but our selves 18. We should never under value any person the workman loves not that his work should be despised in his presence wherefore beware for God is present every where and and
the luck For daring boldly to be Thunder-struck He that will be familiarly bold With Heavens mysteries them to unfold May with his judgment overwhelmed be As Adâ—… was with his unhappy Tree The 〈◊〉 must pâ—…y into the Ark God's Judgment was serene though theirs was dark For their presumption this became their gain They by the Lord had Fifty thousand slain Then hover not about this flame which brings Soul fatal falls by scorching of its wings I will improve by what we have reveal'd Not strive to know what God would have conceal'd Lord to preseâ—…ve me from the Devil's gins Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins ¶ On Death SInce nothing is so certain as our death And nothing more uncertain than when breath Expires we ought each minute to prepare Death sends no Summons but comes unaware The grand decry is past dispute not why All men have sinned and all men must die Man's days are numbred he can finde no aid 'T is God hath man upon the balance laid And found him wanting God's all-searching eye Hath thus determin'd men are Vanity Corruption is man's father and the Worms His sisters they have their corrupt conforms The Grave it is his Bed the Sheet his Shrine The Earth his Cover Grass his Carpet fine At last Death comes and he concludes the Theam Finds man asleep and darts him in his Dream Such is our sluggish life a shadow frail A bubble vapour and a trifling tale So vain a story that when we grow old We spend our days before the tale is told The World 's of contraries a vast compound Nothing within it solid is or sound Four Elements in opposition move Each to the other The degrees of Love Cannot be found in a conâ—…used heap 'T is Heaven doth that holy Order keep Death gives our earthly bodies a new cast Refines us that we may prove cleer at last What is corrupt within the grave must lie Till Mortal puts on Immortality No mans corruption can be laid aside Until his body in the Earth abide He chiefly 't is that is afeard to die Hath little hope of an Eternity The time we have to live it is but small Less than a point that 's Geometrical Our common Enemy doth promise fair This world to cheat us of a world more rare Our pleasures do deceitfully entangle Smiling ev'n then when they intend to strangle The world is kindest when it most doth frown And honours list us up to cast us down The Christian then should ready be to cry When God shall call Behold Lord here am I. For they of their Salvation never mist Have been partakers of the death of Christ. God on the Righteous alway hath an eye His ear is ever open to their cry And he that doth a righteous man regard He shall receive a righteous man's reward Be truly zealous shew no vain pretext But live each hour as if to die the next ¶ On Conscience THe Conscience is a Function of the Minde A Guide to Straglers to the Lame and Blinde Over the Will the Conscience sits commanding And is a Guardian to the Understanding For what the Pen of Nature doth engrave Upon that general Knowledge which we have Or to our Thoughts our Minds or to our Acts Conscience applies and summons up our Facts Paul our Example was of Innocence Having a Conscience void of all offence Both towards God and towards men so cleer That his own Conscience was his Overseer Christian unto thy Conscience have an eye Lest Conscience doth accuse for that 's a spie ¶ On Memory MEmory is the Store-house of the Soul The Will 's Dictator Understanding's Scroul There we hoard up the treasures of our Minde And fetch them out as we occasion finde But well it may with filthy Ponds compare Wherein fish die but frogs are nourish'd there So we retain trash that doth sowre and rot Whilst admirable mercies are forgot Thus we that should be Temples of God's praise Are Graves to bury what his love displays All Injuries most men to Marble trust But Courtesies are written in the Dust. What 's bad they can sufficiently retain But what is good is idle thought and vain Like Nets our Memories let clear waters go And nothing catch but sticks and weeds of Wo Or else like Sieves so rashly are we born That do retain the Chaff let go the Corn. But like an holy Ark the Soul should be And as the pot of Manna Memorie Our faculties herein need no excuse Preserving holy Truths for holy use ¶ On a Death-bed-Repentance THis Speech though sad it did a King survive I now must die e're I begin to live And such is the condition of that man That dies e're his Repentance is began That wants his weapons can for none implore For why Behold Death knocketh at his door What signâ—…fie Petitions of a Heart That trembling lies when Death presents his Dart Unhappy certainly must be their Dooms Have Oyl to seek just when the Bridegroom comes Death and the Devil do their Souls pursue And they no refuge have to fly unto The seven years of Plenty all are gone And years of Famine are not thought upon Time that is swift hath took his nimble flight Travel doth tire yet we want rest at night I 'll therefore finish every Work I have So shall I go with Peace unto my Grave ¶ On the Mariner THe Mariner that 's drove by Boreas breath Doth sail within four inches of his death So of the Soul the saying may be true That e're it bids its Cabinet adieu Four inches is the most that it doth keep Betwixt its life and an eternal sleep If the Ship splits or by a fire doth shrink The Ship is swallow'd and the Sailers sink So if our earthly Vessels break the Soul Doth to another Habitation roul For ever plung'd into a boundless Sea The bankless Ocean of Eternity The Soul should therefore careful be and strive To swim before it come to sink or dive ¶ On an Israelite AS the Tree falls so doth it lie And when Death strikes all men must die Only herein the difference is God gives us misery or bliss As in the Red Sea if I go An Israelite though waters flow In triumph I shall tell my story And land rejoycing full of Glory While all mine Enemies lie spread Upon the shore and each one dead But if Egyptian-like I croud And be on this side of the Cloud On this side of the Covenant And yet run hardned in for want Of Grace amongst proud Pharaâ—…h's Troops The Sea shall open all her Poops And e're I finde my Journeys length Justice shall swallow me with strength An Inundation shall destroy My Soul and drown my future Joy O Lord then by thy powerful might Make me thine own an Israelite ¶ On Shame THe age is impudent in which we live Men seem asham'd to be asham'd of blame And to their Errours such a licence give That they delight to glory in
begins He never thinks with a true pious wrath How many darling-sins his bosom hath Nor Alms nor Prayers ne're fall unless he spy Although at distance certain witness by As if he doubted whether God would own Receiving them and is so wary grown That left the World should not discern his worth His mouth 's the Trumpet that doth sound it forth And when his Bags run o're bethinks to build An Hospital and that is straightway fill'd With persons indigent did aged grow Poor as when born for he had made them so With flesh on Frydays he will not be fed He more abhors it than his Neighbours bed Will at the Name of Jesus bow or nod At Church anon at Tavern swear by God When his Step-mother's sick and seems to creep Towards her Grave he then brings Tears to weep When he hath cause to fear she will not die He forces a rejoycing-sympathie With her best friends 'T is hard to rightly paint An Hypocrite To strangers he 's a Saint A meer pretender to the Poors relief Private Extortioner his Neighbours grief The blot of goodness scoff in good mens fight A rotten Stick to trust in dark of night A Candle temper'd ill with a large snuff The Poor man's Plague and a religious Huff The Fool 's great Idol and the Wife man's scorn A choaking Poppy in a field of Corn Abroad an Angel free from least of evil At home none more implacable a Devil And when an Angel worse a guide amiss But when a Devil shews but what he is As the Apostle's Phrase is many men Are servants of the eyes for they shall when They are beheld act Vertue with a grace And in their Zeal run with a thorow pace When they perceive Spectators all are gone They change their habits for the Play is done They curious Searchers are in others acts Careless Correctors of their own foul facts They to their Lust and Lewdness are so prone They think they 're safe because espi'd by none Thus an ill nature leadeth man to sin And corrupt custom bids him ' bide therein When carnal Constitutions get a head They like Commanders do weak mortals lead But for the Hypocrite he seems a friend Will promise much but not without an end Nothing perform but many he hath broke Receiving substance but returning smoke And he whose quality is eminent More foul's the quality of his intent Acts that dishonourable are look great In them by blood or parts have Honours seat The Publican and Sinner have more right To Heaven's Mansions than an Hypocrite I with Prolixity might spoil my Pen For he 's in verity the scum of men The worst of damned Souls their portion have With him in hot and horrid scorching Cave There leave we him and his tormented bone Measuring minutes with deep sighs and groar ¶ On Envy ALl lusts reduced are to Three-fold heads Lust of the eyes the flesh and that which leads To as much Vice and a continual Strife The haughty humour or the pride of life But Envy is the chiefest lust of eyes Seeing another good with him it vies Not to be farther good his envy grew Seeing good men belov'd and honour'd too Envy thinks all men made of equal stuff Why may not envious men be good enough It for the Innocent defends a Cause To seem a Saint and to procure applause But 't is a Plague within a man 's own brest And a Disease will not admit of Rest. If such a thing as Admiration be It 's heart doth whisper That belongs to me It is a furious wind which to rehearse Sometimes breaks forth to shake the Universe A sharp Malignity most quick of sight An Ostrich with an eager appetite Cherish a Doâ—… and you may make him tame Lions by gentleness become the same But man grown â—…vious if you speak him fair Yet keep at distance of his wiles beware For if he sees you creep then he proves worse May smile upon you when his heart doth curse 〈◊〉 the World's frowns do force you to comply He gluts himself with your adversity And Beetle-like as I have heard it sung When hungry grown doth eat its fellows dung Whilst Envy doth obliquely look upon The good of others all his own is gone Or at the least takes no delight the smart Is like a Vulture seeding on the heart The Basilisk by nature kills all Trees And Shrubs it breatheth on and when he please Doth scorch and burn all Herbs and Leaves of Grass Over the which his body chance to pass So Envy is an Aetna in a man Like the Cantharides if seeding can Encompass as its stomach doth dispose And often diets on the fairest Rose It is a Passion doth ones Health deser And proves at last a man's Self-murtherer 'T is Couzen-German to the sin of Pride And each may well be call'd a Homicide Wrath kills the foolish man when in his way The envious man the silly Soul doth slay The eye alas is the unhappy pit That first doth this destructive guest admit And when it gets a full possession once It shrinks the Nerves and rots into the bones Till with Consumption it doth man environ Feeding on him as Rust doth seed on Iron Envy believes its will should be its law Socrates saith 'T is to the Soul a Saw Grates without mercy when it doth behold Its dross and sees another shine in gold Like the poor Fly to put the Candle out Doth burn it self with buzzing round about Or like the Bee that with a humming flies Looses his sting and then at once he dies Or Viper-like to make a Paul expire Leaping on him is cast into the fire Envy 's a Canker in the Heart and Minde Spleen to the good Great Charity is kinde ¶ On Supplication AS in a Ship when sailing from its Port The Sails are Loised thereby to exhort Some skilful Mariner to shew his art Who presently doth to the Rudder start So every morning when we rise from rest Our hearts should study for a just Request For that 's the Rudder of our life and age To guide us through our Earthly Pilgrimage Heav'n is our home and God alone to him Through Rivers of our Tears we ought to swim For when God's wrath is kindled to a fire No other water can allay his ire Christians no better Messengers can send Than Prayers and Tears Angels on them attend Moses by Prayer that prevailing Word Harm'd Amalik much more than Israel's Sword Th' Apostle Paul this golden Rule hath laid Let supplications for all men be made In which great duty let this be observ'd First a due preparation not with carv'd Or starch'd Expressions made by Wit and Art God doth desire truth in the inward part Consider thou the Supplicant art dust A vile and sinful man a heap of Lust. The Lord to whom thou dost thy Prayers apply Is Holy Wise of Sacred Majesty Let Meditation guide thee in thy way Lest thy frail minde distracted be and ftray Pray
eyes With God and Angels each one take his place To judge the World and try the finners Case Arise ye cursed naked Souls and take Your standing before God and Angels quake At the Tribunal great from whence shall come Your fearful final and your fatal Doom Lord the first voices let me hear with fear That the last voice I may not fear to hear ¶ On Beauty HAve you not heard o' th' bloody Siege of Troy Of Hellens beauty how it did destroy The lustre of her Beauty did decay And she was but a glorious heap of Clay Or have you read of Jacob how he serv'd Full fourteen years for Rachel never swerv'd From his affections She his hearts delight Was amiable and lovely in his fight Thus we adove those whom we think excel In Beauty though a painted Jezebel If these deserve so much then what doth he That made these Beauties he whose Majestie Is altogether lovely doth surpass The glories of an indigested Mass. The Beauty of the whole Creation is As dross to him for the Creation's his Be not discourag'd oh my Soul but place Thy firm affections on thy Saviour's face Though Enemies may watch for thy defaults Christ can secure thee from their fierce assaults Let him be beautiful within thine eye And thou shalt live although thou seemst to die Be not dsheartned oh my Soul for though Rules may be strict and Duties hard yet know They are as 〈◊〉 'gainst the worst disaster Heaven 's thy Wages Christ himself thy Master Lord let my heart thy Beauty understand No difficulty then shall reach my hand ¶ On Knowledge THis precious Jewel Knowledge may compare To those the Israelites of old did wear For if our Knowledge be improv'd but half Of that I ke them we but erect a Calf Their Gold was precious all that while commodious But in an Idol cast it then grew odious So the pure Wit of man well understood Was in the days of Innocencie good But when corruption seizes on his age He becomes vicious that before was sage Or it resembles an untilled field That barren lies and nothing else doth yield But Brambles Thorns unnecessary Weeds Till Grace manures it with its growing seeds The best of Minerals their poysons have Until extracted Flowers sweet and brave Their faeces do possess till art and skill By separation takes away the ill So the best Wits have folly until Grace Plucks up its roots and groweth in the place In things that do spiritually relate The Understanding when it 's tried by weight Will like 〈◊〉 much too light be found Lighter than Vanity or Verbal sound Then let not wise men glory in their parts But hoard their Wisdome in unspotted hearts For 't is a Jewel of an unknown price 'Bove that of Rubies or of mans device For he that getteth wisdom loves his Soul Dare oppose dangers feareth no controul It excels Folly as a glorious Star And better is than weapons us'd in War 'T is profitable to instruct direct Teacheth the Ignorant be circumspect Wherefore if any one do Wisdom lack Ask of the Lord for he will not be slack It is the gift of God and he alone Can Wisdom fix within a heart of stone Why are we dayly by our sins decoy'd For want of Knowledge people are destroy'd With Knowledge put on practice Satan's brood Have Knowledge but it does more harm thad good To Appreher sive Knowledge must conjoyn Affective Knowledge if those two combine They give a Christian courage No retreat Is needful when a Saint is arm'd compleat When as God's holy Spirit takes in hand To teach the Scholar soon doth understand To a good Soul nothing's of higher prize Than is the knowledge of deep mysteries Austin of God desir'd no worldly pelf But only to know God and know himself Knowledge and Love must both accord for why Knowledge puffs up but Love doth edifie Foolish were they that Knowledge did despise Because it puffeth up Rather than wise They were resolv'd continue ignorant And humble Pride and Arrogance to want Knowledge puffs up but Grace gives an allay For Knowledge can command and can obey But those were like Democritus half wise To shun Uncleanness pluck'd out both his eyes Though Knowledge nimbly on our Senses dance It 's greatest part 's the least of Ignorance Yet we are apt to think though can't discern't That we know all that can by man be learnt As in the host of Alcibiades All would be Leaders none Commanders please And Epicurus spoke but as a youth Boasting he was the first discover'd Truth For he in many things exprest his minde Not as a man but as a Beetle blinde Aratus the Astrologer did vent His brags he knew all Stars i' th' Firmament Laurentius Valla gloried there was none Writ Logick worth the reading but his own Nestorius the Heretick could boast That he alone on the European coast Did understand the Scriptures when he came The World awakned was with his great name Well saith th'Apostle and 't is truly so Man knoweth nothing as he ought to know ¶ On Magnanimity CAesar spoke proudly when he boldly said In midst a storm Pilot be not afraid The angry Surges know not what they do Thou carriest Caesar and his fortunes too The Cannibals as History doth tell Are for their courage thought invincible Rather than seem to fear remissly flie Or sue for life they bravely choose to die In Alexander's last and fatal fight He shew'd his Courage was his chief delight By boasting 't was his glory and his pride At once the Power of Persia to divide Mahomet the Persian Sultan overthrown His Passion was to such a fury grown He in revenge perhaps more mad than wise Caus'd his chief Captains ten to loose their eyes So to prevent their overthrow agen And threatned female habits for his men Lacedemonians were wont to cry It was a shame for any man to fly In time of danger but a cursed fate Lacedemonians should deliberate And Socrates Criton's advice did slight When by him wish'd to make a private flight Salisbury's noble Earl whenas he found The Sultans Army had inclos'd him round And he advis'd to fly answer'd in scorn Heavens forbid I should for that be born Or any of my Father's Blood or Race Should fear a Sarasin for force or face Much less then should a Christian fear whose eye Should fix on Christ who did for Christians die Bravely resolv'd it was of blessed Paul After Conversion his aspiring fall I ready am not only to proclaim But to be bound and die for Jesus Name Who sails with Christ fears neither Rock nor Sand Christians through storms must reach the promis'd Land ¶ On Ingratitude LOrd what a danger lately I escap'd Torrents of Terrours just before me gap'd Upon the brink I was yet scaped free They are well kept O Lord are kept by thee Surely thy meaning only was to fright As an advice that I might shun a smite Thus thy great
providence doth think it fit To hit the mark sometimes by missing it Let me not now appear so idly rude To pay my God with my Ingratitude And give my thanks to Fortune as if she Were Governess of my Tranquillity But if my thanks may make a recompence I 'll pay them to the eye of Providence Narrow was my escape be it my charge That therefore I my thankfulness inlarge Lest my ingratitude should justly cause That since this Arrow seemingly did pause By touching of my hat but miss'd my head The next may pierce my heart and strike me dead The ancient Romans did this Law contrive Ingrateful ones should be devour'd alive He that receiv'd and thankfulness would want Was cast whilst living to the Cormorant Lycurgus made no Law to punish such Thinking no wretch could dare to sin so much ¶ On Disturb'd Devotion THis morning Lord I visited my friend But ill came of that good I did intend Unhappy I that then should finde the way When he to his apartment went to pray If I 'm uncapable my self to build Shall I snatch Tools from him is thorow skill'd Certainly better far more pious 't were And Christian-like to joyn with him in Prayer But now how shall I study an amends That as before we may continue friends Lord what he wanted if it be thy will Be pleas'd to grant for he 's thy servant still Thou knowst for what he did intend to sue And my Petition for him 's doubly due That neither he nor I may loosers be Lord hear our Saviour both for him and me ¶ On Sin and Sorrow OUr Sin and Sorrow two Companions are Sin leads us in and Sorrow feeds the snare If our short moments merrily are spent Into eternal mournings we are sent He that won't weep while he may pardon have Hereafter may in vain for pity crave One bottle full of Tears thy sins may quell But a whole Cloud not quench the flames of Hell Then let the careless sinner laugh and scorn I 'll weep at present not for ever mourn Valleys of Tears do shew their cleansing skill And raise a sinner unto Sions hill But the fool's heart is in the house of mirth His Joy's his Sorrow and his Heaven Earth But he whose Cup is fill'd unto the brink With sin he shall in Seas of Sorrow sink Wherefore my Sins I 'll here in Sorrow steep And so weep now as not for ever weep ¶ On Mortality LOrd what a Shadow is the Life of man A nothing less than is a little span Just as a Bird when as it takes its flight From off the owners hand is out of sight Our present time is as a fading flower A flying minute or a running hour The time to come after the present's fled Uncertain is next Sun may see us dead Lord in this hour oh make me sure of thee Lest in the next I miss Felicitie ¶ On St. Peter's Enlargement WHen the good Angel brought Saint Peter out From Prison there was neither noise nor shout That should for joy awake the Iron-gate Yet of its own accord it open'd straight But see how all things in their duties vary He chang'd his Prison for the house of Mary Mother of John yet stood and knock'd at door Could not get in with ease got out before The Iron-gate obedience understood Yet he found opposition by the Wood. Easie the answer is There no man was The Gate to open or to guard the pass But as in course it usual was before A Portress was design'd to wait the door God would not shew his finger where the hand Of man impower'd was to bear command Lord should a wooden Obstacle increase Or be a bar unto our hopes of Peace An arm of flesh might set a â—…ter free Without those Miracles are wrought by thee But shou'dst thou leave usâ—… Lord do what we can We cry Alas Vain is the help of man To God alone all glory be ascrib'd Jaylors extort but God cannot be brib'd ¶ The Soul's Search LIke weeping Mary holy sorrow lays Wait for the Lord and seeks him divers ways And Saving Faith like wrestling Jacob finds Its Saviour out and firmly to him binds Like the devoted Spouse so fervent love Doth dwell with Christ not thinking to remove This brings the Soul to Pastures fresh and green And leads it to the Chamber of the Queen Hereafter Christ the blessed Soul doth bring To the Coelestial-chamber of the King So that to lodge with Christ and view his face Is the perfection of eternal Grace Lord oh my Soul doth love no other he I sought have found and thirst to dwell with thee ¶ On Prosperity IF wicked men in Gold and Silver shine Should I at their Prosperity repine When I indeed behold their spreading Eay And view their Quails methinks I 'm apt to say They happy are but 't is when I forget Their shining-sun doth with a twinkle set For when into God's Sanctuary I Once place my foot I easily descry That all the Blossoms of their splendid Glory Are as dull shadows meerly momentory The scum of Vanity a useless froth Blasted with one breath of Almighty wrath External Pleasures on which they rely Fill up the measures of their misery Like the deceitful Salute Joab gave To Amasa so all their great and brave Bespangled Honour mounts them up in Vice Only to cast them from a precipice Or like the Mule of Absalom doth bear Them to the Gallows and so leaves them there Like Jaels present in a lordly dish It seems to pleasure the luxurious wish But in the end when sensual Lusts prevail The dire conclusion shews a fatal nail And very frankly chalketh out the way For a sad Summons to the Judgment-day Thus their Prosperity doth first betray With tempting smiles and in conclusion slay As a poor Ox in fatning Pasture feeds To day the next he 's singled out and bleeds What envy will at Malefactors flie Because the day is fair wherein they die Why doth Iniquity in Glory flourish In Pastures large it only is to nourish Them for the slaughter Hear the sum of all Experience tells it Pride will have a fall For Mediocrity bent Agur's art He knew Prosperity doth swell the heart ¶ On Humility NOsce teipsum hard is to be learn'd A mans own faults are not with ease discern'd The faults of other men are writ in Text Easie to read when ours are not annext The eye that 's fixt on Natures choicest shelf Can all things see yet not behold it self Presumptuous Confidence goes bleeding home When humble Fear triumphantly doth come Great Alexander would be deifi'd Confess'd himself a man his blood espi'd The humble man within another minds All things are excellent but when he finds He doth decline in Vertue noble Elf He is the first that shall condemn himself His eyes are full of his continual want Sees others worth and grieves himself is scant When he hath but a mite of his deserts Others he
magnifies Thus he imparts His generosity to famous use Whilst others do repay him with abuse From pride and malice none is more exempt Asham'd of honour values no contempt Violet-like he grows low to the ground That hides its head with leaves and he is found Like that with fragrant smells which so bewray That his own Vertues do his Worth betray In his Discourse he never flies aloft His words are few and those few words are soft Modestly speaking not self-glorious Nor peremptory nor censorious Because he thinks all other men more wise Corrects himself by his own modest eyes When his Devotions do the time beguile He makes himself a nothing wretched vile Doth no man emulate if understood He hates none but himself because not good A mite of Comfort doth his wants supply And none more patient when in misery Because he knows that his deserts are such That having sin'd cannot be plagu'd too much He a low Valley is and planted sweet Where fresh and fragrant Odours often meet And like the proud mans earth is trampled on Though full of wealthy Mines a pretious stone Fit for foundation-work not plac'd aloof God's holy Temple built with lowly roof Camomile-like and Palm-tree when deprest Doth higher rise wearied to take his rest Zacheus from the Sycamore came down And that descension made the Lord his own 'T is not the Proud that do in Christ believe Not Lofty but the Humble him receive Fruitfullest Trees do in the Valleys grow And thrive the better for their being low When taller Trees an interruption finde By the strong blast of a contagious winde Yet the tall Tree hangs down its head to say For this God made me and I do obey The humble man considers Earth's his Womb And then remembers Earth must be his Tomb. Unto Humility God's Grace is given Who with that Grace a Ladder makes to Heaven ¶ On Vice WHen on a Journey and am weary grown I finde an Inne within some Countty-town And have observ'd numbers of Guests do come First to the Chamberlain to shew a Room Perhaps one Chamber doth contain them all Yet on the Chamberlain doth each man call One to the Table bids him straight attend Another doth him to the Window send A third unto the Chimney must be led A fourth would be conducted to his bed A fifth man sends him down for Glass or Cup And e're he 's down another calls him up Thus he 's distracted with a sudden moyl Scarce can please all though tired with his toyl Such is the sad condition of my Soul In what a cloud of crosses it doth rowl By Nature I am born a wretched twin To sorrow servant and a slave to fin Unto the Window I am call'd by Pride Gluttony next pretends to be my Guide By Laziness I 'm to the Chimney led By Wantonness I 'm finely brought to bed Ambition calls me up but I am grown So coverous more profit calls me down Vices I see themselves do contradict 'T is only Vertue that doth Vice convict Free me O Lord from this distracted case Vertue it self is Vice unless thou place It in a centre like it self to shine A servant unto sin cannot be thine For In thy service perfect freedom is Sin is a slavery a dark abyss Satan deludes the Soul to acts obscure But The commandments of the Lord are pure Vice is at best but a diseased Whore Splendidly painted making fools adore ¶ On God's presence HEaven it is ever to be with God Without him is in Hell to take abode You that in Christ no beauty can behold Nor Heavens glory dare you be so bold As not to think they all things do excel Or can you not behold the flames of Hell If in God's presence you do not delight Oh tremble at his absence If your flight Be at a distance as if you did doubt him Consider well and fear to be without him Lord thou my Heaven art my God my Guide My wedded Husband and my Soul 's thy Bride ¶ On Hypocrisie THe Hypocrite with his deceitful eye Doth serve the Devil in God's Livery And therefore to the Lord so well is known Both Earth and Heaven doth his craft disown Man sees his Livery and cunning Art And hateth him but God doth view his heart And hates him too Mensee his outward Zeal For which they do deride him He like steel Grows strong and siubborn pleas'd with his own case Though God and Man do both abhor his face So that he in a Wilderness doth rove And never doth become a Canaan's Dove The sum of all his labours doth at last Consume with the Almighty's dreadful blast And a dire doom when he at Judgment stands Who hath required these things at your hands He that so cunningly did others cheat Took greatest pains his own Soul to defeat He steals his own Damnation and can tell For he with sweat hath found the way to Hell So that the Sinner openly prophane And Hypocrite as they together reign On Earth although in different degrees They both at last Jament their little ease Only two ways they finde unto their fate One steals to Hell thorow the Postern-gate The other keeps the open beaten Road But both at last in Tophet make abode Hypocrites habit is Formality But Lord cloath me with thy Sincerity Perhaps men may not of my state approve It matters not so I obtain thy love Saints here but labour to peruse their story When they arrive to their eternal Glory ¶ On Pleasures IN all things an immoderated use Breeds a distate and man when grown prosuse Doth glut himself with Pleasure He that 's wise Esteems them chiefly for their novelties The pleasure of the body gives relief No otherwise than adding grief to grief When Jupiter as ancient Poets fain With all his might and art could not attain Two great Antagonists to reconcile Pleasure and Sorrow having paus'd a while He took an Adamantine Chain with that Bound them together so that then they sat As fixt Companions They that were unstable But just before were made inseparable Affection propagates our Pleasures growth Vertue 's an Antidote against them both Pleasure is the Adulterate brat of Sense So very fading she cannot dispence To last while Artists shall her Picture frame And therefore Memory preserves her name All those delights that do the Senses please Are one days age an Ephemerides What excellence may that be said to be Which the most excellent as dangers slee Time with the Pleasures of this World is spilt Full of the stain of fin and sting of guilt Hannibal his honour lost and duty Being entangled with a womans beauty Antonius his Cleapatra had Both were most valiant Captains but the sad Effects of Lust did like a Cloud o'recast All their Archievements and their labours blast Lust is the bane of Kingdoms done alone It would more common be than any one Of all those Vices that corrupt the eye Heathens the first place give to
But above all prepare thy heart Whilst now 't is called day In humble duty bear thy part To sing to love and pray Glory to thee Eternal Lord Thrice blessed three in one Thy Name at all times be ador'd Till time it self be done ¶ Of God HE is the Author of the Worlds Creation Foundation The great and mighty Judge of mans Salvation Damnation The glorious Lord and only God Above Of Love That both to men and Angels is A God A Rod. He did the World create and by his hand Or word Foundations laid of Sea and Land Can save or damn as he doth best approve Will be our God or Rod as we shall love Thou that canst hold the Winds within thy fist Have mercy on us oh thou God in Christ. ¶ Of Christ. HE it is that gives us Peace Increase He to poor Souls cries I 'm your Jesu IESU He it is that is our Good Food The Saints with him do trust their Treasure Pleasure He it is can end our Life Strife He it is that gives us Breath Death He is to us a Judge and King Sting He is our Peace Increase our Jâ—…u and An Ease to those that wait on his Command Our Good our Food our Treasure and our Joy Our Life to see no Strife shall us annoy He gives us Breath can give us Death as King And unâ—…o death he is become a Sting He punish can or help us in our thrall For Christ is God's and God is all in all Wouldst farther know what God is silly Elf Go study first to be a God thy self ¶ God is Love GIve praise unto the Lord above Omit no thanks that thou canst move Dost thou not know that God is love In Word and Deed make him thy aim So shall thy Soul be free from blame Let his Commandments be in ure Obedience cannot be a clod Vs he hath spar'd and doth endure Ev'n still such is the love of God ¶ The Remembrance ANd now my Soul canst thou forget That thy whole life is one long debt Of Love to him who on the Tree Paid back the flesh he took for thee Lo how the streams of pretious blood Flow from five wounds into one flood With these he washes all thy stains And buys thy Ease with his own Pains Tall Tree of Life we clearly now That doubt of former ages know It was thy wood should make a Throne Fit for a more than Solomon Large Throne of Love royally spread With Purple of too rich a red Strange costly price thus to make good Thine own esteem with the Kings blood Hail fairest Plant of Paradise To thee our hopes lift up their eyes O may aloft thy branches shoot And fill the Nations with thy fruit O may all reap from thy increase The Just more strength the Sinner peace While our half-wither'd hearts and we Engraft our selves and grow on thee Live O for ever live and reign Bless'd Lamb whom thine own love hath slain And may thy lost Sheep live to be True lovers of thy Cross and thee ¶ Of Death 1 Cor. ch 15. v. 55 56. O Death where is thy sting The sting of death is sin O. Death forbear I yet must live Stay Death till God your Warrant give And then where you see best this heart Most willing is to seel your Dart. But Lord O let thy servants breath Preserv'd be from the sting of Death ¶ Of Grief THe tears come slowly Lord my sins remain O sting my shallow fords and make them rain Rivers of waters or if so thou please Send daring death my sorrows to decrease My grief is great 't is time to rise or fall Then cleanse me Lord from sin and ease my thrall That I may say O death where is thy sting And tell the world The sting of death is sin ¶ A Christian and Death A Dialogue Chr. COme valiant Death and welcome do thy worst Shew me the power thou claimst as being King Dea. Poor mortal know alas thou art but dust And I the Sexton that thy Knell must ring Chr. Away lean half-starv'd wretch go daunt a sool Think not to fright me with Thy glass is run Dea. Thou art my Scholar therefore come to School Delays but waste that time which might be gone Chr. Thou seemst a Student for thou lookst so poor That Famine in thy face I plainly read Dea. Come silly wretch you word it must no more See here 's thy Glass thy Doom and thou art dead Chr. Then boldly strike thou dost the body kill My Soul shall wait upon its Master's will Dea. Lie there proud dust all flesh is born to die Chr. This is the Road unto Eternitie ¶ The Altar A broken ALTAR Lord to thee I raise Made of a Heart to celebrate thy praise Thou that the onely Workman art That canst cement a broken heart For such is mine O make it thine Take out the Sin That 's hid therein Though it be Stone Make it to groan That so the same May praise thy Name Melt it O Lord I thee desire With Flames from thy Coelestial fire That it may ever speak thy Praise alone Since thou hast changed into Flesh a Stone ¶ Death Man and Grave A Dialogue Death COme down proud Lust. Man To what to Dust Grav I that you must and shall Man Thou thing of bones Grav That fetcheth groans Death From very stones and all Man From Dust I came Grav Thou must again Death Sin is thy bain and thrall Man That 's thee away Death With mortal Clay Grav Why do you stay you must Death Come leave your groans Man To go with bones Grav You must go once poor dust Death Nay do not frown Man Away rude Clown Death I 'll strike thee down proud lust Man Then I submit forbear your storms Seeing I must return a Guest To my Acquaintance old the worms Farewel fond World I 'll take my rest Grav I have a Charm will make you sleep And all you have you here may trust For Watchmen not a few I keep The harmless Worms that are so just With care they do befriend him That cometh here within this path Thus man one world of servants hath And when he on his Death-bed lies Another doth attend him ¶ Nature's Delight HArk my Soul how every thing Strives to serve our bounteous King Each a double tribute pays Sings its part and then obeys Natures chief and sweetest quire Him with chearful notes admire Chanting every day their Lauds Whilst the Grove their song applauds Though their Voices lower be Streams have too their melody Night and day they warbling run Never pause but still sing on All the flowers that gild the Spring Hither their sweet musick bring If Heaven bless them thankful they Smell more sweet and look more gay Only we can scarce afford Due thanksgivings to our Lord. We on whom his bounty flowes All things give and nothing owes Wake for shame my sluggish heart Wake and gladly sing thy part Learn
of Beasts of Springs and Flowers How to use thy noble Powers Call whole Nature to thy aid Since 't was he whole Nature made Joyn in one eternal Song Who to one God all belong Live for ever glorious Lord Live by all thy works ador'd One in Three and Three in One Thrice we bow to thee alone ¶ Of Flesh. ALI Flesh is Grass doth therefore rot For why Can man be born to live and not to die 'T is happiness to leave this life and world And have our names where joys are rife enroll'd The dead ne're fear what Death can do his blast Will come no more for why that wo is past Then to the Soul appeareth Love and Joy For God will not his Turtle-Dove destroy Then though a Torch-light here 't is better far To be put out and after rise a Star ¶ The Grave THough Clay my Cottage is secure Princes do dwell with me And my foundations do endure for aye Death waits on me and with his dart Sends me the stoutest he And Champion-like commands the heart to stay Then be he Rich or be he Poor A Spark or else a Clown They lie together on the floor and so They sleep as if they lay upon The softest Bed of Down Troubles are fled and Griefs are gone for though The Body naked in the cold Earth lies The Soul sings Hallelujahs 'bove the Skies ¶ An Infant EArths little Morsel Man's small Letter And Adam's Copy no one better Before he tasted Eve Nature's fresh Picture drawn in oyl Which time and handling oft doth spoil His Soul appears like Paper white That yet had scarce bore word aright Neither knew how to grieve But purest colours without pains Are subject most to spots and stains He is above the tempts of Devil Since he can't understand an evil His days are raw and dull Nor hath he yet agreed with sin To banish joys let sorrows in He cannot yet be counted wise And being dumb he with his eyes Sings silent tunes of Lull He kisses all doth them approve His Innocency is his Love Nature and Parents much alike Do sometimes dandle sometimes strike With hidden sugred bait They him intice and he doth sup Whate're he finds within the Cup. Could his weak body finde the way To Bliss and here no longer stay He 'd have a happy fate Not knowing sin or mortal crime He 'd reach Eternity betime ¶ The Candle LIke as vain man I downward grow My life is ever wasting I fall by fire still waxing low As man did fall by tasting My house of Tallow doth decrease And I that am but Cotten Within one hour live and decease Am in the next forgotten O Lord pour Oyl into my Lamp To light me to thy home That when it shall extinguish't be I may a Star become ¶ The Ant. ALthough a creature small yet all My labour pains and care 't is rare Is in the Summer to provide Against the Cold and Winter-tide And though so small yet I an eye Can have to things for when weak men Waste time in Feasts and Riot I study for my Diet. Idleness breeds Distempers Povertie Gives room for Sin ye Sluggards learn of me ¶ The Thanksgiving COme let 's adore the gracious hand That brought us to this light That gave his Angels strict command To be our Guard this night When we laid down our weary heads And sleep seal'd up our eye They stood and watch'd about our beds To let no harm come nigh Now we are up they still go on And guide us through the day They never leave their charge alone Whate're besets our way And oh my Soul how many snares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before our feet In all our hopes in all our cares Some dangers still we meet Sometimes the sin does us o'retake And on our weakness win Sometimes our selves our ruine make And we o'retake the sin O save us Lord from all those darts That seek our Souls to slay Save us from us and our filse hearts Lest we our selves betray Save us O Lord to thee we cry From whom all Blessings spring We on thy Grace alone rely Alone thy glory sing Glory to thee eternal Lord Thrice blessed Three in One Thy Name at all times be ador'd Till time it self be done ¶ Antiphon A Dialogue in three parts Chor. THanks be to the Lord on high Angels That gave his Son Men. For us to die Chor. He that is the holy One Ang. Lov'd us of old Men. For us was sold. Chor. He that is the God of might Men. Made us of Dust Ang. For us did fight Chor. He that is the God most just Ang. Set us aright Men. To us gave light Chor. He that made the Heavens Earth Men. And all therein Ang. He is more worth Chor. He it is that knew no sin Ang. Yet suffered death Men. To give us breath Chor. Blessed he hung on the Cross Men. For our great gain Ang. But his own loss Chor. He that heal'd the Blinde and Lame Ang. Yet sought as thief Men. For our relief Chor. He that died with a kiss Men. From wretched man Ang. Is now in Bliss Chor. He that can the Heavens span Men. And do much more Ang. Him we adore Chor. He that was bound to Herod sent Men. And spit upon Ang. He is our Tent. Chor. He that melteth hearts of stone Ang. With us doth stand Men. Doth us command Chor. He that pardon can our sin Ang. Hath broke our snare Men. But we fall in Chor. He with whom none can compare Men. He gave us eyes Ang. He made us rise Chor. He was scourg'd with heavy lash Men. For us lost blood Ang. And us did wash Chor. He it is that is the good Men. Great God alone Ang. Heaven 's his Throne Chor. He that wore a Crown of Thorns Men. That doth us keep Ang. And us adorns Chor. He the Shepherd of the Sheep Ang. Our choicest stock Men. Our only rock Chor. Praise him then that did us make Men. Doth us defend Ang. And us did take Chor. Bless his Name World without end Men. For his great love Ang. To us above Angels and Men praise ye the Lord for aye Oh all ye Nations praise the Lord and say Amen ¶ The Bible The Book of Books The only good To him that looks For heav'nly food A Holy Light In darkest night The blessed Word Of God the Lord. Divinitie In it doth lie Indeed it is The Gate of Bliss ¶ The Dream I Dreamt my Death was but a sleep My Grave and Bed both one And when the morning forth did peep Life came and Death was gone Since so it is that none can be Asleep but such as die O Lord I 'll sleep to all but thee And make my bed on high ¶ The Beatitudes BLess'd are the poor that is the meek in spirit For they the Heav'n God's Kingdom shall inherit Blessed are they that mourn away their years God hears their sighs hath bottles for their tears Blessed
are they that thirst for Righteousness They shall be fill'd more than we can express Bless'd are the tender mercifus of minde They that in mercy give shall mercy finde Bless'd are the pure of heart their Sanctitie Shall lead them to the Holy Deitie Bless'd are peace-makers they shall make abode As Children with their Father and their God Blessed are they that suffer in a cause That 's just their suffering is their applause Blessed are they that persecuted are And when relivers do no venom spare When Disconcent sets all things out of frame Patience is Physick Prophers us'd the same Of Angels MY Soul in thy Devotions always say O God my God Lord hear me when I pray Let not or Saint or Angel though sublime Share of that honour which is due to him For if you give not God your Heart your All You Caesar rob to pay your Tythes to Paul Nor ought we to the Saints to shew neglect As if the objects of our disrespect Dives in his distress cry'd out for water To Abraham a Saint It is no matter We know what Dives was and will forbear To follow him that ran into a snare ¶ Of Christ's Passion FRom Circumcision to the hour of death Alas sad sate Christ's Passions still kept even with his breath Such was his state He first was in a Manger wrap'd In dangers nurs'd and often scap'd As he of Graces had the richest store So likewise he Of Tears of Sweat of Blood and yet much more Could not be free For Emulation then was understood As now it is 't was dangerous to be good And he that seeks for Peace 'mong men Shall finde it But the Lord knows when On St. Paul's Conversion SO shin'd that glorious Sun upon this Saint That falling down he did both fear and faint It was the Light of God that shin'd whose weight Might sorely press coming from such a height Encompass'd round so that he could not â—…lee From that same vo ce Why persecut it thou me From that same date St. Paul's Conversion came And he grew Master of a shining Fame ¶ On Christ's Praying CHrist in the Garden prays enclos'd with Trees And earnestly importunes on his knees That Cup might pass but see his Son-like skill In praying Father if it be thy will From whence I learn the duty of a Son It is to say Father thy will be done ¶ On Honour and Valour HOnour and Valour being once at strise Which should atchieve most glory in their life Honour did much went on would not give o're Valour flew boldly on and did much more The World 's uncertain Honour he was beat Yet Valour 's head must serve for Honour's seat ¶ On Tinder TO Tinder like each strike That Satan gives My Soul receives With ev'ry Match a Catch My Soul does get When he doth hit Hereafter I will flie Temptations all so shall My Voice be rightly tun'd and apt to say I 'll worship none but God and him obey ¶ The Litany O God the Father God the Son That made and did redeem each one And God the Holy Ghost look on us miserable sinners By thy most bloody sweat and Cross By thy pretious death and loss By thy ascending up from dross Good Lord deliver us In all our troubles time of wealth In time of sickness or of health In Deaths sad hour which comes by stealth Good Lord deliver us We sinners do beseech thee Lord To prosper and increase thy Word Unto thy Church good Rules afford We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to endue All Ministers with knowledge true That we with profit may it shew We beseech thee c. That Grace and Wisdome may increase That Wars and Jarrings all may cease That we thy people may have peace We beseech thee c. That it may please thee to bestow On us thy servants here below Hearts that shall praise for what we owe We beseech thee c. That it may please thee be the way For their return that do each day Deceive themselves and go astray We beseech thee c. That it may please thee by thy hand To strengthen those aright do stand Others to raise by thy command We beseech thee c. That it may please thee succour those That grief and tribulation knows When persecuted by their foes We beseech thee c. That it may please thee to preserve Captives in danger like to starve And from Childe-bearers not to swerve We beseech thee c. That it may please thee to desend The Fatherless and to the end Thy blessings to the Widows send We beseech thee c. That it may please thee pity all And keep our Enemies from thrall Fetch home their hearts that from thee fall We beseech thee c. That it may please thee to defend On us the kindly fruits that grow Be God and friend unto thy foe We beseech thee c. That it may please thee to forgive Our sins that we upright may live According to thy Word and thrive We beseech thee c. O Son of God we pray thee hear O Lamb of God do not forbear To look in mercy on each Tear We beseech thee c. After our sins O do not us regard Nor after our iniquities reward Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Let us pray Our Father c. ¶ On St. Michael the Archangel WE praise thee Christ among the quires Of Angels who thy voice obey That art the life of Heart-desires Thy Father's Power and shining Ray. Whole myriads of heav'nly Peers Fight for thy cause in close aray But Michael who thy Standard bears The Cross of Safety does display He the pernicious Dragon threw Into the flames of Hell's Abyss The Captain with his Rebel-Crew He thundred from Coelestial Bliss Under this Prince let 's every one Against Pride's Captain combat so As that the Lamb may from his Throne Crown Glories upon us below To God the Father God the Son And to the Holy Ghost in Heaven As hitherto it hath been done Let Glory evermore be given ¶ Oppositions GOd is light and sin is dark God lives above and sin beneath God is just but sin 's a Shark God is Life and sin is Death God is Heaven sin is Hell God is fair and sin is foul God saves many that rebel Sin 's Damoation to the Soul Adam in Paradise did stand Angels in Heaven by God's command But sin doth with a gilded Dart Not only tempt but wound the heart God doth entreat the Soul by love Sin with deceit the Soul doth move Sin laid the corner-stone in Hell Sin made this World a Monster swell In all to God 't is flatly opposite It wants the good of Vertue and of Light ¶ On Thoughts STill I am thinking thoughts that are not good They are as common as my food And do increase like Beans in mud As thick as any Wood. Suppose I harbour some that do
no ill Nor yet no good they hurt when fill To little purpose lying still And such a hurt may kill When I am praying to the Lord my God They often on my Prayers have trod And when I hope'd to scape the rod My sins have still abode The reason sure why I am thus possest With such a bold unwelcome guest Unto my shame be it consest It is because his Nest With my consent before was builded there Who now lies lurking like a Bear Watching my sinful Soul to tear When once got in his snare Lord be my Surgeon heal my wounded heart And give me grace that by that Art I may devise a Bolt or Dart To cause such thoughts depart For with repentant tears it is con'est Thou art a help to men opprest When we are most of all distrest Thou art our chiesest rest With fervent Zeal unto thy aid we flee Thou art our Rest Truly our hope 's in thee ¶ On Repentance REpentance is a gift which comes from high We are not with it born None of themselves repentantly can cry Or make the World his scorn They 're carnal Christians think it is enough To mingle Lord have mercy with their stuff We Jewels buy and they prove counterfeit So man himself undoes Thus in Repentance Souls themselves do cheat And their rich Jewel loose Which made one say Repentance would not lin Until it damned many more than sin If we repent for sin 't is nothing worth Unless we do refrain From it as well for if we from our birth Delighted to be vain Yet sometimes weep but still our hearts do harden God will us with a Contradiction pardon The sorrow of this World it worketh Death But godly sorrow that Repentance works and that eternal breath The Lord himself doth hate Man for his sins that numberless do flush And for those sins doth love as much the blush Repentance strips us of those Garments black That the first Adam's was It kills our sins and keep us from the wrack Though now we are but Grass It doth revive Our Tears do water so That we like Plants of Paradise do grow All above all thou art O God most just Repentance grant to me That I may cleanse my Carnal house of Dust And make it fit for thee Teach me that Lesson which doth still remain With dayly Tears to wash my dayly stain Repentance should appear before I die Nor can I know the when My dying-day shall come or when I flie From hence to thee agen Therefore gâ—…ve me Repentance ev'ry day So shall my flight be clear and thou my way No better showers extinguish can the flames Of Hell than sinners Tears Begin â—…etimes trust not to after-games Forthey bring after-fears Have little cause to say Wo's me that I Who liv'd a sinner must a sinner die We all are apt to think it is too soon Repentance to begin We put it off from morning until noon From thence do farther spin Whenas we hourly should prepare a room To entertain our God when he shall come Beda makes mention of a certain man Who lying very sick Was counsell'd by his Friends his life to scan And to repent while quick Who said His sins he would not yet shake off Lest if he should recover then a scoff To his Companions he himself should make But still he waxed worse His Friends then counsell'd him again to take Repentance not his Curse He answered them That then it was too late For he was plung'd in a condemn'd estate Better it is by far from sin to flie Than lack Repentant cure For he that hath no wounds fears not to die But liveth safe and sure 'T is good for any man more for his ease Neither to know the Cure nor the Disease ¶ On the Day of Judgment AH come it will that dreadful day Which shall the World in Ashes lay As David and the Sibyl both could say How men will tremble and grow pale When Justice comes with Sword and Scale To weigh the faults and sort the fates of all A Trumpet first shall rend the Skies And all whereever laid must rise And come unto the Bar in Pris'ners guise Nature and Death amaz'd will stand To see each one rebodied and Brought to reply himself to each demand A written Book lie open shall Containing each ones Charge and all By those grand Evidences stand or fall Then sits the Judge himself and tries No shifting from All-seeing eyes Nor scaping seen whoe're deserves it dies Oh then poor I what shall I do Which Friend or Patron take me to When Saints themselves are scarce secure from wo Dread Lord to thee thy self run I Who sav'st the sav'd without a why And so mayst me thou source of Clemencie Think who did once thy pity move And drew thee from thy Throne above Cast me not off at last thy former Love Thou tir'dst thy self in seeking me And for my sake di'dst on a Tree Let not in vain such pangs and labour be True thou hast dealt thy mercies home Yet acts of grace mayst deign to some At least before that day of Reckoning come I guilty am e're thou me try My looks and blushes me descry But Mercy Lord O Lord do not deny Thou who didst once a Magd'len spare And of a Thief condemn'd took'st care B'dst me by these examples not despair Not that my Prayers ought can claim But thou art good be still the same That wretched I burn not in endless flame When from the Goats thou shalt divide Thy Sheep let me with thee abide Plac'd in Eternal Bliss on thy right side And then those great 〈◊〉 ssizes done The Curs'd to flames tormenting thrown Say Come ye blessed meaning me for one Lord this I beg on bended knee With heart contrite as ashes be That thou take care both of my end and me ¶ On Sighs and Groans SIgh on sad Heart as hard as Diamond-stone At ev'ry breathing usher forth a groan For such although thou dost not speak Sufficient are thy minde to break Or if thy groans are smothered with grief And steal out softly as a cunning thief God hears and understands the cry Better than he that lets them fly For many sighs and groans are poured out Loaded with thoughts so that this heavy scout Hath such an Errand then to tell Where to begin he knows not well God hath a Bottle for the sinners Tear And ready is as we to speak to hear Heav'n is attentive to a sinners sute And sighs are vocal though the tongue be mute ¶ Knots WHo reads a Chapter when to bed Shall not have Aches in his head Who opes his Purse unto the Poor Shall finde it filling more and more Whose heart and tongue obey God's Word Both beats the bush and gets the bird Who keeps his thoughts from things amiss Is thinking on his way to Bliss Who keeps his Conscience pure and clear Is always feasting year by year Whose stomach doth for Dainties crave With
am dead in grief Or what is worse in sin I call on Jesus and he hears And I to live begin Wherefore to thee bright Name Behold thus low I bow And thus again yet is all this Nothing to what I owe. Down then down bow my knees Still lower to the ground While with mine eyes and voice lift up Aloud these Lines I sound Live Heaven's glorious King By Angels bright ador'd Live gracious Saviour of the World Our chief and only Lord Live and for ever may Thy Throne establish'd be For ever may all hearts and tongues Sing Praises unto thee ¶ To God the Holy Ghost COme into us Holy Ghost From thy bright Coelestial coast Send us a resplendant Beam Come thou Father of the Poor Come thou willing Gift-bestow'r Come thou heart-reviving Gleam Thou of Comforters the best Thou the Souls delightful Guest A refreshing sweet relief Thou in toyl a resting seat Temper in excessive heat Solace to a Soul in grief O thou blessedest of Lights Those that love t' observe thy Rites With thy self their bosoms fill While thou' rt absent nothing can Be regardable in man Nothing can he act but ill What is for did mundifie Water what is over-dry What is wounded render sound Pliant make what 's hard to yield Cherish what with Cold is chil'd Govern what is vagabond In the faithful that confide In thy mercies cause reside All the train of Sev'n-fold Grace Give what Vertue 's merit is Give th' accomplishment of Bliss Joys of an eternal Race Amen ¶ On the Holy Trinity IN Sacred sheets of either Testament 'T is hard to finde an higher Argument More deep to sound more busie to sâ—…uss More useful known unknown more dangerous ¶ On Christ's Nativity MYsterious Miracle the same should be A Lamb a Shepherd and a Lion too Yet so was he Whom first the Shepherds knew And readily became Sheep to their Shepherd-Lamb Shepherd of Angels Men and Lamb of God Lion of Judah by these Titles keep The Wolf from all thy harmless Sheep Let the whole World flock to thy Fold Jews and Gentiles may they all come In multitudes not to be told Thy Lambs that wander bring them home Glory be to God on high Glory to the Deity ¶ On Christ's Triumph to Jerusalem BEhold we stay Lord come away Thy Road is ready and thy Paths made strait With languishing expect and wait The Consecration of thy beauteous seet Ride on triumphantly see Lord we lay Our carnal lusts and wills all in thy way Hosanna welcome to our hearts Lo here Thou hast a Temple too and full as dear As that of Sion but more full of sin Nothing but Thieves and Robbers dwell therein Then enter Lord chase them and cleanse the floore Crucifie all that they may never more Profane that holy place Where thou hast chose to set thy face And if our stubborn tongues shall be Mute in the praises of thy Deitie The stones from out the Temple-wall Shall cry aloud and call Hosanna And thy glorious foot-steps greet ¶ The Shepherds Dialogue In three parts 1. COme let us finde the Babe That hath made This our World so full of joy And expectation That glorious blessed boy That crowns each Nation With his triumphant Wreaths of blessedness 2. Doubtless he is within the throng Just among His Angels that divinely sing Taking wing So as to eccho to his voice They rejoyce With Wing with Tongue and Heart That so they do perceive their happiness 3. But attended is as now With a Cow The Ox and Mule do all behold With wonder An homely Stable should unfold The Thunder Chor. What an Almighty God have we Great great as is our Miserie ¶ On Christ's Birth in an Inne BLess'd be that Virgin travel'd without pain And lodg'd within an Inne A splendid Star the signe No greater guest did ever come that way For therein lay The glorious Lord of Night and Day Who doth o're Heav'n and over Angels reign He came i' th' time of great Augustus tax All cry'd He comes To pay the sums Or ransom of our lost Humanitie To set us free From an Impious Emperie Of Satan Sin that then bore sway Inspire our Hearts to be thy lodging place In each ones brest Take up thy rest Temples are fitter for thee than an Inne And let not sin Profane the Sacred Deity within So to defile the Ornaments of Grace ¶ Of Thoughts To think upon the Pow'r of God doth awe me To think upon Gods Justice doth affright me To think upon the Love of God doth draw me To think upon God's Mercy doth delight me To think upon God's Bounty that doth please me To think upon God's Favour doth endear me To think upon God's Goodness much doth ease me To think upon God's Promises doth chear me Thus thinking what I think doth make me say The more I think the more methinks I may Lord let my thoughts so firmly fixed be That I may think on nothing more than thee ¶ To the Creator DIvine Creator bear in minde That thou of our Corporeal kinde The form didst take when heretofore 'T was thee a Sacred Virgin bore Bless'd Mary pre-ordain'd to be Mother of Grace and Clemencie Defend us from our mortal foe Receive us when from hence we go Jesus all glory to thy Name Born of a Virgin and the same To th' Holy Ghost and Father be Through Ages to Eternitie ¶ The Godly Garden A Godly heart 's a Garden full of Flowers Well kept and trim'd where Herbs of Grace do flourish Tears of unfeign'd Repentance are the showers That kindly do those Herbs refresh and nourish Faith is the Prime-rose that doth first appear Which being rooted well stands firm and fast Then grows for ev'ry Season of the year The choicest Flowers for odour or for tast If Weeds amongst them spring to give offence The Gard'ner plucks them up and casts them thence Lord give me Grace to keep my Garden so That nothing there but Herbs of Grace may grow ¶ The Soul's Alarm A Wake my Soul chase from thine eyes This drowsie sloath and quickly rise Up and to work apace No less than Kingdoms are prepar'd And endless Bliss for their reward Who finish well their race 'T is not so poor a thing to be Servants to Heav'n dear Lord and thee As this fond world believes Not even here where oft the wise Are most expos'd to injuries And friendless vertue grieves Sometimes thy hand lets gently fall A little drop that sweetens all The bitter of our Cup O what hereafter shall we be When we shall have whole draughts of thee Brim-full and drink them up Say happy Souls whose thirst now meets The fresh and living stream of sweets Which spring from that bless'd Throne Did you not finde this true even here Do you not finde it truer there Now Heaven is all your own O yes the sweets we taste exceed All we can say or you can read They fill and never cloy On Earth
In Winter judge how leaveless then it stood But I confirm it when I see the Bud. In Thomas 't was a fault To hault In waving Faith until His will Was satisfied but 't would a madness been So to continue having felt and seen Belief it may indeed Exceed The strength of Reason yet Doth let No opposition in Faith likewise will suspence 'T will get above but not against the Sense Whilst Faith assures I eat My sweet Redeemer with direct Effect Sense cannot so in ignorance allure me As that I cat not bread but will assure me Although I see not all that I believe Yet those things that I see I must believe Christians must guard their mouths and watch their actions Be pure in heart and keep their faiths from factions ¶ On Christ's Nativity expected WHen blessed Lord shall we Our safe Salvation see Dear Lord arise For our saint eyes Have long'd all night and 't was a long night too Poor man could never say He saw more than a day One day of Edeu's seven The guilty hours were blasted with the breath Of sin and death And have e're since worn a Nocturnal hue But in thy birth is hopes that we At length a splendid day shall see Wherein each poor neglected place Grac'd with the Aspect of thy face Shall glister like the porch and gate of Heav'n How long bless'd Lord how long The Nations thirst and throng All humane kinde Are now combinde Into one body wanting thee their Head Large is our multitude And almost vile and rude Headless Great God for lack of thee Unhappy for the want of thy bless'd face Then come apace And thy bright self to our dull body wed That thorough thy Almighty power Each part that hath confusion wore May order take so to appear Fresh as the dawning of the year When thou dear Lord shalt so united be ¶ The Call COme away my Lord my Life Thy presence doth preserve from strife Come away my Lord my Way Thy presence 〈◊〉 to obey Come away my Lord my Truth Thy presence turneth Age to Youth Come away my Lord my Light Thou dost both Sin and Satan fright Come away my Lord my Feast That my poor Soul may be thy Guest Come away my Lord my Strength By thee my days have health and length Come away my holy Joy Guard my Rejoycings from annoy Come away my dearest Love Lord let my Call thy presence move Come away Divinest Lamb My sins deface that seek to damn Come my Shepherd come away Thy Flock in danger are to stray Come my Safeguard and my Shield In Fights assist me lest I yield Come away Lord hear my Call Make no stay Thou All in All. ¶ The Extasie SUch a Lord and such a Life Whose presence bringe h Pleasures rise Such a way as leads to Bliss Who walks therein can't walk amiss Such a Truth whose Ray defies The Father and the Prince of Lyes Such a Light as leads us to Eternal Comforts not a few Such a Feast as doth rejoyce Compounded of the best and choice Such a Strength as doth desend Not for a day but to the end Such a Joy that giveth store Of Pleasures lasting evermore Such a Love as heard my cry Though sin made me his enemy Such a Lamb whose sweet abode Makes ev'ry Saint a Lamb of God Such a Shepherd of his Sheep There 's none can stray whom he doth keep Shuch a 〈◊〉 and such a Sun Desends 〈◊〉 shines till all is won Open my heart and such a God receive He 's All in All to them that do believe Delights of the Minde JEsus the only thought of thee Fills with delight my memorie But when thou dost thy presence show Heav'n seems into my breast to flow No Theam so sweet for voice can be Nor to the ear such harmonie No heart can thoughts for charming frame As Jesus his most pretious Name Jesus when for our sins we grieve Thy mercies all our wants relieve If good to those that seek thy Grace What art thou when they see thy face Jesus in whom we comsort finde Fountain of Life Light of the Minde Thou dost our hearts with comforts feed Our utmost wish thy gifts exceed No Eloquence of Tongue can teach Nor art of Pen this secret reach Only th'experienc'd Soul does prove What sweets they taste who Jesus love Him then I 'll seek retir'd apart Shutting the world out of my heart And midst my business him I 'll strive With fresh pursuit still to retrive Early with Magdalen I 'll come A Pilgrim to my Saviour's Tomb Weeping my sins in mournful cries I 'll seek him with my minde not eyes My Tears shall on his Grave distill And faithful Sighs the Garden fill Prostrate before him on my face His sacred feet I 'll fast embrace Jesus in thy bless'd steps I 'll tread Striving to follow where they lead Nor shall my Soul give o're to mourn Till to thy favour I return O Jesus most admired King Who didst triumph o'r deaths sharp sting Thy mystick sweetness first excites Then satisfies all appetites Thy quickning visits Life bestow Thy lights true good so cleerly show That they who once have relish'd thee Know all the World 's meer Vanitie Come then dear Lord possess our hearts Enflame our loves with thy chast darts All Clouds of errour drive away And change our N ght to thy bright day To thee our hearts and voices sing To thee our vows and pray'rs we bring That when we end this life 's short racc In Heav'n with thee we may have place ¶ On Death O Death the Serpents Son Where is thy sting once like thy Sire With Hellish torments ever burning fire But those dark days are gone Thy peevish spite buri'd thy sting In the sacred and wide Wound of a Saviour's side Now thou' rt become a tame and harmless thing A toy we scorn to fear For we hear That our triumphant God to conquer thee For the assault thou gav'st him on the Tree Hath took the keys of Hell out of thy hand And forc'd thee stand As Porter to that gate of Life O thou who art the gate be pleas'd that he When we shall die And that way flie May ope the Courts of Heav'n to us through thee ¶ On Judgment JUdge of the World we wretched sinners quake Our Consciences do ake And well they may whenas we think Of the fierce dreadful fire Of thine Ire And Phials thou fhalt make Us sinners drink For thou the Wine-press of thy wrath wilt tread With feet of lead Wretched notorious duft what uncouth place Can shelter from thy face The Earth will shrink out of thy sight The Heavens too that cannot erre Then shall fear Thee and thy Laws and from thee take their flight So burnt with glory their bright eyes shall dead Burst from their head Great God can we Thy Enemies abide to see Such a glorious Majesty We beg thy mercy Lord Thy Judgment-seat We dare not to
Much like the Frontispiece of Thee the Book Jehovah's Poem where he hath annext A gracious Comment to a glorious Text Urim and Thummim wrote in words at large Thou D'cus and Tutamen of thy charge Who ex utroque sitt'st amongst the Peers A perfect Nestor at meridian years Old Jeroboam holy Legends tell By making Peasants Priests turn'd Israel With her heels upward That prodigious phrase Of High swoln Woolsey in King Harry's days Ego Rex may teach great Monarchs what 's The sad effects of mounting Butchers beats To any thing but Gibbets Where such sway There 's none so proud so tyrannous as they Who suck nought from their Dams but kill and slay For take an upstart Groom who setcht his rise But lately from a Dung hill in a trice He huffs and Hamans it aâ—… such a rate As if the slip'ry wheels of Rowling Fate Were scotcht in him forgetting that the Son May end as basely as the Sire begun Births are th'immediate acts of God the choice Of man sounds well which ecchoes to that voice The Cream of Gentry not the Scum of Trade Princes are born but Commonwealths are made Then bless'd be Christ and Charles his servant who To silence the rude Cavils of our foe Has rais'd a Ruler from an antient stock A Swain like Daphais faiter than his flock In whom by happy providence we see The salse aspersion and foul caiumnie Which Brooke of old cast in the Churches face Bravely wipt off in nobler Compton's race 〈◊〉 the Great a Family well known From Hopton Heath to the Olympick Throne Compton the Valiant that hears a power From the Imperial Closet to the Tower Compton the Just what can be more exprest The Guns and Organs shall proclaim the rest Nor can the mouth of Spite it self defame Th'unfulli'd Trophies of that spotless Name Nor Malice choak'd with Liberty controul The least attempt of so divine a Soul Had all been Lyons once who wore that hide And each Lawn-slâ—…eve so honourably alli'd Save tem'pral envy and spiritual pride 〈◊〉 had not liv'd nor Caesar di'd The Cassock whilom scar'd into a jump And curtaâ—…'d all in rev'rence to the Rump May now exult with Warrantable glee In thy serene unblemish'd Pedigree With the white Prelate of the Garter Blue Undaunted Dolben and couragious Mew The High-born Durham generous Hereford By line a Baronet by Grace a Lord. And who should be first nam'd Sheldon the prime A word too glorious to be blaz'd in Rhyme As learned Lawyers justly boast the worth Of their Heroick Finch and Honour'd North. When Gospel-sury chang'd our Oyl to Ashes And Pulpits turn'd to Caledonian Swashes When Charity caught cold and zeal ran mad When men of Lâ—…vi dwelt in tents of Gad Black were our Stars Cimmerian our Night No Darkness like degenerated Light But when the Sons of Peers lay down the sharp Faulchion to tune the Psaltery and the Harp Abandoning the pleasures of Hide-park And with King David dance before the Ark 〈◊〉 spirit flies the Warlike Spear Being beat into a Sheep-hook shall we fear New Curse ye Meroz Doctrines in these Nations Clench'd with Edge hill and Naseby applications Harry the Eighth that he might propagate Feud against Popery and secure his State Dispos'd the then Top-heavy Churches Lands In his Nobilities and Gentries hands Knowing when time should turn which often varies They'd surely fight pro Focis if not Aris. But our blest Liege that Piety may greet Her younger sister Policy thinks meet True Honours Ore should wear Religion's Stamp To have the Chair recruited from the Camp His Majesty in such designes as these Impropriates the Bishops not the Sees Impropriate did I say rather restore Them to the Splendour they maintain'd of yore That when weak Curats fail these Sons of Thunder May keep the Dan and Bethil rabble under No Northern storms shall then our Temple stir Whose Beams are Cedar though their Rasters Fir. And the rich Pavement which we walk upon Smooth as the Chariot of King Solomon Without a stone of stumbling and offence Or speaking Treason in a Scripture sence Or crushing Texts until they vomit blood A signe the Pulpits were not Irish wood All peevish Sects shall fall from their extreams Won by thy Worth and melted by thy Beams As if thy parts which we poor Lads admire Were mixt of Gunning's â—…ht and Rupert's Fire Enough to make a Brownist keep the road And 〈◊〉 chaunt another Palinode Abringdon Wild whose Drolls infect the Rout May now complain his Pen hath got the Gout Who bubbled with his once-applauded 〈◊〉 Out-did his Name by barking at the Mitre Shall cease to stroak his half-dry Muses Duggs In tenderness to 's Conscience or his Luggs The Pagan Saint whose prerious lips express Nought but sweet Sippets of Soul-savingness Making the splay-mouth'd Brethren mump like Apes At Brooks his Apples and at Titchburn's Grapes Shall balk his Canting and convince the Gang An Anthem's better musick than a Twang And we Plebeian Off-springs meanly bred With a short Grace an Egg and so to bed Yet having Souls where loyal flames are nurst To Charles the good and James of Charles the first Shall to engage Posterity our bebtor Spend our dear blood as free as it 't were better My Lord accept this Mite and if it please Give us thy benediction and take these May all the Gifts and Graces that befel On Moses Joshua and Samuel Inrich thy Breast and Brain in such a sort That the whole City Country and the Court Led by thy good example without stain Of being factious bruitish or profane May win their pristine Glory once again May as benign and prosperous a state As e'er George Wharton could prognosticate Light on thy heart and bless thee o're and o're Wisdom and Wealth augmenting still thy store Long may'st thou govern without Guile or Gall And be thy Moderation known to all To bring strai'd Sheep by whatsoever name Back to the Fold from whence at first they came No private Meetings in thy Diocess Except those lawful ones of Truth and Peace But if the many-headed Beast should rise To pluck Kings plumes and peck out Prelates eyes Teach them to crumble like a tottring Wall Or Dagon cripled with a second fall Or heads on London-bridge expos'd to sight That grin and shew their teeth but cannot bite Lastly when Paul's Cathedral whose fair growth Attends on thine is finish'd when ye both Piercing the Clouds have kiss'd the Lights above That by aspiting Towers thee by Love When the whole story of thy span is told And deeds as well as Bays have made thee old When the officious Angels shall have given Thy better part its proper place in Heaven May thy bright Fame outshine the Morning-star As Prince a Prelate and a Batchelar So prayeth Most Honoured Lord the humblest and meanest of your Lordships Servants Samuel Speed ADVERTISEMENT THere is lately Published an an excellent Piece entituled The Vanity of Arts and Sciences By Henry Cornelius Agrippa Kt. Doctor of both Laws Judge of the Prerogative Court and Counsellor to Charles the Fifth Emperour of Germany To be sold by most Booksellers FINIS ‖ Helmets the Arms of Compton †Woolsey a Butcher's Son of Ipswich * The place where the old Earl was murthered ‖ The Bishop of London Clerk of the Closet †Earl of Northampt. Constable of the Tower ‖ The Bishop of Winton Doctor Morley †Drâ—…m in the scotch phrase as appears by their Letany Fro au Harlotree the Dinger of the Swash i.e. the beater of the Drum the foul Fiend and the Gallow-tree Gude Laird deliver us * Once Chaplain to M. G. Brown at Abingdon
for the frames Yielding such fruit as few have born but he Zealous for Heaven where he in Glory reigns so his Losses turn'd to be his Gains ¶ On Christ's Death MY God my God turn not to night my day Shall Mans black Crimes be Darts my heart to slay Must my dear blood on sinful dust be spilt To pay his debt and wash away his guilt My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Must I come from a Diadem to Death Leaving my joys in sorrow spend my breath Must I that am coequal with the Father Be crucifi'd that man may comfort gather My God my God c. I that e're now was cloath'd in state of Glory Am now in Rags of Flesh to tell my story I that fill ev'ry place in spight of danger Yet I in fear was cradled in a Manager My God my God c. To Egypt I compelled was to fly I am the Life yet I my self must die I am the sole Dictator of the Law Yet must be subject now and stand in aw My God my God c. 'T was I that both the Earth and Heavens made But working now at Joseph's homely trade Children of men I have ye ost exempted Can binde the Devils yet must I be tempted My God my God c. I made the World of Nothing Man of Dust Yet I have hungred and have been athirst I am become Life to the Lunatick If God can die Nature may well be sick My God my God c. Must I that keep the Keys of Death and Hell Pay visits now where griefs and terrours dwell Must Kings be made the subjects of their scorns And wear instead of Stars a Crown of Thorns My God my God c. My Senses all extreamly are agriev'd My eyes beholding whom I have reliev'd Mine ears with hearing lewd blasphemous Taunts Instead of Hallelujahs sung by Saints My God my God c. Smelling I finde my nostrils streight grow full O' th' evil scent of some corrupted skull My Taste is chang'd with Liquor like my Thrall Sower and bitter Vinegar and Gall. My God my God c. My Feeling with the Spear that pierc'd my side That man might live I thus was crucifi'd At length my Father heard me bad me die But nothing fear sor he himself stood by ¶ An Hymn By St. Ambrose and St. Augustine OUr tongues O God thy praise record We thee consess our Soveraign Lord. To thee Eternal Father all Who dwell on Earth do prostrate fall To thee the Angels at all hours To thee the Heavens and heav'nly powers To thee with voice incessantly The Seraphins and Cherubs cry Thou Holy Holy Holy one Of Sabbath Lord and God alone Fill'd is the Earth the Heavens the Skie With glory of thy Majesty The bless'd Apostles glorious Quire The Prophets whom thou didst inspire And all the White-rob'd Martyrs sing Eternal praise to thee their King The holy Church does loudly sound Thy blessed Name throughout the ronnd Of the whole Earth confessing thee Father of boundless Majestie The same is dutifully done To thy sole Venerable Son And to the Holy Ghost that arms The Soul with consolating Charms Thou Christ hast Kingly Glories won Thy Father 's dear Eternal Son Thou man to free from endless pain A Virgins womb didst nor disdain That death subduing didst unlock Heav'ns Realms unto thy faithful Flock On God's right hand thou fit'st as bright As in thy Father's radiant light Our Judge to come thou art esteem'd Thy servants therefore help redeem'd With thy most precious blood and make Us with thy Saints of Bliss partake Lord save thy people in distress Thy Heritage vouchsase to bless Rule and exalt them without end Our dayly blessings thee attend Thy glorious Name we magnifie From age to age eternally This day sweet Lord we now are in Preserve us from committ'ng sin Have mercy on us Lord efface Our sins with thy Coelestial grace Let mercy on us Lord be seen As in thy self our hopes have been Lord I have fix'd my hopes on thee Then let me ne're confounded be ¶ On Christ's Cross. CAn we spell Chris-cross row and yet not read That Christ for us was dead How he himself did humble unto death Loosing his life to give us breath But now he shines in the Coelestial Frame And hath receiv'd a Name To which all knees shall bow and tongues shall say This is the Lord we must obey He that doth disregard the Cross of Christ Of Happiness hath mist Destruction is his end his glory shame But happy he doth love the same I will not hate the Cross nor yet adore Any but he it bore I 'll not blaspheme the Cross because t was dy'd With his rich blood was crucifi'd Rich beyond price for when that blood was spilt It cleans'd a world of guilt It bought mankinde for when Christ's blood was flown As Lord he call'd us all his own Wherefore I will not worship any one But my dear Lord alone Take up my Cross and bear my Cross I will I 'll love it and embrace it still But to adore my Cross I will not dare All knees should that forbear In reverence to his Name all hearts shall bow With pious Zeal as mine does now Christ never wanted crosses scoffs and scorns His ways were strew'd with thorns Then may we judge by his most sacred birth He 's cross'd wants crosses here on Earth ¶ The Cross. Then let us count all things as loss And Dung compared with the Cross. This is the Figure of that Tree That bore the fruit of life for me The Emblem of Humility Express'd in him did on it die To it was nail'd the God of Life Who did in Love to end our Strife God had one Son who had no sin But all his Sons have crossed bin ¶ The Resurrection HE 's risen now behold the stone is gone Which late was rolled to inclose the Son Had the weak Jews so little wit or grace To trust to that when he fills ev'ry place Earth is his foot-stool yet he dwells on high Holy his Name himself 's Eternity ¶ The Ascention HOw nimbly and with what a quick ascent Heaven was scal'd by the Omnipotent But one days speedy journey surely then Sinners are sots that won't be happy men ¶ An Adoration to the Lord of the Sabbath BEhold we come dear Lord to thee And bow before thy Throne We come to offer on our knee Our Vows to thee alone Whate're we have whate're we are Thy bounty freely gave Thou didst us here in mercy spare And wilt hereafter save But oh can all our store afford No better gifts for thee Thus we confess thy Riches Lord And thus our Poverty 'T is not our tongue or knee can pay The mighty Debt we owe For more we should than we can say Far lower than we bow Come then my Soul bring all thy powers And grieve thou hast no more Bring ev'ry day thy choicest hours And thy great God adore