turris aves And that spotlesse Dove will not dwell in a polluted Soul and therefore thus do thou prepare the Cabinet of my heart first wash it throughly with Repentance tears then make it bright with Charity for the money thou givest in Alms guilds thy soule hang it round with Purity and Innocence let it be paved with Love and least it seem dark alight in it the Lamp of a holy Zeal Thou must examine thy self and repent thee of all thy sins Ah Crucifie them which have Crucified thy Saviour thou must not have the least affection for any of them no not for thy Darling Crown it with hatred and contempt which hath Crowned him with Thorns and why shouldeâ—â— thou spare thy Darling sins wheâ— the Almighty spared not his Beloved And then think of thâ— greatnesse of thy sins which could not be expiated but by thâ— death of the Son of God and thâ— with humble thoughts of thy selâ— with a broken heart receive a broken Saviour Christ will not dwelâ— in a Den of Theeves thou must overturn the Tables fill'd with unlawfull gain and cast out Frauâ— and Covetousness whipping theâ— out of the Temple of thy heart thou must lay aside Anger and without Malice approach the Table of the Lamb of peace and though the worldling had rather â—â—st sins false Delicates yet do thou hunger and thirst after this â—ood Oh it proves sweet to the â—hirsty Soul This duty of preparation ought not to be the work of an hour or a day for thy Soul is too filthy to be cleansed in an hour and thy Rebellious Lusts too stubborn to be subdued in a day and when thou hast with the most diligent care and strictest zeal prepared thy heart yet still confess thine own filthiness for indeed thou mayest justly fear that thou shalt lodge thy Saviour as he was at his birth in a Stable amongst Beasts in a foul soul amongst bad thoughts and evil desires and therefore pray that he would cleanse thee and then thou wilt be clean indeed thy poverty can be no excuse to thee for this is such a Garment as every one may purchase The happy hour being come approach with reverence imaginâ— your self at Gods Table that yoâ— are at Supper in Heaven herebâ— the eye of Faith thou mayest represent to thy self thy Saviour Passion writ in red Characters thâ— Sun of Righteousness setting inâ— ruddy Cloud Here thou mayeâ— behold that lovely Rose of Sharoâ— purpled with his own blood thâ— Lamb of God worried by Wolves now he truly seems as a Lilly amongst the Thorns whilest Crucified betwixt two Theeves thoâ— mayest behold him denyed bâ— men whom Devils confessed scoffed and wounded whom thâ— Angels count iâ— their highest Glory to reverence When thou seest the bread broken ah then remember a torn Saviour as thou tastest the sweetness of the wine think what a bitter Cup he drank see see him stretching out his Arms ready to embrace thee and fix'd with nails as if to signifie they would be ever open See those hands which healed others now wounded that mouth praying for those which fill'd it with Gall and Vinegar Consider what a weight did thy sins add to his Crosse when he sunk under it The Jewes Crown'd him with Thorns but how many Thorns in that Crown were thy sins The Thorns prick'd his Temples and thy sins his Soul Then remember the infiniteness of his love doth he delight in the death of a sinner who dyed that he might live Would he have bought thee at such a dear rate if he had not lov'd thee He paid for thee every drop of his hearâ— blood Those were the Rubieâ— wherewith he purchased thy Redemption and Lord what an ill bargain thou seem'st to have of it and almost to have been too profuse of thy Coelestial Treasure to pay down such a price for a pooâ— worm a clod of earth How short is all love to thine who ever fed his Friend with his own flesh and blood This Lord thou dost and least we should doubt of the reality of thy love thou sufferest a window to be made in thy side that through it we might look and see the sincerity of thy heart When thou canst thus represenâ— to thy self the Dolour of thy Saviours Passion what tears should this extract from thy eyes What sighs from thy bosome And if thou art not fill'd with Compassion the very Earth and Rocks will rise up in Judgement against thee for the Earth trembled and the Rocks groan'd and were rent a sunder at his sufferings But this is not all thou must not only commemorate thy Saviours death but withall believe that his wounds make thee whole that his blood cleanses all thy spots appeases his Fathers wrath and subdues sin and hell his Crosse was the Club wherewith our spirituall Hercules subdued all his and our Enemies If thou canst thus receive thy Saviour he will not only come in and Sup but abide with thee for ever A bundle of Myrrhe will thy Beloved be and will lye all night betwixt thy breasts thou mayest then be assured that thy sins are forgiven thou hast Gods hand in the Scriptures and the broad Seals of Heaven in this Sacrament for the pardon of them How bitter will the Worlds Delicates tast after this feast It is saiâ— of one that he sold a Kingdom for a Cup of water ah who woulâ— not though he were Master of thâ— Universe sell it for one drop of thâ— Chalice And now thy Christ being entred into thy Soul entertain thâ— great Guest with holy Discourseâ— desire him since he hath cast or the strong man now to keep poâ—session and Satan knowing thâ— he who hath so often overcomâ— him is within will be discourage to assault thee any more and if thâ— Blind and Lame the Sick and Leprous were cur'd but with a toucâ— of his Garments Surely thou wilâ— be throughly healed seeing thaâ— Jesus dwells in thy Soul and theâ— return him Praises and Thanksgiving because he hath brought thee to his Banquetting House and displayed his Banner of Love over thee and hath made thee sit down under his shaddow with great delight whilest his fruit hath been sweet to thy tast and do not thou refuse to feed his Members with Bread who hath fed thee with the Bread of Life and now thou art cleansed take heed thou Defile not thy self again Alas spots add not to the Beauty of Christs Spouse and seeing he to Espouse thee hath become bone of thy bone and flesh of thy flesh and hath left Father and Country Heaven and Glory for Love of thee Ah do not thou run after a second Love do but compare thy Spouse to the deformity of Satan and then sure thou canst not be so stupid as to exchange a spotless Doveâ— for a Vulture beauty and him that is the choicest of ten thousands for a Blackamore and Deformity Let his Love therefore alone satisfie thee and thus wheâ—â— the night of thy death is come
Juvenilia SACRA OR Divine Youthfull Meditations CONSISTING Of a Dialogue between Christ and the Soul A Preparation to the Lords Supper Characters of the Pious and Impious Man Of the Good and Wicked Woman The Foure Quarters of the Year Ten Historicall Ten Scripture and Ten Occasional Applications By P. B. Gent. London Printed by Tho. Mabb for John Playfere at the White Bear in the Upper Walk of the New-Exchange 1664. Perlegi hunc Libellum cui Titulus Juvenilia Sacra in quo nihil reperio sanae fidei Disciplinae Ecclesiae Anglica aut bonis moribus contrarium Joh. Hall R. â— D. Episc Lon. Ã sac Domest Mar. 15. 1663. TO HIS Honoured Friend Francis Dashwood Esq SIR I Have Read of Pylades and Orestes and many others but the Past Present or Future Age have not nor will never Produce such a Stupendious Example of Friendship as Yours to me which though I cannot Requite yet I will never Cease to Acknowledge I here Present You the Fruits of my Youthfull Idle Hours and it will be a Repetition of your former Courtesie to Protect and Accept such a Trifle yet therein You have Your own Picture drawn in the Character of my Piouâ— Man which if it be not to the Life the World wilâ— conclude that it is not because You wanted Merrit but the Unskilfulness of Your Humble Servant P. B Courteous Reader PErhaps in the Perusal of my little Book thou mayest think me too Satyrical but I hope thy Ingenuity will apply these Invectives to those unto whom they were directed to the Vicious for mistake me not I am none of those that think all they which wear black patches cannot go to Heaven I only aime at such as hang them out as the Ensignes of Lust neither do I carp at all that are attired in Gorgeous Apparrel No for surely the Lillies Beauty and Solomons Royalty was not displeasing to God But only at such who are proud in them that hug their Inventions for devising fantastique fashions that spend most of their time in pruning of their Locks and setting those Netts to catch Fools Suppose you should be Enamoured of a false though a seeming Lovely Beauty and at the Instant of the Injoyment of your Imaginary Heaven when your Sun should disrobe her self of her Shroud If then I say instead of the Beams of a dazling Beauty you should meet with nothing but Deformity Those Tresses which you have Esteemed as the Netts of Cupid as the Beams of the Sun should prove the horrid spoils of the dead and those teeth which you call'd Pearles should be false as her self and confin'd each night into a Box would not this fright your resolution This is all that I have endeavoured to do to unmask the Strumpet and shew you her ugly Visage hoping it may perswade you no longer to serve so deformed a Mistris Here thou wilt finde Heavenly Milk for Babes Counsel for Young Men and such was I being but sixteen when I wrote most of them hereafter when my Judgment grows Riper with my Years I shall endeavour to give thee more solid food If you reap any Fruit by the perusall of my Book I am too well paid for my Labour in Composing it Thine P. B. Heaven and Earth in a Dialogue betwixt the Soul and Christ CHRIST 1. AH Foolish Soul how often have I displayed unto thee the Beauties and Riches of Heaven propos'd such Glories as thy dim eyes were too weak to behold Why wilt thou feed on huskes empty pleasures when thou mayest be satisfied with Heavenly Manna and Fountains of ever Living Waters why will you walk in the wayes of Sin which are black as Egyptian darkness horrid and full of precipices and decline the milkie paths of Heaven which are smooth and full of Innocency SOVL 2. True Lord but yet my Darling World comes with ten thousand charms and ravishes my Soul and can those paths be unpleasant which are strewed with pleasure and paved with love if thy paths are so smooth how then comes it that thy Servants so often stumble in them sure they are either rugged or as you say hells are so they are dark t is the Poets milkie way is full of Stars CHRIST 3. Thy Darling and all her Charme will soon leave thee doest thou trust to terrene pleasures Alas the World is but a rotten staire to mount up to Glory Had Jacobs Ladder had one such round in it he could never have mounted up to Heaven by it Could'st thou by the eye of Faith but see the beauty of holiness the charms of thy Saviour how would thy enlarged Soul be ravished with them and if there be any rubbs in Heavens path there are no precipices they do but stumble not fall whereas the wicked when they are once fallen are like the Elephant they seldome rise and as the Poets so is Heavens milkie way full of Stars it is stuck full of the Pious Examples of my Saints which may serve as so many Constellations to guide thee And I thy Saviour am thy North Star by which if thou doest stear thou canst not erre SOVL 4. But Lord are not thy paths more rugged then those of sin Loves fire with a kind of mistick heat onely cherishes our Souls and who would not rather live in such a flame then such as do thy Servants who are consumed by that of Martyrdom what are thy cares but deaths heads sighs and tears and are these thy pleasures is this Heavens banquet CHRIST 5. The Paths of sin seem smooth but alas they are paved with thorns though sin hath subtilly covered them with flowers and guilded her poison Hells flames are not so black as those of lust instead of cherishing thy Soul it preyes upon it whereas the Fire of Martyrdom doth make you like Gold to come out of it more glorious And if Deaths Heads Sighs and Tears are such harsh food unto thee it is because thou knowest not how to use them aright and besides this thou shalt eat Celestial Manna and if all this will not please thee thou shalt by faith eat my Flesh and drink thy Saviours Blood SOVL 6. When I assault a Beautie what delight it is to see what prettie shifts it will make to avoid being conquered how sometimes I am forced to let mine eyes showre on her stonie heart till their continual dropping have worn away its hardness what prettie devices it makes us invent when Doves are our Post-Masters how sometimes I seek to bribe my prettie Enemie with gifts and then how I glory in my Conquest my thinks Caesar did not so well deserve a triumph for subduing the Universe as I for Vanquishing my little World CHRIST 7. And I will teach thee how thou shalt woe Heaven how thou shalt make the Heavens bow and come down and catch thy pious whispers and my Holy Dove shall be the Carrier of them and bring them into my Fathers bosome and thus shalt thou subdue Heaven and thousands of
Angels shall rejoyce at thy Victory and thou shalt ride in Triumph on a Cherubs wings and thus shalt thou enter the everlasting Gates of the King of Glory SOVL 8. How do the Ravishing Charms of a beautious Face allure my Soul Who would not be an Astronomer in such a Skie O! I could eternally gaze on her faire Stars and view the mistick Circles and Lines of that little Heaven CHRIST 9. How then wouldest thou be ravished at thy Saviours Beauties when Angels themselves are not Eagles enough to behold such a Sun without vailing their faces with their wings SOVL 10. Oh but then her eyes have a powerfull influence over me with what a Divine Light they pierce through my Soul How doth it ravish my heart to behold those prettie Babies in them how like airie Cherubs they dance on our twisted Beams Had Adam fallen for such Apples he had in some sort been more excusable CHRIST 11. And wilt thou loose Heaven again for an Apple If her eyes are Stars they are blazing ones and such as portend thy Ruine Troy had stood had not Hellens eyes set it on Fire Thou wilt prove but a bad Pilate if thou Stearest by those Stars Ah how Glorious how full of charming Innocency must thy Saviours eyes be which as my Spouse sings are as the Doves washed with milk SOVL 12. Who can see her cheeks and not admire their rich Carnation or who but views the Cherries of her Lips and would refuse such a Banquet CHRIST 13. And canst thou not forbear to quaffe poison because it is in a ruby Cup If her Cheeks be Beds of Roses dost thou not care if thou art smothered in them Oh how fragrant are the Roses of thy Saviours Cheeks how soft are those beds of Spices how sweet must his Lips be That like Lillies drop with sweet smelling Myrrhe SOVL 14. Can she be lesse then Heaven From whom the same effects proceed Doth not the Lightning of her eyes like that of Heaven melt the soul yet spare its sheath Is there not the Harmony of the Sphears in her tongue If man be called a little world surely woman is a little Heaven and then what mistick fetters are her locks when Kings in the midst of Mighty Armes have been enchained by them And how Lord am I able to break those fetters when the great Sampson he to whom the strongest bonds were but as Flax before the Fire was manacled by them CHRIST 15. And if Beauty do spread her locks to catch thee must thou needs be taken T is the degenerate Flie is trapt in the subtil net of a Spiders web the Noble Eagle breaks through such a weak toile SOVL 16. How doth the presence of my fair one Chear my heart those Clouds of sorrow which benighted my Soul fly away at the approach of my fair Sun But ah her absence is my Hell then my eyes are loath to open their lidds since that which onely was pleasing to them is gone unlesse it be to free a tear which they detained in their Cristal Prisons CHRIST 17. Foolish Soul thus to Joy when thy ruine is near and bewail it absent were those tears shed because thy Son of Righteousnesse had withdrawn his face they were worthily spent indeed thou shouldest resemble the pretty Mary Gold which when night is come and it is deprived of its beloved object it hangs down its weak head and washes its Cheeks in tears but as soon as its Sun appears it advances its Crown and displaies its Saffron Cheeks and if any tears appear on them they are tears of Joy For after a while I will come unto thee again and comfort thy sick soul with Apples and kisse away thy tears with the kisses of love and I will fill thy heart with joy till it over-flow its banks and I will leave thee no more but we will fly to the Mountains of Myrrhe to the Hills of Frankincense and there will I give thee my Loves there shalt thou enjoy pleasures and beauties as lasting as yours are fading SOVL 18. Can that Beauty be fading that hath a continuall Summer in its Cheeks for forty years And how can the Lillies of her Cheeks wither seeing they have two such Chrystal Fountains as her eyes to water them two such Suns to cherish them with their heat and influence CHRIST 19. Alas how short a moment is thy forty years to the eternity of thy Saviours Beauty Dost thou place thy Felicity in such fading Beauties when in that space its Lillies and Roses shall wither and then not all her Charms nor her Angels voice shall bribe Death the silent Rhetorick of her eyes shall not woe him to defer the stroke one moment but those Chrystal Fountains shall be dryed up and darknesse possesse the Orbes of those fair Suns SOVL 20. But Lord there are more variety of pleasures in the service of sin then in thine sometimes sweet society joyes my soul sometimes again I recreate my self sitting by the sweet murmurs of some purling Brookes and bathing in it or under the shade of some lovely Grove CHRIST 21. This and more then this can I give thee thou shalt sit with greater pleasure under the shaddow of my wings thou shalt sit by the streams of Righteousnesse and bath thy Soul in them thou shalt commune with Heaven it self and quiers of Angels with Joyful Hallelujahs shall salute thy Eare. SOVL 22. Sometimes my Fancy iâ— both pleased and busied to view magnificent Palaces how theiâ— Towring heads seem to kisse thâ— Clouds the statelinesse of their Gates the Richnesse of their pavements and glittering with Gold CHRIST 23. And I will carry thee to the New Jerusalem to my Fathers Mansions whose every Gate is Pearle the Streets are paved with Gold and precious Stones that which is now thy Idol thou shalt then tread under thy feet and how glorious a reflex must they make being guilded by the Beams of the Son of Righteousnesse there is no other Son the Glory of God and the Lamb are the Light thereof And then wilt thou say Fool that I was I had thought that thy Jerusalem had been like one of our Citties SOVL 24. They say Riches have wings and fly away true they fly away but then they send me home in their stead sweet Wines delicious Cates and gorgeous Apparrel and who would part with such beloved Minions since they make me respected of all Nay I think my self almost a God whilst I walk in the midst of my thousands of Angels CHRIST 25. If they are Angels they are evil ones they fly away and send thee home sweet Wines and delicious Cates that is Feavers and Surfets dost thou trust to such helps as are swallowed in the curling of Neptunes or thy Princes frown But wilt thou be Rich indeed Oh! then Treasure up thy Wealth in Heaven if thou wilt put out thy money to the highest Interest put it out to the Poor and then thou needest not fear to loose it for God
himself is their security and surely he is sufficient to repay thee SOVL 26. Surely they are deceived that say a Crown hath more Thorns then Jewels in it That Ambition is a Mountain whose ascent is craggie and its top of Glasse If State be a Prison t is a Golden one and who can be more secure then he that is encompassed with huge Armes with what raptures is my soul inspired to see it self elevated above the Common Rank like some New Star stuck in the Firmament the Object of all mens eyes and wonder CHRIST 27. If thy Prison be of Gold the more is thy misery for it is the stronger A silly Shepheard is a far more happy King then thou whiles he makes a Mole-Hill his Throne none seek to rend it from him and being but low his Fall cannot be Great his Innocent Subjects obey his Voice and without murmuring pay him the Tribute of their Silver Fleeces But thou deceivest thy self in thy Security on a Throne Do'st thou think to escape Storms and Thunder by ascending a Mountain If thou wilt ascend unto the Stars indeed thou must do it by descending for humility is the readiest flight to Heaven and that is a path so plain and smooth thou needest not seaâ— falling and there alone thoâ— can'st rest secure for Legions oâ— Angels shall be thy Guard anâ— thousands of Cherubins witâ— their flaming Swords defend theâ— SOVL 28. But Lord I am a Souldieâ— and shall I forego my Fame whicâ— speaks me great and Ringâ— through the Universe Whilst 〈◊〉 carve out a Monument of my owâ— Glory with my Sword where if 〈◊〉 perish it is Nobly and in the Beâ— of Honour CHRIST 29. Thy Fames story must bâ— writ with thy own Blood thy gaâ—ping wounds must be the mouth 〈◊〉 to speak thee Famous see at whaâ— a rate thou purchasest empty Honour And wilt thou for a blast oâ— breath lose thy own breath and 〈◊〉 â—t be in a bad Cause thy Soul too But if thou fightest under my Banners thou shalt subdue Sin and Hell Monsters and Devils and every drop of blood thou loosest I will Esteem as a Pretious Ruby SOVL 30. What though I have not Virtue Yet I can look so like her that simple ones can call me pious CHRIST 31. But thou must be pious and not onely seem so else thy God when he comes to bind up his Jewels will easily discern such Bristow Stones from Diamonds and give thee the reward of Hypocrites SOVL 32. But Lord thy Servants do not only lead a life full of Misery but often leave this Life with a bloody Exit CHRIST 33. Alas my Yoak is easy to all them that bear it for my Spirit strengthens them in all their troubles nay I can make them even in love with Death it self and sweeten that bitter Cup to them SOVL 34. Surely Death is a grim Servant what can there be in him to enamour me is it his Beauty Ah no! Night and Darkness are in his face his Embraces are rough he darts not smiles but a deadly shaft and is this a Beauty to be ravished with CHRIST 35. Is a Feast the worse because a Black-amoore Ushers thee to it Such is Death or else Death is but like a dark Vaile drawn o're thy face and although thou dost sit in a scarlet Cloud yet thou shalt rise again with greater Lustre of Immortality and Glory SOVL 36. Thou art all sweet oh my Saviour thou hast overcome and now I find all my supposed delights but as a dream Now I see my Delila's Deformity She that I once thought fair as Heaven but I now look on her eyes as Nauplius false Light set to draw the Grecians to their Ruines on her Cheeks as beds that for one Rose bear a thousand Thorns on her lips as soft wax wherewith we sealed many a wicked bargain on her locks as fatall Giues that have kept me too long a Prisoner that bosome which I called Loves Tempe is now as a Valley hideous with Thorns her voice is as the Screetch Owles which bodes destruction Oh that foolish man should trust these Syrens Farewell for eveâ— all you false Beauties farewell my Delilahs I will sigh no more to puffe the spark of Affection into a flame in my Minions breast to thee sweet Jesu shall they be sent to thee shall all my vowes be paid thou shalt be the Sun under whose sweet influence I will desire to live thy Armes the Prison from which I will pray never to be freed when I fit by the murmurs of a Brooke it shall be to consider its Obedience to its Makers Command in paying the Tribute of its water to the Sea And how I have run backwards when I lye under a Tree's fair shade it shall be to admire the soft musick of its leaves as if every leafe were a tongue to sing its Makers Praise and how mine hath either been silent or else Blaspheming of him I will be Ambitious but it shall be of thy Favour My Riches I 'le distribute to the Poor and then they will have wings indeed and take their flight to Heaven The desires of my heart shall be to be dissolved and to be with my Saviour For Lord the Walls of my Clayey Prison hinder my Soul from viewing thee fully it can but peepe through the Casements of my eyes and so by reflex in thy word see some weak glimmerings of thee This this is the way to make me a Conquerour me thinks already my wars are done and I have nothing now to expect but Rewards and Triumphs hence forward is laid up for me a Crown of Life and Glory A PREPARATION TO THE LORDS SUPPER OUr Blessed Saviour knowing how weak man is to perform his Duty least we should faint in our Pilgrimage to the New Jerusalem hath provided for our Sustenance his own flesh and blood A Food which the Angels have not do thou therefore run often and with Joy to the Supper of thy dearest Lord and not with the Israelites seem to have Manna so long about thy Tents that now thou loathest it thou often faintest in thy Combat with Satan and therefore hast often need of this Cordial of this Chalice of blessing to comfort thee and canst thou too often remember thy Saviour Or is that which he hath done for thee not worthy thy memory But have a care that thou comest prepared for Bees suck honey from this flower but Spiders poyson And if thou unworthily receivest this water of life will become as the waters of Marah it will be bitter unto thy Soul It is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb put on therefore thy Royal Robes but Purples or Tyrian silks is not the wedding Garment wherewith thou must be cloathed but Faith Hope Repentance Eucharist and Charity and now that Christ will come in and Sup with thee let not the filthiness of the Room drive him away Aspicis ut veniant ad candida tecta Columbae Accipiet nullas sordida