last If thou wilt give me Davids heart I le voyce Great God with David and make Davids choyce But stay deare Lord my tongue 's too bold too free To speake of choyce that merits all the Three 28. On Mans unequall division LOrd 't is a common course w' are apt and free To take the Best and share the worst to Thee We Fleet the Mornings for our owne Designe Perchance the Flotten Afternoones are thine Thou giv'st us Silke we offer Cammills hayre Thy Blessings march i th' Front our thanks i th' Reare 29. On Beggers NO wonder that such swarmes of Beggers lurke In every street 'T is a worse trade to worke Then begge Yet some if they can make but shift To live will thinke it scorne to thrive by gift 'T is a brave mind but yet no wise foreâ—cast It is but Pride and Pride will stoope at last We all are Beggers should be so at least Alas we cannot worke The very best Our hands can doe will not maintaine to live VVe can but hold them up whilst others give No shame for helples Man to pray in aid Great Sol'mon scornd not to be free o' th' Trade He begg'd an Almes and blusht not For the Boone He got was trâ—ble fairer then his Crowne No wonder that he thriv'd by begging so He was both Begger and a Chuser too O who would trust to Worke that may obtaine The Suit he beggs without or sweat or paine O what a priviledge Great God have we That have the Honour but to begge on thee Thou dost not â—right us with the tort'ring Whips Of Bedels nor dost answere our faint lips With churlish language Lord thou dost not praise The stricter Statute of last Henries dayes Thou dost not dampe us with the empty voyce Of Nothing for yee If our clam'rous noyse Should chance t' importune turn'st thy gracious eye Vpon our wants and mak'st a quick supply Thou dost not brand us with th'opprobrious name Of idle vagabonds Thou know'st w' are lame And canâ—ot worke Thou dost not Pharo-like Deny us Straw and yet requier Brick Thou canst not heare us grone beneath our Taske But freely giv'st what we have Faith to aske The most for which my large desire shall plead To serve the present's but a Loafe of Bread Or but a Token ev'n as Beggers use That of thy love will fill my slender Cruse Lord during life I le begge no greater Boone If at my Death thou 'lt give me but a Crowne 30. On the two Children MY Flesh and Spirit Lord are like those payre Of Infants whose sad Mothers did repayre To Iustice T'one is quick the other dead The two promiscuous Parents that doe plead For the live Childe is Thee and Sathan Lord Both claime alike Iustice cals forth the Sword And seeing both with equall teares complaine Proffers to cleave the Children both in twaine And make them equall sharers in the same That both doe challenge and what both disclaime Sathan applaudes tho motion and replyde Nor thine nor mine but let them both divide And give alike to both But thou deare Lord Dislik'st the Iustice of th'unequall Sword Rather then share it dead thou leav'st to strive And wilt not own't at all if not alive The Sword 's put up straight condemnes the other To be the false calls Thee the nat'rall Mother Lord of my Soule It is but Sathans wilde To cheate thy bosome of thy living Childe Hee 'd have the Question by the Sword decided Knowing the Soule 's but dead if once divided My better part is thine and thine alone Take thou the Flesh and let him gnaw the Bone 31. On two Mysteries A Perfect Virgin to bring forth a Son One three entyre and Three entirely One Wonder of Wonders How might all this come We must be deafe when th' holy Spirit 's dumb Spare to enquire it Thou shalt never know Till Heav'n dissolve and the last Trump shall blow 32. A forme of Prayer IF thou wouldst learne not knowing how to pray Adde but a Faith and say as Beggers say Master I 'm poore and blinde in great distresse Hungry and â—ame and cold and comfortlesse O succour him that 's graveld on the Shelf Of payne and want and cannot help himself Cast downe thine eye upon a wretch and take Some pitty on me for sweet Iesus sake But hold Take heed this Clause be not put in I never begg'd before nor will agin Note this withall That Beggers move their plaints At all times Ore tenus not by Saints 33. On Solomon and the Queene of Sheba IT spreds The sweet perfume of Salomons Fame Affects the Coasts And his illustrious name Cannot be hid The unbeliev'd report Must flye with Eagles wings to th'honourd Court Of princely Sheba Sheba must not rest Vntill her eye become th'invited Guest Of Fames loud Trumpet her impatience strives With light-foot Time while her Ambition drives Her Chariot wheeles and gives an ayry passage To'th'quick deliv'ry of her hearts Embassage True wisdome planted in the hearts of Kings Needs no more glory then the glory'it brings And like the Sun is viewd by her owne light B'ing by her owne reflection made more bright The emulous Queen 's arriv'd Shee 's gon toth ' Court No eye-delighting Masque no Princely Sport To entertaine her No her â—ye her eare Is taken up and scornes to see to heare Inferiour things Sh'allowes her eare her eye No lesse then Oracles and Maiestie How empty pastimes doe resolve and flye To their true nothing when true wisdome's by Th'arrived Queene has Audience moves disputes Wise Solomon attends replyes confutes Sh' objects he answers She afresh propounds She proves maintaines it he decides confounds She smiles she wonders being overdaz'd With his bright beams stands silent stands amaz'd How Scripture-like Apoâ—rypha's appeare To common Bookes how poore when Scripture's neare The Queene is pleas'd who never yet did know The blast of Fame lesse prodigall then now For now the greatest part of what she knew By Fame is found the least of what is true We often finde that Fame in prime of youth Does adde to Falshood and subtract from Truth The thankfull Queene do's with a lib'rall hand Present him with the Riches of her Land Where Wisdome goes before we often finde That temp'rall Blessings seldome stay behinde Lord grant me wisdome and I shall possesse Enough have more or have content with lesse 33. On REHOBOAM COuld dying Parents at their peacefull death Make but a firme Assurance or bequeath Their living Vertues Could they recommend Their wisdome to their heyrs Could hearts descend Vpon the bosome of succeeding Sons As well as Scepters doe as well as Thâ—â—nes Sure Rehobeams Reigne had found increase Of Love and Honour and had dyed in peace Kingdomes are transitory Scepters goe FroÌ„ hand to hand and Crownes from brow to brow But Wisâ—dome marches on another guize Theyâ—â— two things to be Worldly great and wise It was the selfe same Scepter that came downe From Solomon
Will wagg their Tayles and faune But snarle if none 87. On Mans Rebellion O How perverse is Flesh and Bloud in whom Rebellion blossomes from the very Wombe What Heav'n commands how lame we are to do And things forbid how soone perswaded tâ— We never read rebellioâ—s Israel did Bow to strange Gods till Israel was forbid 88. On Israel HAd Israel in her want been truely humbled Isr'el had prayd ground to heav'n not grumbled But Isr'el wanted food Isr'els complaint Could not be servent Isr'el being faint Isr'el gets food Now Isr'el is so full That her Devotion and her Zeale is dull Lord when art thou in season When 's the time To doe thee service When 's our Zeale in prime 'T is alwayes either not full ripe or wasting We can not serve our God nor Full nor Fasting 89. On the Sinners Refuge HE that shall shed with a presumptuous hand The blood of Man must by thy just command Be put to death The Murtherer must dye Thy Law denyes him refuge where to flye Great God Our hands have slain a man nay further They have commitâ—ed a presumptuous murther Vpon a guiltles Man Naâ— what is worse They have betraid our Brother to the Curse Of a reproachfull death Nay what exceeds It is our Lord our dying Saviour bleeds Nay more It is thy Son thy only Son All this have we all this our hands have done On what deare Obiects shall we turne our eye Looke to the Law O by the Law we dye Is there no Refuge Lord No place that shall Secure our Soules from Death Aâ— none at all What shall poore Mortals do Thy Lawes are jâ—st And most irrevocable Shall we trust Or flye to our owne Merits and â—e freed By our good Workes I there were helpe indeed Is there no City for a Soule to flye And save it selfe Must we resolve to dye O Infinite O not to be exprest Nay not to be conceived by the brest Of Men or Angels O transcendent Love Incomprehensible as farre above The reach of Man as mans deserts are under The sacred Benefit of so â—lest a Wonder That very Blood our sinfull hands have shed Cryes loud for Mercy and those Wounds do plead For those that made them he that pleades forgives And is both God and Man both dead and lives He whom we murther'd is become our Gâ—arden Hee 's Man to suffer and hee 's God to pardon Here 's our Protection Here our Refuge City Whose living springs run Piety and Pitty Goe then my Soule and passe the common Bounds Of Passion Goe and kneele before his Wounds Go touch them with thy lips thou needst not feare They will not bleed afresh though Thou be there But if they doe that very Blood thou spilt Beleev 't will plead thy Pardon not thy Guilâ— 90. On the deposing of Princes I Know not by what vertue Rome deposes A Christian Prince Did Aaron command Moses If sacred Scriptures mention such a thing Sure Rome has colour to depose a King 91. On PETERS Keyes THe pow'r of Peter does all pow'r excell He opens Heav'n He shuts the Doores of Hell The Keyes are his In what a â—aâ—e were they Should Petersâ— Successors mistâ—ke the Kâ—y 92. On Offrings ARe all such Offrings as are crusht and bruis'd Forbid thy Altar May they not be us'd And must all broken things be set apart No Lord Thou wilt accept a Broken Heart 93 On Vsurers OF all men Vs'rers are not least accurst They robb the Spittle pinch th' Afflicted worst In others griefe they 'r most delighted in Whilst Givers suffer for the Takers sin O how unjust a Trade of life is that Which makes the Lab'rers leane and th' idle fat 94. On Repentance CAnst thâ—â— recover thy consumed Flesh From the well-feasted Wormes Or put on fresh Canst thou redeeme thy Ashes from the dead Or quit thy Carkas from her sheet of Lead Canst thou awaken thy earth-closed eyes Vnlock thy Marble Monument and rise All this thou mayst performe with as great ease As to Repent thee mortall when thou please It is thy Grave not Bed that thou art in Th' art not asleepe but thou art dead in Sin 95. On Wine and Water NAture and Grace who ever tasted both Differ as much as Wine and Water doth This clenses if not grosly stayn'd with Sin The outward Man but scowers not within That cheares the heart makes the Courage bold Quickens and warmes dead spirits that are cold It fires the Blood and makes the Soule divine O â—hat my Water Lord were turnd to Wine 96. On Balams Asse THe Asse that for her slownesse was â—orbid To be imployed in Gods service did Perâ—orme good service now in being slow The Asse received stripes but would not goe She bauâ—kd the way and Balam could not guid her The Asse had farre more wisedome then the Rider The Message being bad the Asse was loth To be the Bearer 'T was a happy sloth 'T was well for Balam Had his Asse but tryde Another step Balam had surely dy'd Poore Asse And was thy faithfull service payd With oft-repeated strokes Hadst thou obayd Thy Lord had bought thy travell with his blood Such is Mans payment often bad for Good The Asse begins to question with his Master Argues the case pleads why he went no faster Nay shewes him Myst'ries far beyond his reach Sure Godwants Prophets when dull Asses preach The Asse perceives the Angel and fals downe When Balam sees him not or â—ees unknowne Nor is 't a wonder for Gods Spirit did passe From blindfold Balam into Balams Asse 97. On some raw Divines SOme raw Divines no sooner are Espous'd To their first Wives and in the Temple hous'd But straight the Peace is broke They now begin T' appoint the Field to fight their Battailes in School-men must war with School men text with text The first 's the Chaldee's Paraphrase the next The Septuagints Opinion thwarts Opinion The Papist holds the first The last th' Arminian And then the Councells must be call'd t'advice What this of Lateran sayes what that of Nice And here the poynt must be anew disputed Arrius is false and Bellarmine's confuted Thus with the sharpe Artill'ry of their Wit They shoot at Random carelesse where they hit The slightly studied Fathers must be prayd Although on small acquaintance in to ayd Whose glorious Varnish must impose a glosse Vpon their Paint whose gold must gild their drosse Now Martine Luther must be purg'd by them From all his Errors like a School-boyes Theame Free-wil's disputed Consubstantiation And the deepe Ocean of Predestination Where daring venter oft too far into 't They Pharo like are drownd both Horse and Foot Forgetting that the Sacred Law enioynes New-married men to sit beneath their Vines And cheare their Wives They must not venter out To Warre untill the Yeare be run about 98. On Buying of the Bible T Is but a folly to rejoyce or boast How smal a price thy wel-bought Pen'worth cost Vntill
To baule at Innocence to wound and teare An absent name whilst their unâ—allowed tongues Make me a glorious Martyr in their wrongs I beg no Favour Nay my hearts desire Is still to be calcin'd by such a Fyre That in conclusion all men may behold A faire gilt Counter from a Crowne of Gold Great God I care not this how foule I seeme To Man May I be faire in thy esteeme It matters not how light I seeme to be To the base world so I be weight to thee 56. On NABVCHADNEZZER WHat lucklesse Accident hath bred such ods Betwixt great Babels Monarch and his Gods That they so oft disturbe him and affright His broken slumbers with the Dreames of night Alas what hath this Princely Dreamer done That he must quit the Glory of his Throne His Royall Scepter his Imperiall Crowne Must be expeld his Honour and come downe Below the meanest Slave and for a Season Be banisht from the use the Act of Reason Must be exil'd from humane shape and chew The cudde and must be moistned with the dew Of heav'n nay differ in no other thing From the bruit beast but that he was a King What ayle thy Gods that they are turn'd so rough So full of rage what had they meat enough To fill their golden Stomacks Was thy knee Bent oft enough what might the reason be Alas poore harmelesse things it was not they 'T was not their wills I dare be bold to say They knew it not It was not they that did it They had no pow'r to act or to forbid it Deserv'st thou not Great King the stile of Beast To serve such Gods whose Deities can digest Their servants open wrongs that could dispense With what they'endure without the least offence Illustrious Beast methinks thy better'd state Has no great reason to complaine of Fate Thou art more neere to him thou didst adore By one degree then ere thou wert before â—Tis some promotion That there is lesse ods ' Betwixt thy Nature and thy senslesse Gods 57. On PARTIO HAst thou forsaken all thy Sinnes but One Beleeve it Partio Th' ast forsaken None 58. On Ignorance THe greatest Friend Religion hath t' aduance Her glory's unaffected Ignorance The burning Taper lends the fairest light And shines most glorious in the shades of night 59. On a great Battaile VVHen my rebellious Flesh doth disagree With my resisting Spirit me thinks I see Two mighty Princes draw into the Field Where one must win the Day the other yeeld They both prepare Both strike up their Alarmes Both march Both well appointed in their Armes They both advance their Banners T'one displayes A bloody Crosse The other Colours blaze A Globe terrestriall Nature carries one And Grace the other Each by 's Ensigne's knowne They meet encounter blowes exchange for blowes Dart is returnd for Dart They grapple Close Their Fortune 's hurryed with unequall Sailes Somtimes the Crosse somtimes the Globe prevailes We are that Field And they that strive to win us Are God and Sathan Those that warre within us The Flesh the Spirit No parting of the Fray Till one shall win the other lose the Day My God O weaken this rebellious Flesh That dares oppose O quicken and refresh My dull and coward Spirit that would yeeld And make proud Sathan Master of the Field Deare Lord the Field's thy own thou thoughtst it good To purchas 't with my dying Saviours Blood 'T is thine Great God by title and by right Why should thou question what 's thy owne by fight Lord keepe possession thou and let th'accurst And base Vsurper doe his best his worst 60. On the World THe World 's an Inne and I her Guest I eate I drinke I take my Rest My Hostesse Nature do's deny me Nothing wherewith she can supply me Where having stayd a while I pay Her lavish Bills and goe my way 61. On the Sabbath AWay my thoughts Away my words my deeds Away what ever nourishes and feeds My frayle delights Presume not to approach Into my presence dare not once t' encroach Vpon the hallowed Temple of my Soule Ye are not for this Day y' are all too foule Abide yee with the Asse till I goe yonder And cleave the Isaac of my heart in sunder I must goe sacrifice I must goe pray I must performe my holy vowes to day Tempt not my tender frailty I enjoyne Your needfull absence y' are no longer mine But if it may not be that we must sever Our yoakt affections and not part for ever Yet give me leave without offence to borrow At least this day although we meet to morrow 62. On Prayer IN all our Prayers th' Almighty do's regard The Iudgement of the Ballance not the Yeard He loves not Words but Matter 'T is his pleasure To buy his Wares by Weight and not by Measure 63. On FIDO FIndst thou no comfort on this fickle Earth No Joy at all No Obiect for thy Mirth Nothing but Sorrow Nothing else but toyle What doe thy dayes shew nothing worth a smile Doe worldly pleasures no contentment give Content thee Fido Th' ast not long to live 64. On CHARISSA WOldst thou Charissa wish thy fortunes better Then by thy act to make thy God thy Detter I le teach thee how to doe 't Relieve the poore And thou mayst safely set it on Gods Score 65. On RAYMOND SEBVND I Wonder Raymond thy illustrious Witt Strengthned with so much learning could commit So great a Folly as to goe about By Natures feeble light to blazen out Such Heav'n-bred Mist'ryes which the hearts of Men Cannot conceive much lesse the darkned Pen Expresse such secrets at whose depth the Quire Of blessed Angels tremble and admire Could thy vaine-glory lend no easier taske To thy sublime Attempt then to unmaske The glorious Trinity whose Tri-une face Was ne'r discovered by the eye of Grace Much lesse by th' eye of Nature being a story Objected only to the Eye of Glory Put out thy light bold Raymond and be wise Silence thy tongue and close thy'ambitious eyes Such heights as these are Subjects far more fit For holy Admiration then for Witt. 66. On Sinnes MY Sinnes are like the hayres upon my head And raise their Audit to as high a score In this they differ These doe dayly shed But ah my sinnes grow dayly more and more If by my Hayres thou number out my sinnes Heav'n make me bald before that day begins 67. On the Gospell OVr Gospell thrives the more by forreine Iarres It overcomes in outward opposition But O it suffers still in Civill Warres And loses Honour by a home-division If thou assist I care not Lord with whom I warre abroad so I have peace at home 68. On the dayes of Man LOrd if our dayes be few why doe we spend And lavish them unto so evill an end Lord if our dayes be evill why doe we wrong Our selves and Thee to wish our Day so long Our dayes decrease but still our evils renew Great
change of posture lead thy sight From the full view to th' left hand or the right It offers to thine eye but painted Toyes Poore antick Pleasures and deceitfull Ioyes 4. On SERVIO SErvio's in Law If Servio cannot pay His Lawyers Fee Servio may lose the day No wonder formall Servio does trudge So oft to Church He goes to Bribe his Judge 5. On PETERS Cocke THe Cocke crow'd once And Peters careles eare Could heare it but his eye not spend a teare The Cocke crow'd twice Peter began to creepe To th' Fyer side but Peter could not weepe The Cocke crow'd thrice Our Saviour turnd about And look'd on Peter Now his teares burst out 'T was not the Cock It was our Saviours Eye Till he shall give us teares we cannot crye 6. On AMBIDEXTER GOd keepe my Goods my Name they never fall Into the Net of Ambidexters Lawes But for a Cause he seldome prayes at all But curses evermore without a Cause I 'de rather have his Curses all the day Then give his Conscience the least cause to pray 7. On Lazarus the Damosell and a sinner LAz'rus come forth why could not Laz'rus plead I cannot come great God for I am dead Dam'sell arise when Death had closd her eies What power had the Damsell to arise Sinner repent Can we as dead in sin As Laz'rus or the Damsell live agin Admit we could could we appoint the hower The Voyce that calls gives and gives then the power 8. On Sinne. HOw how am I deceiv'd I thought my bed Had entertaind a faire a beauteous Bride O how were my beleeving thoughts misled To a false Beauty lying by my side Sweet were her Kisses full of choyce delight My Fancy found no difference in the night I thought they were true Ioyes that thus had led My darkned Soule But they were false Alarmes I thought I 'd had faire Rachel in my Bed But I had bleare ey'd Leah in my armes How seeming sweet is Sin wheÌ„ cloathd with Night But when discover'd what a loathd delight 9. On Repentance T Is not to Cry God mercy or to sit And droope or to confesse that thou hast faild T is to bewaile the sinnes thou didst commit And not commit those sinnes thou hast bewaild He that bewailes and not forsakes them too Confesses rather what he meanes to doe 10. On Man MAn is a mooving Limbeck to distill Sweet smelling waters where withall to fill Gods empty Bâ—ttle Lord doe thou inspire Thy quickning spirit Put in thy sacred Fire And then mine eyes shall never cease to droppe Till they have brimd thy Bottle to the Toppe I can doe nothing Lord till thou inspire I 'm a cold Limbeck but expecting Fire 11. On the pouring out of our hearts T Is easie to poure in But few I doubt Attaine that curious Art of pouring out Some poure their hearts like oyle that there resides An unctions substance still about the sides Others like Wine which though the substance passe Does leave a kinde of savour in the Glasse Some pour their hearts like Milk whose hiew distaines Though neither Substance nor the sent remaines How shal we poure them then that smel nor matter Nor colour stay Poure out your hearts like water 12. On Friends GOd sheild me from those friends I trust and be My firme defence from such as trust not Thee 13. On the Hypocrite HEe 's like a Bul-rush seems so smooth that not The eye of Cato can discry a knot Pill but the Barke and strip his smoother skin And thou shalt find him spungie all within His browes are alwaies ponderous as Lead He ever droopes and hangs his velvet head He washes often but if thou enquire Into his depth his rootes are fixt in myre 14. On SERVIO SErvio would thrive and therefore do's obay Gods Law and shuts up Shop o th' Sabbath day Servio would prosper in his home affaires And therefore dares not misse his Dyet-Prayres Servio must put to Sea and does implore Toth'end that he might safely come ashore Servio's in Suit and therefore must be tyed To morning prayre untill his Cause be tryed Servio begins to loath a Single life And therefore prayes for a high-portion'd Wife Servio would faine be thought religious too And therefore prayes as the Religious doe Servio still prayes for Profit or Applause Servio will seldome pray without a Cause 15. On the Devils Master-Piece THis is the height the Devils Art can show To make man proud because he is not so 16. On our Saviours Fishing WHen as our blessed Saviour tooke in hand To be a Fisher Marke the rule he keepes He first puts off a little from the Land And by degrees he launchd into the Deepes By whose example our Men-fishers hold The selfe same course They do the same or should 17. On Mans greatest Enemy OF all those mortall enemies that take part Against my Peace Lord keep me froÌ„ my Heart 18. On the Hypocrite HEe 's like a Reed that alwaies does reside Like a well planted Tree by th' water side Hee beares no other fruit but a vaine bragge Of formall sanctitie A very Flagge Hee 's round and full of substance to the show But hollow hearted if enquir'd into In peacefull seasons when the weather 's faire Stands firme but shakes with every blast of Aire 19. On the holy Scriptures WHy did our blessed Saviour please to breake His sacred thoughts in Parables and speake In darke Enigma's Whosoere thou be That findst them so they were not spoke to Thee In what a case is he that happs to run Against a post and cries How dark's the Sun Or he in Summer that complaines of Frost The Gospell's hid to none but who are lost The Scripture is a Ford wherein t is said An Elephant shall swim a Lambe may wade 20. On Mans heart NAture presents my heart in Ore Faire civill cariage gilds it o're Which when th' Almighty shall behold With a pleas'd eye he brings to gold Thus chang'd the Temple Ballance weighs it If drosse remaine the Touch bewrayes it Afflictions Furnace then refines it Gods holy Spirit stamps and coynes it No Coyne so currant it will goe For the best Wares that Heav'n can show 21. On Drunkennesse MOst Sins at least please Sense but this is treason Not only 'gainst the crowne of Sense but Reason 22. On a Kisse ERe since our blessed Saviour was betrayd With a Lip-Kisse his Vicar is affraid From whence perchance this common use did grow To kisse his tother End I meane his Toe 23. On the Alchymist THe patient Alchymist whose vaine desire By Art is to dissemble natures Fyre Imployes his labour to transmute the old And baser substance into perfect Gold He laughs at unbeleevers scornes and flouts Illiterate Counsell neither cares nor doubts Vntill at length by his ingenious Itch Hee 's brought most poore in seeking to be rich Such is the Civillman that by his even And levell actions hopes to merit Heaven He thinks