great Then Feare perswades me I seeke grace in vaine yet Grace makes hope some Fauour to intreat I haue neglected to fore-see the woes that follow sinne and now would grace for-goe I oft haue taken mortall ouerthrowes yet scarse haue felt a mortall ouerthrow I haue encreast my scars that feared not to adde still sinne to sinne and graue to light Fresh Wounds haue opened those before I got to make the Cure most hard or curelesse quite And what the Baâ—mes of Grace had clos'd before I through the itch of sinne haue opened wide Which through corruption now are growne so sore that scarse I can so sore a Cure abide The Skinne which growing ouer hid my Wounds through breaking out of the corruption gape For sinne the grace once granted quite confounds so that I feare I hardly can escape For if the righteous man shall perish in his sinne committed how much more then shall Repentant sinners turning eft to sinne the thought whereof more grieues me then my fall The newly dead Christ quickly rais'd to life but he must groane in spirit weepe cry and pray Yer Lazarus be rais'd for mortall strife Death made with life to leaue so long a Prey So it is in Regeneration for the lesse the Soule 's defil'd with sinnes delight And the more she the least sinne doth abhorre the lesse winde of Gods Sp'rit reuiues that sp'rit What shall I doe I can but sinne deare Lord if so thou canst but plague yea plague with Death Sith still I sinne then in thought deed and word cut off my sinne or els abridge my breath For Breath it is that kindles sinne in me with blowing at the coales of damn'd desires These through my banefull breath still raging be and quite consume the grace that me inspires Then if I did not breathe I should not sinne yet should I loose my breath e'er sinne bewaile I by that losse should but damnation winne then let me rue my faults yer Breath doth faile But if thou wilt that I should longer liue Let me no longer sinne or longer grieue A desire of the louing Soule of God to be kissed with the kisse of Peace KIsse me ô kisse me with Loues honyed Kisse ô dearest Loue and sweet'st-Heart of my Soule Whose loue is like pure Wine that cordiall is doth sowre cares with Comforts sweet controle Thy Name is like to sweet suffused Balme which makes chast Soules eu'n sick for loue of thee Whose Passions striuing in a blessed calme on Sorrowes Seas to thee still rowling be Draw me deare Loue then after thee I le runne vpon the sent of thy diuine Perfumes My Loue 's impatient since it first begunne of this delay which quite my Soule consumes Then ô delay no more to marry mee But wed my Soule that pines for loue of Thee Sith all Gods Creatures are against those that are against GOD in action the Sinner desireth to be in vnitie with him AS when a Master hath most mortall Foes his Seruants and men made by him will be Most persecuting Enemies to those till with their Lord and Master they agree So all thy Creatures Lord doe rise in Armes against great Sinners if impenitent To plague them with all kinde of killing harmes till they be ruin'd quite or made repent But being one with Thee our Enemies shall seeke our Fauour and themselues submit For when they see our Succour's in the Skies they will adore vs and acknowledge it Then make me Lord my foes straight put to flight By being one with Thee for whom they fight The Sinner desireth to haue the bent of his Will made appliable to Gods THe Way to Heau'n that truest Port of Peace is straite and straight vntill at Hell we be Where on the right hand then we turne with ease for when we passe that Point then well are wee But being straite but few that Way doe wend and being straight the crooked misse it still Then to this Port but few their course doe bend sith most are crooked euer bent to Ill. Then make vs straight deare Lord with handling straite or bring vs to thy bent with other Art Wee know thine vpright Compasse hath the sleight to bow vs to the bending of thy Heart That we may shoote and still may winners proue The Shafts of our Indeauours at thy Loue. The Sinner inueighes against his fleshes frailtie desiring God to strengthen it with his pow'r and Grace VIle Flesh why dost thou so my Spirit impugne That still the Sonne of Righteousnesse I wrong who di'd to make you liue No Moment breathe I but I breathe out Sinne That ends with shame where Sorrow doth beginne which makes me glad to grieue In thee fraile Flesh I feele my bloud to boyle With heate of such desires as make the Soile but Sinne in graine to beare My Spirits that in that Bloud doe swim with paine Yet floate they sith false pleasures them sustaine are neere the wracke I feare I feare the Rocke of refuge to the Iust For how in Truth should Treason put her trust Then truthlesse Traitor I May iustly feare that Grace in Iustice will My gracelesse Soule for Fleshes Treasons spill which makes me liuing dye I liuing dye not as one mortifide To sinne wherein as dead aliue I bide The more my griefe and blame I faine would dye to liue but Flesh doth draw My Life to Death sith I obserue the Law of Sinne which is my shame O thou whom Iacob wrastled with a space Strengthen my Faith to wrastle with thy Grace that it may set me goe Although it lame my Loynes and crack my Thighes Wherein strong Sinne still domineering lyes into thy Weale through Woe The Sinner recounting his manifold transgressions and finding himselfe thereby in danger of perdition desireth Grace through a world of sorrowes to auoid both Sinne and damnation MY Soule still faint in doing well and strong in working ill now now thy selfe retire From outward Cares or else amidst their throng poure out thy Sorrowes to thy heau'nly Sire Thy scatter'd thoughts in Fancies lewd as light gather together and with all thy Pow'rs Vnited shew thy sinne and cursed plight sith meeke Confession grace for sinne procures Weighing my deeds I finde too light they be yet more then I can beare nay me they quell So am farre lighter if thou ballance me and yet my lightnesse weighes me downe to Hell Shame shall not let me though it boile my Bloud t' vnfold the foule diseases of my Soule To him that can and will so doe me good and make her Angell-faire though ougly-foule My Time then to my shame I must confesse vnto my Soules Physitian grace to winne Hath all in sinne beene spent yet ne'erthelesse too short I thought it for my shortest sinne If I at any time did seeming-good t' was but corrupt or counterfaite at least And so t' was but well done in likelihood being but a sinne well-coulored at best My deeds with ill haue then depraued bin
Wonders of thy Law they cannot finde Thy Will then shewne and hidden in thy Word is hid though shewne from those not prompt by thee Though Camels there may swim and Gnats may ford yet both may drowne if there too bold they be In shallow'st places there great Clarkes haue suncke into the depth of Heresie and drew Whole Nations after them yea made Kings drunke therewith while they Beleeuers-right pursue So then as none could euer see the Sunne but by the Sunne so none can rightly see Thee in thy Word but by reflexion of that pure Light of Lights that comes from thee If so then light me in that Light thy Word sith thou art Light of lights else may mine Eyes Be daz'led and so drowne me in each Ford of those pure Riuers of thy Paradise Thy Word is Truth but those it doth misguide that know not well thy Language nor will know Sith they will learne but of them selues and Pride so not thy Word but they are erring so None can be sau'd without they doe thy Will which none can doe vnlesse the same they know And none can know it much lesse it fulfill if it by speciall grace thou doe not show Then if thou wilt that I shall saued be for thou wilt no mans Death that seekes thy face Let me be taught to know thy Will by thee and made to doe it by thy Pow'r and Grace So shall I finde what I am seeking still To know Thee well and well to doe thy Will An Inuocation against vse of offending or bad Custome DEare Lord while I bethinke me of the Ils that me surround and waigh the Woes I feele Through mine owne fault which me with Sorrow fils from Life to Death I ready am to reele The Sunne of my Care-clouded life hath past his full Meridian and doth now decline To Seas of griefes where Age doth sincke at last and at each breath Death seekes it to define Vse of offending in my passed Dayes doth passe my strēgth to change thogh faine I wold Custome to Nature turn'd my Nature swayes and of my selfe the while I haue no hold Yet if I dye ere so bad vse I leaue my life must leaue me hopelesse at my death For what I giue to GOD I shall receiue and as I spend so shall I yeeld my Breath I minde to mend but still procrastinate for my Familiar Sinne is loth to part And doth my halfe-dead body animate to vse her still so wounds and heales my Heart But sith I am not sure to breath once more and that my life and death are well-neere met And Death t'eternall Weale or woe 's the Doore why sinne I now my lifes Sunne neere is set What is in Sinne that it should so be witch A bitter-sweete if Sweete it be and makes The Body glad but still the Soule to grutch and eu'n from life the vitall-vertue takes The wisest yet that euer breath'd this Aire of Humane Race well tride it to be so Whose equall Wealth and Wisedome did repaire to all in Nature but this Sweete to know And yet he found the Sow'r excell'd the Sweet the Sweet but short the Sow'r surmounting Time Wee want his Meanes his high Delights to meete yet hazard we our soules to them to climbe Lord make me wise by his experience who in great wealth and Wisedome plaid the Foole And for meere Folly was at huge expence then let his follies me still wisely schoole Yea let me learne of Him that all doth teach of whom the wisest learne Sinnes snares to shunne He was a King and Preacher and did preach that All is vanitie beneath the Sunne If all be vaine beneath and true he sayes let me aboue the Sunne seeke true delight Which I shall finde by walking in thy Wayes so thou deare Lord consort me with thy Spright O then consort me so and with his pow'r enable me all lets to ouer-runne Let me not stay one Minute of an How'r to ioy in any thing beneath the Sunne But in thy Sunne of Iustice let me ioy which fils the Heau'ns and Earth with purest light Then let all other ioyes my soule annoy that so in him I may alone delight Thou canst doe this then doubt I not thy Will Which still is good then my good-will fulfill The Sinner refers his Will to Gods will in all things desiring helpe for perseuerance therein DEare Lord and God true Louer of my Soule in my desires I wholy doe resigne vnto thy blessed Will this Will of mine To forme reforme direct and still controule And as my Soule my body moues alone without whose motion it would still be still so let thy Sp'rit still moue my soule and will Else let them haue no motion of their owne Let me forsake my selfe for thy deare sake yea truely hate my selfe for loue of thee and let no pleasures please or profit me If thou deare Lord at them displeasure take I offer vnto thee mine All and more had I much more than All to mortifie my senses and affections that thereby I may so mortifide liue euermore My selfe I likewise offer to the lack of sensible deuotion grace and loue so it may humble me and make me proue Thy might the more in my sinnes vtter wracke I offer too my selfe with prompt desire t' indure all losse in name fame goods and friends all pleasure paine and what else flesh offends That by their waight my sp'rit may mount the higher In summe I offer vp my selfe aboue my selfe to all mischance that can befall saue sinne alone yet if thy goodnesse shall Put me in Hell I le brooke it for thy Loue. And though it be impossible for Flesh to suffer it yet should my Will be prest If thou would'st haue it so in Hell to rest For Loue in quenchlesse flames can sense refresh Then loue me Lord and still my loue enflame then put me where thou wilt I le there abide without repining ire or ghostly pride With Martyrs that in torments laud thy Name But sith by reason of my Flesh too fraile I cannot be so prompt these paines to brooke then help me Lord but with a louing looke And ouer Death and Hell I shall preuaile Looke kindly on me then deare Lord and so Our Wils shall still be one in weale and woe The Sinner desires fruition of the Deitie and that his Soule should be euer the habitation thereof ETernall LORD who art more prompt to heare then Faith to pray of that great grace of thine Regard the Boone I aske in Loue and Feare and to mine humble suite thine eares incline Grant me fruition of thy DEITIE that all my Soule may so be satisfied For lesse then that can her not satisfie though all els boundlesse were still amplifide Those gifts and graces that thy Grace may moue t' inhabit my poore Soule vouchsafe thou me That with thy gifts thy grace may be in Loue and loue my Soule for harbring them and thee But in those gifts
feares to die for good Yet for Christ t' is more glory to be crost then of him to be crown'd an earthly King The last may be by chance or Treason lost but from the Crosse immortall Crownes doe spring To be in glory may proceede of Grace without the glorifide his meriting But well-borne Crosses alter quite the case Vertue consists in doing hardest things And vicious Fooles haue too too oft beene Kings Who suffers straight hath but one victorie but he that alwayes doth encounter paine And yet o'er-throwes the strong'st Extremitie is crowned eu'ry day and still shall raigne And what is Death but our best earthly friend which kils our Flesh our deadliest enemy So friendly is both to and in the end Then Crauen why doe I so flye his force That saues me when he makes my corps a corse For if the pining of the body be the pampring of the Soule than must this friend That with his paines makes vertuous Soules to flye where they are pamper'd without meane or end Be still embrac'd noâ— fled but ô fraile flesh this dying doctrine doth but thee offend That hold'st it most erronious fond and fresh Thou canst not poise these treasures of the Sp'rit for they are waighty and thou art too light Thou must haue all that may thy Senses charme with sweete as most effeminate delights And fly'st from Death to honied pleasures swarme yea follow'st them in their vnconstant flights Austeritie nor canst nor wilt thou brooke sith it quite mortifies thy liuely sp'rits And for thy life still put'st thee to thy Booke But thou dost long for all that makes thee light As well within as gawdy still in sight Mean while thou burn'st to nought with flames of sin for as the Lightnings flash although it spares The painted sheath it melts the Blade within which is the thing more worthy so it fares With sinnes pernitious fire-flash for it leaues the goods and body sound but vnawares The Soule more pretious it of life bereaues But who to spare a Thing of nought will spend Gods Goape his Soule hee 's mad cannot mend Many though Princes poore are in their store in Honors abiect malecontent in mirth Their flesh selfe frailtie their spirits basely poore their Soule 's the sinckâ— of all the sinnes on Earth The Moths of Man-kinde sores of Sou'raigntie vnhappily-happie in their base-high Birth Who liue like Monsters and like Diuels dye The rich possesse the meeke the Earth enioy For they haue most that haue the lest annoy Looke in the Graues suruey the Emperours Kings Dukes and Worthies of the Ages past Then looke on those whom life and death obscures poore Beggers tell me then who 's first who last Who rich who poore who faire foule high or low but if thou canst when burnt be diuers Woods Their Ashes well distinguish then maist thou distinguish of their bodyes states and blouds Then wherefore waigh we so our Flesh misled That 's light as vanitie aliue and dead And life at best is but a golden sleepe lin'd but with siluer or more earthly dreames Or else a Tragedie that moues to weepe of ceaselesse troubles and most dire Extreames A passing but from life is life for still in stay'ing it goes yet vnlike Water-streames That running stay alike by Natures skill Streames running rest the same and not the same But still vnlike doth burne our vitall-flame Things future are beginning endlesly Things present euer ending and Things past Quite dead or done for while we liue wâ— dye and dead we liue so life is first and last Then better dye to life than liue to death for mortall-life in Death but time doth waste And Death doth gaine of â—ime he shorteneth Who for our good our bodyes still assailes And frees our Soules by ruining their Iayles It is but Natures necessary wracke then let vs make it voluntarie that Is necessary and still bowe our Backe vnder the burden of our common state With all alacritie and giue to God his owne which were most damn'd to alienate Sith he of Dolorâ— paid for it his lode Then it were Sacriledge not to restore That which he made lent and bought and more Death 's dreadfull but to those that know him not to those that know him well hee is not so The Old before their faces him haue got the young behinde while he doth all o'erthrow Acquaintance with the Warres estrangeth feare they dread not waues at Sea though high they goe that vs'd are to them though they all orebeare And with them fight in front or in the reare Then not to feare Death is with him to be Familiar made and bring Sense vnder lee The Pilot while he is his Ship to guide sits at the Stearne for there he most preuailes And so the vertuous maugre winde and Tyde when through this stormy Sea of life he sailes Sits at the Stearne that is lifes hinder-piece where he in Tempests bearing lowest Sailes Conducts it safely to the Port of Peace To beare high sailes and still forbeare the helme Is Ship and Fraight so quite to ouer-whelme Death is the doore whereby we must goe out of straitest Bonds to freest Libertie Then as the Pris'ner that of Death doth doubt yet waites the while for his deliuery Most ioyes in sitting at the Prison dore that when it 's op'ned he may instantly Get out t' enioy his freedome as before So should our Thoughts be fixt on lifes last steppe To which we soone may iump but not o'er-leape Thoughts mortifide the ashes are wherein the fire of Vertue being rak'd vp close The longer lasts and greater heate doth winne to kindle courage in our cold dispose That when Death comes and those shall be vnrak't we may reioyce our flame so freely goes Vnto her Spheare then should it not be slack't In Chimney of our flesh where it doth lye Like to be quencht with our iniquitie And as a floud that from a mountaines top doth rowling run with strange as ceaslesse noise And ouer many crâ—ggy Le ts doth hop till in the Valâ— beneath it rest enioyes So fares it with our life which we beginne with ceaslesse out-cryes for our felt annoyes Then downe Times houres we run through lets sin Till in the end we rest in vale of Death To which we blow our selues by spending breath Then Death 's our rest for since the same hath past through lifes pure Veynes or rather Lords of life Of the least bitternâ—sse it hath no taste but freshest sweetnesse therein still is rife It is the vertuous peacefull Paradise but to the vicious t is a World of strife For nought is plagu'd in Death but mortall Vice Then he may well be stil'd a Martyrs Peere That vertuous Death doth rather seeke than feare Death to a Thiefs's compar'd who if he findes the Man he meanes to rob vpon his guard He speakes him faire else him he bindes and blindes so Death is kinde to those for him prepar'd But curst to them that
to the Graue At which my Muse being now arriu'd shall pauâ—e referring these to those that Science haue To cast vp lifes accompt and to fore-cast the stricktnesse of Lifes great accompt at last ESSAIES The Foole hath said in his heart there is no God Psal. 14.1 THat GOD IS no Man euer made a doubt if doubt some did they did it not as Men For faithlesse men by meere sense GOD finde out what are these senselesse God-deniers then They are not Fiends for they haue humane Soules and Fiends confesse with feare there is a GOD Much lesse not Angels Beasts nor Fish nor Fowles for these praise God! What then Eu'n their owne Rod. Who doe themselves tormentingly confound hardning their Hearts and so plague Sinne by Sinne Yet ioy in that which doth their Conscience wound is 't possible such Creatures ere haue bin It 's possible for such there be God wot That know not God because God knowes them not No pleasure to the pleasure of the Spirit TWo Ioyes there are whereof the one is not of Flâ—sh the one that other of the Spirit The Spirits ioy is reall actiue hot but that of flesh is vaine cold dull and light How then can they be two if but one Be one is but is but meerely in Conceit Which in Conceit is forgde by Fantazie and whatsoe'er is forgde is but deceit Yet in this meere deceit most men conceiue most pleasure to consist and it to buy They most essentiall perfect pleasure giue so make their Iudgement giue their Sense the lye For Sense could neuer tell by her Receit That such Ioy Is that is but in conceit Vanitie of Vanities all is but Vanitie Eccles. 1.2 A Mortall Eye can see but mortall Things and whatsoe'er is mortall is but vaine Then all we see is vaine though Crownes or Kings yet Men will lose themselues the same to gaine And yet thy weene they winne by so great losse ô corrupt Iudgement Men made to be lost Who will all Vices hatcht in Hell engrosse them to retaile to get but Care with Cost It 's said Light gaine doth make an heauy Purse but this light gaine doth make an heauy Heart To gaine all blessings with Gods heauie Curse is too light gaine for such an heauy Thwart For who doth purchase All at such a Price Doth buy but extreame Vanitie with Vice Fly vaine Pleasures as Paines intollerable IF Vanitie be All and All be vaine how scapes he from this All that 's All in All It is because He euer doth remaine the Cause of Causes metaphisicall Sith fiends immortall are not vaine they are for Vanitie is but the Instrument Wherewith in sport they doe this All ensnare to bring the same to Be as they are bent And so vnbend their being and distort the euen Compasse that became their Forme So Vanitie them backward bends in sport and Sathan still in sport doth them deforme O then let All that would be bent aright Beware these sports that doe distort them quite To the good the Worst fals out for the Best THe Crosse and Crowne on Earth our value try as Crownes alone in Heau'n our vertue crowne In Earth if crown'd we swell in Heart too hie and vnder Crosses we lie basely downe But yet if Grace doe Nature ouer-sway and that a Crosse or Crowne alike we beare A pride of Grace our Nature will bewray so in our Nature Sinne though dead doth steere And yet this Pride doth humble vs the more for when we mind it griefe doth vs pursue So is our Sore still cured by our Sore for still we heale as we our griefe renew This is a Worke of Nature that of Grace And this and that runnes with vs all our Race To the Lady Anne Glemmam vpon the death of her noble Father TO lye downe vnder Crosses is to lye in our Confusion for that 's Cowardize And hath no taste of true Humilitie then such prostration is an abiect Vice Nor is 't the Way from Crosses to be free to sinke beneath the Crosse which weighes the more The more we vnder it so humbled be but HEE that bore your Sinnes It stoutly bore Yet is the Crosse impos'd to humble vs nor is 't remou'd till we be humble made How much more low so much more glorious so as the Crosse doth vs not ouer-lade Then if we meeke be made we winne by losse And cut a Crowne of Glory from the Crosse. That to sinne finally malitiously is irremissible THe oftner Sinne the more griefe showes a Saint the oftner Sinne the lesse griefe notes a Fiend But to sinne oft with griefe the Soule doth taint and oft to sinne with Ioy the Soule doth rend To sinne on Hope is Sinne most full of feare to sinne of malice is the Diuels Sinne One is that Christ may greater Burthen beare the other that his Death might still beginne To sinne of frailtie is a sinne but weake to sinne in strength the stronger makes the blame The first the Reede Christ bare hath pow'r to break the last his Thorny Crowne can scarse vnframe But finally to sinne malitiously Reede Crowne nor Crosse hath pow'r to crucifie That mortall Life is a mortall Plague THis Life of ours is call'd Life most amisse which may be tearm'd more truely lifes disease Whose perfect'st Pleasures are oppos'd to Blisse and greatest paines grow from her greatest ease One hath the Plague we say and he will dye that yet may liue then much more may we say That One hath Life and Death he cannot flye for Life 's a Sicknesse mortall eu'ry way Doth mortall life then bring the mortall'st death then no Disease so mortall as it is A Plague of Plagues then is our mortall breath yet mortall Men would still be plagu'd with this Though Life be Plague of Plagues yet this desire Is the high'st Plague whereto no Plagues aspire Too much Honie breakes the Belly SWeet honied Life thinkes one that Honie draines from bloomes of Heleboâ—e this vaine Worlds-wealth Which though It breakes his Belly yet his paines seeme to his Appetite true Signes of Health O bewitcht iudgement Senses râ—ft of Sense deeme yee that sweet that yeelds Effâ—cts so sowre That spoiles the Will and soiles th' Intelligence and Soule and Body quite in dung deuoure Yet those whose Spirits are turn'd to grossest flesh nay those whose flesh seemes turn'd to purest sp'rit Are thus bewitcht which Sweetes their Sense refresh who sting like Waspes if them they lose by might If thus they fare by whom the World is led What meruell though in sweete Sinne It be dead The Foole makes a mocke of Sinne. Pro. 14.9 WHo laughes at Sin for Sin can hardly weepe who ieâ—ts thereat is mad or misbeleeues Then sith the World still laughes at Debt so deepe it showes it madly sinnes and neuer grieues Sinne is a Stinger and who feeles it not is mortifide not to but in fowle Sinnes Then doth the World in Sinne but stincke and rot for it feeles not when
Had beene with Neroes much but monstrous the Muse alone then well renownes a Name Yet now her Agents are so poore become in Minde and state that for an abiect Fee They 'l honor to their shame but HONORS skum yea Deifie a Diu'll if he be free But strong Necessitie constraines the same as Israels Singer did the Shew-bread eate By like constraint yet they are Lords of FAME and where they charge with it there 's no retreit For though Time-present see it mis-bestow'd yet if Wits Engine it doe rarely raise Of Times to come It shall be so allow'd that both the prais'd and praiser they will praise Yet speake a Language â—ew doe apprehend so few affect it for wee nought affect But what our Vnderstandings comprehend no maruell then the most this Art neglect Nay were 't but so yet Poesie still should finde some grace with some whom Art makes great of vile But now such thinke it but distracts the Minde for broken-Braines such great-Ones Poets stile Vnfit for serious vse vnfit for all that tends to perfect Mans Felicitie Light idle vaine and what we worse may call yea though it were the Skumme of Vanitie And would these Truths were all true Falacies though Poets used to none of these incline For personall faults are not the Faculties that is not onely faultlesse but diuine But t is too true in many that professe the Art though Leaden Lumpes for none can swim In Helicon without that Happinesse which from his Mothers Wombe he brought with him And t is as true if Grace and Gouernment doe not containe the Minde in Raptures high But it of Wit may make so large extent as it may cracke the strongest Ingenie So may it doe in other Mysteries and that which we most praise may most impeach Diuinitie it selfe may soon'st doe this if Grace with-hold not from too high a Reach Then let this Arte which is the Angels speech for to the High'st they speake in nought but Hymnes Which in the Wombe they doe true Poets teach be freed from speech that but her glory dimmes Then let the ignorant-great-highly base reuile her ne'er so much they but bewray Their owne Defects therby and giue but grace to Folly darkned with Arts glorious Raie But no great Spirit whose temper is diuine and dwels in reall GREATNES but adores The Heau'nly MVSE that in Arts Heau'n doth shine like Phoebus lending Light to other Lores To you therefore that Arte predominate great in your Vertue Skill and Fortunes too My Muse held meet'st these Flights to consecrate sith you most grace the Muse in most you doe And as the Sunne doth glorifie each Thing how euer base on which he deignes to smile So your cleare Eyes doe giue resplendishing to all their Obiects be they ne'er so vile Then looke on These and Me with such a Glance That both may shine through your bright Countenance The vnfained louer honorer and admirer of your rare Perfections Iohn Dauies of Hereford The Sacrifices of God are a contrite Spirit A contrite and a broken Heart O God thou wilt not dispise Psal. 51.17 A Broken Heart deare LORD thy Grace respects as Loues best Sacrifice the breake my Heart To make it sound thereby in his Affects and Sinne that wounds It still from It to part How is it Lord that who so seekes thy Face must with the whole-heart seâ—ke the same to see Yet Broken-hearts as soone doe get thy Grace so whole or broken are all One to Thee Then breake my heart to make it whole that so being broken quite and made whole afterward It in thy Kingdome still may currant goe made flat to take thy Print with Pressures hard That though the Fiend abuse thy Forme in mee It through thy Test may currant passe to Thee Another of the same AS in the Sacrifices of the Law there was an Alter Priest Host Fire and Wood So This to That in likenesse neere doth draw and wants but holy Fire to make it good The Alter is my Hope the Host my Heart the Priest my Faith my Loue the Fuâ—ll is All these ô Lord are ready but the Art to fire the Fuell wants then doe thou This. I am but Passiue in this holy Act Thou the sole Agent yet ô make me fiâ— To worke with thee together in this Fact with all the Forces of my Will and Wit And sith deare â—oâ—d all things so ready be Giue Fire to sacrifice my Heart to Thee Another DEscend sweet hallowed Fire from that high FLAME that euer burnes in LOVES eternall Brest consume this Sacrifice and let the rest Licke vp my Teares for Sinne about the same That Mis-beleeuers thereby still may know There is no GOD but he that fir'd it so I am no Prophet Seër Saint nor ought that may expect such Fauour but a Wretch made meeke by Sinne yet Hands of Faith doe stretch To thee whom men prophane doe set at nought If Faith then with thee worke this wondrous Feate They will confesse my God as good as great To ouer-curious Critiques YEe ouer-curious Eyes that nought can please produc'd by Art or Nature ô auert Your All-deprauing-banefull lookes from these pure Flames that sacrifice our dying Heart Here are no Nouels which yee most dâ—sâ—re nor ought vnvsuall but here shall you see What hath beene said of old in new Attire with our Thoughts interlac'd so ours they be The Spider-webbe which in her Wombe is bred we prize no more for that nor estimate Pure Honie lesse for being gathered from many Sweets nay more much more for that What we haue gather'd is from others Flowres And what is added is from sweet'st of ours To the Indifferent Readers TO pray in measur'd Sillables is strange Familiars with peruersenesse may conceiue But PIETIE her selfe allowes this Change and for our Learning doth Example leaue Her Friend sweet Psalmist sung his Soules-Conceits in sacred Numbers and the Heau'ns did Charme With pow'rfull Verse so those commanding Heights he wanne but with his Muses mighty Arme All Christian Churches howsoe'er aâ— ods with Psalmes Hymnes beate Heau'ns resounding Wall Nay more the Pagans sing vnto their Gods and which is most the Angels most oâ— all Then sith both Heau'n aud Earth This still doe vse He shames himselfe that for this blames our Muse. The Author of and to his Muse. MY Muse is tirde with tyring but on Leaues that fruitlesse are yet leaue ill fruits behinde Shee onely workes for Ayre that but deceiues so workes for nothing but deceitfull Winde And what she seiseth as her Subiect is but vaine if it be light and lightly what Shee preyes vpon is such then now on This shee needes to pray for preying so on That O Muse didst thou but know thy natiue kinde being all diuine thou ne'er would'st waue thy wings In that which doth but onely marre the Mind but endlesly about Celestiall Things Th'wilt be deplum'd for pluming so on Trash and like a Flesh-â—lye lighting but on Sores Then
in Arts fairest Founts thy Feathers wash to flye to him that Heau'n and Earth adores Thy Raptures else are but such Rauishments as are reproachfull penall lewde and light But Raptures farre aboue the Elements doe shew thy Vertue in the fairest â—light O then thou great vnlimitable Muse that rests in motion in th'ETERNALS Breast Inspire my Muse with grace her pow'r to vse in nought but what to thee shall be addrest So shall that Spirit that made thy Dauid sing Make Dauies too a Begger like a King THE MVSES SACRIFICE A Confession of sinnes with petition for grace O Trinall Vnion God creating Gods O sole resistles all-effecting Pow'r When wilt attone twixt mee and thee the ods Till when eternall I account each how'r I am O Lord thy Creature re-created Made marr'd re-made by Loue by Sinne by Grace Shall Loue and Grace by Sinne be so defeated That Loue should lose her labor Grace her place Thou art the Salue and I the mortall Sore Yet with one touch thy vertue can reuiue me To heale this Sore a Speare thy heart did gore Kinde Pelican that thy Bloud might relieue me Thy Hands that form'd reform'd and me conform'd Were to a Crosse transfixed for my sake To help my hatefull hands that sinne inorm'd Then can those helping Hands their Cure forsake Thy Head was crown'd with Thorny Diadem To cure mine crown'd with Sinnes sweet-pricking Roses Thy body ah did bloud water streame To wash away Sinnes soile which mine encloses Thy Feete was crosse-wise nailed to a Crosse To heale mine swolne with running into vice On thy saire Skin whips did my Crimes engrosse So freedst thou me from them with bloudy price Then can such Loue now leaue the thing it lou'd Is Sinne so sowre to turne sweete Loue to Hate To dye for Sinne it thee alone behou'd And yet shall Sinne thy Deaths desert abate O God forbid sith Sinne and Death and Hell Thou on the Crosse didst conquer throgh thy death And by the pow'r thereof their pow'r didst quell To lowest deepes and it restrain'd beneath Besides thou saist but Truth what canst thou say A Gulph is set the two Extreames betweene Twixt Heauen and Hell no entercourses may By meanes thereof at any time be seene I am in Heauen for in thy glorious Wounds By Faith I hide me from Sinne Death and Hell If Sathan for my plague would breake his bounds Those Gulphes of grace to stay will him compell Then keep me in thy Wounds my soules sole heau'n From whence if out-cast I to Hell must fall Where out-cast-like of Hope shall be bereau'n If reft of Hope then reft of Help withall But help me Lord else hopelesse shall I be Thy help the hopefull neuer faild at need Then sith my hope of help alone 's in thee Let speedy help my ready hope succeed Vpon thine Hand thine hand hath writ my Name Then reade thy Hand and saue me by the same A Sinners acknowledgement of his Vilenesse and Mutabilitie SPare me deare Lord my daies as nothing be Consum'd in Sin then which is nothing worse Yet Sinne is nothing yet can well agree With nothing but thy vengeance and thy curse Yet is it that without which none can liue Sprong from our Proto-parents rootes of strife Linckt to that Curse that Life a crosse doth giue not crosse of Life but crosse in Booke of Life Then happy that that Life yet neuer had Life that still subiect is to such a crosse And haplesse I that liue in life so bad Where life is found with lifes eternall losse Ah what am I but slime durt dounge and dust Graue-monsteâ—s food Wormes pittance most impure Sprong froÌ„ the earth vnto earth that must How where or when I sure am most vnsure Abortiue Brat of damn'd Concupiscence Hels heire Heau'ns hate eternall food for Fire A Gulph of griefe and Sincke of foule offence Scum of vaine Pride and froth of damn'd Desire Copesmate of Beasts and to a Beast transform'd A Dungeon darke a loathsome Lumpe of Earth Fardle of filth prodigious foule deform'd Dishonours vassaile cursed childe of Wrath Patterne of Vice and Mould of Vanitie Made of the Molde that marres what ere it makes Errors misse-maze where lost is Veritie Or blinded so that still wrong course it takes A Bramble Bryer an vse-lesse barren Plant A Dogge a Hogge a Viper most vnkinde A Rocke of wracke dry Well of eu'ry Want A Weather-cocke more wau'ring then the winde A thing of naught a naughtie thing that marres What Goodnesse makes a damn'd incarnate Deuill Contentions Source Loues hate still causing iarres A banefull weede and Roote of eu'ry euill What shall I say A Map of miserie Confusions Chaos Frailties Spectacle The Worlds disease Times vgliâ—â—â— Prodigie Th' abuse of Men and Sh 〈…〉 â—btectacle Mortall and to a Bubble suteable Whose slesh as Flowres whose life as Houres consumes Of matter made more then most mutable Yet sure of certaine death of life presumes Fraile life which more it lasts the sooner worne The longer drawne the shorter is the date Hedg'd in with cares as with an Hedge of Thorne Whose piercing prickes the minde doe vulnerate If merry now anone with woe I weepe If lustie now forth-with am water-weake If now aliue anone am buried deepe That houre that glads the heart the heart doth breake One while I laugh another while I lowre Now ioy in Griefe and then in Ioy I grieue Now wake in Care then sleepe I straight secure Now I dispaire then Hope doth me relieue Now sigh for sinne then sinne so sigh in vaine Now minde I Heau'n then Earth excogitate Now fast and pray then feast and prate againe Now labours end then labours renouate Now am I loose then lose I libertie Now sound then sicke now vp then downe I fall Now am I safe and then in ieopardie Now ouerco 〈…〉 then put to the wall Now I discourse then mute againe I muse Now seek the World then search I for thy Waies Now am abus'd and then I doe abuse Now hate then loue now praise then straight dispraise Now This I long for by and by for That This now delights me then with that am cloid Now would haue this and then I wot not what And thus with This and That am still annoid To count the count-lesse vaine varieties Wherewith this mortall life surrounded is Or to recite our vaines in vanities I may as of the Starres the reck'ning misse All that this earthy Boowle on breast doth beare Is subiect most to most vnconstant state One moment makes as if they neuer were And eu'ry minute drawes them to their date The heate the cold the hunger thirst and all The miseries that life fraile life annoy Which swarming hide this Globe terrestriall No Tongue can tell thogh all their pow'rs employ Death seconds these if not the second Death Who with his fatall Fanne sweepes all away At All saith he whose nostrils bound their breath Thus carelesly at All with All
Hope at thee doth graspe Fasten their fingers giue them strength to hold As Ancors sure in roughest Tempests would Kind Lord sole comfort hope of each poore wretch With Eyes conuerting Peter looke on me Those glittring Sunnes their beames of comfort stretch To cursed'st sinners if they contrite be Then let those sacred Sun-beames gild with grace My blacke dispairing Soule and rue her case The longing of the Soule to be with God SOule-searching Lord and sole selfe-searching God Let my poore Soule thy vnknowne sweetnesse know Thy staying Staffe sin-correcting Rod On me on me sweet Loue in loue bestow Strength of my weaknes my great weaknes strength guide thou my Goings stay my stumbling feete My stumbling feet establish Lord at length in pathes that are as pure as sure and sweet Eye of mine Eye let my dimme Eye behold thee Dim'd with the hellish mist of damn'd desires Ioy of my heart ô let my heart iâ—fold thee and take my Spirit that still to thee aspires O Beauties Beautie wound my heart with Loue Life of my life let my life liue in thee In thee I haue my being liue and moue Of me but thou then who should mouer be Celestiall Bridegroome kisse thy Spouse my Soule With kisses sweet of vnconceiued peace On thy transpierced palme her name enrowle With thy sinne-purging bloud my sinnes release Mellefluous Sweetnesse sweetning sweetest sweets Sweeten my Sowre sowre Leauen of offence Season my fleshes Lump with matter meete For Sacrifice sweete smelling to thy sense O Goodnesse let me Badnesse thee embrace With hold-fast armes of euer-lasting loue O Well of Life in this dry barren place Quench thou my thirst for thee which here I proue Be thou to me a plague preuenting Towre When plaguesâ—ngirt â—ngirt my Soule with fierce assault My forcelesse force then strengthen with thy power that if o'er-borne yet not through my Wils fault Doe ope the entries of my deafned Eares Deafe with the dinne of words breath'd by despair O thundring Voyce that Hel from Heauen heares Breake through the bars that let thy words repaire O let the deepes in dreadfull harmonie Their Billowes tune vnto that awfull voyce Let Heauen and Earth in ioynt conspiracie with it accord to drownd Sinnes hellish noyse Turn thou mine Eies with fearful Lightnings flash From Eye-bewitching Obiects of offence Deaden my flesh my bones to ponder dash That dead to Sinne may quicke in thee haue sense Encrease thy Streames lay ope the water-springs That Earths foundations proplesse may appeare My earthly thoughts all soild with earthly things Thy troubles streames through mercy straind will cleare O light vnseene enlightning all that see Lighten mine eyes that they may see thy light That light that with no darknesse can agree O light of lights present that to my sight Sauour of life giue new life to my smell That on the sent of thy diuine perfumes I may runne after thee through Heauen and Hell Through comfort or throgh care that life consumes O touch my sensuall ill-affected Taste With finger of thy sweet life-giuing Loue That it may proue the sweetnesse which thou hast Which may thy sweetnesse to my soule approue Giue me a Minde to minde thee Heart to loue thee Soule to adore thee Spirit to discerne thee A Reas'n that may in reason most approue thee And Reason most for that doth most concerne thee O liuely Sweet ô sweet Life-giuing Life O let my Loue in thy Loues life be bounded The life of loue portcullized from strife which liuely life with louely loue 's surrounded O life my life life without which I die O laborinth of life ô maze of loue Where shall I finde thee sweet loue when shall I my loue to loue and life to life remoue O where art thou thou great all-mouing mouer Can clouds encompasse thy vncompast Greatnes Thou endlesse life vnlimitable louer No no sweet loue then show to me thy sweetnes Be neere me in my heart my minde my mouth Neere in my hearing and each other sense Neere in mine age and neere me in my youth neere in mine end to end without offence Through ardent loue I pine away for thee For want of thee deare sweet my Soule is sad Then longd-for louely loue appeare to me And with thy glorious presence make me glad Thy sense-refreshing sent my Spirit reuiues To minde thee 's Nectar to my thirstie Soule Thy Inspiration Consolation giues Such consolations as all cares controule But yet ô yet euen as the chased Hart For water thirsts so thirsts my Soule for thee For thee sweet loue for my soules soule thou art Without which soule can my soule liuing be O when shall I deare Lord vnworthy I Appeare in thy pure Palace Christiline My mounting Spirit wing'd with Desire doth flye Aboue it selfe to see that Court of thine Ioy of my soule when when aye me ô when Shall I with eyes immortall see thy glory Alas I liue a dying life till then Till when my longing soule can be but sory O why turnst thou my Ioy my hearts desire Thy Sunne-ecclipsing glorious face from me Where art thou hid Earth Water Aire or Fire Cannot containe the smallest glimpse of thee Then where art hid ô changelesse fairest Faire For whom my rauisht soule in loue doth languish The smell of whom lifes ruines doth repaire Though life assailed be with mortall anguish But ah aye me I see I see thee not And that I cannot kils my louing heart Yet when I heare thy voyce I haue forgot What me annoid and ioy suppresseth smart But why ah why from me hid'st thou thy face Perhaps thou â—aist Man cannot liuing see it Bee 't so sweet Lord I faine would death embrace To see the same so be it ô so be it Here let me dye that I may see thee There There where my Soule so much desires to see it That life as death I hold that holds me here Then let me dye so be it ô so be it Faine would my Soule this fardle of my Flesh Lay downe at gastly Deaths vnfleshy feet That being consum'd I may resume afresh â—mmortall flesh for thy pure presence meet O Christ my Iesus take my spirit to thee My spirit aspiring clogg'd with fleshes waight It 's jaild too long it longs let loose to be And euery moment for release doth waite My Ioy draw thou my heart that ioyes in nought but in thy ioy sole ioy of blissefull hearts To thy true ioy whose griess such blisse hath bought which blisse my griefs with ioy to blisse conuerts Enter into me Sweetnesse make me sweet Sweet Ioy possesse me make me sad reioyce Eternall light shine on me make me meet To see and know and loue thee as my Choise The cause I loue not is I know thee not I know thee not in not perceiuing thee I not perceiue for darknesse light doth blot Light shines in darkenesse yet It cannot see Who sees thee knows who knows thee stil doth loue thee Who sees
And from my second Cause my wants proceed Then what can cause so good effect as this But thou whose Will is still in act and dead Looke what I am at best I am by Thee And when at worst in thee my hope still is For as no one but Thoâ— could fashion me So none but Thou can mend my least amisse Then what I am in deed or else in hope When I am best in both of thee I am Thou art my Soule and bodies vtmost scope Thou mad'st them both then oughst to haue the same If then Thou be my Beauties beauty yea The beauty of my Soules diuinest Part For Thou of beauty art the bancklesse Sea Who then but thou should wholy haue my Heart O Loue that burn'st in Heauens eternall Breast O Dart that woundest the whole Trâ—nitie O more much more then Crosse-wound me at least And let that Fire still burne me till I die O let my Soule melt Lord in thine applause Through holy-raging Flames of quenchlesse Loue O cause of causes this vouchsafe to cause And let these Flames their force vpon me proue O holy holy holy Trinitie Most holy Father and most gracious Sonne Most louing Holy-Ghost in Vnitie A Trinitie and but one God alone When when ô when will you three dwell in mee And make me one with you as one you are Of three make foure and one of one and three Your Essence keepe let me your goodnesse share When will it be ô when ô were it now Shall I ne'er see it ô how long delay O tedious tarrying how ô LORD ô how Shall I straight rest in thee mine onely stay Haste thee my Iesus haste deare Loue make haste I cannot stay then come my Ioy ô come My haste is great and I but Time doe waste Till I thy Loue and Time doe ouercome O my Soules Centre my Wils sweet repose Light of my Mindes Eye my Thoughts Paradise Heau'n of my Heart Companion of my Woes Salue of my Sores Cure of my Maladies Ioy of mine Exile and my Guide therein Breath of my Nostrils End of my Desires Iudge of my Life Forgiuer of my Sinne O all in all whereto mine All aspires If thou be these and all in all to mee Can I forget thee during but a Thought If so I should let me remembred be With pinching plagues to minde thee as I ought If I so much forget my selfe and thee Let my right Hand forget her cunning quight Nay let me not remember what I see That Memory so wrong'd may minde thy right No sleepe mine Eyes no rest mine Head shall haue Till thou my Head within my Heart doe rest Then enter Loue to enter ô vouchsafe It is but what thou offer'st I request Then let this offer of my Will and Loue Moue me to that to which thou me dost moue An acknowledgement of Gods gifts with desire of vnion with the Giuer IF we for fading Gifts are euer bound To loue our Friends for Gifts still loue do breed And if the Fire doe more or lesse abound According as the Fuell It doth feed Then ô how great a Flame of endlesse loue Should ô deare Lord still feede vpon mine All Sith past all measure I thy bounties proue And feed'st this Fire with Vnction-spirituall If the whole frame of Nature nay sweet Lord If Heau'n and Earth and all they doe containe Be but meere Gifts which thou dost me afford Then how shold Loue but in me more then raigne And that so much the more because there be In thee besides all Causes causing loue Which in their high'st perfection are in thee Then can such Motiues but much more then moue If Goodnesse I respect in thee it is As farre from Limit as Similitude For thou art LORD the boundlesse Sea of Blisse Because thou art the high'st Beatitude If Beautie I regard then thou art Hee That art the Fount from whence all Beauty flowes Whose Face the Angels still desire to see Whose Influence their Faces ouer-flowes If Bounty then who is so liberall As thou selfe bounty that dost gratis giue All and much more in deede then all to All By which they more then liberally doe liue If Riches who so rich as hee that owes What not If Being or what can be beside If Friendship who so kinde who for his Foes Did Death with torment willingly abide If Likenesse be a cause that loue effects Then who like that by which I am but thou For thou mad'st it like theeâ—n â—n all respects Saue that like thee it knowes not where nor how And if the END for which we all things doe The Finall END be infinitely lou'd Then who mine ALPHA and OMEGA too But thou to whom by Nature I am mou'd From thee to Thee by onely Natures skill I come and goe but goe not as I came For I came from thee iust as thou art still But doe returne opprest with sinne and shame If then to be thine Image with the rest Be seu'rall motiues strong of Loue intire Then what ought that to be bred of the best Nay bred of all but Loues eternall fire For as the Sea is greater then each Floud Which from and to her Bosome euer moues So is thy Goodnesse greater then each Good And thy loue more then other lasting loues Ah Lord what made thee make me but that loue What to redeeme me but that tender moode Of nought thou mad'st me which can nothing moue Being Nought and me redeemest to make me good O let me stretch the armes of mine Affects To hold thee to the Breast of my dâ—sires O cause of sweetnesse cause these sweet effects And make my Breast the Furnace for these Fires The Iuy still doth clip her neighb'ring Tree Because thereby it is â—dâ—anced oft Then will I cling to that on Caluaree Because thereby I shall be rais'd aloft The Iuy spreads her branches not so farre Nor by a Cedar so aduanc'd can be As my Soules pow'rs increast in vertue are And made to mount by vertue of this Tree Then ô that all my bodies Limbes were Armes That I on eu'ry side might it embrace Thy Crosse ô Christ doth blesse al thine from harmes And with ioy comforts them in woefull case O Christ that did the Crosses Tree ascend That so thou mightst draw all things vnto thee O draw me then let my life with thine end That so my life with thine may endlesse be Thou that didst Deitie to Manhood knit Two Natures so in Nature different Making one person of them infinite To make me one with the Omnipotent Grant that the vertue of that VNION May euer make vs more entire then ONE A thankfull remembrance of our preseruation notwithstanding our manifold sinnes WIth wounded Spirit I salute thy Woundâ— O all-bewounding Sacrifice for Sinne For my Soules health from thy Hearts hurt redounds Because thou dyedst to liue my Heart within With what loue shall I quite such wondrous Loue That comes from such vnheard-of Clemencie Who art
thou and who am I that can moue Heau'ns God t'immure himselfe in misery That thou whose Glory Glory it selfe admires Sholdst deigne to dwel in durt more vile then dung Sith Holinesse sweet Lord thy House requires Which hardly rests where many vices throng Heau'n is thy Seate the Earth thy Footstoole is For Heau'n and Earth thy Maiestie doth fill Then why great God art thou well pleas'd with this That thou art made but Mud for mire so ill For if the Heau'n nay Heau'n of Heauens be But too too small thy greatnesse to containe Then how can my heart lesse then nought hold thee How in a Bit of Wormes-meate canst thou raigne O Wonder that all Maruels farre surmounts He that vpon the Cherubins doth ride And viewes all Deeps from thence himself dismounts That he may in my Heart deepe Hell abide It not suffiz'd thy glowing Charitie To giue me Angels for my Guards and Guides Nay wast not onely pleas'd for me to dye But dwelst in me to giue me life besides There dost thou visit in the kindest kinde The Sicke sore sicke to giue him health thereby Sore sick in Body but more sicke in Minde And raise the Dead that willingly did dye My Soule exulteth with ioy rauished When as I minde that Miracle how once A Prophets dead Bones rais'd to life the Dead Onely by touching those life-giuing Bones If those dead Bones had such reuiuing pow'r Then what shall not Gods liuing Body doe The liuing Body of Lifes Gouernour Must needes giue endlesse Life and Glory too And if dead Bones conceiued in Sinne haue might To giue life to a sinfull Bodie dead What shall that doe conceiued by thy Spirit That must needs life-inspire eu'n senselesse Bread My Soule though dead in Sinne yet touching Thee By Faith and in thy bloud being sanctifide Can it but more then liue in Thee and me When Thou therein dost more then still abide And sith that Corpes was rais'd that crau'd not life By touching those dead Bones then Lord let me That as my Husband clip thee as thy Wise Be rais'd to life that beg the same of thee I cannot thinke because I thinke of thee as more then Grace it selfe that thou hast borne My sinnes and in my sinnes dost beare with mee that of thy Grace I shall be quite forlorne O! can my Soule but melt to thinke how oft thou mightst haue slaine me yet didst vse thy knife To prune and make me grow in Grace aloft and â—lu'st my Foes therewith that sought my life How many thousand Soules now burne in Hell that haue perhaps sinn'd lesse then sinfull I Who held thy Hands when I did so rebell that I should liue when Soules lesse sinfull dye My sinnes cry to thee and thou stop'st thine Eares lest thou sholdst heare them the more they cry The more thy deafenesse to them still appeares as if thou didst their clamorous suite deny I doe but sinne and thou dost me but saue if I flye fast from thee thou followest faster Though I be tir'd with Sinne thy Mercies haue no meane to tire but meanes my Sinnes to master The more I sinne the more thou humblest mee so mak'st me know my selfe by knowing Sinne Nay more it puls me from my selfe to thee so though I lose my selfe yet thee I winne O strange disposing of the worst of Ill meere Concord of maine Contradiction That which puls from doth draw together still where loue drawes Discords to make Vnion So then my Faults as if they Vertues were wrought for my good by thee that hast the skill To beare with men to make them sinne forbeare and so through Grace to pull good out of Ill Yet didst thou whisper in my Soules right Eare that I should doe no ill for such good end But mad'st me sinning Sinne to hate and feare in loue for that it did thee LOVE offend With Thornes thou dost hedge-in my narrow Way that if I ere so little step awry They straight doe pricke me and so make me pray for help to thee in whom all help doth lye And as the Hunter stoppeth vp each Gap wher-through the wild Bore may escape vncaught So dost thou stop my way with each misse-hap when I would runne away from thee to nought Am I escapt from out thy mercies Hands thy Hand of Iustice puls me in againe So Mercy holds me by which Iustice stands to help to hold me safe by ease and paine Haue I a Will by Death to damne my Soule by desprate Death to damne not mine but thine Thou dost that Will with thy good Will controule And mak'st my Will thy Will in spight of mine Am I resolu'd to sinne presumptuously and that of purpose to despight thee too Thou mak'st the Will without the Deed to dye and mak'st me damne the Deed ere it I doe Would I for any indiuine respect sell Heau'n for Earth and God so for the Deuill Thou God dost make that Would worke good effect for when it proues the Ill it shuns the euill Is my Hand stretched out my faith to plight to blacke Perdition twixt my hand and It Thou putst thy hand of Iustice which doth smite away my hand before that knot be knit The Weapons me thou gau'st my selfe to saue I monster did against thy Goodnesse bend And with thy glorious gifts I thee did braue so did I shame my selfe and Thee offend The Tongue thou mouedst that blasphemed Thee thou rul'dst the limbes that did thy Members rend Thou gau'st Wit pow'r with Thee to disagree and gau'st Will force the giuer to offend So that not onely I ingrate haue bin for thy good gifts but haue the same imployd As weapons of vnrighteousnesse in Sinne and so with thine owne Grace haue thee annoid Thou mad'st all Creatures for mine onely vse t' allure me to thy gainfull Loue thereby But I abused thee by their abuse so with thy Good deeds did thee damnifie So that through whom the seeing of thy Face was to be tane through them I could not see For I as Gods did them in Loue embrace which thou had'st giu'n to guide me vnto Thee That I might serue thee me did all things serue I did command that me thou might'st intreat They did me Good when I did ill deserue and when I made thee small they made me great Thou gau'st me Faith and Hell the Fruites hath had thou gau'st me Grace and Sinne hath vs'd the same Thou gau'st me Wit which Will abus'd as mad thou gau'st me Sense wherewith my selfe I shame Thou gau'st me Health which sickely I haue vs'd in riot surfet and in all excesse Thou gau'st me Strength which I haue still abus'd in waging warre with thine owne Mightinesse Thou for my profit plaguedst other men that so from Sinne I might be kept with ease But I vnplagued plagu'd my Brethren so farre off was I from remorse by These These Gifts I most vngratefull gratis had which though abus'd I vsed when I would And being Gifts
too good made me too bad For they made me too proud and too too bold The rage of Lyons Tygers and the like Is lenified with gifts and turn'd to loue But with thy gifts to grieue thee I did seeke Yet still thou mad'st me their increase to proue Thou Man becam'st to make a God of mee at least a God that Heau'n and Earth doe serue And I became a Diuell in Deed to Thee that wrong'd thee more the more thou didst deserue High'st Iustice shining through thy Passions Cloud could not enforce me it to loue or dread Thou had'st no hole wherein thy head to shroud but all this All 's too little for my head Though thou art God Foes Fists thy face enorme if any touch my Coate I touch them home By word and deed that yet am but a Worme thou striu'st for lowest I for highest Roome Thou wouldst be slaine to slaughter Sinne in me but by thy death I life-inspir'd the same So thy great Mercy made me martyr Thee and with the Iewes I made thy griefes my game The Med'cine so thou gau'st to cure my Wounds I venomed to make my hurt the more Which both with Sinne shame my Soule confounds sith Sinne by Grace I made more sinfull sore If from the Law to take a cause to sinne is much more damn'd then sinne without the Law What is it then when Grace so vs'd hath bin and force to fight with Grace from grace to draw The wilde-fire of my Passions burned me my Thoughts Distractions did me quite deuide The Worme of Conscience rag'd where thou wouldst be yet these I did as one in thee abide For mine Affections cryed nought but Peace when those Affections most did Peace impunge And when I was in Hell they seem'd in ease so much the old misled Affections young And Fury-like towards hel I alwayes made but thou more wayes then all wayes broughtst me back The Trade of Vertue I held Vices Trade sith more then Vice she seem'd to liue in lacke How oft haue I beene at the gates of Hell and could not enter though I went about Thou didst the Diuell from his charge compell so Porter wast thy selfe to keepe me out Nay when I haue beene euen in his Iawes and that his Fangs were entring in my Soule Till thou didst pul me thence thou mad'st him pause so came I as from Heau'n as Meeke as Whole O! how can I such pow'rfull Grace requite that forceth Iustice with Her force to ioyne From wracke to saue me in mine owne despight and made restore who did my selfe purloyne Had I the liues of Angels and of Men and offer'd all to thee in sacrifice And if those liues were thrice resum'd agen and offer'd vp as oft t' would not suffice T' would not suffice to recompâ—â—ce thy loue it were too cheape to quite tâ—y deare deserâ— O then can I wretch so vngratefull proue as not to giue thee one poore wretched Heart Can I ô can I be so much besides Grace Faith Sense Mother-wit my selfe and all That hauing yet these gifts to be my guides doe yet but stand by these by these to fall If I be lost it must not be in Hell thogh ne'er so dark for there thou foundst me out It must be somewhere which no where can tell for where that is both Time and Place doe doubt It cannot be in Hell for thou art there then Heau'ns thy Seat ah would I there were lost Nay not in Place for thou art eu'ry where Then not in Time which ere It was thou knowst If then in Heau'n nor Hell in Time nor Place where then in my selfe lost I cannot be Yet lost I am if I doe lose thy grace which found me when I stole my selfe from thee But yet if needes I will be lost at last for grace at last saues none against their will No Lost-child euer was lockt halfe so fast from losing and deserueth halfe so ill The worst of Ill mâ—â—e worse with Ill made Whole is too too good for one made worse then That Too little he doth lose to lose his Soule that maugre grace still does he cares not what Therefore deare Lord let me not enter in this strict reuisall of my Sinne and grace The lesse to make excusable my Sinne but thereby more much more thy Loue embrace For these Confessions written by my Hand against my selfe against my selfe will goe To thy Tribunall and against me stand if now I doe not euer Sinne forgoe Then let thy Wâ—unds be once more opened deare Christ to wash me in thy reeking bloud Reuiue me by thy death that being dead still dead to Ill I may still liue to good O! iuycie Bunch of Soule-refreshing grapes hard pressed in the Wine-presse of the Crosse Make druncke my thirstie Soule that gasping gapes for thy pure bloud to purge mine being too grosse Mine Ire Pride Lust Presumption Hate and Scorne yea all my Sinnes which I can ne'er recite I cast into thy wounds which wide are torne O keepe them There then from thy Fathers sight As much as those confound these comfort me nay more much more sith more thou canst forgiue Then I can sinne although I quartred Thee if when the deed is done through grace I grieue Mellefluous Sea of Comforts most diuine Meridian Light whence springs true glories Day With both o'er whelme me till through both I shine in perfect glory by thy glories Ray. Let not my Deedes or inofficious Sloth doe or omit what should not or be done For both are cursed by thy blessed mouth sith Ill to doe and good omit is one But let this league be constant to the end For they but mend to marre that marre to mend And Wisedome at our wisedome doth but scoffe When we doe ill that good may come thereof The sighes of a Pensiue Soule groaning vnder the burden of sinne WHo art thou Lord thou Lord whose magnitude admits no Name and what or who am I That dare but thinke of such an Altitude farre past the reach of highest Angels Eye What am I but a Sacke of sickenesses Immodestie it selfe Dust Clay Durt Dung Slyme Food for Wormes lesse slymie Carkasses with filth much more vncleanly mixt among Meere gall of bitternesse true Heyre of Hell begot twixt Sinne and Sathan life of Death Rebellion in the abstract Vices Shell the breath of Sinne that baneth but with breath Gods griefe Mens plague and Angels sole annoy sith sad I make them by vncessant sinne Let to the sorrow which doth cause their Ioy sith mine example hinders some therein In Counsaile blinde in Actions most vnwise In thought vnstaid vnconstant in desire Then Nothing lesse yet great in mine owne Eyes for past my selfe my selfe would faine aspire In summe I am the totall summe of Ill ill in my flesh and euill in my sp'rit Worse in my Wit and worser in my Will this Lord is hee thou would'st to thee vnite But what and who art thou thou namelesse GREAT sith
thou art great beyond all quantitie How good art thou thou goodnesse most compleate for thou art great beyond all qualitie Beyond all measure thou art onely wise thou art alone eternall without Time In pow'r almightie with all-seeing Eyes in Iudgement deepe in Counsailes most sublime But what goe I about to bring thee here within the compasse of description Thou art as farre past Compasse as past Peere being immense and infinite alone If Men or Angels could nay more couldst thou by deed or word thine Essence once define Thou art no more thy selfe in deed or show for thou all Bounds dost in thy selfe confine Of Thee therefore no search can notice giue further then that thou art most infinite And that to know is onely to beleeue that so thou art in wisedome grace and might The Sunne Moone Stars with bright beames glorifide in presence of thy glory lose their Light The Cherubins like Bastard Eaglets hide their Eyes that cannot brooke thy glories sight The sturdy Pillers of th' Etheriall Frame do trembling stand when thou but knitst thy brow Yea all the Pow'rs therein sâ—rincke at the same and with those Props with feare and reu'rence bow Whose Voyce doth make the Mountaines melt like whose Check confounds the order of this Allâ— waxe Whose Breath consumes thy foes as fire doth flaxe in few thou art what thou thy selfe canst call Then how dare I vile Clod of base Contempt approch the presence of such Maiesty That is from all impuritie exempt and I a Sincke of all sordiditie To touch the Arke was death and one did dye for touching It being at the point to fall Then woe is me how dare I wretch come nye they sacred selfe that standest staying All The Bethshamites receiu'd a mortall checke for prying on that Arke too curiously And many thousands for it went to wrecke then dare I Worme cling to thy Deity How can thy grace so vile a Vermine brooke much lesse embosome such a lothed Thing That leaues offence behinde but with a looke and like a Viper with a touch doth sting What Concord can there be twixt Contraries can good and euill be incorporate Then how shouldst thou selfe goodnesse me comprise that am selfe euill which thou most dost hate For I haue beene ô Lord I shame to say what in times past I did not shame to doe Who worse then Treas'n it selfe did ah betray God vnto Man and Man to Sathan too There was a Time I was that Franticke Foole that said at least in Heart there is no God But since thy grace my Heart did better schoole I thinke not so by reason of thy Rod. Thy Rod recou'red that my straying thought reducing It into the way of Truth I to my selfe and thee by force was brought and made repent that madnesse of my youth Thanks kindest Rod I kisse thee for thy grace which like a Potion did with Nature striue To conquere that which Nature did disgrace and made me dead in Sinne in grace to liue But Lord how blest and better had I bin if thy smooth Staffe had staid me in the Way For thy rough Rod doth Loue by terror win and Loue is lame that doth by terror stay But yet let terror as loues Harbinger make way to lodge thy Loue within my Heart Which of thy Loue would faine be Harbourer because thou mak'st it faine by force of smart But let thy loue be of my Heart embrac'd meerely for Loue and kept with louing feare Let not my Loue with terror be disgrac'd but let It free from terrors Let appeare O let me loue thee as thou louest mee thou lou'st me for my selfe and thy Loues sake Then for thy selfe alone let me loue thee without respect of what Loue lame doth make I now desire with more then hot desire to be new molt and cast into the Molde Of all perfection by Afflictions fire sith for thy Temple That refines the Golde Lord if thou wilt thou canst then make me cleane Draw me with Cords of Loue made fast by Feare Though my Sinnes measure passe thou hast no meane in mercy then let mercy make me cleare If thou requir'st contrition for my faults with Sinne and Sorrow lo I labour â—ore A iarring Twin each other that assaults within the wombe that breedes them more and more If Satisfaction thou of me require Lo here I offer vp my Flesh to thee To be consumed in Afflictions fire so thou vouchsafe to saue the Soule of me Poure out thy Vengeance Vials all there-on make it like Vapor to euaporate The Humors ill wherewith it 's ouer-gone that Flesh from flesh may so be separate O thou whose Loue enflames all good desires quench thou the thirst of my desire that flames To be consum'd in those thrice sacred fires which mend the formes of mind Spirits frames Giue me thy Loue and throw me into Hell for there thy Loue will pleasure me in paine Yea paines to bring me pleasures will compell and make me Heau'n by Hell so to obtaine This onely Boone I craue by Grace to be armed with Patience most inuincible In all thy fiery Tryals made of me that Sense make brooke them as insensible Which Patience still consociates constant Loue which can endure more then Paine can inflict O then let me that Loue in mercy proue then proue me with all proofes though ne'er so strict Thy will be mine and mine be euer thine giue me no pow'r to will or not to will But as thou wilt and let no will be mine but that which maugre Flesh may thine fulfill Thou know'st what 's best for me then is that best which thou what ere it be for me shalt doe Then let me locke my cares within thy Chest when they too strong wold my weake Chest vndo Be thou the Centre of my Soules desires and let them rest in Thee in all vnrest Be thou the Vnction still to feede those fires till of eternall Light they be possest To which as to the vtmost of their hope Bring thou them Lord that art their vtmost scope Of Lifes breuitie the Fleshes frailtie the Worlds vanitie and the Diuels tyranny THou Eld of Dayes teach me my dayes to count deare Lord mine End learn me mine end to know That of the same I may yeeld rust account These secrets Lord to me in secret show To thinke of long life is in death to liue To think of Death ' s long life which Death doth giue My Time is in thy hands then It display That I may know It so to vse It well A thousand yeeres with thee is scarse a day But they are more with me then Time can tell In twice fiue Ages Time can tell no more Then no Mans time thrice trebl'd tels such store Are not my Dayes few and mine end at hand Whose life is like the shadow of a Dreame What Substance is 't by which such shadowes stand Is 't ought but Nothing in the great'st extreame If lesse then Nothing then
be all my Dayes Can I loue Life which Truth doth so dispraise A Ship a Shaft a Shuttle were too slow Or whatsoeuer else doth swiftly glide The flight of Time in this short life to show But It as lesse then Nothing must abide Then ah shall lesse then Nothing make me lose Thee Thing of Things that dost each Thing enclose And what a lesse then Nothing is this Life It 's worse then Nought that 's lesser then That Lâ—sse So fraught with Mischiefe Sorrow Sinne and Strife That It like Hell is Hold of Heauinesse For who so hath most ease and rest therein Are most diseas'd most oft with restlesse Sinne. No foote of Ground Earths dismall face containes That is not ouer-laid with treble Snares A Flies foote rests not on It without Paines Besides Deaths danger and a World of cares I speake but speak with griefe what I haue found On Earth then Earth of griefe is but the Ground For scarce is one Temptation ouer-past But in the Neck thereof another comes Like Circles that Stones cause in Waters cast Which chase each other till the last o'er-comes So and none otherwise Temptations striue Which by the spoile of others best shall thriue Nay so each other to succeede were ease More then temptation vseth to admit But while the first endures like swelling Seas Another riseth worse much worse then It Then in temptations Seas with Waues thus driu'n How hard is it t' attaine the Hau'n of Heau'n The treble Snares fore-mention'd three fell Foes Doe lay for me to catch me if they can The Flesh the Diuell and the World are Those Which three still watch to catch me carelesse Man The least of which hath skill exceeding great Then how should I poore Wren their drifts defeate On this side fights my Flesh the World on that The Diuell at my Backe and all as One Doe me assaile nay doe they care not what So I thereby may quite be ouer-throwne And thus like cunning Foes they compasse mee That I may haue no way away to flee I cannot from my Body flee because It is my Clogge and I am tide thereto Nor must I It vndoe for any cause For so vndone I doe my soule vndoe If I doe feede the same my foe I fat That will assault mee much the more for that Then must I needes my Body beare about Though faine I would forsake It knew I how And yet the same is alwayes running out Yet drawes me with 't as Colts doe draw the Plow It tires my Spirit that toiles to keepe it in From being tir'de in running out to sinne Besides th'iniurious World beleaguers me This that and eu'ry way with maine and might And through the Loope-holes of my Senses Hee With my weake Soule continually doth fight Which still thogh faintly fights to keepe out death And oft poore Soule quite shee is out of breath If at those Loopes the World repulse doth take Hee sets his Slaues to watch me in my way That they may through my slippings me o'er-take And so to wound my Fame with sharp Dispraise Or draw mee els before Authority Where I may know what t' is to slip awry But that 's a fauour done against his will Herein his malice mends me makes me watch My sinfull selfe from running into ill Lest that these Fiends should me in euill catch For Lord thou know'st they watch not for my good But how by mischiefe they may suck my bloud If thee I serue they call me Hypocrite If I doe not then Atheist am I nam'd If I giue Almes t is that beg praise I might So doe I good or euill I am blam'd Then this thrice wayward World by his good will Will haue me to be Nothing good nor ill The Diuell is a Spirit which is vnseene Then how should I auoid his mortall Blowes Whose weapons are as long as strong and keene And sendeth flaming Shafts from fiery Bowes The least of which to death my Soule will wound If thou confound them not ere they confound So then these three strong armed Enimies Me ceaselessely assaile to make me fall The Flesh suggesteth to me Luxuries The World obiecteth Sweetes the Diuell Gall And all as most intire conspire in this To make me ill to liue to die amisse The Flesh importunes me with daintie food With Sleepe Sloth Lust and carnall Liberty The World doth moue me to ambitious moode The Diuell to Malice Ire and Treacherie Thus all in seu'rall sort in one agree To pare my Crowne if not to conquer me Behold ô Lord with whom I liue perforce I dwell with Scorpions Vipers and the like Which kill by Nature without all remorce And with their stings they good and bad doe strike O Lord how long how long deare Lord shall I Endure this Death the Life of misery Atheists and Infidels doe neighbour me Beside these foes and with them still doe ioyne To worke my wracke for they still boring be Betwixt thy Spirit and mine them to vnioyne Among the Tents of Kedars thus I dwell Whose In-mates are as Serpent-wise as fell Example more then Precept makes vs good And is there none that doth good no not one Then ah what can liue with this Vipers Brood That is not brought to nought no not a Stone Then I being Flesh how can I hurt auoide By them by whom eu'n Stones are oft annoid In these sore Conflicts if I should retire Into my selfe I finde me fraught within With fleshly worldly diuellish-damn'd desire The three-fold Bastard of these Foes and Sinne. Who will with them conspire to conquer me Then in my selfe I least secure shall be My Heart 's more moueable then Motion is Vnconstant fugitiue vaine light lewd blinde Wandring each way and yet the way doth misle Yet still holds on that Course by course of kinde Agent and Patient t is in Sinne and Shame That both effects and suffers for the same And as a Mill doth grinde what it receiues Els grindes it selfe if nought be throwne thereon So doth the Heart grinde what the same conceiues Else grindes it selfe till it to nought be gone But it by Nature still conceiueth Sinne Then Sinne by Nature still is ground therein But if thy Grace Lord thou therein infuse It grindes the same like flow'r of finest Wheate To make sweet Bread vnleauened to vse When as the Soule doth grinde thee as her meate And as the heart doth grinde the Soule to feede With good or bad so our liues haps succeede Sometimes it grindes but griefes infus'd by Sinne And oft but Dusty thoughts and Earthy cares Thou when such Griefs it grindes pour'st Ioy therin And me for thee by griefes that Ioy prepares Then may I say when so the Mill doth runne I had beene if I had not beene vndone But for the most part it is euer cloid Like an hard Miâ—l-stone with the softest things As fleshly lusts and vaine Ioyes ouer-ioyde And with that harts-case which most torment brings So that my Heart
Traitor worse then hee that solde thee it will for Meede or Dread the Soule betray Nor in fire is it willing to behold thee in fiery tryals then it shrinckes away Therefore when it a Champion of such might betraid to feare I dare not say I will No that 's Presumption but I wish I might for willing well without thee we doe ill Then be with me strong Pow'r and I will say I will and will performe that will in Deed For where thou art by Pow'r it 's but a play in greatest torments then to burne or bleed Now as thy Body grew so grew thy griefes for who deare Lord can possibly expresse Thy Persecutions void of all reliefe saue Praying Fasting Watching Wearinesse They spake against thee who sate in the Gate and common Drunkards ballads made of thee That thou might'st say in worse then Dauids state being poore I labour from mine Infancie These were the griefs dear Loue thy life did brook but in thy Death what Sense ere vnderstood What paines thou felt'st when like a rising brooke thy body more and more o'erflow'd with bloud Freedome made Captiue Mercy Miserie Grace quite disgraced beauty vilifide Innocence strooken Iustice doom'd to dye Glory quite shamed and Life crucifide O Heau'ns what can amaze with Wonderment the Sense of Man more then this what shall I Call this so strange vnheard of Loues extent that ouer-fils all Names Capacitie In few now Grace alone seemes Sinne alone Life dyes State 's whipt and Pow'r bound to a Poast The Glory of the Father spet vpon and in a word God seemeth to be lost In this Deepe further may my Soule not wade my strength is spent for my heart bleedes in me O glorious Grace O Maiestie vnmade is this for me O boundlesse Charitie If I for my Redemption am so tide to loue and honour thee What shall I bee For that thou did'st so many Deaths abide when one wold serue to make me more than free With what loue shall I quite this more then Loue with what life shall I imitate thy life With what teares shall I my repose reproue and with what Peace shall I conclude my strife I owe thee more for my redeeming Lord sith in the same thou Death of deaths didst proue Then for my Making which was with a Word for more much more thy Passion showde thy loue For if for Cherubins or Seraphins thou had'st thus di'd t 'had beene lesse meruellous But thou hast di'd for me a Sincke of sinnes which of all Wonders is most wonderous What are we Lord or what our Fathers House we Sons of wretched Men that Gods deere Senne Doth in such loue and mercie visit vs as through Death to re-make vs quite vndone If in the ballance of thy Sanctuary thou weigh our body t' will be found more light Than Vanitie more graue then Misery as if It did consist in Natures spight And if our Conuersation thou respect what is it but a Chaos of Offence The Goodnesse of whose All is all Defect whose very Souâ—'s but Hell of Conscience Dost thou ô God then for such Diuels die the Sonnes of Sathan most oppos'd to thee For the Subuerters of all Honestie for breakers of good Lawes that blessed be For thy Contemners for thy Gloryes Clouds for thy Deprauers for the worst of Ils For meere cuâ—st Thwarts of all Beatitudes for thy Tormentors that thy Soule would kill Whose Hearts no gifts can once allure to loue much lesse with Menaces are terrifide Nor mou'd with heauy Plagues that Rockes would moue nor yet with sweet'st Indulgence mollifide For Fiends who not suffic'd with their owne vice the Earth doe compasse so to compasse more And not contented others to intice diue to the Diuels to augment their store Where robbing those Egyptians of their wealth to weet Pride Enuy Malice blasphemie Away they steale so all they doe by stealth to make them Idols for their Fantasie Who when they haue rak'â— Hell for eu'ry Euill and got as much as Hell can hold or yeeld They then deuise themselues worse then the Diuel new kindes of sinnes that Hell yet neuer held Adding thereto obduracie of Heart and doe their Conscience more then cauterize Pleasing themselues like Fiends in others smart and for that end doe many meanes deuise Are these deare Lord the things for which thou the things I say for no Name is so ill As they deserue What onely must the Highest diest dye for vile Vipers that their Maker kill My Heart doth faile my Spirit is extinct when thus I weigh thy Mercies with my Sinne And wert not for thy graces meere instinct I should despaire deare Lord and dye therein Yet sith I haue begun to speake to thee O be not angry if I yet doe speake Let Dust and Ashes once so saucie be to aske their God what He hereby doth seeke Seek'st thou the loue of such meere Lumps of Hate or else the seruice of such Vermine vile Alas great Lord it stands not with thy State sith where they come by nature they defile If thy desire of Marriage did so burne that Thou thy Creatures would'st needes espouse Why then did Seraphins not serue thy turne that are more Noble and thee better vse Why of a prepuce Nation took'st a Wife which afterwards did Thee betray and kill So marriedst as it were the very Knife that cut thy throate so seem'dst thy selfe to spill What answer'st Lord to these too high Demands I would haue this because I would have this This is thine Answere and the reason stands vpon thy Will which cannot will amisse Then be it Lord according to thy Will for so it muâ—â— be be it how so ere By life or death then let me It fulfill that dost by both thee so to mee endeere For since Mans fall none passe to Paradise but by the dreadfull burning Cherubins To Canaan none but by where Marah lies sith there th' inheritance of ioy begins And none vnto the happy Citie goes that goes not by the Babel-Riuers side And none Ierusalem or sees or knowes that through the vale of Teares nor goe â—orride The way to Heau'n is by the Gates of Hell and Wormwood-wine thogh bitter wholsome is Thy Crosse ô Christ doth Heau'ns strong 〈◊〉 compell to open wide for t is the Key of blisse And sith for me so well thou loud'st that Crosse Let me for thee count all things else but losse A Thanksgiuing for our Vocation WIth all the pow'r and vertues of my Soule I doe adore thee holy Lord of All That when I had no name in thy check-rowle thou wrat'st it on thy Palme and me didst call I dwelt sometimes in blacke Obliuions Land where in the shade of Death I sadly sate But thou kind Lord didst reach me then thy hand which from thence drew me to a glorious state When as I wandred in the crooked wayes that too directly led to endlesse paine Thou didst thy forces then against me raise to put me in thy
way perforce againe When thou hadst plung'd me in the Font of Grace so clens'd the filth I was conceiued in Though there I vow'd to keepe me in that case I brake my vow and me re-suncke in sinne So that sweet Temple which thou sanctifi'dst in me for thee I cursedly did blesse Raising therein that which thou least abid'st namely the Idoll of Voluptuousnesse Then liu'd I as an Out-law when it seem'd by Law or Fiend or Foe might me surprise But I of thee yet then was so esteem'd that thou by Law didst quit me in this wise The Law requir'd Death or Obedience then thou for me didst more then Law requir'd Which di'dst for sinne yet liu'dst in innocence so thou thereby didst more then It desir'd Yet ere I once did thinke vpon thy Grace I liu'd as loose as if I had beene bound To nothing but to Persons Time and Place that sought my Soule and body to confound So past my Dayes that rather lookt like Night nay rather like the Darke that may be felt Wherein my selfe ne'er came within my sight although I might mine vnsweet life haue smelt Then like blinde Baiard being bold as blinde I ranne as Fancy led me eu'ry where To doe the Deedes of darknesse in their kinde and with me others blinded so did beare Then what was it the Diuell could deuise to clog a Soule with Sinne exceeding Sinne But I to doe it was as quicke as wise the rather sith my Soule did ioy therein Then carnall beautie was the onely Sunne that warm'd me at the heart and lent me light A Light and Heate by which were quite vndone mine Eyes Heart nay Body Soule Spright For all confounded were as they had bin no more themselues but beauties shadowes vaine Attending her in whatsoeuer Sinne as Toyes that had bin stitched to her Traine Then were my Feete as swift as swiftest Roes Mans bloud to shed and so thy Forme deface My friends to wrong and treble wrong my foes to shunne the good and bad men to embrace Then those things onely pleased best my taste that were distastiue to thy sacred Sense And that time onely I esteemed waste that to thy Seruice had most reference Thy Name to my vncircumcized Eare was harsh and fill'd the same with all offence Which I did deadly hate through seruile feare but seru'd thy Foes with treble diligence The World the Flesh and thy Competitor that for my Soule with Thee do aye contend Made me their Slaue and seruil'dst Seruitor so gaue my Minde thy Kindome to the Fiend Thy Word to me seeem'd most ridiculous as full of Crackes as Contradiction And no lesse witlesse then most barberous so made I it a Ground to play vpon The fairest Church then seem'd the fowlest Iaile a Preacher like an Headsman kill'd me quite Words least diuine with me did most preuaile and Peace of Conscience still in me did fight In briefe I was for which my selfe I hate such as on whom VICE show'd what she could do When she did light but on a low estate for what Deedes shee deuis'd my Hand was to In this time of my young yet doating Age thou didst expect me Lord and lent'st me breath Yea didst attend me like that Princes Page that alwayes put his Lord in minde of Death O altitude of Grace surmounting Grace ô magnitude of Mercy most extreame How many settings-out in such a Race haue beene o'er-taken with thy Furies Streame Yet I most blessed-cursed-blessed I haue by the Mercy more then most diuine Beene suffer'd to be tir'd with vanitie and yet preseru'd till brought to Grace in fine Had Iustice hands which then still vrged were drawne me before her High Tribunall Throne And by a Quest of Angels tride me there I had beene cast and more then ouerthrowne But blest be thine vnconquer'd Patience that me forbore till I to sinne forbare And blessed be thy Mercies prepotence by which I warded was and bid beware Forcing into my Soule the feare of Hell the sight of Sinne Lifes vaine and short expence With thy Lawes strictnesse all which still impell my Heart though Steele to melt in penitence Yea when my feet were fast in Follies Stockes thou didst by Grace past Grace extort from me Whole Flouds of Teares from two most flintie Rockes my Heart and Eyes for so offending thee And when I fled from thee as if it had beene matter of small moment Thee to flee Thou follow'dst me I being worse then mad to keepe me from the Furies following mee Thus long we straue and striuing long at length thou didst preuaile and tam'd my Coltish Will Yet t was by holy Fraud and mightie Strength which claw'd me while they did restraine me still For no lesse was thy Mercies skill herein then thy Pow'rs force for sinfull Soules to cure Showes skilfull Grace and Men that most doe sinne to iustifie bewraies almightie Pow'r And ô how many Graces giu'st thou me with this meere guilt of my Vocation Firme Faith sure Hope and perfect Charitie with all the Vertues that attend thereon And though I cannot be assured Lord to serue thee to the end and meeke withall Yet doe my Faith and Hope rest on thy Word which sure doth stand though oft vnsure I fall Thy Sp'rit likewise doth witnesse to my Sp'rit that thou dost loue me more than tenderly Sith in thy Loue thou mak'st my Loue delight which loue erst lothed thy Loue mortally Blessed be thou therefore great Lord of Grace for giuing me thy deare adopting Spirit To nurse and teach and rule me in my Race and thee and me vnioynde to re-vnite And blessed be that euer-blessed DAY wherein that Ghest did make my Soule his Inne And be that Houre and Moment blessed aye wherein my Will gaue way to let him in That Day was the true Sabboth of my rest that Day I left th' Egyptian seruitude That was my second Birth-day truely blest who then was borne to all Beatitude It was mine Easter-day wherein I rose from Death of Sinne vnto the Life of Grace It was the Day my Heau'nly Husband chose to marry me and Coort me face to face Let Iob and Ieremy ban their birth-Day this will I blesse with Heart Mind Mouth Pen Sith then the Angels in their best aray saluted me as their Co-cittizen Wherein God call'd me Son and Christ dear Spouse the Holy-Ghost his Temple and when all The Holy TRINITIE did trimme the House of my poore Soule that teady was to fall Deare Lord with what deare Words or dearer Deedes no dearest Words and Deeds are all too weake To match thy Mercies but my Soule must needs quite breake if not into thy Praises breake I le sing to thee as Dauid once did sing O Lord how glorious are thy Workes of Grace And as the Angels Peales of Praises ring so will I praise thee though my voyce be base The worke of my Creation show'd great Loue and that of my Redemption more exprest Yet that of
Friends and Ghostly Guides how many good Examples Lights of life What like Bookes hast thou sent me these besides as Loue-signes whilst thou woo'dst me for thy Wife All which to thee I freely doe referre that they from thee more freely may reflow For sith thou didst all these on me conferre ere I was thine now all Thine I doe owe. But to recount the Perils I haue past thou being present pointing out the way Is more then well Arithmetick can cast which doe thy mercies numberlesse bewray And into what more than prodigious Crimes I might haue fall'n hadst thou not me vpheld Yea hadst thou not preuented me be times appeares by those that haue in sinne excell'd For neuer did the Diuell sinne so much but that a fraile Man may commit as great If with thy grace his Heart thou doe not touch and with thy Pow'r the pow'r of Sinne defeate As many Meanes then as I had to sinne and fit Occasions as I had to fall So many might my Sinnes and Fals haue bin if I by thee had had no help at all Occasions are so violent in Pow'r that they could Giant-foyling Dauid fall For they once tooke him vp into his Tow'r from whence he fell in part and after all Occasion is a Ianus which doth looke to Vice and Vertue most indifferently But by Sinnes watching him he oft is tooke and made the meane of much Impietie Hee 's fain'd to stand vpon an vpright Bowle to show his course is most indifferent Except he meetes with rubs which make him roule out of the way which way those Rubs are bent But ô how often hast thou with strong hand â—ane him out of my way lest I should fall By reason he in my way right did stand for oft I stumble at Occasion small How oft hast Thou the FOES hand manacled because he should not fight or if he should I should be Victor and not vanquished and so get Grace sith tride I held my Hold How often haue I march'd vpon my Foes the Adder Viper and the Cocatrice And neuer was once stung or hurt by those thou had'st so charm'd the malice of their vice How oft hast thou walk'd hand in hand with me through Fire and Water all vntoucht of eyther Nay so their Pow'rs were tempered by thee that they wrought for my comfort altogether And how oft haue they quite consumed bin who for not worshipping their senslesse Sawes Haue in Afflictions Furnace kept me in the whiles I sang for ioy in Sorrowes Iawes That with the Psalmist I may iustly say I was sore thrust at that I so might fall But thou o'er-threw'st my thrusters with my stay as Bals quite breake throwne hard against a wall How oft haue my Sinnes sold me to thy wrath how often haue I fall'n yet neuer fell For in thy Mercy which no measure hath though I did passing ill I haue done well Though I gaue that to Nature due to Grace and to my selfe that which belong'd to Thee Who might'st haue grac'd Thee then with my disgrace yet gau'st thou grace not shame eu'n then to me And though the Angels fell for lesse offence and that proud Babel-Monarch for the same Yet I as one of more preheminence escap'd vnskarr'd in Body Goods and Name I Perils lou'd yet perisht not therein by many by-wayes I found out the right With Grace familiar was I made by Sinne so foild I Sinne by Sinne and not by fight Was euer Loue so wonne was euer Man so woo'd by GOD or can my Soule conceiue How much thy Mercies may that so much can or can I thee of Loue deare Loue deceiue O rather of my Being quite bereaue me and turne me to my pristrinâ— Nihil-hood Then I should so of but meere Loue deceiue thee that mak'st mine Euils doe me so much good Burne me kinde LOVE to Nothing that of nought thou mai'st in Loue make some-thing good for thee Of nought thou mad'st me good mine Ill I wrought then now of nought good make me euer be Perfect great Master-builder of mine All thy Worke begunne and let my Nothing be Apt to be-come in Forme materiall and be conform'd to matter lou'd of Thee Breathe on this CHAOS Lord and let thy Spirit walke on the Waters of my Humors vaine My Darknesse palpable couert to Light so my Confusion shall in Order raigne O'er Sinne and Death and darke-darke Ignorance in datelesse Tearmes of all Eternities The value of thy Vertue to aduance which of thy selfe aboue all Heights doth rise This is my Hope which is because thou ART Iust in thy Word and Deede in All and Part For Power and Grace to withstand the Flesh the World and the Diuell WHen I looke vp and see the Heau'nly Spheares roule on my Time and my Lifes Line therin Thus say I to my Soule Vaine Soule thy yeares are nothing sith thou nothing dost but sinne Yet art thou made eternall like thy Sire and all conceiu'st like him beneath the Sunne Th' art in my Whole and Parts like him intire and hast like him right Reason Ill to shunne And yet ô yet thou dost but Ill withall so all that good thou turn'st to Euill still Who through Infirmitie to Sinne dost fall when thou stand'st highest in grace of Pow'rs good-will Then Lord of Pow'r and Grace with both so arme my falling Soule that she thereby may stand Against th' Assaults of all that would her harme for she can foile but with thy Forces Band. Great Lord of Hostes Iehouah God of Pow'r then leaue me not alone among my Foes But strengthen me from thy Strengths trusty Tow'r that I by Thee may euer vanquish those The Flesh the World the Diuell with their Bands of strong as fraudfull Foes me still assaile While all my Pow'r lyes onely in thy Hands which when I hold I foile with-held I faile If then thou wouldst I still should Victor be giue me those helps that in thy hand still lye Flesh fights not with it selfe but thou in me canst foile it quite and make it Mercy cry The World doth loue it selfe and so her Owne too well t'endamage eyther and doth charge Too strongly on me to be ouerthrowne by my small pow'r if thou it not enlarge And Sathan in himselfe is not diuided though in himselfe still turbulent he be He is too crafty strong and well-prouided for me t' encounter if thou help not me Then ô estsoones againe and still againe I thine assistance humbly doe inuoke That so I may still vanquish so still raigne o'er these our Foes that euer vs prouoke So will I yeeld the glory vnto Thee That foilst such strength by Weaknesse that 's by me The Sinner confessing his sinne striueth with God by importunitie of Prayer for Grace GReat God! from whoÌ„ no thought can be concea'ld sith it thou know'st ere thoght searched hast All Hearts ere they in Nature are reueal'd forgiue my thoughts that giue thee but distaste To my Confusion needes I must confesse
it selfe to them made Sugar-sweet Then what but Gall it selfe will Honey seeke besides the Honey of thy sweetest Loue For who are more exalted then the meeke sith Heau'n and Earth of them doe most approue Then if thou make me meeke thou mak'st me more Then Heau'n and Earth for both will me adore For perfect Vnion with God and Grace to shunne all Lets that may hinder it WHen I sweet Sauiour minde the Orison thou mad'st thy Maundy-night with strong effect When as thou praid'st for perfect vnion betweene thy Father thee and thine elect I am thereby encouraged to pray that in that Vnion though too base I be I may b'included if so be I may being so vile so inward be with thee Which can be hardly if at all it can without my Soule forsake the Flesh and Fiend And all besides thee be it Angell Man or what soe'er for Thee her onely END But this shee cannot doe without thy Grace thy grace preuenting and assisting both Then grace her so that she may thee embrace and in respect of thee all others lothe By that deare vnexampled Loue that made thee hang all naked on the Crosse vouchsafe That I may liue with thee as nought I had besides though I the World besides should haue And if it may be Lord ô let me liue without the least Sinne for the least that is Doth let our Vnion and doth euer striue to seuer me for euer from thy Blisse Then grant that I my body so may keepe from all transgrâ—ssing that I may not moue One Ioynt t'vnioyne vs but my Soule to sweepe from all Pollution that doth let thy Loue. That from offending it may be as cleare as it was made by thee in Thee to rest And though she cannot be so perfect here yet make Her still desire the same at least Yea make me will no Ioy for that is none that is not in thee and the Bread I eate Let it no more delight me than a Stone but onely but to serue Thee take my meate And when my Palate proues some Foode too sweet then let me thinke how much more sweet thou art That mad'st it such so make me make it meete to make me taste thy Sweetnesse in my Heart So let me vse all Creatures pleasing Sense to send me to Thee Cause of that Effect So in them still taste but thine Excellence and by them still the more the same affect Yea let no Sweet of whatsoeuer kinde that 's but created once my Soule allure From thee sweet Lord or from continuall minde of thy deare Sweetnesse that all Sweetes procures But Loue and Meeknesse are the onely two to mâ—ke vs one â—eare Sweet that diuers be Then let high'st Loue and lowest Meeknesse too make one of twâ— that 's one of thee and mee And meeke to make me let me euer minde I am nought haue nought know nought nought can do And nought desire nor seâ—ke but Grace to finde to loue thee highly and be lowly too Then make me rich in Soule and poore in spirit rich in good deeds and yet most poore in thought When I doe best to weene I worst doe merâ—â— and when most good to thinke I am most nought So by the By-path that but Fooles doe finde of true Simplicitie that 's iust and free To runne to Thee and leaue the World behinde to thinke me mad for running so to Thee But let me so be still besides my selfe and still besides the Way the World doth roame Though it with Flowers be strowde and pau'd 〈…〉 yet set me flie it in my hying home The Heau'n-rapt Saint was so himselfe beside for hee all eartly Dainties held as Doung And while as mad the most did him deride he went to Thee a narrow way and long Nay thou thy selfe dear Lord that all dost schoole because thou didst elect this Way to goe And that reiect attir'd wast like a Foole and so esteem'd then let me foole it so But hide my life in thee so shall I liue a light to all that walke in wayward moode For them thou hid'st that good example giue from eu'ry Ill then let me giue this good But when I giue it let me thinke I giue the good thou gau'st for all good gifts are thine So shall I rightly thinke while â—o I liue and all the praise thereof to thee resigne So let me doe and thinke so shall I gaine True Vnitie with thee in Ioy and Paine The Sinner in great sorrow for Sinne relyeth on God for grace and comfort ON thy help Lord I relye then poore I Perish must if thou restraine it O then stretch thy helping-hand or command That I may with speede obtaine it For as one forgotten quite out of sight I forlorne in sorrow languish Help ô help me then with speede for I feed As on Bread on nought but Anguish If I sinne I sigh therefore and deplore That I haue in ought offended Yea my Soule doth waste with woe sith I know Sinne doth marre what Thâ—â—s hast mended Faine I would then cease to sinne and beginne Now to liue as thou hast willed But if by Thee that didst fire that desire It be not of me fulfilled I at best but well shall will doing ill Then I shall for it be vexed So shall I but sinne and grieue while I liue And in Conscience be perplexed It is tedious to my Sp'rit day and night Thus to sinne then pine in passion For being staid yet still to fall is no small Signe of death or reprobation Help then help me Lord lest I doubtfull dye Make my sorrowes passe my sinning That I may so cease to sinne so to winne Better end then my beginning For in sinne conceiu'd I was so alas Sinnefull am sith so conceiued Then of force sith I am such doe not grutch I should be to Grace receiued With more griefe my Sinne I wound than I found Pleasure in the sinne committing O then let my sorrowes still sinning kill While thy Graces vs be knitting Blessed God then make me grieue while I liue For my grieuing thee so blessed Let my Teares still quench the fire of thine Ire Till I be of Grace possessed So shall I to shunne thy wrath tread the Path Of thy Biddings till my dying Or on winges of Loues desire still aspire To thee then ô take me flying The Sinner acknowledging repugnant desires in himselfe desireth to be enabled to performe his good desires I Would be thine and I would haue thee mine deare Lord and yet I crosse mine owne desires For still I sinne then cannot I be thine yet faine I would with thee be still entire Then I desire what my desires resist ô strange repugnance would I thee enioy And yet in that which seuers vs persist then my desires doe my desires destroy True Lord how euer false this seemes to be it false but seemes but it 's too true herein For my poore Soule would nothing more then thee and yet my Soule doth
the slip to all that breathe yet in so stealing he Takes all things with him like a fraughted Shippe that he doth hold when he doth fearelesse flee Vpon the World he steales and with him brings a world of yeeres wherewith the World doth weare As Men can witnesse and all earthly Things for now they be but moates to what they were Those she produc'd when she was in her youth were Ceders to these shrubs for she was then In her full vigour and gaue greater growth to all she bare for Giants were her Men. None otherwise then as a Wife in yeeres beares none so goodly Children as in youth No more this World now ouer-aged beares such as in youth she did for Grace nor growth She Giants brought in youth but now she ages she beares but Pigmies men that scarse appeare Too little to be Pages to their Pages that first she bare which shewes her end is neere And so say all that strictly doe obserue Diuine and Humane Writings and the State Of all things past and present which doe serue for signes and demonstrations of her date Within sixe dayes God made the Vniuerse a thousand yeeres with whom is but a day Then it is thought such sixe dayes shall reuerse his sixe dayes Worke that moues but so to stay But for th' Elect the foot of this Account shall be cut off then now the end appeares For all the passed yeeres doe neere amount to those sixe dayes that make so many yeeres The Worlds Parts are decaid as doth appeare Etna Parnassus and Olympus too Are not so eminent as erst they were and all that 's done seemes quite now to vndoe Now swels the Sea where erst faire Cities stood so where Men walkt now huge Sea-monsters swim And where the Earth was couer'd with her Floud now Citties stand vnneere the Oceans Brim Hils suncke Flouds dride the Planets lose their force and Plants their vertue yea the totall Frame Of Nature's out of frame the Sunne in 's course is out of course with age suncke in the same For since the dayes of Ptolomey it 's found many degrees more nigh the Earth he stoupes So like an aged Drunkard runneth round till flat he fall for more and more he droupes The Articke and th' Antarticke Poles shall wracke the Climes they couer and the Hoast of Heau'n Shall ioyne their Forces to breake Natures Backe and all confuse to which was Order giu'n Th' Astrologers will haue it end when all the Starres possesse their first place in their Spheares Which Platos yeere they stile the Hebrew Caball will haue it but endure sixe thousand yeeres Whereto agree Elias Oracles and many a sacred Saints of times more lateâ— Which Seers saw them through the Spectacles of Heau'n-holpe Ghesses cleare as most elate The World shall last say they two thousand yeeres without the Law two thousand yeeres within Two thousand vnder Grace and then appeares the God of Grace to cleare the World of Sinne. Then thou that sleep'st my drowsie Soule awake pray and be sober watch the end is neere Sinnes fruit full ripe the Kirnels ne'er so black and Iustice Sunne beginnes eu'n hot t' appeare That there shall be a Iudgement generall the most beleeue heau'ns Oracles affirme Diuines auerre the Sybils too and all the ancient Poets constantly confirme Then shall the Creatures showt the Angels call the Trumpets sound and all Men dead arise Then shall the God of IVSTICE sentence all yea be they Pow'rs or Principalities This Sentence shall be strict and shall condemne the Ill to Hell where Paine it selfe exceedes For when it meanest is it 's most extreame and where the Worme that gnawes the Conscience breedes And all for euer Euer that is it that makes All most intollerable for It Sense confounds with griefe distracts the Wit and which selfe Patience cannot but abhorre Which to the Atheist seemes impossible that Bodyes so infirme so soone destroid Should euer brooke such Paines immensible and not consume yea vtterly made voide Whereto if it be said th' Almighty will at last raise bodyes from defect so cleare That cleared so they shall continue still and all Hels wasting woes vnworne shall beare Yea Soules though incorporeall shall the while of true materiall Fire be pained still How ere it makes our Humane Reason reele yet he can doo 't that can doe what he will For they shall deeme they in their Bodies be and feele all Torments comprehensible For Soules then Bodies better fâ—ele and see sith by them onely Flesh is sensible As when we dreame without our Bodies we deeme vs within sith Sense vs not forsakes Nay without Eares and Eyes we heare and see more liuely farre then when our Sense awakes So doe the damn'd suppose they in their Flesh doe suffer that but suffer in their Sp'rit Sith Sense in them so liâ—ely is and fresh in entertaining Dolor or Delight Which in the Fount of Truth doth cleare appeare for Diues had a Tongue that was enflam'd As he suppos'd though but his Soule it were but Atheists will not know this till th' are damn'd For they except against Diuinitie Religion Faith and onely doe appeale To Reason Sense and fraile Humanitie which ne'erthelesse this veiled Truth reueale For proofe whereof the Salamander lyes and liues in fire which he desires to touch Yea most is ioy de when most therein he fries for hee 's most cold and cooles the fire as much The Adamant yea Gold it selfe if pure endures all force of fire and ne'er doth waste Shall Stones and Mettals then the Fire endure and shall mans flesh refinde in Fire not last A Peacockes flesh though dead corrupteth neuer try it who list and shall it still remaine And Mans flesh made by Death to last for euer not last it shall though it still liue in paine Lime in it selfe hath fire yet weares it not and when it 's kill'd it 's quickned then shall we Say Flesh reuiu'd must waste if still too hot when Death as from his death from it doth flee By Water that doth coole all other Heates the Lime is fir'd but poure some Oyle thereon Though Oyle feedes fire it neyther burnes nor sweates but rests as cold as any other Stone If then the nature of quicke Lime be such as Fire to hold and yet not dye with it Why should not flesh immortall doe as much when it 's enabled by Pow'r infinite Some Salt in Sicily cast in the fire straight melts to Water and in Water throwne Crackes like Fire ô who can then aspire to know the Cause that yet was neuer knowne Th' Arcadian Asbest being once enflam'd will ne'er be quencht but lasts an endlesse flame Then why not those that endlesly are damn'd being made immortall to endure the same And in Epyrus is a Fount wherein a Torch may lighted be and quenched too If these things are and more more strange haue bin why should we thinke but God can stranger doe Before Mans fall he could not
dye for Death came by his Fall Then cannot that high Pow'r That fashion'd him of nought and gaue him Breath make him re-made eternally endure The Wonders which he workes continually are not admir'd sith they familiar be For Admiration's dull'd by frequencie else should we wonder at what still we see The Face of mankinde wer 't not vniforme men could not be from beasts discern'd and showne And yet had All in all respects one Forme One from another hardly could be knowne Thus Likenesse with great Difference rests we see in one selfe Thing which for such common are We ne'er admire them but we muse when we see but two Faces like for that is rare And at the Load-stone we doe wonder lesse that naile by naile doth many nailes vphold By touching but the first yet sith it is so common we admire not as we should I might be endlesse in recounting such most strange Effects whereof no Cause is knowne Then were it madnesse not to grant as much Pow'r to th' Almightie and to Natures Crowne No he hath said It by whose onely WORD all is that is and All hath made of nought Whose Power is Infinite which can accord Repugnancies themselues but with a Thought For there is nothing that doth argue Pow'r but he can doe it what he cannot doe Is fraile inglorious base and most impure else can he doe it and vndoe it too If Gods Prerogatiue were crusht so close that he no more then Man had pow'r t' effect How were he God nay God himselfe he showes in that his Workes farre passe our Intellect Then let 's beleeue Omnipotence can speake no Word it cannot doe how e'er to vs It seemes impossible for we are weake and weakly iudge of hard things to discusse But let vs rest on that ne'er-failing WORD nay so put vp our Rest that eu'n our Soules Yea all our All may thereby be assur'd in so faire Hazard that no Chance controules For should we rest but on those restlesse Stayes that Reason betraid by sense erects we shall But rest on that 's betrayed and betrayes so in right sense and Reason needes must fall But say there were no rising after Death by vertuous life what doe or can we lose But spend our Time in gaining longer breath for Vertue Lifes foes Passions doth repose And if there were no Hell to punish sinne yet we in Reason should not sinne sith it Is so obsceane and thereby nought we winne but selfe-condemning of our Will and Wit But we that doe beleeue we eft shall rise haue great aduantage of the rest for we Haue what they haue though fewer vanities and by our faith in case farre better be For if there be another Life than this wherein all weale or woe we must sustaine Then by Good workes and Faith we shall haue blisse but faithlesse men all labour for their paine For impious Atheists take more paines for Hell tiring themselues with ioyes that vexe their Sp'rits Then pious men still praying in their Cell doe take for Heau'n for That the Sp'rit delights Deare Lord then so dispose my Wit and Will that I may rest vpon thy Word which makes Me blest and worke in rest thereafter still with more delight then Sense in pleasure takes In sacred Raptures take my Soule to thee and her embrace with kisse of endlesse Peace That being so familiar still with mee I at thy Doome may hopefull be through these That though the horror of that day be such as may all Sense confound with feare past feare Yet may I hope though yet I feare too much thou wilt not damne him whō thou heldst so dear Meane while so binde my Sense with vertues bands that it may neuer moue but as she shall Loose or restraine it or thy sacred Hands all whose restraints are free from paine or fall And let that Trump as with a Saint it did still in the Organ of my hearing sound That shall to Iudgement call both quicke and dead that so Ieuer may be ready found For yet I doe but doate on false Delights Delights alas that stile they ill sustaine Though false be added for they vexe the Sp'rits of all that taste them so they are but paine Vncharme the Charmes then of these grieuous ioyes that still allure my sense of them to taste And let my pleasure be in all annoyes for thy deare Loue vntill I breath my last For were I here to liue as many a yeere as yeeres haue moments in extreame annoy Yet it vnworthy of Heau'ns glory were sith it is infinite in time and ioy But now by Nature though it should extend my life beyond my life I cannot last Longer then one that 's making now his end for my best part of life long since is past My best said I ô sname if so it were I should dispaire or if I did not so I should be franticke with distracting feare that my best time in madnesse did bestow But Thou that of the worst canst make the best make this my worst time best my later Age Make better then my first for I detest to thinke on That so fond so full of rage Let me relapse no more in word nor deede Relaspses more doe vexe me then my sinne And yet my sinnes still make my Conscience bleede but my Relapses ranckle still therein Relaps in sicknesse fleshes death doth threat Relaps in Heresie the death of Sp'rit In Error it makes falshood hugely great and so in sinne it makes it infinite In Grace sweet Sauiour there is neuer stay a Progresse or a Regresse still there is But from a Regresse let me euer stray although thereby I goe about to blisse What bootes it me to day to fight with sinnes if I to morrow follow Sathans Flagge It is th'vnwearied fighter glory winnes the weary but base Baggage and the Bagge Then let the dreadfull day of mine Accounts be so annext vnto my Heart and Braine As if they were one Essence and the founts of teares mine Eyes still farre out-flow the Maine And fixe mine Eyes still on my Mother Earth to minde from whence I came and where I must Or else on Heau'n from whence my Soule had birth but looke on no meane Things for them to lust Although such Continence be not without their outward spight that Vertue inly Hate For when we first to liue well goe about w' are crost and recrost by the Reprobate As thy deare Seruant walking on the Maine vpon thy bidding fainted when he saw A sodaine Gust make rough th Oceans Plaine inuokt thy help neare sincking through that Flaw So in this World a Sea of woes and spight thou bidst vs come to thee but as wee hie Huge Stormes of troubles threat to sinke vs quite then helpe we craue with feare at point to dye Yet Constant Lord let me no more relapse no more no more once more would kill me quite Rather then so let thy fierce Thunder-claps dash me to dust so thou receiue my
Gods Note-Booke cleane are crost Whose sins are couer'd so with Clemencie that they are hid so seeme they to be lost And blest is he to whom the God of Grace imputes no Sinne for so he shall be cleare How e'er defil'd and in whose sp'rit no base deceit shall once so much as but appeare For while I held my peace that caus'd my Warre for Death with Silence in such passion striues My bodies Props my Bones consumed are while all the day I grone in Sorrowes Giues For day and night thy Hand great God doth lye like Lead vpon my weaknesse who haue bin Conuerted into selfe Calamitie whiles the Thorne prickt me or my stinging sin But lo my faults to thee I haue reueal'd haue not clockt my crimes which thou dost hide But I confesse those Sinnes thou hast conceal'd sith my misdeedes shall so be iustifide Thus shall each pious person pray to thee in fitting time yer Mercies Gate be sparr'd But when the Inundations swelling be of many Waters they from Him are barr'd My fence ô Lord lies onely in thy Hands when troubles me assaile with fiercest woe Then ô preserue me from the impious Bands that me inclose in death to close me so I will saist thou deare Sweete instruct thee still and guide thee in thy way ô homed Words Thine Eye thou saist shall me defend from ill and watch to guard me from my foe-mens Swords Then be ô be not like an Horse or Mule that are as rude as vnintelligent Lord bridle them thy Snafle will not rule till they be rul'd or else be made repent The Plagues are great most great and manifold that doe the Sinner euermore attend But who with Hands oâ— Hope on God layes hold his boundlesse Mercy him will comprehend In Him therefore yee Righteous still be glad for he in Griefe still glads the righteous Soule Exult all ye that for your Sinnes are sad and all true Hearts that stoupe to his controule To God the Father glory be therefore and to the Sonne and their coequall Spirit As it was is and shall be euermore World without end for they are infinite Domine ne in furore Psal. 38. Dauid lying sicke of some grieuous disease acknowledgeth himselfe to be chastised of God for his sinnes and therefore prayeth God to turne away his wrath He vttereth the greatnesse of his griefes by many words and circumstances as wounded with the arrowes of Gods ire forsaken of his friends â—uill intreated of his enemies But in the end with firme confidence he commendeth his cause to God and hopeth for speedy help at his hand LOrd checke me not vntill thy rage be past nor chastise me in thine incensâ—d â—re For in my Flesh thy Shafts are fixed fast and thy Hand quels me that would faine aspire Thy Wrath hath fill'd my Flesh with all annoy for Sinne 's the sore the salue sore-sicknesse is And in my bones I can no rest enioy because their Marrow them hath mou'd amisse For mine ambitious Sinnes climbe o'er my Head and as a breake-necke Burden me oppresse My wounds which they haue made with filth are fed and ranckled sore through my worse foolishnesse I am made crooked vnderneath this loade deform'd and wretched yea it breakes my backe So all the day with griefe I make aboad or mourning goe as those that comfort lacke For ah my Ioynes that lodg'd but Sinne before now harbour nought but restlesse Malady No health is in my flesh for all is sore so sore that anguish makes me roaring cry But Lord thou know'st the Summe of my desires because my Plaints still tell it in thine eares My Heart is vext my strength from me retires nay more mine Eyes are blinded with my teares My friends in shew when thou didst fauour me like foes in deed now me poore me withstand Nay those in bloud that were my neerest be now furthest off and lend nor heart nor hand And they that seeke my life lay Traps to take that life or at the least me to vndoe And but of guile and spoile they euer speake and put in practise what they speake of too But I poore I as deafe would nothing heare for poore Soules must not hear what must offend And as one dumbe I still my selfe did beare that gaue no more reproofes then eare did lend Yet is my hope in thee that hearest all my sighes and grones sith they increase for Sinne. Then let mine Enemies ne'er see my fall who when I doe but trip triumph therein I am at point to perish and my Woes and cause thereof I euer beare in minde For I with griefe confesse mine ouerthrowes that lost thy Grace which now I seeke to finde But still my Foes doe liue and strong are made strong in their friends their places purse and armes And they that hate me causelesse and inuade me forcelesse many be the more my harmes They monsters likewise that doe ill for good oppose me still sith goodnesse I ensue Then haste thee Lord to help me so withstood and leaue me not among this cursed crue To God the Father which we doe adore and to the Sonne and to their blessed Spirit All glory be as it was heretofore is and still shall be through Worlds infinite Miserere mei Deus Psal. 51. When Dauid was rebuked by the Prophet Nathan for his great offences he did not onely acknowledge the same to God with protestation of his naturall corruption and iniquitie but also left a memoriall thereof to his posteritie Therefore first he desireth God to forgiue his sinnes and to renue in him his holy Spirit with promise that he will not be vnmindfull of those great graces Finally fearing lest God would punish the whole Church for his fault he requireth that hee would rather increase his graces toward the same GReat God of Gods whose Mercy is as great haue mercy on me wretch whose Sin exceeds Yet after thy compassion so compleate wash out the blots of my too foule misdeedes O clense me from the filth of mine offence that ranckles in my Conscience all defilde With all that may depraue both Soule and Sense that purg'd I may to thee be reconcil'd For I acknowledge mine iniquitie sith still my Sinne 's the obiect of my sight And by the pow'r of mine impiety I wrong thy grace and still impugne thy Sp'rit Against thee onely I in sinne abide and done what doth condemne me in thy sight That in thy Words thou maist be iustifide and ouercome when thou art iudg'd vnright For nought but wickednesse prepar'd the way to my conception which to worse did passe Then ere I was I stood at sinfull stay and when I fell to Being worser was This Lord is true confessing which doth moue thy Grace to me thy Wisedome hid to show Then sprinckle me with Isop in thy Loue and so I shall be whiter farre than Snow Vnto mine Eares invred but to heare what Eares corrupts thou shalt but Ioy obiect So shall
the bones which by thee broken were reioyce and sinne wherein it ioy'd reiect O then from my foule sinnes thy Face auert and wash me from the filth they cast on me In me create an vndefiled Heart with such a spirit as may be iust to thee And cast me not ô cast me not away out of the Way still brightned by thy beames Nor from me take thy Spirit my Guide and Stay in hardest passages of all Extreames Restore to me the gladnesse of thy blisse and with thy chiefest Spirit still strengthen me Then those I le teach that now thy wayes doe misse so Sinners shall conuerted be to thee Saue me from bloud that vengeance doth implore so shall my Tongue thy Iustice highly raise But more thy Mercy sith it glads me more Then ope my Lips and they shall shew thy praise Had'st thou desired Sacrifice I had offer'd it to thee but thou tak'st delight In no burnt Offrings but art euer glad to take the Offer of a contrite Spirit A Broken Heart with sorrow but for Sinne thou wilt nor canst thou for thy Word despise Then let mine broken so thy Mercy win and from it still auert thine Anger 's Eyes With Sion ô deale gently that the Wals of raz'd Ierusalem rebuilt may be And still withstand Hels fiery darts and Bals to keepe thy Foes out onely but for thee Then shalt thou take the Sacrifice in gree of Iustice in thy Mercy then shall they Offer Oblations still in flames to thee and Calues vpon thine holy Alter lay To God the Father praise and glory be and to the Sonne and to their blessed Sp'rit A Trinitie in strictest Vnitie as it was is and shall be infinite Domine exaudi Psal. 102. It seemeth that this Prayer was appointed to the faithfull to pray in the Captiuitie of Babilon A Consolation for the building of the Church whereof followeth the praise of God to be published vnto all Posteritie The Conversion of the Gentiles and the stabilitie of the Church ATtend my Prayer Lord and let my Cry ascend to thee from whom all grace descends From my distresse turne not thy Mercies Eye but bowe thine Eare to me that downward bends When e'er I call make answere for my dayes like Vapor vanish and my parched bones Waxe weake and dry as is the flame that playes about the Snuffe at point to quench at ones Th' hast smitten me as Grasse by Lightning smit so that my Heart is wither'd quite away And through my griefe for that I further it for I forget to eate for Natures stay And through my groning voice my bones that burne to my consuming flesh will hardly cleaue And like a Pelican alone I mourne or like an Owle I liue while life I leaue I weare out Time in strictest vigilance and as a Sparrow on the Houses Crest I sit alone to minde my sinnes mischance so idly resting in the most vnrest The while my Foes backbiting me reuile yea he that praised me against me sweares But I as Bread did Ashes eate the while and still my Drinke did mingle with my Teares Because thy Wrath grew hot against my sinne for thou hast rais'd me vp to cast me downe My dayes are past as if they ne'er had bin and like Hay wither'd I from thee am mowne But thou immortall Spirit dost still endure and thy Memoriall euer lasts in prime Thou shalt arise and downe thy Mercies poure by showers on Sion in this promis'd time For eu'n the Stones of that faire Edifice delight thy Seruants and her sacred Ground They pitty as they doe her preiudice which with the sharpest griefe their hearts doth wound So shall the Heathen feare thine awfull NAME and all the Kings on Earth thy glory feare For Sions Fabricke thou dost still re-frame and in thy fullest Glory shalt appeare Our Lord the prayers of the meeke approues and not dispie their Suites in wretched case So future times to write this this doth moue that Babes vnborne may praise this God of Grace Who from his high as holy Place doth vaile his Eyes to Earth whereon they still remaine To heare poore Captiues plaints and such as waile and loose the Sonnes of them vniustly slaine That they in Sion should diuulge his NAME and in Ierusalem his earned Praise Yea in th' Assemblies celebrate the same when Kings consorted sing sweet Sions Layes He in the way of his great pow'r and grace â—hath answer'd them but shew Lord shew to me How long or short shall be my mortall Race that so for thee I still may ready be And take me not ô take me not away at vnawares yer halfe my Dayes be done As for thy yeeres they stand still at a stay but mine more swift then thought away doe runne In the Beginning thou the Earth didst found the highest Heauens thy glorious Hands did reare But they shall perish thou continue sound while they waxe old and like a Garment weare And as a Vesture thou shalt change their Frame and they shall changed be but thou alone Dost still continue One and aye the same whose yeeres remaine the same and euer One Thy Seruants sonnes inhabit shall the Land their seede shall be directed in thy Wayes And while they walke therein they fixt shall stand in Heau'n and Earth to celebrate thy praise To God the Father then all glory be t' his Sonne and to their Spirit which wee adore Coequall in their Essence and Degree as it was is and shall be euermore De profundis clamaui Psal. 130. The people of God from their bottomlesse misery doe cry vnto God and are heard They confesse their sins and flye vnto Gods mercy FRom depth of Griefe wherein my Soule doth lye I doe and will deare Lord still call on thee Then let thine eares attend mine inward Cry and listen to my Prayers and to me If thou fraile Flesh wilt call to strict account what flesh and bloud then in thy sight shall stand But Mercy is with thee as in the Fount then I expect thy Mercyes Helping-hand My Soule vpon the Faith which thou hast plight hath euer staid and still doth hope in thee Then from the Morning-watch till that of Night let Israel still relie on Thee with me For with this God of Glory and of Grace is Grace as much as Glory and therein He will redeeme the sad in sinfull Case with his true Israel from all their sinne To God the Father which we doe adore and to the Sonne and to their blessed Spirit All glory be as it was heretofore is and still shall be through Worlds infinite Domine exaudi Psal. 143. An earnest Prayer for remission of sinnes acknowledging that the enemies did thus cruelly persecute him by Gods iust iudgement He desireth to be restored to grace To be gouerned by his holy Spirit that hee may spend the remnant of his life in the true feare and seruice of God LOrd heare my pray'r with thine all-hearing ears and for thy truths sake
note mine humble suite O heare me in thy Righteousnesse which heares All those that mourne although they still be mute And into Iudgement enter not O Lord with me fraile man for I nor none beside Because of sinne which we haue all incurr'd in thy cleare sight shall then be iustifide For th' enemie the Fiend our common Foe hath long pursu'd my Soule that flesh misse-led My Life in Earth his Fury hath brought low and hid the same in darknesse with the dead My Spirit therefore is vext my Minde and Heart are greatly troubled yet I minded still Thy dayes of old thy Workes and thy Desert which did my Muse with Ioy and Wonder fill My hands to thee haue still out-stretched bin my Soule that thirsts as earth that water wants For drops of grace to quench her flames of sinne I lift to thee the while for grace she pants Then kindest Lord with speede attend my cryes because my fainting spirit hath failed me Auert not from me thy conuerting Eyes lest I be like to those that burying be And in the dawning of the long'd-for Day the Day when Iustice Sonne shall Comfort giue Let me the voyce of mercy heare I pray sith still I hope that thou wilt me relieue And sith so many Heads so many Wayes are said to lead to thee by Heads of Sects Shew me the Way that straight to thee conueyes sith my poore Soule both thee and it affects And from my Foes preserue me weakling still to thee alone I flye in all distresse Then teach me to performe thy blessed Will for thou art onely all my blessednesse Thy Spirit that cannot erre nor yet deceiue shall bring me to the Land that Iustice beares And for thy Names sake thou shalt me receiue according to thy grace that neuer weares From Trouble thou shalt bring my Soule to rest and through thy Mercy shalt destroy my Foes Yea all annoy that doe my Soule molest sith as thy Seruant I on thee repose To God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost three Persons and one God all glory be As it was is and shall be in each Coast thoughout all worlds in all eternitie FINIS RIGHTS OF THE LIVING AND THE DEAD Being A proper Appendix to the precedent Meditations OBIT-RIGHTS A Funerall Elegie on the death of the most vertuous and no lesse louely M irs Elizabeth Dutton eldest Daughter of the Worthy and generally beloued Sir Thomas Egerton Knight eldest Sonne to the right Honorable Thomas Lord Elesmere Lord Chancellor of England which Elizabeth was at the age of eleuen yeeres married to Iohn Dutton of the age of fifteene yeeres Sonne and Heyre of Thomas Dutton of Dutton in the Countie of Chester Esquier which Iohn deceased about the age of seauenteene yeeres and left the said Elizabeth a Virgin-Widow who so liued till shee died the first of October at the age of six teene yeeres and a halfe in Anno 1611. A Virgin Wife and Widow three that One Held rarely perfect in like Vnion Incites my Muse nay more doth her coÌ„strain To empt my Pen of Praise of Wit my Braine In her deserued honor she whose all Was nought but good yet so as we may call That good but nought and iustly if the same Giue not her goodnesse glory more than fame A Maide in whom Virginitie gaue place Though most exact to Modestie and Grace A Wife who like old Iosephs blessed Bride Though wedded but vnbedded till she dide Yet from her came on her by Grace begot Faith Feare and Dutie in a True-loue knot Till his decease to whom these three she bare And after for him nurst them still with care She liu'd a Widow but t' was hard to know Whether she liu'd or dide when she was so Sith when she lost her Pheare she lost her Breath For Turtle-like she mourn'd and droupt to death But while t' was losing she such Patience wanne By his Death mortifide as she beganne Before her end her Heau'n on Earth thereby In hope to liue with Him when Life should die So in her Patience she her Soule possest Her God in whom her Soule with his did rest Yet rested so that still vnseene she mou'd to both deuoutly whom so much she lou'd Poets can shape of things that grace forsakes Farre rarer things than grace or nature makes But let all Poets all their Arte vnite To fable praise the morall is her right Nature profusely had on her bestow'd Borrowing of grace more grace then e'er she ow'd And grace as enuying Natures Gifts so rare Vnlockt the Heau'ns where all her Treasures are And showr'd them downe so on this deerest Maide As she for worth an Angell should haue waide Wit for her worth can ne'er hiperbolize Much lesse a Poet in it Poetize Sith what or Wit or Poetry can praise With their best Arte was found in her then raise Her vp my Muse ere she be rais'd at last And her enthrone in glory high as fast That when the Virgin whom all Virgins blesse Shall for her graces see her gloriousnesse In Heau'n and Earth she may as worthy her Enbozome her or fixe her in a Starre Whose Name and Fame while mortall Virgins liue To them with hers may Light and Vertue giue For this her Soule still labour'd to be gone T'returne her Errand of Creation As fiery Matter working in a Cloud Breakes through for want of Matter it to shrowde So Soules with stirring much are said to fire The best Complexions and so home retire But Sicknesse ah too sweet-lipt suckt her Bloud That she had none to fire in likelihood And so her vitall-flame vnnourished Her Soule through coldnesse left her body dead A short life made her Virgin Widow Wife But well she lâ—u'd which is the Well of life This old World was vnworthy such a Iemme Therefore she shines in new Ierusalem I best can witnesse how her time she spent Who taught her hand to shew her hearts entent Then may I best renowne for knowne desert The Pupill of my Hand that had my Heart Thou hadst my Heart deare Pupill sith in thee Was all that might intirely master me And did my Pow'r but equall halfe my Will Laura should be thy Foile for I by skill Would set thee so aboue her that thy light With poynant Beames should thrust through Earth and Night For when Formositie and Vertue striue In one sole Subiect for Prerogatiue That Subiects praise must raigne all Tearmes aboue In height of Glory Memory and Loue The Grand-sire of thy Flesh in Earth's renown'd And thy spirits Grand-sire King of Heau'n is crown'd Thou liuing then as comming from such Sires Our Songs must answere the Celestiall Quires That chant the praise of Vertue in their King In whom thou art then we on earth must sing Thy praise in his sith his all praise containes So thine in his eternall glory gaines To thee then sing I as I sing of Thee Who art sole Base of this high Harmony For knowing Tombes haue ends as
yet so much as smiled on me No force sith I my selfe the better know and see the World while me it doth not see Feare they her frowns that care but for her fawnes I feare nor care for neyther being white With Cares and Feares for my Graue open yawnes to swallow me to saue me from her spight Enough great Lord my Proheme is a Feast whereat my Muse doth surfet with sowre-sweetes Hard to receiue and harder to digest where loue and rashnesse Rime and Reason meetes But if they meet with Griefe that meets with thee I grieue with ioy for thou art fast and free A Dumpe or Swans-song ALl in a gloomy shade of Sicamour that did his leaues extend like Shields to beare The Beames of Phebus darted in his pow'r at those that vnderneath them shrowded were I me reposed while my Thoughts did range here there eu'ry wher wher thoghts might roame So by their change at last my latest change became their Subiect with my latest Home And when with Trauell they themselues had tyr'd I likewise tir'd with life that stirr'd them too Thus flasht I out with sacred fury fir'd and my thoughts Bottome thus did I vndoe Why long I longer here to liue in death for life if mortall dyeth all the while Be'ing but a puffe but of the weakest Breath yet blowes me Weakenesse into strong Exile As soone as borne was I condemn'd to dye since when Time hath but executed me Yet life prolongs in dying misery so yet I am as those that dying be To him that gaue me life a death I owe which sith I can I must and shall repay His Powr's as great to take as to bestow then will I pay him though I quite decay I dead in Sinne his onely Sonne he slew to please his Iustice and to make me liue Sith me he bought I le giue him then his due which had I haue much more then that I giue Death soone will rid me from this lifes annoyes Annoyes that nought can rid saue death from life And put me in possession of those Ioyes that are as farre from end as free from strife And wer 't not madnesse to repine that I had not had life when Eue did Adam wiue Then t is but all alike to liue and dye as t is Not to haue liu'd and not to liue Then life IS not that not immortall is for mortall life is but Deaths other name Nor is that Blisse that is not fearelesse Blisse nor glory that is subiect still to shame The Dayes of Heau'n are datelesse sith the Sunne that makes them such doth neither set nor rise But stands as it shall doth and still hath done fixt in the Noone-stead of ETERNITIES Here one 's the ruine of another Day while like a ne'er-suffized Graue the Night Doth bury both in silence yet doth prey vpon them both till both play least in sight Death is the dore of life so would I liue then through this dore to life I needes must goe For through this dore Death LIFE it selfe did driue then sith LIFE dide for life I must doe so Two onely had the priuiledge to wend another way to life that mortals were But t was in firy Charets to this end that Fire should flesh refine yer it came there There where all ioyes vnited are of force for force vnited stronger makes the same The spirit and flesh both rauisht to diuorce and melt their pow'rs in loues eternall flame What Lets shall let me then from Paradise Mountaines of Gold and Rockes of rarest stone Crossing my Way I trampling will dispise if thither Hope but goe with me alone This WORLD 's a Vale that ceaseles teares do spoile and make it so a Bog or lothsome Lake Then who but Swine that pleasure take in Soile will here if they can choose abiding make Heau'n is my Home the HIGH'ST my Father is his SONNE my Brother Angels are my Friends Then while from Them I am I am amisse and lightly misse the Meanes to so good Ends. My Body 's but the Prison of my Soule which straits her more the more that Prison's free Time 's but the Rocke that vp my Life doth rowle and Earth the Place where Heau'n spinnes it me Here must I fight till Death for endlesse Life The Chariot of my Triumph then is Death Then as I would be free from endlesse strife to mount this Chariot I must spend my Breath The ground whereon I tread's the ground of Grieâ—e so that each step doth grieue me for it is A Sanguine-field that beareth Hurts in chiefe crost with sinister-bends and All amisse Then here to bee amisse is to be borne in Dolors Field to eu'ry foule Disgrace O Death then help my Soules house to adorne and let thine Armes be mine for lifes are base Am I not durt and dust then maruell is 't if I but with a thought be that or this A shadow by some substance doth subsist but all my substance but a shadow is The Sunne doth rise and set the Moone doth hold a constant course in most vnconstant state The Earth now quick with heate then dead with cold doth shew their plight that It preambulate Then ô yee Saints whose Bellies being rife with Waters both of life and grace be yee Pure Aquaducts by life to bring me life from the Well-head that fill may you and mee The Graue though wide it gape dismayes me not sith t is the Gate of glory rest and peace And though therein my mortall Part must rot yet thence it springs with much more faire encrease If the last breath we call our Bodyes death then may we call the other Breathings deaths Sith Life and death doe come and goe with Breath we haue as many deaths as we haue breaths Yet twixt this life and that we death doe call this ods there is while life doth last we dye But when Death comes we die no more but shall by dying well liue well immortally O then looke how the Labourer for Night the Pilot for the Port and for the Inne The Poast doth long so doth my tired spright by death still long for Life and rest therein Death is my Hope than feare not I his knife Feare is his Sting but Hope hath puld it out The mortall'st Wounds immortall make my life then better dye in Hope then liue in Doubt If Death be painfull then is paine sustain'd before or at the Article of Death But not before for then but thought is pain'd and at the instant it 's but rest of breath So that in Death is rest without disease then Death be kinde and rest my life in thee While others that doe cast such summes as these these Cyphers summe decyph'ring thee and mee And Cyphers cast lifes Cyphers to and fro that I their number seene may multiply Take nought from Nought nought remaines so the summe of All is lesse then vanitie Cyphers not Numbers call I them because they runne sans number roundly
Sinne ends or beginneâ— If it doe stincke what Nose can it abide if it doe rot what Eye or Taste or Touch Can be content by them it should be tride Then onely Hearing heares it without grutch And that 's because the Dead in silence cry Cave to those that liuing are to dye Then they that loue it in such lothsome plight Haue neither Sense nor Reason Flesh nor Spright The World is in a desperate plight for which Christ refused to pray BVt if the World be dead God owes it not for of the liuing He is God alone And if not Gods it is the Diuels Lot which bounded is with the chiefe Corner-STONE From that Stone vpwards all to God belongs and from it downewards all the Diuels is For God being iust the Diuell neuer wrongs but lets him haue his due as He hath His. Then to be Gods is still to rest thereon but who can rest there that God doth not stay Then sith the World refus'd this Corner Stone God for the World refused but to pray O wofull World how canst thou merry be That so forsook'st him that so leaueth thee That all Heresies are grounded on the infallible Scriptures erroniously interpreted EAch Bible-bearing Sectarie will say hee 's in the Truth and proues it by her Word Thus is the Word of Truth wrencht eu'ry way and made a Text that Falshood doth afford Yet Truth 's but one though Falshood's manifold and when Truths Saints with her Word do conspire To finde her out that Truth embrace we should though we should mount to her in Coach of sire No Exposition of the Truth is true but what Truth makes her friends alone to make Who know Her best and what to Her is due but fooâ—es wise in their owne Eyes both mistake For many Eagles Eyes haue better sight Then one blinde Bats that hardly see the light That the Eye is Sinnnes Burning-glasse working vpon the Heart and Soule AS Sinne 's most conuersant with outward Sense so is she most familiar with the Eye For shee sits in the eyes Concupiscence as in her Throne of greatest Maiestie From eyes to eyes Sinne doth in triumph Tilt a firie Serpent clad in siluer Rayes The end of whose Carrâ—ere is where her guilt makes blacke the Soule with Dolor and Dispraise Heuah first sinn'd but ere her Heart her Eye did Sinne commit and all the lustfull Crue Melt in that Sunne like Yee vntill they dye yet like dead Flies those Rayes their liues renue Then sith this Sunne exhales such Humours ill We must with Sorrowes Clouds eclipse It still To take is to giue for a Gift Liberty OVr Mouthes runne o'er with false Superlatiues in praising him though bad that did vs good Which are nought else but true demonstratiues of the Corruption of our basest bloud For Pride can giue as much as Charitie and Tyranny as much as Mercy can But who applâ—uds or Pride or Tyranny doe Monsters praise the Minde doth make the Man Then shall we take no good gifts of the â—ad I say not so and yet I say who will Take Kingdomes of the Diu'll are worse than mad for He doth good to no man but for ill Then sith for Gifts Mâ—n giue their Libertie Such Gifts binde Takers oft to villanie Againe of the same ANd yet blinde Iustice sees hâ—r Sword to sheath if any offer her a Sheath of Gold Nay high and hardy Hands oft sincke beneath the abiect Gift and Giuer to vphold There 's nought more free than gift yet nought more ties the Hand that takes them to the Giâ—â—rs will And yet â—h woe therefore some godâ—y-wise take Gifts as good and giue as gifts were ill Were I a Diuell yet were I liberall in this damn'd Age I would be seru'd with Saints For if I sent bright Angels to them all they would adore me maugre all restraints But were I GOD if Gold were not my Friend Pure Saints in shew would lothe me like a Fiend To him that hath shall be giuen and from him that hath not shall be taken away that which it seâ—mes he hath Mat. 25 2â— HIs Word is Truth that said to him that hath shall still be giuen and from him that lackes Shall be withdrawne that which he holds with scath so this World makes men made marr'd men wracks Who least doth lacke hath most bestow'd on him for GOD and Mâ—n giue richest gifts to Kings So he that doth in all abundance swimme each Hand to him much more Abundance brings What meanes this Mysterie so mysticall what World begin'st thou now with Age to dote That Thou dost giue some All some nought at all and sinck'st some sincking to make swimmers flote I know now what this meanes but this I know T is too much to be loth'd to be too low Of the Neglect of Arte and Vertue To mine ingenious deere and well-accomplish'd Friend Mr. Iohn Sandford of Magdalen-Colledge in Oxford GOe forlorne Vertue into Eden goe and with Leaues hide thine outward nakednes Though t is their shame not thine that made thee so there make Worke for the Presse far from the Presse Tell Times to come how much these Times neglect Thee in Lines as far from death as free from dread And make their Ofsprings blush that doe reiect Thee yea liue in shame when their Shames Cause is dead With open Hand to All thy Largesse throw though All are too straite-handed vnto Thee Make them them selues and thee aright to know that in thy shining Lines they both may see But if they will be blinde and both still wrong Eden still keepe and sing a Sion Song Yee haue made a mocke of the counsell of the Poore Psal. 14.10 THe Wisedome of the Poore is still mispriz'd sith by their Wealth Mens Wits are valued Speake he like Salomon hee 's ill aduis'd say some that vnderstood not what he said But if he be an Isis-bearing Asse and speake what he himselfe nor none conceiues His Praise shall as his Folly doth surpasse and speakes as he no place for answere leaues Yet had some Kings some Beggers in a place where he might not be seene to vse their Wit If it were Soueraigne though his state were base this Sou'raigne would of him perhaps beg It Which when He vents the Peoples voyce is than This is the voyce of God and not of Man Against Fortune-tellers commonly called Wise-men SIth all our Knowledge from our Senses comes which oft mistake then must our Wisedome needs Mistake as oft as Error ouer-comes our Knowledge that from â—rring Sense proceedes Then all our Wisedome must be most vnsure as are the grounds from whence the same doth grow Yet some great Wiâ—â— mâ—n harâ—ly can endure that GOD should know that which they do not know And sith they know they know not as they ought more then they ought they seeme to know at least These are theâ— Wiâ—e-men that by Fooles are sought to sâ—ew â—uâ—nts to come to giue them rest On whom they