this life of mine To be my own but thine Not I but thou dost live In me who for me Lord thy self didst give It was thy love that made thee dye for me It is my faith that makes me live in thee Phil. 3.13 14. I count not my selfe to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the Mark for the prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus THis ilfe is like a race Where every one 's a Runner and the prize A Crown of Glory Heavens the place Where the Mark's set before our eyes I who have not as yet Scarce run out half the way must not sit down And think I 've done enough but sweat And labour hard to get the Crown Nor may I cast an eye Behind to see how many I 've out run But with the foremost I must vie And better end then I begun For if I fail at last When I have gone the greatest part o' th' Race Or give off when the worst is past It will be much to my disgrace Nor is that all but then Another man shall take my crown from me And I with the faint-hearted men Out of the Lists quite cast shall be O Lord do thou annoint Me with thy oil of Grace from top to toe In every lim and every joint That I may never weary grow But persevering in My course with vigorous and active strength May be so happy as to win The Goal first and the Crown at length Heb. 13.14 Here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come MAn is a Creature loves society And cannot long alone be well Hence God made Eve that she Might with him dwell From these two sprung A numerous family That to a City grew ere long And that impli'd strength and stability But see how soon this City came to nought Being destroy'd with its own weight And by division brought To ruine strait Then how can we A City have that 's strong Or permanent It cannot be What 's made with hands should e're continue long The best is made with lime and stone how then Can that which is compact of such Frail matter last yet men Are frailer much Those men that make This City are all cast In moulds of Clay and do partake Of earth themselves such vessels cannot last Nor they nor yet their City can endure Many mishaps there be will end them To perish they are sure None can defend them Each little thing To pieces breaks their frame A very wind a breath will bring Them to that nothing whence at first they came Yet whiles their worst part crumbles to the dust And falls to ashes in their urn Their souls immortal must To God return That God hath made A City without hands For them which ne're shall fail nor fade Unmoveable its vast foundation stands A most magnificent and glorious place Which they that see 't can scarce set forth Or give it half the grace As to its worth There God keeps Court Millions on either side Of Saints and Angels do resort To wait on him this City's wondrous wide The least of all those many Mansions therâ— Our greatest Cities far transcend Each one 's a Kingdom which shall ne're Admit of end This then alone Requires our chiefest care In seeking it for there is none On earth's round ball that can with it compare On this lets fix our thoughts to this aspire To this let all our actions tend Be it our sole desire There to ascend For all our bliss God hath reserv'd above Our happiness there seated is There is our Treasure there must be our love James 2.20 Wilt thou know O vain man that faith without works is dead HEark vain man hark what the Apostle saith And do not boast so much of thy great faith For though 't were able mountains to remove 'T is nothing worth unless it woâ—k by love Love is the life of it 't is thaâ— alone Which quickens it or else 't is dead 't is none That man who breaths not at the mouth a jor Whose heart no motion hath whose pulse beaâ—s not We say is dead the like we â—ay infer Concerning faith that 's dead which doth not stir If it be living 't will be active too What the heart thinks mouth speaks the hands will do Let others shew their faith if that they please Without their works while I shew mine by these First my Religion shal be pure and then Peaceable if it be possible with men Forgiving wrongs giving what I can spare To those that want and in distresses are I wil be feet to th' lame eyes to the blind Helpful to all and unto none unkind If thus my faith be qualifi'd I shall Approve it to my self to God to all 1 Peter 5.7 Casting all your care upon God for he careth for you COme heavy souls opprest that are With doubts and fears and carking care Lay all your burthens down and see Where 's one that carried once a tree Upon his back and which is more A heavier weight your sins he bore Think then how easily he can Your sorrowes bear that 's God and Man Think too how willing he 's to take Your care on him who for your sake Sweat bloody drops pray'd fasted cry'd Was bound scourg'd mockt and crucifi'd He that so much for you did do Will yet do more and care for you Rev. 20.11 12. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it from whose face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no place for them And I saw the dead both small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works HAd I the Art in painting like to him Who did the day of Doom so lively limn That when a Heathen Prince beheld the same With terror struck a Christian he became Thus would I set it forth unto your eye The Heavens should put on a sable dye Mask'd with the blackest vail of thickest clouds Which to the Sun Moon Stars should be as shâ—owds To muffle them in one continued night Not once affording the least spark of light Hiding their heads as sham'd or griev'd to see The horrid sins of men which then should be Made manifest and naked to the world And the dire plagues that on them should be hurs'd From this sad object let your eye retire To th' other side and see the earth on fire The Sea all bloud the Throne of God on high Whereon he sits in glorious Majesty Legions of Angels him surrounding there Millions of men that newly raised were Out of their Sepulchres by his command To hear their final sentence trembling stand Below the Divels in the various shapes Of hideous
him I could eat The Author now and sel him to buy meat Cartâ—right is Wit throughout but I read o're More then his four playes his â—ast pious four And then his several Gratitudes unto Him whose head taught him and purse fed him too Who gave him to buy books and gave him skil In each of them to chuse out Well from Ill The Learned Pious Conâ—â—ant Duppâ— hâ— Who was and is stil Reverend in those three Whom these three voice and pen and heart cannot No not Cartâ—rights own enough celebrate In these he kept Christs law lov'd God and then His next act was to pay his debt to men He did it here for this one to him wou'd Be Universal ev'â—y neighbourhood Though he out-sobers out-words out-wits all Grave Virgil Horace nice Salt Martial Yet more then in 's though unprofane verse wou'd â—â—rench my soul in his Diviner stood Those Sermons in which he did wind about Our passions more then Cicero could do 't In which he did out-sense deep Plutarchs skil And taught so wel almost all else taught ill Unlesse when 's Father Duppae 'gan to preach Who us to live and taught him too to teach Oh for that Text where he forbad to ly And prest home truth in unbound Poetry Where David like he did instil and charme Us to be honest though to our own harm Charg'd truths upon us such as do shine here In this smal volume scorn'd and damn'd elsewhere O for his Passion-text that we might buy Th' inestimable price at Sixpence fee That we that winepresse which at Edom was And Christs Church trod might taste from a new press And here we hav 't i' th' dialogue between Christ Angels and Apostles of slain sin Jesus is up again he did not die He but lay downe that death it self might lie I who this book throughout love Adore here As though all Horace was to Scaliger Precious and rich yet above all the rest He did affect his Lydia dialogue best He who t' ave made That would give Empire though A world he offer here he bids too low For as the whole is sacred and each line Though 't is not God yet it is each Divine So here 't is not Apostle only who Does speak and Angel but 't is Jesus too What would that Learnings lover now impart To speak with an Apostle heart to heart For they did not converse as some of late With face of love but with a brest of hate What would his inquisition give to hear An Angel vocally round him i' th' â—are What would he nay what would he not bestow A world almost another Jesus too To hear his own Christ speake who since sixteen Last hundred yeers was neither heard nor seen This Copy is the blessed Jesus and The rest do all as one John Baptist stand Round about this before behind each where To make that way plain for the Lord t' appear This Copy is the Word and the rest are The Voice and Eccho of this Character This is the supreme heaven without this Is heaven too and what 's in heaven Blisse But O when he does joyes of heaven tel Chearfull and without dread paines of hel Whither the Saviour Christ does convey some And whither the Judge Christ does others doome How does he with mixt artifice contrive Either for fear or love that all should live I dare not name all left I emulate The bulk of his Town with my swelling Gate APOSTROPHE To the AUTHOR YOu Sir who study and sport too this way Whose spare hours heaven and whose serious day Whose two week Sermons are to others aim Whose whole week-life is to that your own claim Who preach both waies b'Example and by Rule Whose life 's a Sermon and whose house a School Who your own self do without hire supply With breath and patterne this twin Curacy Who make each day the Lords whilst there are some Do grudge him one in seven who make your home To be his pious house whilst some there are Who scarce allow him his own house for prayer You who do read and meditate and live Scripture and thereby midst of world's frowns thrive You know they who on Gospels first word look Learn from that first word this is all the book They who proceed and search on find that this Is only Scripture all else writ amiss They who wade further yet know there 's not one Word besides this This is the Word alone And yet though nothing else is Book but what God himself made the Man not that he wrote Though nothing else be Scripture but pretence Because if not the same with this not sense Though nothing else be Word 'cause Parrots may Without this talk to as good ends as we Yet as those birds are said to come more near To what we speak then other Foules o' th' air Because they imitate our Cadencies So we do more speak when w' approach to thee Blest be the charity then of your wise choice Not to vex us with an unmatter'd Noise Since though in hundred sheets of paper he Has silent been who does not edifie Since without this though Stentor he out roare He hath said lesse then th' mad Bul or wild Boar Since without this each other book 's a crime It robs my purse and what 's more deer my time Blest be your guidance too that t' all were giv'n Both to discourse and write and Print for heav'n He that writes next this is his praise or curse He makes the Reader if not better worse But friend you often aske why 't is that I Preach to th' next ear and not to th' distant eye Why 't is that I wh'ave taskt my self a scheame In learnings own behalf forbear that Theame Pray ask no more how can you wish my heir Were come to th' birth when there 's no midwife near Copy 't once more and tel the brave Lord N. Be he Mecaenas and I wil write Then HAbes haec è manu subitaneâ prope incogitanter effusa quippe ab eo cujus nulla in instituto pars est Tibi placere qui cum caeteris Dominantis fortunae ludibriis insultibus par es undiquaque similis et Tibi constans Soli illius Approbanti Lenocinio irasceres vir aliter Pacatissâ—mus sed lectori tuo voce invitatoriâ prodesse Ejus interest non tui quod Fercula haec è Promptuario tuoenatantia ut sitiat ipse Collaudo Unum hoc mihi cujus {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Facultatisque qualiscunque aut quanullacunque in animo est Res Angusta Domi Tumulus secundus Satis est utrumque quod est omne punctum tulisti Tu. Vale hìc sed è supra Internos Angelus ipse Tu diu Vale supra inter Affines Angelos tâ—os Semper sed Sero July 26 1653. GULIELMUS TOWERS B. D. On the Divine Poems of his friend the AUTHOR SOme say a Poet 's born not made but I Say he 's
monsters and heâ—◠〈◊〉 wide gapes Casting forth flame of 〈…〉 thick smoak Enough to blot out hâ—avâ—◠〈…〉 to choak As soon as God hath said Ye Cursed go Int' everlasting fire the Divels lo Are ready strait and drag them down to hell Where they in torments infinite must dwell But since Apelles skill I want to make This Picture right I shall be bold to take A Copy from the Pencil of Saint John As here I find it in his Vision I saw saith he a Throne both white and great Of God Almighty 'T was the Judgment Seat Mysterious in the colour which was white 'Cause Justice should be innocent and bright Not like to Herods Throne that was dy'd red With blood of Infants which he massacred Nor sullied o're with falsehood and with wrong But like the milky way clear all along As white for colour was this stately Throne So great for quantity whereby is showne The greatness of the Judg that thereon sits Past th' apprehension of the greatest wits For such is his immensity none can His measure take beyond the reach of man No Power then his Justice can withstand Whose power doth both heaven and earth command For earth and heaven there shall be found no place When he appears they both flee from his face His face the fight whereof is heaven alone And joyes beyond imagination I saw saith he the dead both great and small Stand before God the Judg impartial His judgments are a great deep into which All fall alike the poor as well as rich The small as great there not a cobweb lies Through which huge sinners like to greater Flies A passage force while lesser stick behind As prisoners and no way t' escape can find Not a net there in which the lesser fry Of sinners like to fishes may espy Holes to slip out whiles that the greater be Intangled without hopes of getting free No this great Judg doth smal and great convent Before this highest Court of Parliament From which are no Appeals but all must rest Irrevocable be they curst or blest There 's no resisting the stiff knee must bend And the stout heart from his high thoughts descend And listen to its doom You shall see there Great Alexander quaking stand for fear He who the world once conquer'd and did weep For want of more now in a hole would creep And give that world which he had conquered For one small corner in 't to hide his head And all that wealth he got to clear the guilt Of all the blood which his vain glory spilt There shall you see that Absolom the fair Who hanged was in his proud dangling hair Confounded stand expecting when to hear A heavier judgment thundring in his ear Condemning him to hang in hells hot'st fire 'Cause to his fathers Throne he did aspire There shall you see King Ahab who by 's wife Rob'd Naboth of his vineyard and his life And that lewd woman Jezabel his Queen 'Mongst many of her Sâ—x shall there be seen And for her Witchcrafts pride and painting sent To Pluto's Court to have her punishment There shall you see Doeg who in pretence Of holy vowes did work no small offence For by his malice he with Saul so wrought That more then fourscore Priests to death he brought There shall you see the Sodomites that burn'd In Lust unnat'ral and to ashes turn'd By fire from heaven but now the Lord shall send A fire from hell to burn them without end There shall you see those three presumptuous men Core and his Complices appear agen Who for their striving against Moses and 'Gainst Aaron too do stigmatized stand To all posterity as th' earth before So now hell gapes to swallow them once more There shall you see Uzziah though a King Condemned for his Incense Offering And taking on him the Priests function Whereto he had no right nor unction There shall you see Antiochus the Great Who did commit that Sacrilegious feat In robbing of the Temple doom'd to pains Proportioned to his unlawful gaines There shall you see that glutton who did fare Deliciously each day and purple wear Suffering poor Lazarus to starve the while Begging himself now in an humble stile But for a cup of water to asswage The furous flames that on his tongue do rage And justly shal that tongue such torments bear Which pleas'd it self so much in dainty chear There shall you see that Phocas who did slay Mauritius his Master to make way For his Ambition to ascend the Throne Descend into the deepest dungeon Of Belzebubs black Vault perpetually To suffer pains for his damn'd Treachery There you the Traitor Judas shall behold Who his dear Lord for thirty pieces sold There you shall see those Prophets that pretend To inspiration and uncall'd ascend The Pulpit venting of old Heresies And most abominable Blasphemies Under the notion of new lights these shall To utter darkness be condemned all For I beheld the Bookswide opened were Another Book the Book of Life was there Laid open too infallible Records Wherein were written all the deeds and words And thoughts and names of men which shall be read In publick then and they be punished Or else rewarded with great woes and joyes According unto all their works and wayes Upon a Snake in a Garden of Flowers having stung one that trod upon him unawares WHo thought this Snake would e're have found An entrance into this inclosed ground Or that a Serpent here should hide his head Under this sweet and flowry bed But 't is no newes for long ago It was the Divels trick man to entice A greater Serpent made his way into A better Garden Paradise And ever since there is no place Of pleasure which we would impropriate But that therein the Serpent shewes his face Though we discover him too late We see him not before we feel That we by his envenom'd teeth are bit And when Achilles like w' are hurt i' th' heel We seek for Balsom to cure it Better it were if we took heed How to avoid the Serpent e're he stung So should we feel no pain nor medicine need But safely sit our flowers among Whiles we securely take delight Amidst our many sweet and fragrant flowers The divel Serpent turnes and doth us bite And with sharp pains our pleasure sowrs Let us look then before we leap And timely seek the danger to prevent Leâ—t we in stead of joyes do sorrowes reap And when it is too late repent Upon Divine Love HOw strong is Love what tongue expresse it can Or heart conceive since it made God a man How strong is Love which made that God-Man dye That man might live with God eternally Lord let this love of thine my heart inspire With love again as sparks rise from the fire Thy love 's a Sun give me a beam from thence Which may both light and heat alike dispence Light to direct others the surest way That leads to heaven and everlasting joy Heat