neither is nor was nor shall be done Vpon your selves you many mischiefs bring Which by a prudent-Stoutnesse you may shun For when you make an unexpected pawse You weaken your Assistants and your Cause You act not out your parts as if you thought A Tragedie in earnest now were plaid Or that upon the Combat to be fought The Triall of your whole estates were laid For to advance a frivolous designe To please a knave that is a friend in show To feed some lust whereto they do incline Or shun the fury of a feared Foe Advantages you daily fool away Which by no humane pow'r can be recal'd Eternitie you venture for a day And when you might with brasse be double wal'd You seek to fortifie the Kingdomes Cause With paper-works with rotten sticks and strawes Those Places and Imployments whence arise The greatest profit rarely are confer'd With conscionable care of their supplies By faithfull men but thither are prefer'd Those rather whose chief aimes are how to make Their private Fortunes and to that effect Know how to move and how to give or take To gaine themselves advantage and respect Yea though there be suspitions and perchance Good evidences too that some of these The Cause of your opposers will advance When they an opportunitie may seize To Offices of Trust you these commend Before your suffering and deserving Friend Who their estates have now increased most But they who for the publike ventur'd least Whose paiments and prefermentâ— more are crost Then their who to their power have serv'd you best In what Committees now or in what Shires Are not this day a multitude of those Whose faithfulnesse undoubtedly appeares Disabled and discourag'd by their Foes How gen'rally do you in ev'ry place Begin well-known Malignants now to trust With your Affaires And suffer with disgrace True Patriots from imployment to be thrust And by this madnesse how are you betraid How open to destruction are you laid They who were first in Armes for your defence Who first their Free-will-Offerings to you brought And have continu'd faithfull ever since Ev'n they are now unserviceable thought Contrariwise they who at first refused To lend you aid in Person or in Pay They who in word and deed your cause abused And are unfaithfull to you to this day Ev'n they have now insinuated so By helpe of their Protectors And of these So over-confident you daily grow That your best friends you ruine and displease And on your selves a greater hazzard bring Then all the armed Forces of the King For those accursed Vipers are with you So intermingled in your consultations Nay rather so incorporated now In private and in State negotiations That by a miracle it must be done If any good Designe to passe be brought Or for the publike-safetie be begun Which will not e're performed come to nought And if you are not pleas'd to have it so Why did you and why do you still permit Those men whom faultring if not false you know In Counsell ev'ry day with you to to fit And why for those do you your Friends neglect Vnlesse your own perdition you affect Why else when Forts or Forces to command On which the Publike-safety much depends Do you commit them rather to their hand Whom neither proofe nor likelihood commends To such a Trust Why not unto their care And keeping rather who have courage showne Of whose fidelitie good proofes appear And whose experience hath been wel made known This could not be but that you do preferre Your sons your nephewes and your friends before The Publike-weale or els perswaded are That your Destruction will afflict the more Vnlesse your own devises help undo you Or some who are both near and deare unto you How can there be among you those foundations Whereon your Peace or Safety may erect While most men for their own accommodations Designments to the Publike losse project And while to compasse their desired ends They do not onely mischief and delude Themselves their kindred neighbourhood and friends Or mis-inform the brainlesse multitude But by their cunning also do contrive Those Engines which good Discipline deface The State into unstable postures drive Raise jarres and jealousies in every place And spread abroad the Devils Axioms too The unitie of Doctrine to undo These Engineers your power infeeble more And weaken more your hands then all yet done By other adversaries heretofore Since this unhappie Warfare first begun These while to build among you they pretended As partners in the work of Reformation Have secretlie their private Aimes befriended With hindrance to your wished Restauration Sanballats and Tobiahs you have had Who by dissembling with you to unite Have rent you from your selves and thereby made Both Parties feel the common Foes despight To be each others whip and make the Truth A theame of scorne in everie drunkards mouth There are so manie failings in the best Such needlesse and such wilfull breach of Lawes So carelesse are you of your Faith profest To those who have been faithfull in your Cause So hath your Falshood and your follie blended Both right and wrong both good and ill together That both must be opposed or defended Or els you must declare your selves for neither And whether with the one or t'other side You shall partake or for a Newter stand No humane wisdom can for you provide A being with true safety in this Land So little wit hath ordered this Place So little honesty so little grace And these great mischeifs rose from giving way For every man at pleasure to deface Those Out-works which though faultie were a stay Not uselesse till some better came in place For he that would prevent an inundation By false-built Sea-banks lets not every one Teare down the Piles and breake the old Foundation Lest that which he would make might be undone Nor for a Cobler or a Fidler sends But men experienc'd in such works doth call And with such warinesse the fault amends That no disaster may mean-while befall And that the Old-worke and the New-worke may Begin and end together in one day You thus proceeded not but with more heat Then prudence hurrying on in hast you tore The wharfage down ev'n while the floods did threat To drowne the fields and Billowes rent the shore The furious Souldier was with commendation Permitted to reforme as he thought fit Forbidding or affording toleration According to the modell of his wit And he that was not mad enough to run Their wildgoose-chase and set the world on fire To suffer by suspition streight begun And forc'd was from imployment to retire As not right principled or drawne aside By Balaams wages or unsanctifi'd And these Reformers not enough content To carve out Discipline as they shall please And Doctrine too will on the Government Vnlesse it be prevented shortlie seize For having no Foundation like a feather Which from the bodie of a Fowle is torne They to and fro are turn'd with everie
wondrous Orb The Eye of Contemplation may survay Sights which no Bounds or Shaddowes do disturb There may be seene the meanes which doth disclose Though not the Essence of Eternall-things So much at least as ev'ry notion showes From whence beleefe of their true Being springs There may the Soule that hideous Downefall see Which leadeth to the brinck of Desperation There may that Entrance plainly viewed be Which guideth to a blessed Exaltation And there the Spirit to our knowledge brings The Good and Ill of all created things For hitherto I never heard of ought In Heav'n or Earth but I perceiv'd it there Yea many Novelties from thence are brought Which have no Being any other where It is indeed another WORLD within The World without me and I thither go When I to loath externall things begin And doubtfull am what in this World to do I sometime there have entertainments had Like those which may in Paradise be found Sometime againe 't is like a Chaos made Wherein deluding Fancies do abound Sometime the Light of Heav'n there seems to dwell And other while it is as dark as Hell Within our selves as GOD vouchsafes his grace That Blisse and that true happinesse is found Which men seek after in that Time and Place Which have not much relation to this ROVND I being thither guided by that Light Which faileth none there found out an abode Quite out of hearing and beyond the sight Of those distractions which I saw abroad There found I out a Resting place to hide me From scorne of Fooles and from the Strife of tongues From their despight who slander and deride me From private mischiefes and from publike wrongs From all the menaces my eares have heard From all the perils which my heart hâ—th fear'd There I with sportive sleightings did peruse That which their malice who these times do flatter Have spewed forth against my blamelesse Muse In lumps of scurrill base and witlesse matter And am content to let the OVRS alone Though loud they snarle and bawle because I find Those Beasts are by their Masters seized on And do but bark according to their kind Though not their wit their malice might perhaps Deserve a Rating and I could have flung them A Bone that would have broke or gagg'd their chaps Or throwne the Wild-fires of my Brain among them But they in vaine shall bark in vaine they raile To scratch the Scabs I scorne to foule my naile For I in that Retirement seem'd no more By such decrepit Malice to be hurt Than is a well compacted Rockie-shore On which the Billows cast up Foame and durt There shewne I was the high prerogatives The priviledges of my Second-birth And from what noble Root my Soule derives Her Pedigree though she be cloath'd with earth And could I still when I from Contemplation Returne to Act retaine in me that height Of Spirit and the reall estimation Of that wherein at those times I delight I never more an earthly hope should cherish Or prize the honours of the Beasts that perish There on a Throne above the world I sate Beholding with disdaine Terrestriall things The fruitlesse love of Mortals and their hate The Tyrannies of Subjects and of Kings There I beheld without those perturbations Which vexed me abroad how Pride and Folly Support each other by their combinations In wicked projects and in works unholy There spi'd I by what secret Links and Ties The cursed-Counsell which deludes the King And that false-pack which in our bosome lies Their dark Designes together closely bring And why so many moneths in vain are spent Their treacheries and treasons to prevent There can I sit obscur'd and spie what ends Are closely follow'd by the Politician Who seemingly the common-common-Cause befriends That he may ruine it without suspition There I descrie what avarice what frauds What spight and what hypocrisie doth lurk In many whom the publike-Voice applauds As faithfull men in carrying on the Work Without distemper there I think upon Their pride and envie who had rather see Three Kingdomes universally undone Then wained from their wilfulnesse to be Because I know GODS Worke will be effected In spight of what their madnesse hath projected There without breach of Patience I can heed How impudently some have sought to seem Of eminent desert who are indeed More worthy of contempt then of esteem How quaintly other-some can mischief do And then by policie and frauds contrive To purchase thanks and pay and favour too For that which rather should a halter have Yea there without offence I notice take How zealously Malignants are befriended How sleight account of their deserts we make Who have with life and goods the State defended And with what confidence we still confide On those that will be true to neither side There likewise without wrath I view and heare How senslesse many who are counted wise Both of advantages and dangers are Which ev'ry day appear before our eyes How needlesse good Advice by some is thought Till 't is too late how to prevent a Wound They lose a life and to be thriftie thought How they to save a groat mispend a pound How desp'rately they somtime take a Fall To scape a Slip how other while to save Some Rotten-Members they adventure all Which we by Grace or Natures Charters have All this in my Retirements I can see Yet nothing vexeth or affâ—igheth me For therewithall such meanes appear to show That both the good Endeavours of our Friends And all the Counterminings of the Foe Shall work out that at last which GOD intends And that if we contented can become To beare our Burthens but a little longer His Grace will render them lesse troublesome Or make us to sustaine them daily stronger Wherewith well pleas'd I totally resign'd My Will to his And by that Resignation Delightfull Calmes within my heart did finde So freeing me from former perturbation That all within and all without me kept Such silence as if all the world had slept As at high Midnight in a Desert Vale Or'e-hung and bordred by a Double-Hill On which there blowes not any whistling-gale Down which there flowes not any murm'ring Rill Near which nor Bird doth sing nor Beast doth play Through which no Travailer doth ever passe By which there growes no rusling leafe or spray In which no noise of Creature ever was Such seem'd that Calme which then I did possesse Or deeper if it might a deeper be And that the Silence which I now expresse May not prove empty both to You and Me In this Retreat from ev'ry other noise As from a farre to me there came a VOICE A VOICE there came From whence I will not say Judge yet to whom I shall report the same For if you mark the sense conceive you may Aswell as I from whom and whence it came So still a VOICE it was that with mine Eare I heard it not nor made it such a noise As that which our corporeall sence
doth hear Nor was it an articulated VOICE But such a VOICE as when the Spirit brings A Message down from GOD and to the heart Doth whisper those intelligible-things Which words do but imperfectly impart Or such a VOICE as from GODS written Word The Genuine sense well heeded may afford And yet it spake so plainly and did shew Those Informations which I gain'd thereby In ev'ry Circumstance to be so true That of no branch thereof misdoubt have I. Thus it began Thou Off-spring of the earth Whom Providence designed in this Nation To have thy temp'rall Being and thy Birth In this Dâ—gree and in this Generation Suppose not that in any worth of thine There could a merit or a motive be Which might Eternall-Providence incline To cast so gracious an aspect on thee As to descend so low as to thy heart The knowledge of his pleasure to impart For from thy Childhood he thy thoughts hath seen Heard all thy words observed all thy waies Can tell how vaine thy youthfull years have been And how thou hast defil'd thy elder-daies He knowes thy seeming vertues imperfections He saw what evill secretly thou didst And made thee likewise feel by due corrections That he beheld what from the world thou hidst The Folly Fraud and falshood of thy heart The vices and the vainnesse of thy tongue How false to others and thy selfe thou art How slow to good how swift in doing wrong He truly knowes and findes thee apt to do No dutie but what he compells thee to And he observed though thy guilt he smothers That thou to whom he better things hath taught Art in those Crimes as deeply di'd as others Who on this Isle these present Plagues have brought Observ'd he hath how fondly thou hast striven With Wordlings in their lusts to have a share Although to thee experiments were given What empty and pernitious things they are Yea with some indignation he discerned That madly thou didst many times partake In provocations whereof thou hadst warned This Land even those thou vowedst to forsake And that with greedinesse thou hast pursud'd Those vanities that ought to be eschew'd Although thy heart inform'd thee long agoo By an indubitable information That all the services thou couldst bestow Vpon the Minions of this Generation Should nothing profit thee Thou nerethelesse Forgetting what was counsell'd and resolved Didst fawne on some of them in thy distresse And hadst no doubt thereby thy selfe involved Within those Nets which at their Boords are spred But that GOD did permit them to contemn Thy honest Muses who a plot had laid Into those vertues to have flatter'd them Which they regard not otherwise that Course Which nothing better'd them had made thee worse When thou hadst in thy Poems vice reproved He search'd thy heart and saw it was not then Meere love to vertue whereby thou wert moved Or that thou hadst lesse guilt then other men Somtime that fickle bubble Reputation Sometime that hope which thy vaine Fancie gives thee Sometime applauses sometimes indignation Into a just reproofe of sinners drives thee Some other by-respects oft wrought upon Thy heart to rouze up in thee an indeavour In things that seemed worthy to be done But thy performances proceeded never From that true love and that sincere affection Which thou didst owe to Him and his perfection And for these things their mouths wide op'ned be Who seek to turn thy glory to thy shame Those witlesse Railers are let loose on thee Whom in thy Measures thou didst scorn to name For this thou sufferest by the sharp despights Of open-sinners and much more by farre Through those malicious and proud Hypocrites Who kindled first and still foment this warre For this thou who for others couldst espie Conceal'd events hast oft so blinded been In matters of thine own that what thine eye Seem'd fixed on thy wit hath over-seen Till to thy mind they through those meanes were brought By which each Foole and ev'ry child is taught For this wert thou deservedly depriv'd Of blessings which thou els mightst have enjoy'd And for that cause hast worthily surviv'd To see thy hopes with other mens destroy'd For this thou with the first hast plundred bin For this thou both by Friends and Foes art torn For this where thou hadst hopes respects to win Instead of honour thou reproach hast born For this thy best endeavours have been crost By them whose power could els no spite have done thee For this those paines and those designes are lost Which otherwise had greaâ— advantage won thee And but that whom GOD loves he leaveth never For this rejected thou hadst been for ever Yet such is his compassion that his love Still seeks to reingage thee by his graces Beholding thee with favour from above In wants in suffrings in all times and places According to thy trust in him reposed When thy Remembrances did first appeare As with a wall of brasse he thee inclosed From those who at thy Muse inraged were The Prelates and the Nobles who conspired To ruine thee and thereto did comply Obtain'd no power to act what they desired Though open to their fury thou didst lie Although some suffred then for milder lines By Stygmatizings Banishment and Fines When thou wert grasped in that Dragons pawes Who sought thy spoil GOD strangely charm'd his rage He from devouring thee restrain'd his Jawes Even while he rav'd and storm'd at thy presage Yea whereas thou didst imprecate on those Who should malitiously thy lines defame And without penitence their Truth oppose A Publike Marke to brand them for the same Ev'n so it came to passe For scarcely one Of those Oppressers are at this day free From having those just Censures undergone By which the publike-Foes now marked be And to the chief of them this mark GOD gave That He with shame went headlesse to his grave In all the changes of this toylsome life He kept thee with an honest Reputation He was thy comfort still in times of griefe In dangers he hath been thy preservation He sav'd thee from the furioust Pestilence That ever in this Clymate did appear And hitherto hath by his Providence Secur'd thee from the Sword yet raging here Now when they lack who surfeted of late When Bread with men more worthie groweth scant Yea though the Foe hath spoiled thy estate He keepes thy family from pinching want And makes thee hopefull whatsoere betide That he for thee and thine will still provide Moreover when thy patience was nigh tir'd When thy estate the world did most despise GOD gave thee that which most thy heart desir'd And of all things terrestriall most hath priz'd He likewise hath preserv'd thee to behold Those things in thine own life-time verifide Which seem'd as dreames when first by thee fore-told Which fooles did sleight and wiser men deride And not thus only was he pleas'd to do But now hath also call'd thee to prepare The Way of Peace and to reveale unto These British Isles
both becometh so dismaid That he receiveth benefit from neither But hazards Soule and Body both together So while you laboured at once to heale The desperate Diseases which of late Endangered both Church and Common-weale Such longings then your double-zeale begate To cure them both together and so strove Your Zelots that from both at once they mought The Cause of their distemperatures remove That great Confusions upon both are brought Yea both of them are now exposed more To scandals losses errours perturbations And hazards of destruction than before That whether now you seek their preservations Together or apart you shall not yet Obtaine that blessing which you hope to get For you must first be cleared of the sin Which hinders from enjoying your desire And that which lately might have cleansed bin With water must be purged now with fire Yea since your follies and your sins have brought Those great Confusions both on Church and State For which the meanes that might their cure have wrought Are now too feeble and will come too late Since into such a Chaos all is changed That all endeavours usefull heretofore Have daily you from Concord more estranged And made your mischiefes and your sorrowes more No ordinary-course can set you free From those distractions wherein now you be This being knowne and in what great distresse You plunged are to you it appertaines With penitencie humbly to addresse Your suits to him in whom your help remaines And ere you make approaches to his Throne There must be as was told you some purgation From those omissions and those deeds mis-done Which make your prayers an abhomination The Zimri's and the Cosbi's of the time Of whose uncleannesse and whose impudence You talk of yet but as a Veniall crime Or laugh at as a triviall offence Must with more zeale more speed receive their due Or else their sins GOD shall avenge on you For these are so impure that in their Sin They are unsatisfi'd unlesse the same Hâ—th with some circumstances acted bin Which proves them double-guiltie without shame They are not pleas'd in Simple-Fornication Vnlesse thereto Adulteries they add Nor seemes that now sufficient violation Of Chastitie unlesse the Crime be made Yet more abhominable by beguiling Some Innocent or else by offring force The Bed of Honour with bold vaunts defiling Nay there is found among you if not worse Vncleannesse more unmanly and more strange Adult'ries by consent and by exchange But these are the defilements of your Peace Where yet they have not felt the rage of War Where yet the Course of Justice doth not cease And where great shewes of Pietie yet are And if such impudence may there be found If there you so corrupt already grow Oh I how do those Vncleannesses abound Where cruell Outrage her grim face doth show Sure words are insufficient to expresse The Rapes the Ravishments and loathsome sins Where War gives way to all Vnrulinesse And Tyranny and Lust the conquest wins When sin and impudence is acted there Where Justice on her seats doth yet appeare Behold this day ev'n whilst with Desolation The Land is threatned you have now let in A crying witkednesse which to this Nation Was ever thought so hatefull to have bin That though among the Jewes a Law they had Inflicting Death upon it you have none Because a Law is verie rarely made Concerning things unlikely to be done Who would have thought there being neither Beare Nor Wolfe nor Lyon on your English ground To seize upon your little Children there That many Beasts and Monsters should be found In humane shape to steale and beare away Your Infants whilst before your doores they play Who would have thought that for so small a price So many could so quickly have been got To joyne in perpetrating of a Vice So horrible and yet abhor it not That their hard hearts could heare poore Children crie Vpon their fathers or their mothers name Till peradventure in an agonie Of extreme passion livelesse they became Or which is worse preserv'd them to be sent To Bondage whilst their Parents almost wild Were left in everlasting discontent By musing on their lost-beloved-child This Crueltie hath in your streets been seen Thus high have your corruptions heightned been In these sad times while GODS afflicting hand Lies heavie on you and with sword and fire Pursues through ev'rie Corner of the Land And reall Penitencie doth require In stead thereof the People now begins To grow more daring and to practise crimes Beside the old or Epidemick sins Which were unheard of here in former times Blasphemous Heresie among you growes Like Sprouts at Spring-tide from a new lopt tree And so detestable are some of those That pious men afraid to name them be Lest they who love the sinfulnesse of Sin Should thereby let such mischiefes further in Death was the punishment which for this crime Was judged by the Law of Moses due And well it would become you at this time That Law among these Nations to renue And if you should observe how little sense Of Perjurie men seeme to have of late And what bold use is made of that Offence To serve the will of Malice and of hate Or with what ease Oppressours thereby may And sometimes do not only ruinate And honest Fame but also take away As well their pretious lives as an estate From Innocents Death would not seem a Law Too strict to keep those Wicked ones in awe The Land through Oathes and Curses also mournes For some have learn'd new oathes and imprecations Not heard of heretofore and GOD returnes On their owne heads their wished-for Damnations In Cursings they delighted and they soke Like Oyle into their bones They took a pride In wishing Plagues and lo as with a cloke Therewith now wrapt they are on ev'rie side You lov'd not Blessings but when you enjoy'd Peace plentie health and safetie you despis'd Those Mercies and behold they are destroy'd That they hereafter may be better priz'd You long have partners been in ev'rie sin And now each others Hang-men you have bin When ev'rie neighb'ring house is in a flame You store your owne as if no danger were In Honestie 's and in Religion's name You credit get and publike Robbers are To lye and to be perjur'd for the Cause Of GOD your King or Countrey is a gin To catch Opixion whereby most he drawes That is most bold and impudent therein By some pretence to benefit the State Religion to promote or aid the King You colour your oppressions slander cheat And put in practice almost any thing You by a shew the Gen'rall to preserve Particulars unmercifully starve You wrong the meaning of your Parliament When their estates you seize who are their Foes To their undoing who are innocent And blamelesse though the Creditors of those And were it our Designment to accuse Particulars as to informe and warne In gen'rall termes that they who yet abuse Their power more humanitie might learn
without limitation they are feee To do what may by Parliaments be done And that is ev'rie reasonable thing Which to their weale and safety may belong And their abilitie to passe may bring If to Divinity it be no wrong And whosoe're in these extremities Perswade that they should take upon them lesse Vnto the publike peace are enemies Yea they deferre or marre your happinesse By weakning of their hands who are your friends And strengthening his who now your spoile intends Let them not therefore act as if they had But halfe a power or seemed to be lame Or as if they a Parliament were made To be no more but only so in name With prudent conscience and with confidence Let them proceed in what they undertake And in what e're pertaines to their defence On just resolves let them no haltings make Through want of presidents For power they have To make new presidents as well as they Who liv'd before them And if they will save Their Countrie and themselves this is the way Since in an extarordinarie Cause True Reason binds as firmly as the Lawes And though it greatly grieve you as it ought Yet suffer not the absence of the King To foole you with so frivolous a thought As that a diminution it may bring To their authority For wheresoe're He bideth when his Parliament shall sit The Kingship vertually is alwaies there And cannot possibly divide from it The Person of a King may ramble forth As his own fancie hurries him about Or do things derogating from his worth Or die or from the Kingdome be cast out And yet the Kingdome and the Kingship too Continue still as they were wont to do The life of Bodies-naturall indeed Departs out of them when their head is gone And thereunto no other can succeed To make it live or not a headlesse-one So 't is not in this Bodie-politike The vitalls of it in the body lie Not in that head-ship and though it be sick When that falls from it yet it doth not die A King is but a substituted-head Made for conveniencie And if thereby The bodie seem to be indangered If Power it hath it hath Authoritie To take one off and set another on Aswell as at the first to make it one And when that Body shall be represented As this hath been according to the Law Or shall be by necessity convented Therein resides that Soveraignty that Awe And Rule whereto the Lawes of GOD and nature Injoyne obedience and not in that thing Corrupted which was but that Creatures creature And which to serve it was first made a King When therefore GOD injoynes you to obey And honour Kings these duties are not meant To those who from their Kingships run away But rather to th'essentiall Government Of whatsoever kind by Law ordain'd Or by a strong necessity constrain'd For were it otherwise the pride and lust Of an injurious Arbitrary power Would all men out of their possessions thrust And all the freedomes of mankind devoure Let therefore neither fear nor flattery Prescription or vaine custome make you cleave Vnto an accidentall Majesty And that which is substantiall quite to leave At this time chieflie take a speciall care As of what verie much conduceth to Your Peace and Safety that as now things are Your just advantages you let not goe Lest by a faint and conwardly endeavour You loose your freedoms and be slaves for ever And yet take heed that zeal to Innovations Nor private fears nor hopes incline your minde To subjugate these Kingdoms or these Nations To Governments of anie other kind But rather use your utmost diligence To rectifie those things which are amisse In that which is establish'd and from thence Cast out or purge whatever therein is Repugnant to those Charters which by grace Or nature were confer'd And let your care Be so to settle it that place you make The Throne of CHRIST among you up to reare Lest when his Kingdome comes you els be fain To pull your new-devices down again Take likewise heed that you no meanes neglect Whereby the King may be reclaim'd and won GODS honour with your safetie to respect And do the duties he hath left undone For by rejecting him how just soe're The Causes be you shall delay the peace Which is desir'd And make your quarrell here With much more difficultie to decrease But if your industrie shall win him home And he return sincerely to his charge It shall a blessing to these Islâ—s become Your honour and your joy it shall inlarge And as CHRISTS Vice-Roy he shall sit upon A righteous and an everlasting Throne Walk therefore prudently in this straight path And turn not to the left hand or the right That pow'r which GOD to you committed hath Improve for him according to your might Him in the reasonable-meanes attend With Faith and Patience that he may at last Your King new-moulded back unto you send Your King new-moulded back unto you send Or him out of his ruin'd Kingdome cast If possibly he can his course repent GOD will restore him yet If you amend Then all these Troubles and this grievous Rent Shall in true Peace and sweet agreements end If both conforme Both shall true Peace enjoy If both be wilfull GOD shall both destroy But heark my Scribe I heare a dreadfull crie Of wounded men and therewith as it were The shouts of those that have a Victorie Of much concernment Therefore go and heare What now is done For somewhat hath been wrought From whence if well it shall improved be Enlargements of those meanes will forth be brought Which may effect what thou desir'st to see As soone as thou hast Information had Of what is rumoured and duly weigh'd What profitable uses may be made Of that which either hath been done or said Retire thou hither and give eare again To that which to your Peace doth appertaine The fourth Canto The Contents While here our Authour doth recite His Musings after Naesby fight The VOICE returnes and doth begin To shew us what must usher in Exiled Peace Then told are we How kept our Vowes and Covenants be How we reforme and fast and pray What Thankfulnesse we do repay What must in generall be done What by each Jndividuall-One What course both King and State must take E're they their Peace with God shall make What he expects from ev'rie Nation From ev'rie Towne and Corporation And ev'rie House in some degree Before our Peace renew'd will bee WHen from attention to that Silent-tongue heard Which without words reveales what you have I came abroad the Streets and Temples rung Of Victories and Signalls there appear'd Not only of a valiant Resolution In those that conquer'd but of some divine Disposure of them too for execution Of that which GOD himselfe did fore-designe The scornfull Adversaries rushed on To Policie and Strength themselves commending The LORD of Hosts our Friends reli'd upon With Prayers fighting and with Faith defending And lo GOD
gave their Foes into their hand For when he sighteth who can then withstand The Victorie was great and ev'rie one Observ'd what circumstances pleas'd him best But that my thoughts did most insist upon Which others peradventure minded least These Royall-Ensignes from the Field were brought The Lion-Rampant and the Dragon-flying The Roses and Portcullis which me thought Were Pledges future Mercie signifying And so no doubt they shall be if that Race To which GOD calleth us we now shall run And better heed the tokens of his Grace And Earnests of his love than we have done For valiant Fairfax now hath sent us home In Hieroglyphick signes of things to come The Ramping-Lion which doth fignifie A Raging-Tyrant may an Earnest be That GOD will from oppressing Tyrannie Vpon our Good-abearing set us free A Dragon is that most prodigious Beast Whereby the Holy-Ghost hath typifi'd That Foe by whom the Saints are most opprest And by whom daily they are crucifi'd The taking of that Ensigne may fore-shew That if we faithfully the work endeavour The pow'r of Antichrist we shall subdue And from these Islands cast his Throne for ever Vouchsafe us pow'r ô GOD vouchsafe us Grace To drive him and his Angels from this Place The joyning of the Roses doth declare That GOD will to those honours us restore Wherewith he crown'd us when in peace and war We on our Crest those lovely Flowers wore Their blushing Beauties are to me a signe Of that delightfull and soule-pleasing grace Which will make lovely our Church-Discipline When GOD hath chang'd our Discords into Peace The sweetnesse and the vertues of the Rose Do seeme to promise to us those effects And fruit which from internall Graces flowes Yea and their prickles are in some respects Significant for I by them fore-see That his corrections alwayes needfull be By taking their Portcullis from the Foe It may portend and if with penitence We prosecute the Work it shall be so That we have taken from them their defence It may betoken also that GODS hand Will bar our Gates and make our Citie strong And by his Mercie fortifie the Land Against all them who seek to do us wrong But for a surer token of his Grace GOD sends us home among the spoiles of War That Cabinet of Mischiefe wherein was The proofe of what our Foes intentions are And that their projects GOD will still disclose And foole their Policies this Prize fore-showes I then observed in that Victorie Wherewith GODS hand at that time magnifi'd The Peoples-Tribune how much vanitie Is in the Arme of flesh and vaunts of pride And with what good successe he shall advance Who seconded with Meeknesse Faith and Pray'r Doth fight against the rage of Arrogance Of Guilt of Selfe-Dependence and Despaire I furthermore observed that this stroke Was given by a Hand contemn'd of those On whom it fell and that their strength it broke When to themselves great hopes they did propose Yea when they seem'd assured of our fall And thought to ruine and devoure us all And they received that amazing-blow From those Vnited-Brethren whom they thought Their policies had dis-united so That ruine on themselves it should have brought But this by their agreement GOD prevented And gave that victorie to be a signe That if we shall hereafter be contented In love against the Common-Foe to joyne And trust him with our Conscience and our Cause We by that blessed union shall subdue Th'opposers of our Liberties and Lawes And feel the droppings of Mount-Sions dew Be sprinkling all these Islands with increase Of saving-knowledge joyn'd with endlesse peace I mustred up the manie black-events The manie jealousies and new-made factions The discontentments and discouragements The frights the losses dangers and distractions That might have follow'd and o're-whelm'd us all If but that day our spoilers had prevail'd If on that day GOD had not heard us call If on that day to help us he had fail'd And I desire that we could thanks expresse For such deliv'rances aswell in deed As in a Verball-form of thankfulnesse That GOD might alwaies our devotions heed And answere us when in distresse we pray As he our prayers answered that day My heart rejoyced much in that salvation Because I knew it greater then it seem'd And that it wrappeth up a preservation To few men knowne of fewer men esteem'd So much I joy not in the victorie As in that good whereto it may conduce For in GODS Judgments as much joy have I As in his Mercies when I see their use I laugh not as when I have outward ease When I do feel GODS hand correcting me Yet inwardly it comforts and doth please As much as when more glad I seeme to be And more I feare a failing on my part When I am most at ease than when I smart And I have seene so frequently a failing In prosecuting publike executions And such neglects upon a small prevailing Of good Designes and prudent Resolutions With such a dull proceeding in pursuit Of those advantages which GOD bestowes And find them still produce so little fruit In substance answerable to their showes That when I should expresse my joyfulnesse With such a sense as other entertaine A melancholly doth my soule oppresse As if it fear'd my joy would be in vaine But at that time some better hopes I had And in those hopes my Prayer thus I made Eternall GOD as mercifull as just And of both these the Essence in perfection Thou know'st my heart and know'st I nor distrust Thy Pow'r thy Providence or thy Affection Though outwardly I do not much rejoyce It is not an unthankefulnesse to thee That sads my Soule or silenceth my Voyce Whiles others tuning Hymnes of Praises be For oft my heart enjoyes thee all the day Aloud to thee my Spirit often cryes When with my mouth I not a word can say When not a teare will trickle from mine eyes And though I neither pray nor praise thee then As I am bound I do it as I can Thy mercies I confesse and am as glad Of Thee and them this day as he that sings Yet when I mind what use of them is made And what effects from thy compassion springs It mars my mirth And therefore now in stead Of their thanksgiving Psalmes I sacrifice My heart in Prayer which vouchsafe to heed And do not LORD my humble suits despise For if thou grant them it shall praise thee more Thanif that favour by ten thousand tongues Were at this present time repeated o're And celebrated in a thousand songs That hath begot thee one Thanksgiving-day But this shall make thee praised here for aye The many Mercies LORD I do confesse Which by thy Bountie we have here enjoy'd And do acknowledge with all thankefulnesse That ere this day we had been all destroy'd Vnlesse thy Goodnesse and thy Providence Had curb'd the furie of the raging Foe Yea thy Abounding-love was our defence Or we had else been our owne overthrow
Name For by Interpretation 't is as much With you as if yee said Hearing-the-Witch As Simon-Peter and the Sorcerer Long since contended whether of the two Should get possession of the Peoples eare Ev'n so those hearings at this present do As Simon-Magus untill Peter spoke Had so bewitch'd the common-people then That for the POW'R of GOD they him mistook So Formall-hearing now bewitcheth men So it is idoliz'd and some have thought When formally that Dutie they had paid The Holy-Ghost might for the same be bought But as then Peter of the money said Their Hearing with them perish who suppose That GOD his Graces for such wares bestowes You of this itching this bewitching Hearing Have had Experiments and at this day There are such bitter fruits therof appearing That you had need be watchfull and to pray That GOD would please to sanctâ—fie the eare And circumcise your hearts that you may know When you the Witch and when you Peter heare That you in Grace may edified grow And that this Information make you not Respectlesse of that Hearing or that Preaching Whereby that Saving knowledge may be got Which no man hath but by the Spirits teaching And that you so may Heare that GOD may blesse Hearing with Faith Faith with Truth-full-Peace Take heed unto your Prayers that they reach not Their length that Widowes-houses do devoure Take heed unto your Preachings that you preach not The Spirit weak and raise a fleshly-power Take heed in Giving thanks you do not say In heart when GOD hath victories bestowne That of your Foes his hand did thousands slay And that there fell ten thousands by your owne Vnto your Fasts and your Humiliations Take likewise heed lest by your negligences Those Duties may be greater aggravations Of your but seeming-sorrow'd-for-Offences And take heed lest hypocrisie may breed Obstructions in you of due Taking-heed If truly you desire a happie-Peace Repent your false Repentance and in haste Your suits with true sinceritie addresse Before the Day of mercie shall be past Reforme your Publike Fasts and let them show Ev'n in the Out-ward-man so truly sad That others may your inward-sorrow know And by the same so sensible be made Of what you feele that it may make them find A change in their owne hearts and by that change Become to pious dutie so inclin'd That them from Vanitie it may estrange And ev'rie day one thus draw on another To Penitence till all repent together To make this dutie further to extend And grow more generall you shall do well Vnto your Adversaries to commend And unto those who in your quarters dwell This motion That since both of you professe One GOD you might assemble on one day To meet before his Presence to confesse Your wickednesse wide open there to lay Your Causes And for judgement to referre Your selves to him For such an introduction A meanes to draw you somwhat nearer were And to remove it may be some obstruction Which hinders Peace or els to bring that on By which your work the sooner may be done If they that have the better Cause think fit With some such meek and pious invitations As they might frame for this end to admit That day whereon their Foes humiliations Pretended are it either shall allure Your Adversaries to that Penitence Which will a speedy amity procure Or aggravate so greatly their offence That GOD shall quite reject them as if they Refused your Appeal or to abide His Doome and did intend some other way Or by some other Censor to be tri'd And what event will thereupon ensue It were a needlesse matter to fore-shew When all are thus assembled on one day Or els of all so many as GOD's grace Shall make therewith content For though it may To you be somwhat yet nor Time nor Place Are in respect of Him considerable Yea when you in his presence shall appeare To this effect as he shall you inable Fall down before him with all meeknesse there Together then with seriousnesse begin The Fast anew In true humiliations Let all bewaile their errours and their sin Till in their mournings and their Lamentations The famous mourning equallize they shall Of Hadadrimmon in Megiddo Vale. Let joyntly People State and King unite In penitence as they in sinne have done Themselves let them for all their sinnes indite Their new and ancient sins before GOD's Throne And forasmuch as in this later-Age And in this place he seemeth as it were To bring all things again upon the stage Which heretofore in action did appeare Yea since they who will heed it may behold All that concernes th' Estates or conversation Of Saints or sinners in GOD's Word fore-told Epitomized in this Generation Let not his warnings both by Word and Deed Be frustrated through want of taking-heed Remember to be waile your Gentilismes Your Babylonish-whoredomes heretofore Your ancient-heresies and moderne-Schismes That GOD for these may judge these Isles no more Observe and well observe it that because You govern'd lesse by Law then by your will That GOD almost depriv'd you of those Lawes And that because your projects to fulfill Or to promote your carnall-Policies Morality and Piety by you Were made but stales the worlds old-Heresies And Heath'nish-manners are sprung up anew To interrupt and marre the publike-Peace For your dissembling and unthankfulnesse Remember that like Israel you have spar'd The Canaanites that should have been destroi'd That like rebellious Saul you had regard To Agag and forbidden spolles enjoi'd Remember how you stagger'd off and on Betwixt the LORD and Baal in ancient-time And how farre you in later yeares have gone To repollute these Islands by that crime Remember that like Judah you have made Confed'racies with such as are GOD's Foes Though warnings counsells and commands you had To shun their friendships who the Truth oppose And mindfull be how you on them reli'd Whom Egypt and whom Asbur typifi'd Remember that you have like Solomon Though you had his example to beware Been carelesse those Alliances to shun Which both pernitious and forbidden were For all this Empire guiltinesse contracted As well by heeding not to have prevented What by your Kings and Peeres of State was acted As in not having yet this sin repented Repent that as in Judah by her Kings You have by halves reform'd Religion too Call therewithall to mind what fruit it brings The work of GOD with negligence to do And humbled be for ev'ry other sin Whereof these Isles have jointly guilty bin Let those three Parties which have made this day These Islands wretched by their great Transgressions And chas'd their Glory and their Peace away Make jointly and asunder their confessions For all have much offended ev'n the best Are guiltie of enough to have destroi'd The temporall well-being they possest And all their hopes of what may be enjoi'd Let luke-warme Newters those poore-spirited Degenerated Britains without heart Who as ignobly have demerited As those who persecute the guiltlesse
calling understand And lay their many failings more to heart For most have liv'd as if to idlenesse And to debaucherie they had been borne And large estates for nothing did possesse But for supplies of lust to serve their turn A die a cocke a hound hawke horse or whore Were chiefest objects of their contemplation Their sinnes alone are though you had no more Enough to bring a Land to desolation And they have been chiefe cause and instruments Of all these Plagues for which this Realme laments But much will want of perfecting a peace Vntill your Men of Law perswaded be To mourn apart For they will re-increase Your quarrells else assoon as you agree By their formalities and slow proceeding Your remedie for injuries is made A mischiefe the disease oft times exceeding And if some eye unto them be not had So many places in your Parliament They will supply and fill so many Chaires In your Committees that much derriment Vnto the Subject and some close impaires Of publike freedomes e're you be aware Which slip upon you if you have not care They have already made the common way Of Trialls very greatly to inlarge Your troubles by impertinent delay And circumstances to the suiters charge So strong a party they have alwaies had That your Great-Charter which doth interdict Delay of Justice was in that point made E're since the grant a Law without effect But when their Courts and practises have reach'd Oppressions height They as the Clergie were Shall downe into another Orb be fetch'd And taught to keep a constant motion there This Work upon some Courts hath been begun Another time it shall be fully done Let ev'rie Oiconomick-Government And ev'rie single person through the Nation In ev'rie Family apart lament And take his wayes into examination For all Estates and Common-weals that be Consist of these And whensoe're you shall Those Pettie-Governments reformed see You then are in the way of mending all If ev'rie Houshold-Prince and Officer Within his Jurisdiction would but please To make compleat a Reformation there The Work-desired should be done with ease Let each one therefore take the same in hand In all relations wherein he may stand Let ev'rie Master prudently direct And ev'rie Servant faithfully obey Let ev'rie Husband husband-like affect And ev'rie Wife a wife-like love repay Let Parents parent-like their hearts enlarge Their filiall duties let the Children do Let singly all of these their parts discharge Both to the Family and Strangers too Yea let each person individually Now take himselfe apart and all alone His heart examine what Impietie By him hath been occasioned or done Whereby your Peace was broke and then assay To help renew it by what means he may But chiefly let the Royall-Family Admit this Discipline that others may Receive encouragement and light thereby To find a Penitentiarie-way Oh I let the King if ever he expect To see the Citie of his Throne in peace Go mourne apaâ—â— and let his thoughts reflect Vpon his folly and unrighteousnesse Let him like David and not Ahab-like Take meekly those reproofs that GOD shall send And let them on his heart so kindly strike That he enraged grow not but amend With that great Patterne of true Penitence When he like sheep beholds his people slaine Let him not look too much on their offence But rather let him of his own complaine That they may do the like and GOD perceiving True penitence quit both by free forgiving Let not the Jezabel of Rome delude him With her black witch-crafts and her fornications The cup of her delusions if in vaine His warnings prove the deepest he shall sink Into that Lake whence none can rise againe Because he hath not only had a sight Beyond them all of her seducing waies But also hath acknowledged that Light And wilfully himselfe to her betraies Yea and to make his sin and shame the more Betraies the bloud of others to the Whore Yet that he may have all the meanes to fetch him Back from perdition if he be not gone So far by wilfulnesse that none can reach him Let him be personally call'd upon To look unto his waies And since you know His Flatterers present him their false glasse Himselfe thereby unto himself to show And make him seeme the man he never was Help thou to undeceive him lest he may With his three earthly Kingdomes now halfe lost Fool desp'rately a heav'nly Crown away And think he shall redeem it at the cost Of trimming up the Western end of PAVLS By Fines extracted from afflicted Soules First bid him call to mind with mourning for them The sins which did his Fathers-house pollute And in his heart so seriously abhor them That it may bring forth penitentiall fruit The bloud of War that hath in Peace been shed The manifold uncleannesses therein The superstitions thereby cherished Offences known and those that hid have bin The prosecution of the royall-bloud In Arabella guilty of no crime Except it were offensive to be good And to have had her being in his time The matchlesse prophanation of a Day For Gowries death his many great oppressions The fooling of the Kingdomes wealth away And Subjects lives by cheating Expeditions With whatsoe're offences of this kind He shall upon a strict enquirie find Wish him with like affections to recall The slips of his own Reigne and of his life The mischiefs which to Him and you befall In hunting for a superstitious Wife His making of Nobility a scorne By dignifying men of base-condition By choosing Counsellours to serve his turne In setling things unworthy his fruition By suffring of his royall Proclamations To be abused to injurious ends By making showes of verball Reformations For publike good when rapine he intends By faining fears when cause of feare none give him And by protesting untill few believe him Let Him consider that all those for whom Against two Kingdome he in Armes appears And whose Protector He is now become Are men whom nothing but their sin endears Let Him consider what a sea of bloud In his three Kingdomes hath of late been spilt For those who share among them all his good And make him culpable of all their guilt Let him consider that what now he strives And fights for is but power to be undone Or that he may by his Prerogatives Without controule unto the Devill run For unto him that power or that supply Which may be for his good none shall deny Let him remember what the German-horse Should have been sent for Let him call to minde Distressed Rochel And that which will worse Afflict him when his feeling he shall finde Poore gasping Ireland whose wide-gaping wound Calls out for vengeance and his honour taints With deep-di'd staines His flat'rers feigne a sound From Straffords bloud and other such black-Saints But that Illusion will not keep him long From hearing Ireland For two Kingdomes more Have sent in bloud to make a triple-Song Which will so dreadfully so