guide all thy wayes His secret Counsels search not but admire and praise And yet because God all doth here dispose Thou like a senslesse Idol must not stand God gaue thee not for nought eares eyes hands nose A will to do a wit to vnderstand Employ these alwayes by his iust command The whole successe leaue to his Prouidence Acknowledge all good blessings from his hand And labour with all care and diligence To thriue in Goodnesse Grace and all Intelligencâ— But aboue all from murmuring refraine Or magnifying flâ—shes arme or might So axe may boast that it along hath laine The Cedars and the Plane may claime as right That by it's worke thy roofe so faire was dight So may the rod of Moses bragge and boast It all the Wonders did in Pharaoâ—s sight The Asses Iaw-bone that it slue an host But most the house when Samson pulled downe the post On whom we ought to cast eu'n all our care To him we must ascribe the Praise of all In his hand both our Soules and Bodies are By Power of his Breath we stand and fall From him all was is now and euer shall Of all the things done vnderneath the Sunne The Wiseman sought a reason naturall But was as blind as when he first begunne Though first he thought he could discouer any one Gods counsels shall for euermore indure His thoughts stand firme in eu'ry generation Our hearts he fashions and conceiueth sure Our workes and secretest imagination Who to the Rau'ns giues food and sustentation So gouernes all they nothing here shall need That wait on him with patient expectation With temporall and heau'nly he doth feed All those that craue aright of him spirituall â—eed In number measure weight he doth dispose Of all things He preserues both man and beast When care and paines may saue thee from thy foes Vse diligence to God commit the rest And when thou art so mightily distrest Thou canst no helpe in arme of flesâ— behold Vpon his prouidence that made thee rest That in thy mothers wombe thy members told And in his Booke hath eu'ry one of them inrold Good counsell gaue that Heathen Haue a care Vnto thy selfe most of thyselfe take heed He meant Lusts and Corruptions which are Within vs which to vs most danger breed With others we deale warily indeed Lest they deceiue vs by their subtilty But our owne vile affections little heed Although we haue no greater enemy Thus we escape Gaths sword and on our owne do diâ— The Iewes may with their Oratour conspire Pauls ruine nothing shall to him befall But to aduance his Crowne and Gospell hier So as his bonds in Caesars Iudgement hall Are manifest and famous 'mongst them all To the Elect and those that truly loue Nothing but for the best shall euer fall This by examples thousand I could proue Happy who finds it written in his heart by loue The Lyons want and hunger may endure Who seâ—kes the Lord wants nothing that is good The Angel of the Lord him keepes secure From his owne lusts hels fury wickeds mood This of the weakest may be vnderstood If ought here passeth thine intelligence Sucke thou the milke and leaue the stronger food Here ends my song of heau'nly Prouidence Next followes her attendant humane Diligence MEDITATION 3. Of Diligence WHo with a prudent heart and godly minde Wil take a view how things are wrought below In all effects shall good and euill find As cause is good or ill from whence they flow Thus God first Cause of all thy actions know As they be good thy selfe as they be ill Which doth Gods pow'r and goodnesse greater show In vsing heere mans vile corrupted will As second cause his sound good purpose to fulfill All euill then comes from mans vicious will Not moou'd thereto by meere necessity As senselesse Agents are to good or ill But giues consent thereto most willingly By Natures Light we good from ill descry But this vs onely leaues without excuse When seeing better we the worst doe try And thus God of mans malice makes good vse And he is iustly punished for his abuse Oh mans peruersenesse grant him least freewill And he becomes vaine proud and insolent Dâ—ny him any power to doe or will And he growes lazy slothfull negligent First kinde are meritorious impudent And merit for themselues and others will The other Epicure-like take content In pleasure eating drinking of their fill Or in an idle melanâ—â—â—lique sitting still But Diligence the Grace I next propound For this last euill is best remedy This Viper which most dang'rously doth wound Our soules with senselesse spirituall Lethargy And brings too aspish-lazy Accidy Most perilous because we feele least harme Oh this is Satans subtillest Lullaby Our soules with stupid lazinesse to charme And then of spirituall armes and weapons to disarme Thou that hast promis'd endlesse happinesse To all which at thy comming thou dost-find Intent vnto their Masters businesse And diligent in body and in minde Make all my Soules and Bodies powr's inclind To Diligence whilst I her praises write Vnloose the chaines the fetters strong vnbind Of Sloth and Dulnesse which to blackest night Leade blindfold drowsie soules that take therein delight Vigilance Industry and Diligence So like indeed one to another are My plainer Muse scarse sees a difference And therefore all will but as one declare Our soules and bodies powers they prepare In eu'ry noble Vertue to transcend Nothing on earth that 's admirable rare Without these can be brought to perfect end On these do honest care and labour aye attend For godly iust and necessary cares Are parts substantiall of Diligence And as she for the future thus prepares Hauing to Truth and Iustice reference She is a Grace of wondrous excellence But if she spring from Enuy emulation Ambition Feare or other base pretence She is a curious base abomination The busie vice that author is of desolation Industry best agreeth to the mind In which she frames a quicke Dexterity In Arts and Sciences the right to find And they that know her wondrous energy In Phisicke Law and in Diuinity Know that she tends the neerest to perfection And is to humane imbecillity Most sound defence secure and safe protection 'Gainst Satans Malice their owne Lusts worlds iâ—fectioâ— We well Dame Nature may the Mother name Of noble Industry and Diligence Yet oft we see their wondrous force doth tame Things against Nature without violence All other Vertues glorious excellence Which we in Heroes iustly do admire Haue their Beginning and Perfection thence Where Industry and Diligence conspire Wants nothing that we can in mortall man desire For as she many euill things amends So is she of all good the consummation Most dissolute base manners she commends Soone vnto honest thrifty reformation An infirme body by exercitation And Diligence becommeth strong and sound She frees old-Age from grieuous molestation Of painefull sharpe Diseases that abound Fields of the diligent are fruitfull
morning better is inclin'd To Prayer and diuinest Meditation Thus in a three-fold Cord he Thrift doth wind He driueth Slouth farre from his habitation His Soule in Grace his Body 〈◊〉 by recreation For these respects the Husbands country life Transcends the Citie trades mechanicall Or showes at Court where reignâ— Ambition strife Or Merchants which on hazzard stand or fall For though Thrift in estate these oft befall And Thrift in Grace in many there we finde Yet scarce a strong sound Body 'mongst them all They want pure aire whereby the bloud 's refinde And wholesome exercise to coâ—ntry life assign'd Well as I could I rich Frugality Did late as her beseemed well array I next describe foure of her company Which alwayes with this thrifty vertue stay The first two well I name the daughters may Of Prudence Prouidence and Diligence Next two themselues from Temperance conuay Thrifts Sisters Abstinence and Continence Of these foure I would sing and first of Prouidence Oh! thou by whose most pow'rfull onely Word All was of nothing made and finished And of this All mad'st man the little Lord That by him All might well be ordered Who hayers of our head hast numbred Nor lettest the least Sparrow fall to ground But as thou hast before determined Make heauenly Wisedome in mine heart abound That I may wade not drowne in Prouidence profound There is Diuine and humane Prouidence Diuine is infinite vnlimited Transcending Reason more than Reason Sense And may to glorious Sunne be likened The Stars who thence their light haue borrowed Doth humane Prouidence resemble right Which by diuine is aye enlightened And though like Starres it oft appeareth bright Yet when the heau'nly shines it is obscured quite Then pardon Reader if my Muses eye Dazeled with glory great and splendour bright Of Prouidence diuine heere to descry Vnable is the darke obscured light Of humane as indeed I ought by right When I come to her Sister Dâ—lâ—gence I may recouer well againe my sight My Muse now rapt with heau'nly Prouidence Can not descend to highest humane excellence But that I may describe her as a Grace And linke her in the vertues golden Chaine â— her th' Almighties Scepâ—er call or Mace Which doth all Peace and Order heere maintaine The bounteous hand which al things doth sustaine Whose eyes for nourishment vp to her looke Who iust's rewards and eke the wickeds Paine Doth register for euer in a booke Thus as Gods Truth and Loue she fer a grace is tooke Thus one eternall powrefull Prouidence Heere gouernes all things being by Creation The necessary Age is wanting sense Receiue their motion by her ordination The voluntary by her moderation Are aye dispos'd and rul'd by their owne will Which will she vseth as a Mediation No man against his will doth good or ill Though without Grace we of our selues no good can wilâ— Sure Adâ—m in pure innocence was free To eate the fruit forbidden or abstaine Else iustly how could he condemned be Except he had a power to refraine But since that guâ—lt originall did staine With him all imps which from that stock proceed We still retaine freewill none dares gainesaine But it is onely vnto euill deed Grace onely by New birth a will to good doth breâ—d Schooles may dispute the Truth is plainely this As we are men we power haue to will As men corrupt we alwayes will amisse As borne againe to good we haue a will Thus Nature Freewill giues Sinne bends to ill Grace vnto Good But now I seeme to stray From Prouidence diuine to mans freewill But this as needfull shew I by the way How Prouidence doth voluntary agents sway Her Nature yet more plaine to vnderstand We must conceiue the worlds great Marischall As he made all things by his mighty hand So he for euer them disposeth all By Prouidence not onely generall By which the Spheres in their due motions ride And Summer and the winter seasons fall But as he by his speciall doth guide And orders euery thing that doth on earth betide And this we call diuine Necessitie Free from Coaction which doth all dispose To proper ends yet with free liberty Of Will the things we doe to leaue or choose Thus in respect of God that future knowes As present all effects are necessary And in respect of second causes those To vs contingent are Last voluntary As they respect mans will and motion arbitrary God wonders sees in Moses weeping face When Pharao's Daughter him in Arke doth finde As she by chance did wash her in that place And 's mother for his nurse by chance assign'd And when to leaue the Court hee was inclin'd His Brethrens â—â—uell bondages to see He went forth with a free and willing mind Lo thus in this example all the three Diuine foresight man's will and Chance in one agree And therefore when of Fortune you do reade With reference to man it vnderstand Who most to the euent of things take heed Not to the Cause Gods most Almighty hand Else Chance and Prouidence can neuer stand Together in th' Almighties gouernment Who being Cause of all he doth command Them orders all vnto a sure euent Though farre aboue mans limited intendemenâ— Of things indeed which seeme by chance to be The Order Cause Necessity and end Are hid in Gods close Counsell and Decree We onely able are to apprehend By the euent how God doth them intend Thus Clerk's a threefold working doe obserue Of Prouidence which far their reach transcend And yet they all to one same end doe serue To shew Gods glory and his creatures to preserue Thus meanes and second causes she doth vse Oft workes without by power immediate And oft to worke against meanes she doth chuse Two last men call Necessity or Fate Because the Cause they can not calculate Oh richest Wisedome Knowledge without bound Of the Almighty without time or Date Thy Iudgements no man able is to â—ound Beyond all mens conceit thy counsels are profound Like this is that Philosophers assigne To Counsell Nature Chance and Prouidence By Counsell they meant Will and Reasons line By Nature force of heau'nly influence By Chance when they below beheld euents But not their Cause Last when some Grace did fall Past Natures Chance and Counsels euidence That Speciall Prouidence diuine they call Not but they vnderstood she had her â—and in all Sweet fruit of Prouidence to be perswaded That all below is ordered by Gods hand Nothing by Chance Thus when we are inuaded By Foes Death Hell we most vndanted stand We God prime cause of all things vnderstand Respecting yet inferiour in their place Which alwayes wait vpon the first 's command And all are to the glory of his grace Whereby God his elect doth aye in loue embrace Oh what inestimable quietnesse From hence ariseth to a godly minde Though euils without number him oppresse Which like so many Deaths he then doth finde Knowing not how his wretched selfe to winde From
the Temple God did raise A Mirrour here of all his Workes to stand His wisedome to commend and goodnesse praise He that appoints the great worlds nights daies From her Creation to last Reuolâ—tion Determins all thy small worlds workes and wayes Who wilfully then hasts his dissolution Seekes to gain-say his Makers constant resolution The longer life I know the greater sinne The greater sinne the greater punishment Yet if thou Souldier-like art entred in Thou must go on with stoutest hardiment And not depart without commandement Oh lie not downe and thee to rest betake Ensuing ills of liuâ—ng to preuent Though life hath nought that can her loued make Yet giues it no iust Cause that thou should'st it foâ—sake And yet O sinfull man do not desire To draw thy dayes forth to the last degree Vntill the measure of thy sinfull hire Be heaped vp with all impiety Against the day of Wrath and Ielousie Whilst thou this sinfull Body bearst about Laden with Sinnes and foule Iniquity Their numbers more and more increase no doubt Most happy he whom Death the soonest helpeth out Despaire not yet fraile silly fleshly wight Nor let Distrust amate thy manfull heart Nor Satans malicing dismay thy sprite Thou in thy Sauiours meriâ—s hast a part Oh why shouldst thou despaire that certain art Of Christ thy Sauiour Lo in him is grace From thee for euer to remoue Hels smart And that accurst hand-writing to deface No sinnes can be so great but Mercy may haue place How then should any wretched wight be wonne To spoile the Castle of his life and state Is 't not Gods doing whatsoeuer's done In heau'n and earth Did he not all create To liue and die by his eternall Fate Who dares then striue with strong Necessity That constant holds the world in changing state All ought be willing here to liue or die Life Death ordained are by heau'nly Destiny Then witnesse Death that willing I lay downe My Body sure to put it on againe My fleshly Baggage for a heau'nly Crowne My earthly Bondage in the heau'ns to raigne I leaue this Tent of brittle clay to gaine In heau'n a mansion holy spirituall Lo my corruption here I downe haue laine For incorruption pure Angelicall And for a heau'nly Parlour chang'd my earthly Hall Lord this I craue Direct me in the way So shall I certainly attaine my end If well my Part on mortall Stage I play Saints Angels my beholders shall commend My Action God and Christ shall be my friend And when my flesh to Natures Tyring-â—oome From whence it came shall quietly descend It there shall rest vntill the Day of doome And then in heauâ—nly Quire a Singing-man become Sweet Death then friendly let me thee embrace He truly liues that liuing learnes to die Now smiling like a friend I see thy face Not terrible like to an enemy But I with Prayer end my melody Lord grant when Death my passâ—ng-bell doth ring My Soule may heare the heau'nly Harmony Of Saiâ—ts and Angels which most ioyfull sing Sweet Halleluâ—ahs to their Sauiour God and 〈◊〉 FINIS TO thee poore Bird in Cage imprisoned How like am I by Agâ—e visited I cannot vse my horse nor thou thy wing And therefore both sit still within and sing My Muse hath with my Body Sympathie If well I learne to liue if sickâ— to die Of dying young THis world a banquet is we conviues all Where most by Drinke to sinne and surfet fall Who dyeth young is like him that doth rise From banquet ere the wine his wit surprize FINIS a 〈◊〉 frugi a Laban a Eecl 8. 17 a Reu. 21. 1â— b Caâ— 3. 1. c Cant. 2. 8 a Abbeys c. a Death