nothing more then sinne Lord help me in this strange extremitie of crosse desires which in my Soule are found My Will is bound to Sinne but would be free then if it would how should my Will be bound Were it my Flesh alone desir'd to sinne my Soule resisting t' were not so amisse Such crosse desires in thy best Saints haue bin but in my Soule my Sinne conceiued is And yet shee 's barraine gauly and impure of emptinesse not emptie and thereby A soulelesse Soule so lifelesse doth endure yet liues in Death because she cannot dye Then empt mine empty Soule for Sinne doth fill with nought but vacuum her capatious thought For Sinne is nothing sith thou mad'st not Ill without whom nought was made then empt this nought For t is that Law though nought that still rebels against both grace and natures Gouernment This lawlesse Law my members still compels to bowe as Sinnes vnrighteous Rule is bent Lord I beleeue yet help mine vnbeliefe and well doe will yet better my desire Cure thou the Wound my Will receiu'd in chiefe through Adams Fall and make our Wils entire Giue me both Will and Pow'r to doe thy Will and let me neither haue to crosse the same For when I see my Will would thine fulfill yet doth it not I pine with griefe and shame I cannot will aright but right resist without thy grace preuent my crooked will And willing well without thy grace assist I cannot for my bloud my will fulfill So thy preuenting and assisting grace makes my Will worke for of my selfe I am So fraile by nature and so beastly base that my best thoghts are more then much too blame Then let thy Grace my wayward Will preuent and helpe me to performe it so preuented Yea make my thoughts and deedes most innocent else let me ioy in nought but them lamented Nay make my Heart deare Lord so apt to waile That it may weepe when I to weepe doe faile The Sinner desireth not to be as he is but as he ought to be TO be all nought is nought at all to be and to be sinfull still is to be nought Yet Sinners ARE though dead in sinne we see as Men ARE though they are not as thy ought Deliuer me deare Lord from being such such being take from me that sinfull is For better nothing be then be so much because so much is more then most amisse Then let me be not as I am but what I ought to Be or take me as I am Take me to Thee and then I will be that I ought to be thine owne in Deed and Name For then I am when I am wholy thine But I am not while I am Sinnes or Mine In respect of the breuitie and vncertaintie of mortall life the Sinner desires grace in time to prepare for Death MY stupid Soule now recollect thy pow'rs weigh in Iudgements Scales thy present state Thou in thy Iaile my Flesh but some few howres hast now to stay by nature neere her date My Pilgrimage is almost past ô then it thee behooues to looke with stedfast eyes Towards thy Countrey Home of Happy-men least ere thou looke in straying pathes thou dye Now faints my force my sense impaires my flesh like wither'd fruit now falleth with each breath Some Birds o'er-aged doe their youth refresh but Man growne Twâ—-childe is at doore of death The Young-man may dye quickely but the Olde can not liue long misse-haps may wracke the one But nought in Arte or Nature long can hold the other here for they are almost gone Then if green yeers should somtimes mind the graue the Gray must still that there are with a breath For Age to Death is but the Gally-slaue that on a moments fluxe whafts life to death To serue the World although I able were small cause haue I to will it sith it is The ground which nought but ranckest Ils doth beare and where men most esteemed are most amisse I long haue cultur'd this but flinty-field which yeelds but Crops of Cares Woes wrongs and spight Yeelding the more annoy the more they yeeld whose very Ioyes are Tares that pine the Spright Then it is time to change by heauenly Arte the thriftlesse course of so course Husbandry And with Remorse to furrow vp my Heart melting the Clods with teares that are too dry And so to sow Loues seedes that faire encrease to fat the Soule in vertue till shee melt In flames of Charitie till Faith doth cease to giue more taste of heauenly pleasures selt And sith my Spring is spent my Summer past and to the Fall of leafe my Tyme arriues Nay sith his frost Time on my Head hath cast I must prepare for cold that life depriues My negligence hath made sinnes Earth my Heart to yeeld but poysonous Weeds of thoughts impure Which doe but bane my Soule and get the start of Vertue in their growth by Customes pow'r Meane while my flesh with heat of youth bloud hath shrunke from cherishing their root yet lo The Marrow of my Bones doth yeeld them foode so thogh I shrink they through that compost grow And as one tost at Sea with Stormes and feares makes little way though much he be turmoild So he in vice that past hath many yeeres hath had long time but life as short as soild For Life is measur'd by the good we doe not dayes we spend sith some by many dayes Get many Deaths as some haue come vnto Eternall Life by short Life spent with praise What is a Soulelesse Body but a Clod and what 's the Soule without her cause and life But quicke to Sinne and dead to Grace and God Hell to it selfe selfe-Hell or Hell of strife He is the Way besides which all are wide the Truth against which all in errour dwell The Life without which all in death abide in whom to be is onely to be well O then deare Lord let me beginne to liue now in my dying though hard late it be Yet better late then neuer to reuiue me dead in sinne by mortifying me It 's hard I grant that after life's neere spent in mortall Sinne immortall life t' expect Yet Lord how euer late let me repent while Aire I breathe and doe it not reiect Yet Loue must cause remorse and hate of Sinne for true contrition which true life dorh giue Is caus'd by Loue sith we so bad haue beene t' a God so good that di'd to make vs liue Then loue my Soule for no ends but thine END By-purposes are purposelesse for ONE That knowes all Hearts Remorse doth but offend that is not for his Loue conceiu'd alone Then to be truely contrite hard it is sith it respects but Loue that Grace allures Whereof in but a scruple if we misse it 's but Attrition which lesse Grace procures O Death how sowre is thy rememberance to him whose Soule is swolne with sweetest Sinne And hath thereof a feeling I perchance haue so in shew but more
much more within My Lifes-bud blasted was with heate of bloud the Flow'r then needs must fade and Fruit decay Nay leaues and Branch haue perisht with the Bud and now the Truncke is turning into Clay Lord how shall I thus soild with Sinne for shame appeare before thy Glory I alas Am but Confusion euer out of frame and was at best ere fully fram'd I was The least of all my Sinnes will be at least a most seuere Accuser but the whole Equall to that which thou dost most detest with but a thought confounds my thoughtfull Soule O Christ thy Wounds renued by my Sinne still bleed to my Confusion for I faint At that which others still are strength'ned in so thy all-sauing bloud doth me but taint Sweete Christ yet be my Iesus though I be thus quite o'er-whelm'd with sins coÌ„founding floud And in thy bloud I shed still rince thou me vntill thine Ire be quenched in thy bloud Yea in thy Wounds as Ionas in the Whale saue me from drowning in thy doomes-profound Let Mercies Beames my filth of sinne exhale and it dispieese that it no more be found So shall I cast on Safeties Shore by thee Still praise thy Grace for so securing me The carefull Soule because of the momentany condition of transitory life desireth to wash away the filth of sin with the teares of continuall penitencie SIth on this moment of fraile Life depends th' eternall weale or woe of humane Breede And that no meanes can long deferre their ends let Teares still feede me Lord till Wormes I feede For Teares for Sin doth Sin through grace destroy so kill their Cause whereon who feeds shall liue Where they that sow in teares shall reape in ioy then let my Teares me dead in Sinne reuiue They were they foode ô Christ that couldst not sin and yet for others sinne still weptst then I That liue a life that 's quite o'erwhelm'd therein had need to weepe till drown'd in teares I dye Happy that Soule that on a Sea of Teares sailes in Faiths Ship by Hopes securest Cape Vnto the Port of Peace and with her beares Good-workes that make the Worker wracke escape This World 's but Sorrowes Sea whereon mankinde is tost with Stormes of Troubles that arise By Enuy Malice or Faâ—es wayward winde whiles Life to Death more swift then Swallow flies If in the way a Calme the Course prolongs it holds vs but to griefe resembling Ioy While Pleasure with her charming Syren-Songs o'erwhelme vs in the end in deep'st annoy Twixt Silla and Charibdâ—s Ioy and Griefes fraile life still floates and wrackes in Eyther oft Which equally to Death betrayeth Life but low estate lesse sinckes then that aloft Why should we then prize worldly things so much which haue no good but as they vs respect And lightly weigh those Treasures without which we haue no Goodnesse but are meere Defect Honor and Pow'r Health Beauty Strength and Wit are but as Smoake that comes from troubled fire The more it growes the lesse continues it and comes to nought whan â—t doth high'st aspire To be in Princes grace which all desires procures but Pride which blindes our Iudgements sight While like a siled Doue we Lord aspire till sou'raigne heate at height doth sinke vs quite Then t is in vaine to trust in Princes grace which pleasure or their profit may procure And when these faile they streight auert their Face but Lord thy Grace is euer free as sure Then let me wholy on thy Grace depend yet so as still I worke it to encrease So it with me shall worke too to the end and at the end with me shall rest in Peace To which deare Lord vouehsafe thy Grace may goe With my toil'd Soule that cannot rest but so A short Meditation of the breuitie of life with an Incitation to make good vse of the present time WOldst thou be spurr'd to run the way of truth then see how time doth run with thee away Youth comes on Childhood Man-hood comes on Youth on Man-hood Ages and Age at Death doth stay So Time ascends and descends with such haste vpon the Scale of Lifes-gradation That liu'd we but to mend our misses past yet death would cease our work ere halfe were done Time-past is gone in it we cannot mend Time-future is vncertaine then therein We are vnsure our ill bents to vnbend the Present-time is ours to cease to sinne Yet that Time ceaseth while we thinke thereon Then if we mend not now now Time is gone A short meditation of Mans Miserie WHat was I am I or what shall I be I was nought am nought and for ought I do Shall be farre worse then nought ô wretched me why was I borne for nought and worser too This makes me to deplore my Day of Birth sith I was borne to so hard exigent As all men doe that doe enioy the Earth yet so enioy it as th' are ne'er content We hold that Infant but a Prodigie that in his Birth doth not the World salute With note of Present-future misery for that 's his Birth-right cleare and absolute In Sinne Originall was I conceiu'd in actuall Sinne I liue and I may taste Eternall paine for that I first receiu'd with that I liue in now and that is past I in the Wombe was loathsome in the World a Sacke of all Corruption in the Graue A Prey of Vermine and may thence be hurl'd to Hell if what Sinne spoyles Grace doe not saue When I was nothing then was I without Hope to be sau'd or Feare condemn'd to be Now of the first I hope but more doe doubt and of the last stand still in ieopardie I was such as I could not then be damn'd but now am such as hardly can be sau'd For at the first I was in cleannesse fram'd but now by me its more then most deprau'd Erect deare Lord my pristrine Puritie correct my present Vices and direct My future steps direct them Sinne to flye and to attaine the Grace of thine Elect So shall I praise thy Name with them and say Blessed be HIM that so inspir'd my Clay That our Saluation comes from God LOrd thou hast said thou mad'st not death theÌ„ let that which thou mad'st not neuer signiorize O'er me that thou hast made but Watches set to keepe death from me when from Death I rise If thou be sory for my Death then who shall let thy Ioy in giuing life to me If thou wilt thou canst saue me I not so I can but dye vnlesse I liue by Thee For I can will but can performe no good nor yet will good without my Will thou moue In thy good-will then lies my liuelihood and yet thou bidst me labour for thy Loue But Lord I cannot if thou help me not that 's make me willing and worke with me too Nor can I moue a Man but I must blot without thee so my Pow'r's but to vndoe For I would sometimes that I can but then I know not
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
humble yet each vertuous Wit Should honour Vertue for selfe-benefit And sith Posteritie doth light receiue To runne to Honor by the Lines we leaue From Vertue drawne we should be drawing still The Lines that drawing lead vp Honors Hill The Highest Pow'r and Grace by oath hath vow'd To honour them among the multitude Of Men and Angels that are good then she That was so good of both must honour'd be Celestiall Maide if from the heau'nly Spheare What Mortals doe thou canst or see or heare Be not displeas'd that my vntutor'd Penne Should teach thy praise to teach all Maides and Men The way to Honor nor that in its Mouth That oft doth fable it should take this Truth I was thy Teacher though vnworthy I Might old learne of thee young to liue and die Yet sith it is th' Oblation of my zeale Which I doe offer for the Common-weale In thy deare Memory thou wilt I hope Acquite me from Presumption sith my scope Was but thy glory and the Peoples good Which in great light goe right in likelihood I must confesse a Priest of Phebus late Vpon like Text so well did meditate That with a sinlesse Enuy I doe runne In his Soules Progresse till it all be DONNE But he hath got the start in setting forth Before me in the Trauell of that WORTH And me out-gone in Knowledge eu'ry way Of the Soules Progresse to her finall stay But his sweet Saint did vsher mine therein Most blest in that so he must needs beginne And read vpon the rude Anatomy Of this dead World that now doth putrifie Yet greater Will to this great Enterprise Which in great Matters solely doth suffice He cannot bring than I nor can much lesse Renowne more Worth than is in WORTHINES Such were they both for such a worthy PAIRE Of louely vertuous Maides as good as faeire Selfe Worthinesse can scarse produce sith they Liu'd like Celestiall Spirits immur'd in Clay And if all-powerfull Loue can All performe That in it hath rare Matter or like Forme Then should my Lines haue both so'accomplished As from the Graue to Heauen should draw the Dead Or with hâ—r Taper-pointed-beaming Name Naile her to Heau'n and in Heau'n clench the same Hold Muse no more thou hast too large a scope To proue thy Pinnions for the Heau'nly Coape Infolds no more and take thy leaue anon Of Her thou ne'er shalt leaue to muse vpon Thou maist be tir'd but ne'er canst flye about The Inside of her praise much lesse the out Then stouping here with reuerence griefe and loue Bid her adue and with that bidding moue Thy selfe to teares but if thou canst not so Shew thy selfe willing by the dryest woe For neuer had I greater cause of griefe Sith while she liu'd I ioy'd in painefull life But now am left all solitary-sad To waile her death whose life made Sorrow glad O! had it pleas'd the Heau'ns by their Decree T' haue made my Pupill learn'd t' haue dide of mee And mine example I had beene at rest And she liue blessed long to dye as blest I like a wither'd Pine no fruit produce Of whom there is no Care no hope no vse I burden but the Earth and keepe a place Of one perhaps that should haue greater grace Opprest with Cares that quite crush out the Sappe That feeds my Life now throwne off Natures Lappe I solely sit and tell the saddest houres That euer yet impeached vitall powres Obscur'd by Fate yet made a Marke by fame Whereat fooles often shoote their Bolts in game Yet liue as buried that I learn'd of thee Deare Pupill while the World goes ouer mee Praying for patience still to vnder-ly The heauie waight of this Worlds iniurie Oft haue I beene enbozomed by Lords But all the warmth I found there was but Words And though I scarse did moue yet scarse they would There let me lie though there I lay acold But as I had some biting Vermine bin Out must I mou'd I but for warmth therein Or els so lie as I were better out Sith there I lay as dead yet liu'd in doubt In doubt I should haue nothing but a place In th' outward Roome but of their Idle Grace In doubt black mouths should blot me in their Bookes That make few Schollers and in doubt my Hookes Would hold no longer to hang on ô Griefe This hanging's worse then hanging of a Theefe An Halter loone abridgeth bale and breath But hanging on mens sleeues is double death To hang in hope of that which doubt doth stay Is worse then hanging till the later-DAY Doubt stayes that meede that merit hopes for oft Lest Meede should but make Merit looke aloft Or quite leaue working sith it hath no neede Therefore the great doe still with-hold this Meede For to them selues they say If we should fill The well-deseruing-empty working still They would but rest than well wee 'l them intreat Yet keepe them hungry still to worke for meat Fate but to State this priuiledge affords And but the meane without meanes worke for words Yet worke they must sith Aire the great doe giue For if they haue their hate they cannot liue Their Loue doth little boote but ô their breath Blowes downe in hate a poore Relict to death These miseries I ranne through and did trye These deare Conclusions but in miserie Hoping for that which but my hopes deceiu'd And me of hope and life almost bereau'd Till I to stand from these was faine to fall To serue two Lords that serue me now withall The one immortall th' other mortall is Who serue my turne for what my life doth misse Which for it 's still amisse still misseth that Which makes men gracious and so fortunate But he who knowes all knowes perhaps it's best For me to liue with little in vnrest For neuer since I first could moue had I A better life than those that liuing dye I neuer yet possest one day of ioy That was not lin'd or hem'd with some annoy The Kingly Preacher in his weale found woe But I in thwarts for those alone I know These made me old in youth for Sol had runne Scarse thirty yeeres before my dayes were done And to his course ere fiue more added were Blacke Daies like Nights in gray had dide my Haire Yet neuer Crosse on me so sad did sit As this deare losse whereof this benefit To me acrewes that now each pressing woe Stands farre without this and this keepes them so I say I greatly grieue yet seeme to faine For great griefes neuer greatly could complaine That is when Sorrowes floud the Banckes doth fill It noiselesse runnes and smoothly glideth still But if the Current once the Brimmes get o'er T will roughly runne or stopt will rage and rore But ô that tyrant Time will silence me Before my griefes are vtter'd as they be Farewell then my griefes Cause who wast th' effect Of all the ioy my life did well elect Farewell in Him on whom who sares is
then themselues enthrone to ouer-sway the Paines that Flesh annoy Then is this Peace and War true Heau'n Hell Where Paine and Pleasure doe themselues excell A wounded Conscience who can beare SAlues Sores doe cure and Medicines Maladies Friendship Oppression Wâ—sed me poore Estate Fauour Restraint and Timâ— Captiuitiâ—s Good life Reproch and louing Manners Hate But these nor ought else that are â—â—st or best except the Highest grace hâ—uâ— pâ—w'r to cure A wounded spirit with Sadnesse stâ—â—l opprest but It doth Death out-liue and Hell oâ—â— dure Were our Meate Manna our Weâ—des Salomons Monarches our Friends and Eden our Free-hold Our Guardes Gâ—â—iaâ—s our Seatesâ— highst Thrones our Houses Siluer hung with Pearle and Gold All these and all what else can Sense delight Doe rather kill than cure a wounded Spirit Death makes Things appeare as they are ENuy and Anger haue some Wise-meâ— kil'd though in those Passions we hold no man wise As fauour and base flatt'ry Fooles haue spild for with them both we Fooles doe Nestorize But when these moodes are with the Parties dead then were they Fooles who wer so wise while-ere And Thâ—y most wise that Fooles were reckoned thus Death doth make Things as they are appeare Flatt'ry adornes Mens Fortunes not the Men and Enuy not their Persons but their Fames Doth seeke to wound so it appeareth then that Wise nor Fooles haue here their proper Names But in the Font of Death they doe receiue Their naked Names which their true Natures giue God and Conscience tels truely what we are and are not as we seeme WHat thou art aske thine Hart and it wil show or aske a Foe that Conscience makes to lie But aske thou noâ— Selfe-loue which cannot know noâ— aske a Friend which can no â—ault espie If we could see our selues then should we see that we are nothing lesse then what we seeme Yet some seeme farre worse than in Deed they be and therefore All this Some doe not esteeme For we know nothing wholy but in part and vnderstand but what we know by Sense We see the Face but cannot see the Heart then showes betray our best Intelligence This makes all wise men that such Secrets know To winne the World a Shadow with a Show That Truth being One and still the same is made by wicked mâ—n to countenance Falshood which is manifold and still vnlike WHen Peace Truth do iarre Peace is not peace then Peace in Truth is that we should ensue Now for this Truth what Warres and Iarres encrease these Times doe â—eele and After-times may rue Yet no Man 's so vniust that will auerre he fights for Falshood but for Truth and Right So iust some say is eu'ry vniust Warre thus Truth is made to countenance each Fight Who euer yet for Heresie hath dide but saith for Truth he dies and so beleeues Or what Sect saith not Truth is on their side so Truth is made a Diuell that deceiues But Truth is God vnmade who in the end Will damne them all that make him such a Fiend That we are naturally bent to Ill but supernaturally to Goodnesse TWixt Sinne and Grace I tost am to and fro as mine Affections please to bandy me From Grace to Sinne I flye but backe I goe and yet I goe as one that faine would flee Nature doth moue the Wings of my Desire to Sinne-wards nimbly but not so to Grace For then she limes them with my fleshes myre that I am forc'd to passe an heauy pace Yet still I stirre those Wings and seeke to breake faile fleshes Bands too strong for me too fraile Who though sometimes I faile of what I seeke yet seeke I what I finde and neuer faile For none seekes Grace that hath not Grace in hold Then Seekers find though oft lesse then they would Abuse is familiar with humane Flesh and Bloud MInding this World I muse at what I minde though It vnworthy be of Minde or Muse I muse that Men are to It so inclinde sith It mindes nought but how Men to abuse From high to low Abuse doth proudly raigne from which the Preist that leads all is not free The Holy hold the Holy in disdaine if with their state their states doe not agree Vertue or Vice are held or good or ill as in this World they thriue or ill or well For Vice is honor'd more then Vertue still if Vices Mannors Vertues doe excell If Manors good doe what good Maners ought That 's make men great great men are made of nought That it is farre better not Be then to be Ill. THe World the Wombe where all misdeeds are bred breedes in my little World such great offence That my Soule great with Sinne 's deliuered of Griefe that gaules my bleeding Conscience The Mid-wife Flesh that did the same produce giues it the Nurse curst Nature it to feede And fattens It with full-Breasts of Abuse so Griefe growes great with Natures grosse misdeeds O Nature Nurse of my Soules foule Disgrace ô World the Nurse of that Nurse grounds of grief Why doe you giue me being time and place sith you doe worse then kill me with reliefe For that reliâ—se that doth but nourish Sinne Makes our Case worse then if we ne'er had bin Sinne and Grace cannot dwell in one place IF Faith beleeu'd that Creede that Essence giues her then would she giue the Soule what that doth giue Faith 's made to know and doe that which relieues her for by her actiue knowledge she doth liue But oft the Soule though Faith be still her Ghest makes Sinne her Steward to prouide her Foode How then can Faith such banefull Bits digest which but contaminate her vitall Bloud Can Faith and Sinne if they be full in force dwell as if friends they were in one weake Heart No one will other from the same diuorce for Sou'raignes part with life ere Lordship part Then want of Faith with grosse Sin is supplide For Nature vacuum could ne'er abide In rainy-gloomy Weather THis Weather 's like my troubled Minde and Eyes the one being sad the other full of Teares And as Winde oft the often Showrings dryes so Sighes my Teares dry vp and kindle Cares Sighes please and paine the displeas'd painfull Heart they please in giuing vent to Griefes vp-pent And yet the Heart they ease they cause to smart so Griefes encrease as Sighes doe giue them vent But were my Minde thus sad but for my Crimes and mine Eyes turn'd to Teares for cause so deare Or did my Heart for that sith often times my Sighes my Teares my Sadnesse blessed were But t is sith Hope my Ship through Fates crosse-waue Now grates vpon the Grauell of my Graue Our Wits are vnable to please our Wils THis Life is but a Laborynth of Ils whose many Turnings so amaze our Mindes that out of Them our Wit no issue findes But what our Sense commands our Wit fulfils Yet Sense being tired with deceitfull Ioyes that fleete as soone as felt prouokes the