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A19051
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Hebdomada sacra: A weekes deuotion: or, Seuen poeticall meditations vpon the second chapter of St. Matthewes gospell. Written, by Roger Cocks.
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Cocks, Roger, fl. 1630-1642.
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1630
(1630)
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STC 5467; ESTC S118643
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39,040
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84
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through the bloud of 70. brothers waded Vnto the Crowne most wrongfully inuaded Herod was more vnnaturall then these ' Gainst his owne sonne he could not rage appease But fearing he should the Messias be Among the rest he wrought his tragedy Therefore Augustus did this saying vse If I were bound to liue among the Iewes With greater willingnesse I would be swine Then sonne to Herod for by law deuine Malo Herodis porcum quam filium esse Macrobius Swines flesh forbid the Hebrewes they did giue A kinde of priuiledge the beasts might liue Whereas King Herod a worse beast did grutch Vnto his owne childe to afford so much The Lyon will not tender Infants slay Vnlesse meere hunger force him to such prey O With what hunger then was Herod wag'd When he against so many Infants rag'd With hunger of ambition which of all The greatest hunger we may iustly call Hunger of raigning sure must needes be great Which to appease it must haue so much meate So many Infants flesh that thirst is sore Which nought can satisfie but crimsin gore Enioy bloud thirsting Herod re-inioy Thy kingdome safely free from all annoy He that aboue doth Heauenly crownes bestow Gapes not for earthly scepters here belowe Such earth-bred honor Christ doth much despise Elephants take no mice nor Eagles flies Though he of power be for to cast thee downe Yet feare no depriuation of thy crowne For though two Kings can in one kingdome raigne No more then Heauen can two bright Suns sustaine Yet euery King may with him in him daigne His kingly Lord his true Messias raigne As the faire Heauen with many Starres is dight And with the Sun from whom they take their light Only learne mercy from this potent one And heape not bloud so long vpon thy Throne Till it become so slippery as to threat Each step thou tak'st to cast thee from thy seat But rage like to the belly hath no eares To reason deafe it onely passion heares Aduice is vaine say what I can or will Herod will be himselfe a tyrant still They say that Bee who of the rest is King Either hath none or doth not vse a sting Surely this man whom wretched Bethlehem sees Reeke in the blood of Infants not of Bees But Waspes was King for wasplike full of spleene 2. King â— He thrusts his poysonous sting so great his teene Into the flesh of children and doth kill Those who to hurt him had nor power nor will Indeed two Beares did certaine children sley But cause they mockt Gods Prophet thou then they More fierce destroyst the guiltlesse fearefull man Do'st thou dread silly childrens force or can Faint cowardize with thee preuaile so farre Thou shouldst gainst Infants wage such bloody warre Great praise no doubt and many a worthy spoile Thou shalt enioy by giuing them the foile The noble Elephants will not inuade The weaker sort of beasts thou shakst thy blade At sucking children and sendst men of might To challenge those that know not how to sight There is a story of great Constantine How true the Authors credit and not mine Must answer but the matter â—le relate And leaue the question further to debate Before he came to Christianity The Prince was troubled with a Leprosie To cure this sicknesse the aduice and care Of his Phisicians would haue him prepare A Bath of Infants blood sure here the Diuill Prompted his Doctors to so great an euill But being by Gods prouidence conuerted He from so foule a slaughter was diuerted By soules Phisicians who doe well assure him Baptisme a Bath more powerfull is to cure him He hearkens to them is baptiz'd and free Both from the bodies and soules leprosie Behold ambition Herods soule inuades Like a foule Leprosie â—atan perswades Such is hells phisicke naught will doe him good Vnlesse he bathe himselfe in Infants blood And not the opening of a veâ—e or two No but their life blood this great cure must doe Therefore to satisfie the soule-sicke King Each tender Babe must empty all his Spring And now God lets the Wolfe the Lambes deuoure Without restraining of his rage or power He puts no bridle into Herods nose But lets him take full swinge in his dispose Because he knew how to draw good from ill And make this wicked action serue his will From Lyons mouth sweet honey he can take And Marahs bitter waters wholesome make Herod in this his rage doth type out those Of the malignant Church who still are foes To the Church Militant and by their will Religion in it infant age would kill Herod like malice and impiety Egyptian Babylonian cruelty It is though tyrants hold these termes in scorne To smother piety as soone as borne To quench Religion while it is a sparke And drowne poore soules by keeping from the Arke Againe in Herods foule designe of blood Satans condition may be vnderstood Who seekes not only by malicious will Christ while an Infant in our heart to kill But many children more euery good thought Though it be neuer into action brought To make those babes good motions in vs die Though they want strength to goe in act and lie In meditations cradle is his glory But I leaue types to prosecute the story While Herod inly vext became thus wilde With furious rage the Deuill rockt his childe But would not let him sleepe like some mad beast By nature feirce if wounded will not rest But doubling his fell fury and euen blinde With rage regards no longer how to finde His foe that hurt him but with head and feete Fiercely assailes the next that he doth meete So Herod who conceiu'd himselfe much wrong'd By the wise men for whose returne he long'd His hope deluded like one robd of sence Wreakes his reuengefull spleene on Innocence For full of doubtfull thoughts as well as sinnes To reason with himselfe he thus begins What childe is this that hath from Heauen his birth Foretold ere it be perfected on earth Vnto the World himselfe he hath not showne Yet is to those that neuer saw him knowne Ouer no people yet he hath command And wise men great men leaue their natiue land To waite vpon him o who is the wight That ouercomes me and yet does not fight That like a tyrant ouer me doth raigne Ere he the kingdome I possesse obtaine If he already me of state beguile What will he doe if he encrease a while Poore as he is he is more fear'd then I With all my riches and authority Or else these wise men or impostors rather For by their dealing lesse I cannot gather Whom my intelligence is I did make Would not haue faltered with me for his sake But here I vow who euer doe be friend him Nor heauen nor hel shall from my power defend him No I will make if my vnhappy fate Crosse not my will Bethlem as desolate Of Infants as this Infant hath made me Of comfort since his new nanâ—'d soueraignty Thus
mans must like an Ocean stand To swallow vp that drop to quench that sparke As Idoll Dagon fell before the Arke As starres are hidden when the Sun doth shine So humane lawes must stoope vnto diuine The tyrant thus with feare perturb'd at last Summons his wits together and doth cast How to preuent all danger and in minde Reuoluing many things at length doth finde No better course can with his safety stand Then by an Edict sent throughout his land To call a counsell and lest by delay He might incurre a hazzard men that day With speciall writs to further his intent Goe out and summon straight a Parlaiment In this though else full of impietie Herod to Kings a President may be Not on their owne sole iudgement to relie But to consult with their graue counsels eie Which can see farre into high points of state And deepest matters learnedly debate Well knew the cunning Tyrant how to make A fit Election and such men to take As his designe might further for which cause He conuocates the wisest in the Lawes And those whom he knew fittest to expound Old Prophesies and misteries profound For Priests and Elders with the learned Scribe He picks the best for â—ame from euery Tribe Had warre the subiect beene to be discust He woâ—ld haue cal'd Commanders for the trust Of marâ—iall matters fits them best that are Well seene and practiz'd in the feats of warre But this was no such thing Herods desire Was by all meanes he could deuise t'exquire Where he to whom so many ages past Iudah's Dominion was assign'd at last Should take his birth the true Messias place Was the maine question that they had in chase They had not sate in consultation long But they were soone agreed and yet among So many scarce there couâ—d be one found out To be their speaker and resolue the doubt At last an aged Priest did vndertake To be the tongue for all the rest and make A full relation of Prophetique truth So vp he roâ—e and spake what next ensueth Great Kiâ—g led sure by some diuiner light From the blacke darkenesse and Cymmerian night Of the Worlds error since state pollicies Thou leauest to search out heauens high mysteries Happy are we thy subiects to behold Such goodnesse in such greatnesse keepe thy hold Goe on in Grace and vertue though alone And thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thâ—se propâ—â— hold thy throne Know thou brigâ—t 〈◊〉 Bethlehem is the place Which our Mâ—ssias câ—oâ—en hath to grace With his maiestquâ— presence when he shall First see the light o◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ball So write our ancient Prophets ' mongst the rest Miâ—ah whose Oracles are thus exprest And thou O Bethlehem in Iudahs Land Shalt not for least among the Princes stand For out of thee shall come a King which well Shall know to guide my people Israel Thus in few words I doe my soueraigne show What he with so much care desir'd to know Herod well pleased with this bestowed a nod And they their adoration as some god Had sent them a rich fauour then they kist His hand and so th' assembly was diâ—mist But I though Herod not dismisse you so Something I haue to say before ye goe O can ye be so light yet seeme so graue Professe so much zeale yet so little haue Can you to Herod truely point the place Where your Messias is yet want thâ— grace To visite him you selues As larger stones Erected in some high way for the nounce Dirâ—ct the Passenger but doe not moue A iâ—t from thence where they were fixt in loue Or as the Bels loud repercussiue sound Cals vnto Church neighbours that heare it round But in it selfe doth not least motion feele To make it leaue it semicircled wheele So these could shew where Christ was to be found Yet neuer seeke him all was shew and sound No solid substance They must needes be ill Who rich in knowledge are so poore in will By this time Herod who in thought reuolu'd Many a Plot and Plat-forme was resolu'd To fixe on one for all sliely he sent For the wise men to court with whom he spent Some time in free discourse the maine thus farre Did reach to know what time the easterne starre Made his first apparision this once told Herod his minde did in these words vnfold With how great care my selfe haue sought to know This Infant Prince ye come to well doth show The counsell call'd of late call'd for your good For now we know the place of his aboad That he is more then humane I beleeue Though clouded in obscurity and grieue Time and occasion will not giue me leaue To goe this progresse with you and receiue That soule securing comfort and delight Which you will â—eet with in the gracious sight Of such an Obiect but doe you goe on And search with Linceus eyes to light vpon The house that holds him and if once you fortune For which I will the higher powers importune But bring you to him after you haue done That you are led to by Deuotion Doe but so much of happy time afford As may returne you backe to bring me word And I my selfe submitting state and glory Although to aftertimes I make a story Will wing'd in my desire approach before him And falling prostrate on the ground adore him O subtile Fox that with so faire pretence Couldst such a deed of cruelty commence As the sweete Infants murder for we finde Such Lambe-like seâ— blance hid a woluish minde Of Christ the Lambe he spake as if he meant To worship when to worry he was bent Hypocrisie with a fine thred is spunne And seemes an Eagle that dares face the Sunne But once expos'd vnto that glorâ—ous light Shrinkes backe amaz'd and canopies her sight Herod by craft thought he might quickely gaine What by plaine dealing he could not obtaine So Generalls in their exploits of warre Seeing the Lyons case will not reach farre That they may bring their Stratagem about Peece on the Foxes skinne to eke it out So the slie Fox as dead himselfe doth lay When he intends to make the largest prey So Ioab hugs him whom he meanes to slay So Iudas kisses whom he doth betray But Herods cunning doth himselfe beguile The Wolfe delayes the Lambe escapes the while The wise men lend an eare vnto the King But that we finde answeare not any thing Yet since by silence they doe shew consent They are dismist and Herod seems content Wednesdaies Meditation or the fourth Canto The Argument By the starres helpe the wise men finde Our Sauiour out their gifts defind Admonished from God before In Herods sight they come no more THe Magi finding not what they doe lacke Vpon Ierusalem soone turne their backe They had not trauail'd from the citty farre When the thrice welcome lustre of their starre Did reappeare vnto them God withdrawes His bâ—essings from vs that a little pause Of absence may endeare them so the light To one immur'd in prison