too good made me too bad For they made me too proud and too too bold The rage of Lyons Tygers and the like Is lenified with gifts and turn'd to loue But with thy gifts to grieue thee I did seeke Yet still thou mad'st me their increase to proue Thou Man becam'st to make a God of mee at least a God that Heau'n and Earth doe serue And I became a Diuell in Deed to Thee that wrong'd thee more the more thou didst deserue High'st Iustice shining through thy Passions Cloud could not enforce me it to loue or dread Thou had'st no hole wherein thy head to shroud but all this All 's too little for my head Though thou art God Foes Fists thy face enorme if any touch my Coate I touch them home By word and deed that yet am but a Worme thou striu'st for lowest I for highest Roome Thou wouldst be slaine to slaughter Sinne in me but by thy death I life-inspir'd the same So thy great Mercy made me martyr Thee and with the Iewes I made thy griefes my game The Med'cine so thou gau'st to cure my Wounds I venomed to make my hurt the more Which both with Sinne shame my Soule confounds sith Sinne by Grace I made more sinfull sore If from the Law to take a cause to sinne is much more damn'd then sinne without the Law What is it then when Grace so vs'd hath bin and force to fight with Grace from grace to draw The wilde-fire of my Passions burned me my Thoughts Distractions did me quite deuide The Worme of Conscience rag'd where thou wouldst be yet these I did as one in thee abide For mine Affections cryed nought but Peace when those Affections most did Peace impunge And when I was in Hell they seem'd in ease so much the old misled Affections young And Fury-like towards hel I alwayes made but thou more wayes then all wayes broughtst me back The Trade of Vertue I held Vices Trade sith more then Vice she seem'd to liue in lacke How oft haue I beene at the gates of Hell and could not enter though I went about Thou didst the Diuell from his charge compell so Porter wast thy selfe to keepe me out Nay when I haue beene euen in his Iawes and that his Fangs were entring in my Soule Till thou didst pul me thence thou mad'st him pause so came I as from Heau'n as Meeke as Whole O! how can I such pow'rfull Grace requite that forceth Iustice with Her force to ioyne From wracke to saue me in mine owne despight and made restore who did my selfe purloyne Had I the liues of Angels and of Men and offer'd all to thee in sacrifice And if those liues were thrice resum'd agen and offer'd vp as oft t' would not suffice T' would not suffice to recompâ—â—ce thy loue it were too cheape to quite tâ—y deare deserâ— O then can I wretch so vngratefull proue as not to giue thee one poore wretched Heart Can I ô can I be so much besides Grace Faith Sense Mother-wit my selfe and all That hauing yet these gifts to be my guides doe yet but stand by these by these to fall If I be lost it must not be in Hell thogh ne'er so dark for there thou foundst me out It must be somewhere which no where can tell for where that is both Time and Place doe doubt It cannot be in Hell for thou art there then Heau'ns thy Seat ah would I there were lost Nay not in Place for thou art eu'ry where Then not in Time which ere It was thou knowst If then in Heau'n nor Hell in Time nor Place where then in my selfe lost I cannot be Yet lost I am if I doe lose thy grace which found me when I stole my selfe from thee But yet if needes I will be lost at last for grace at last saues none against their will No Lost-child euer was lockt halfe so fast from losing and deserueth halfe so ill The worst of Ill mâ—â—e worse with Ill made Whole is too too good for one made worse then That Too little he doth lose to lose his Soule that maugre grace still does he cares not what Therefore deare Lord let me not enter in this strict reuisall of my Sinne and grace The lesse to make excusable my Sinne but thereby more much more thy Loue embrace For these Confessions written by my Hand against my selfe against my selfe will goe To thy Tribunall and against me stand if now I doe not euer Sinne forgoe Then let thy Wâ—unds be once more opened deare Christ to wash me in thy reeking bloud Reuiue me by thy death that being dead still dead to Ill I may still liue to good O! iuycie Bunch of Soule-refreshing grapes hard pressed in the Wine-presse of the Crosse Make druncke my thirstie Soule that gasping gapes for thy pure bloud to purge mine being too grosse Mine Ire Pride Lust Presumption Hate and Scorne yea all my Sinnes which I can ne'er recite I cast into thy wounds which wide are torne O keepe them There then from thy Fathers sight As much as those confound these comfort me nay more much more sith more thou canst forgiue Then I can sinne although I quartred Thee if when the deed is done through grace I grieue Mellefluous Sea of Comforts most diuine Meridian Light whence springs true glories Day With both o'er whelme me till through both I shine in perfect glory by thy glories Ray. Let not my Deedes or inofficious Sloth doe or omit what should not or be done For both are cursed by thy blessed mouth sith Ill to doe and good omit is one But let this league be constant to the end For they but mend to marre that marre to mend And Wisedome at our wisedome doth but scoffe When we doe ill that good may come thereof The sighes of a Pensiue Soule groaning vnder the burden of sinne WHo art thou Lord thou Lord whose magnitude admits no Name and what or who am I That dare but thinke of such an Altitude farre past the reach of highest Angels Eye What am I but a Sacke of sickenesses Immodestie it selfe Dust Clay Durt Dung Slyme Food for Wormes lesse slymie Carkasses with filth much more vncleanly mixt among Meere gall of bitternesse true Heyre of Hell begot twixt Sinne and Sathan life of Death Rebellion in the abstract Vices Shell the breath of Sinne that baneth but with breath Gods griefe Mens plague and Angels sole annoy sith sad I make them by vncessant sinne Let to the sorrow which doth cause their Ioy sith mine example hinders some therein In Counsaile blinde in Actions most vnwise In thought vnstaid vnconstant in desire Then Nothing lesse yet great in mine owne Eyes for past my selfe my selfe would faine aspire In summe I am the totall summe of Ill ill in my flesh and euill in my sp'rit Worse in my Wit and worser in my Will this Lord is hee thou would'st to thee vnite But what and who art thou thou namelesse GREAT sith
yet so much as smiled on me No force sith I my selfe the better know and see the World while me it doth not see Feare they her frowns that care but for her fawnes I feare nor care for neyther being white With Cares and Feares for my Graue open yawnes to swallow me to saue me from her spight Enough great Lord my Proheme is a Feast whereat my Muse doth surfet with sowre-sweetes Hard to receiue and harder to digest where loue and rashnesse Rime and Reason meetes But if they meet with Griefe that meets with thee I grieue with ioy for thou art fast and free A Dumpe or Swans-song ALl in a gloomy shade of Sicamour that did his leaues extend like Shields to beare The Beames of Phebus darted in his pow'r at those that vnderneath them shrowded were I me reposed while my Thoughts did range here there eu'ry wher wher thoghts might roame So by their change at last my latest change became their Subiect with my latest Home And when with Trauell they themselues had tyr'd I likewise tir'd with life that stirr'd them too Thus flasht I out with sacred fury fir'd and my thoughts Bottome thus did I vndoe Why long I longer here to liue in death for life if mortall dyeth all the while Be'ing but a puffe but of the weakest Breath yet blowes me Weakenesse into strong Exile As soone as borne was I condemn'd to dye since when Time hath but executed me Yet life prolongs in dying misery so yet I am as those that dying be To him that gaue me life a death I owe which sith I can I must and shall repay His Powr's as great to take as to bestow then will I pay him though I quite decay I dead in Sinne his onely Sonne he slew to please his Iustice and to make me liue Sith me he bought I le giue him then his due which had I haue much more then that I giue Death soone will rid me from this lifes annoyes Annoyes that nought can rid saue death from life And put me in possession of those Ioyes that are as farre from end as free from strife And wer 't not madnesse to repine that I had not had life when Eue did Adam wiue Then t is but all alike to liue and dye as t is Not to haue liu'd and not to liue Then life IS not that not immortall is for mortall life is but Deaths other name Nor is that Blisse that is not fearelesse Blisse nor glory that is subiect still to shame The Dayes of Heau'n are datelesse sith the Sunne that makes them such doth neither set nor rise But stands as it shall doth and still hath done fixt in the Noone-stead of ETERNITIES Here one 's the ruine of another Day while like a ne'er-suffized Graue the Night Doth bury both in silence yet doth prey vpon them both till both play least in sight Death is the dore of life so would I liue then through this dore to life I needes must goe For through this dore Death LIFE it selfe did driue then sith LIFE dide for life I must doe so Two onely had the priuiledge to wend another way to life that mortals were But t was in firy Charets to this end that Fire should flesh refine yer it came there There where all ioyes vnited are of force for force vnited stronger makes the same The spirit and flesh both rauisht to diuorce and melt their pow'rs in loues eternall flame What Lets shall let me then from Paradise Mountaines of Gold and Rockes of rarest stone Crossing my Way I trampling will dispise if thither Hope but goe with me alone This WORLD 's a Vale that ceaseles teares do spoile and make it so a Bog or lothsome Lake Then who but Swine that pleasure take in Soile will here if they can choose abiding make Heau'n is my Home the HIGH'ST my Father is his SONNE my Brother Angels are my Friends Then while from Them I am I am amisse and lightly misse the Meanes to so good Ends. My Body 's but the Prison of my Soule which straits her more the more that Prison's free Time 's but the Rocke that vp my Life doth rowle and Earth the Place where Heau'n spinnes it me Here must I fight till Death for endlesse Life The Chariot of my Triumph then is Death Then as I would be free from endlesse strife to mount this Chariot I must spend my Breath The ground whereon I tread's the ground of Grieâ—e so that each step doth grieue me for it is A Sanguine-field that beareth Hurts in chiefe crost with sinister-bends and All amisse Then here to bee amisse is to be borne in Dolors Field to eu'ry foule Disgrace O Death then help my Soules house to adorne and let thine Armes be mine for lifes are base Am I not durt and dust then maruell is 't if I but with a thought be that or this A shadow by some substance doth subsist but all my substance but a shadow is The Sunne doth rise and set the Moone doth hold a constant course in most vnconstant state The Earth now quick with heate then dead with cold doth shew their plight that It preambulate Then ô yee Saints whose Bellies being rife with Waters both of life and grace be yee Pure Aquaducts by life to bring me life from the Well-head that fill may you and mee The Graue though wide it gape dismayes me not sith t is the Gate of glory rest and peace And though therein my mortall Part must rot yet thence it springs with much more faire encrease If the last breath we call our Bodyes death then may we call the other Breathings deaths Sith Life and death doe come and goe with Breath we haue as many deaths as we haue breaths Yet twixt this life and that we death doe call this ods there is while life doth last we dye But when Death comes we die no more but shall by dying well liue well immortally O then looke how the Labourer for Night the Pilot for the Port and for the Inne The Poast doth long so doth my tired spright by death still long for Life and rest therein Death is my Hope than feare not I his knife Feare is his Sting but Hope hath puld it out The mortall'st Wounds immortall make my life then better dye in Hope then liue in Doubt If Death be painfull then is paine sustain'd before or at the Article of Death But not before for then but thought is pain'd and at the instant it 's but rest of breath So that in Death is rest without disease then Death be kinde and rest my life in thee While others that doe cast such summes as these these Cyphers summe decyph'ring thee and mee And Cyphers cast lifes Cyphers to and fro that I their number seene may multiply Take nought from Nought nought remaines so the summe of All is lesse then vanitie Cyphers not Numbers call I them because they runne sans number roundly
what I can or would vnlesse Thou make me see beyond my Natures ken what I should doe and it in deede expresse And if I should haue with my Pow'r and Will Knowledge to guide me yet if that be mine Without thy Wisedome It will wander still for all that tread true Steps must tread in thine Then ô deare Lord doe all for me yet so As I may rest with thee and with thee goe A serious Meditation of the last Iudgement worthy to be often minded and repeated DRead Lord by whom all Soules are sentenced when I bethinke me of that dreadfull Day Wherein thou com'st to iudge the Quicke and Dead I faint as falling quite with Feare away When all this All shall be reuerst and made a Chaos suncke in all-deuouring Flames For Vengeance shall the Vniuerse inuade and change her Fabrickes though they keepe their Names A chill-cold Bloud still flowing from Dismay fleets throgh my veines when throgh my brains doth glide But eu'n the naked thought of that blacke Day wherein all Flesh shall be most strictly tride When Christ vpon a Throne of Sunnes and Starres reflecting Beames against each other so As Glory with her selfe shall seeme at Warres shall doome all Flesh to endlesse weale or woe For he shall shake the Sanctuaries of Heau'n and with the Shocke appeare with flames of fire And Millions of his Angels to make eu'n with good and bad in fauour or in ire Aray'd with all Eye-blinding Maiestie infernall Angels his dread Throne beneath Wayting with ougly Formes and hedious Cry to execute his Doome of second Death Where Hell still gapeth greedy to receiue condemned Caitifes into quenchlesse fire Without light flaming onely but to grieue and grieue but to torment not life expire All on a floud of Fire shall sinking floate to clense them from corruption n'erthelesse The most corrupt though scowr'd without the Boate of Diuine safety sincke in deep'st distresse As high as Water in the Floud did rise so high nay higher shall this Fire ascend For it shall scowre the Planets and the Skies for new must Heau'n and Earth be in the end Riuers shall paâ—tch Founts faile and Mountaines fade not that their proper substances shall cease But all the Vniuerse shall then be made most pure to last eternally in peace The Sea shall boile and all her scaly Hoast therein shall seath and floate vpon her froth The Earth vnto this Sodde shall be the Roast and Skie and Aire shall baste and burne them both Then shall the Heau'ns bright Studs the golden Stars drop from their Spheares and showre downe thicke as Haile With flames inuolu'd like firie Meteors for then shall fire gainst Heau'n and Earth preuaile The Sunne and Moone to Bloud ô wonder growne boyling and broiling twixt sulphurious Wings Shal'through the glowing aire come whizzing down like to a fire-wing'd Ball that flying sings The names of Heau'n and Earth shall yet abide after their Conflagration but they shall Be chang'd in Qualities and purifide for both shall be much more Celestiall For loe the Iudge shall come with flames of fire in Chariots like a Whirlewinde and shall burne On eu'ry side till all things doe retire into themselues and clense them in the turne Our Sinnes haue so the Elements defil'd that they with Fire must needes refined be Nay more our sins the Heau'ns themselues haue soild then melt they must from soile to set them free Sinne all things subiect made to vanitie then must they be dissolu'd sith in that veyne They vnrefin'd that 's most vnpure doe lye that so they may their first pure plight obteine For if the Heau'ns sinne soiled must not stand much lesse must Man whom filth doth ouer-flow Both must be purg'd before the Iudgement and immortall made to come to Iudgement so The Subiects of the High'st are Saints at least if so then Men vnsanctifide are none Then must a Man in shew in deede a Beast be made a perfect Man ere he be one The Citizens of Heau'n are like the Place as pure as pretious for what enters here Must be as full of Glory as of Grace else downe it must with shame another where Then in this life how ought we minde our ends sith on this life that 's counted but a spanne Eternitie of weale or wee depends which ends the Race that formerly we ranne One Age doth goe another comes and both Time of their time at vnawares depriues Man 's but a Shade a Vapor or a Moth that straight consumes the Time wherein he liues Too like a Torch whose light and lasting both answeres his Substance and the long'st can last But while the last drop of his moisture doth the least sparke of his glory ouercast Flesh is but dust made durt with bloud transfus'd which with a fillop or lesse force is spoil'd And in the Elements be'ing eft diffus'd lies there like something next to nothing soil'd The World like Ice is slippry brittle cold and apt to melt and quickly shift his Formes They stand still falling whom he doth vphold and who goes carelesse curelesse he enormes What ere it holds is past and that 's past cure or Present and that momentarie is Or else it is to come and that 's vnsure then all it holds are nought but falacies Yet here ô griefe fond Man seekes sure repose eu'n here where Nothing rests but in vnrest Where most men stand by others ouerthrowes and where the worst in life in state are best Where Pleasure paine fore-runs where life 's the brooke that glides into Lifes Sea all-swallowing DEATH Sweete Streames to bitter where Hels mortall hooke lies hid to hold or draw vs vnderneath Like Herods glory that 's deuour'd of Wormes our constantest companions in the end Wher all the smoothest Calmes proue roughest storms and all in all to wracke vnwares doe bend Where Princes Palaces the prid of Cost are but rude Earth which skill vnperfect formes Their Gold but worst Earths Marrow at the most and all their daintiest Silkes but doung of Wormes Riches but Runnawayes Fauours but lyes good words meere winde that lightly comes goes Where Generation to Corruption hyes and all is but a dreame of nought but showes Such as the end is such must be the meane that tends thereto Corruption is our end Then all that leades thereto is most vncleane so in vncleannesse rise we and descend This makes the Heau'ns so oft to drowne in Teares the Earth defil'd by our vncleannesse and So drown'd as dead she beares but dearest yeeres or Eares that are as deare as is the Land So with remorse reuenge to execute so stroke and strike at once to make vs feele Our dissolution sith so dissolute in loue and ire that stayes and makes to reele While our Lifes Twine vpon the heau'nly Spheares is reel'd vp straite Time whose turnes they cause Doth all o'erturne so Water all appeares which Time to cast downe quickly still vp-drawes Time steales away as he would giue
with waight grow higher their flame doth waxe more strong the more it is with-stood Their Spice by pounding yeeldeth sweeter sent and Le ts to Truth are borne downe with this floud Which let abroad doth grow more violent And while it runnes it rores and after cryes For vengeance on their Foes Truths Enemies With Tyrants Thundrings Errours Cloud is crackt th'inclosed light of Truth 's disclosed so And showres of bloud that then for Truth are wrackt makes Martyrs more and more on Earth to grow For still their Side by God himselfe is backt they Sampsons with their Death do quell the foe And most torment him when they most are rackt then good Crosse blessed sheep-crooke Saints stil keep to Christ whose Hooke thou art to catch his Sheepe For as a feate Embroderer that hath a piece of Veluet brackt t'embroder on So drawes his Worke that he to hide the scath embroders richliest in that place alone So GOD vpon the Veluet of our flesh all torne in time of Persecution Couers the Bracks with Beautie faire as fresh So that the other Parts are beautifide By those rent parts by GOD so glorifide And as the Paper-mill of rotten Raggs tane from the Dung-hill by still mauling it Makes so white Paper as the filthy Iagges may now infold the purest part of Wit Or purest things that come from Heart or Hand so we by Martyrdome are made most fit How euer base in glory still to stand And made more apt diuinely to comprise Gods glorious Graces and his Rarities Thogh th'vpper heau'n doth turne by violent sway the lower out of course from East to West Yâ—t of themselues they wheele the other way for they by Nature turne from West to East So thogh from th' East where Truth begins to shine her Foes would force our Faith or course at least To Errors West where Truth doth still decline Yet must we stirre as Grace and Nature moues Vnto the East where God our course approues A Martyr's like a Dye which though it fall this or that way it fals no way amisse It flat will lye or cannot lye at all so Martyrs lye with Truth where ere she is They will lye leuell with the Earth nay more In or aboue it lye or stand for this Hange burne or starue all 's one they feele no sore Then when God throwes at all with them to win At eu'ry throw he drawes some others in Abel he cannot be that is not taught true patience by the malice of a Caine And happy he that like a Cole is caught out of Afflictions fire with God to raigne While he is bright and glowes with Charitie for whether to be white or red in graine The Church were best is vncouth to discry The Churches flowres the Rose nor Lilly want But both adorne and make her triumphant The martyr'd Body of our Lord and God is the main Rock from whence his Saints are hewne For from his flesh they rent are with the Rod and by the rentings of the Rod are knowne To be true flesh of his torne Flesh and so to be his Types by which him selfe is shewne To Heathen-folke that him desire to know O! t is a glory past the height of FAME To be like Christ in suffrings as in name The antient Romaines vs'd their force to trye t' incounter Beares and Lyons and the Scarres That came by sauage Tuskes they valued hye and piercings of their Pawes so many Starres If in vaine-glory they such Dents endur'd what should we doe in Christ our Captaines Warres Be'ing of true glory for our fight assur'd We should with Patience arm'd encounter death And for that gaine with torment lose our breath Shall Saints feare Men whom Angels ought to feare for Saints shall iudge the Angels and the Fâ—end Hath cause to feare them for they rule doe beare ouer his Legions yea his Forces rend The World should likewise feare them sith the Saints shall with heau'ns Vmpier iudge it in the end Than hee that at his threates or torments faints Can be no Saint but must be Iudg'd of them A Coward to foule shame and paines extreame Elias must not feare nor feare disguize to let the Mantle of his flesh to fall To flye in Coach â—lame-wing'd to Paradise Gedeon must breake his earthly Pots sith all Their Light 's so seene to put his foes to flight Ioseph must leaue his Cloake or else he shall Be mou'd to wrong his Maister in his right Life leads to Care but Death to Comfort leads Then Death in Syons cause in Sion treads At Sea decayes the Sailer in his Tent the ventrous Sâ—uldier in the Court decayes The vertuous Courtier Iustice in Iudgement true Faith in Friendship Skill in Arts Assaies In Manners Discipline so we alone that dying liue in these too nightly dayes Vnder the ruines of the World doe grone All is quite or â—erlesse which doth portend The World with vs is euen at an end And ô what should I say when Courage makes the Cause nor good nor bad for Falshoods Friends Haue dide in Errors cause at flaming Stakes as stout as Martyrs in their constant ends Witnesse that Legate sent from Pow'rs beneath who late in Smith-field Error so defends That he out-fac'd Truth men flames dread death And Anabaptists there for Error stood Aâ— stout as those that for truth lost their bloud But Legate though thou canst no answere yeeld yet let me question thee as many doe Question the dead for Error which they held tell me who gaue thy false Faith Courage too That thou for Error should'st so stoutly burne for Error that must needs thy Soule vndoe If on the Coales from it shee did not turne Can Sathan counterfet our GOD so nye In 's Gifts that men for him should stoutly dye But thou might'st answere Faith though false it be yet if the Soule perswaded be it's true Vpon the Heart it worketh morrally as Faith doth which to Heau'nly Truth is due This made the Priests of Baal their flesh to wound and many Indians sense of paine subdue Yea burne with those whose Faith thâ—y hope was sound Then not to suffer much nor Constancy Proues Error Truth which fire 's too cold to trye Then Truth must trye her selfe by Reas'n and Faith but where Faith bids beleeue Reas'n still must be Obedient to beleeue what ere she saith though she say Three are One and One is Three A Maid's a Mother that a Man had wiu'd true God vnmade made true Man really And that the Dead shall rise as here they liu'd All this and more of Faith must Reas'n beleeue But God the Fount of Reas'n this Faith must giue Death is the worst of Ils yet best to those that dye for Faith well tryde and who they be The Conscience of the Dyers neuer knowes if with the Rules of Faith they disagree Then God knowes who are his and Men may know that all are his his â—reest Spirit doth free From life by death
then giue no Fuell to this Fire 4 Nor make Comparison for it is odious and workes like effect Why should thy Will t' aduance thy Wit anothers Wit or Worth deiect To praise thy selfe is but Dispraise vnlesse Spight wrongs thine Honor knowne If others Shame thy Glory raise let their Shame raise it not thine owne For t is but Shame to glory in anothers Shame because we yet Are free from blot but Praise we winne by hiding both our praise and it This is the way to earthly Peace Without which growes all strifes encrease A Cordiall to cheare the Heart vnder the Crosse of Confinement written to a great Lord once a perpetuall Prisoner WHile yet thou lyest in Afflictions fire more bright to make thee and increase thy worth From mine Inuentions Mud I send this Mire to cast vpon the flames if they breake forth Then deigne t' accept vnhappy-happy Lord this Muddy Stuffe my creeping Muses Meate The rather sith some ease it may afford in plaistring Patience if it scorch with Heate For greatest Spirits doe greatest Passion feele in bearing Crosses though but small they be But vnder great great Men doe weakly reele though greatest Men from weaknesse should be free But thou to thy true glory be it said dost crosse expectance bearing so thy Crosse As those that are by Hands of Angels staid so draw'st much winning out of little losse For Libertie to lose or terrene trash the Minde being free is better lost than found Which oft on Waues of Weale their Owners dash on Rockes vnseene which eyther part confound Now be'ing thus staid thou canst not rise to fall Fortune hath bruiz'd thee but on Safeties Base That now thou canst no longer be her Ball to strike thee in Lifes Hazard for her Chase. Now maist thou sit securely where thou art and see vnseene the Worlds Reuoluings still And how men liue by industry or Art and what euents ensue the greatest skill So sitting bound to Safeties Shore at ease thou maist with ioyfull-Sorrow freely see How other Folke are tost on Dangers Seas as they that beare the highest Sailes still be Now on the top of some proud Billow borne as high as Heau'n while Billow-like they swell Then by a Crosse-Sea is that Billow torne be'ing at the high'st so straight they sincke to Hell And they that haue the Winde and Tyde at will each Moment feare the Winde may turne about And so their good is neuer free from ill because their Hopes are euer bound to doubt But now thy Will familiar with thy Crosse all Stormes of Passions being ouer-blowne Hath euer Calmes that neuer threaten Losse that more then now thou ne'er didst hold thine owne Now Mischiefe cannot see thee though she would looke ne'er so narrowly to glance at thee For thou art hid in Brittaines strongest HOLD where safe thou holdst thy selfe and thy degree And some that Life immurde would haue to chose although as Monarches they might all controule As greatest Charles his Empire did refuse and shut his Body vp t' enlarge his Soule For that great Priest of Hyppo held but right who rather out of Hell his GOD would see Than be in highest Heau'n and misse that sight then Bondage with that Sight 's diuinely free And long I wish great Lord thou maist be so though short I wish thy Troubles and that God That hath perhaps t'vplift thee brought thee low will make a Staffe of that that was thy Rod. The Hearts of all in his all-holding HAND he wields at will and Patience will requite Then thy Commanders Heart he may command in time Sunne-like to fill thy Moone with light Then when thou hast regain'd this Comforts Sunne thou wâ—ll maist say as some haue said of yore Th' hadst beene vndone hadst thou not beene vndone sith then thy Moone shines fuller then before For eu'n as when the Moone is at the full she from the Sunne is most remote we see So in thy Wane perhaps this Sunne may pull thee to him neere to light thy Heart and thee That so it may I le pray and pray that thou maist Grace attract by vertue of thy Grace Meeke Patience can the Heart of Highnesse bowe and make selfe Wrath to shew a chearefull Face For when our liues doe please the Lord of Life hee 'l make our greatest Foes our greatest Friends Then shall our Troubles cut the Throate of Strife and make our peace to make our paines amends Long life is promis'd those that liue aright then maist thou all disfauours ouerliue Patience o'er-comes what nought o'ercomes by might eu'n God himself makes him to forgiue But say the worst should hap which hap's the best that thou shouldst liue and die in state confinde Thy state 's most blessed sith so little blest with Freedome that to Earth enthrals the Minde Yet Libertie thou hast as large and free as highest Vertue Angel-like doth craue For Men like Angels loue with Christ to be in 's bloâ—dy-sweat alone or in his Graue And if that fellowes in Affliction make affliction lesse thou hast thy fellow Peeres In worser plight whom Death did eu'n forsake that they might liue with thee to ease thy Cares A good-mans state scornes Pitie howsoe'er for though it be engulph'd in deep'st distresse Yet his high Vertue him aloft doth reare that no Calamitie can him oppresse And though he be coupt vp in Little-ease his spacious Minde to him a Kingdome is Wherein he wanders Worlds that most doe pleaseâ— for Heau'n and Earth holds that great Mind of his While in his Conscience Theater is plaid the Comedie twixt his Soules Spouse and her How can his Soule but wander all vnstaid through worlds of ioy although he cannot stirre When as a Caesar in all libertie bathing in Pleasures or more sanguine Streames Vpon the Racke of Conscience bound doth dye extreamest Deaths in midst of Sports extreames O didst thou know some poore spirits Rauishments vvhen as entranc'd they feele vnbounded Blisse Crownes thou wouldst lothe as crossing those contents and let the Crosse quite breake thy Backe for this It is not no it is not high estate hath highest Pleasure but it 's onely those That for those Pleasures fading pleasures hate but they in Hell no other Heau'n suppose While outward Comforts compasse vs about in Griefes pursuite we to those Comforts flye But when they breake the King we straight run out to finde more sixed ioyes or ioylesse dye Then is that sowre Affliction highly blest that more Perfection brings like Ligatures That hurt to heale and wring but for our rest so they are blest whom Wals from wracke immures We Pris'ners are within Heau'ns outward Wals and are by Nature all condemn'd to die To Death we must when Death our Heads-man cals some to dye gently some more violently And though our Prison be as wish we would and may perhaps therein goe where we will Yet like the strucken Fish we are in hold and are in hold to him that sure will