and wilt thou bring me to dust again THus from the bosome of the new-made earth Poore man was delv'd and had his unborn birth The same the stuffe the self-same hand doth trim The plant that fades the beast that dies and him One was their sire one was their common mother Plants are his sisters and the beast his brother The elder too beasts draw the self-same breath Wax old alike and die the self-same death Plants grow as he with fairer robes arraid Alike they slourish and alike they â—…ade The beast in sense exceeds him and in growth The three-ag'd oake doth thrice exceed them both Why look'st thou then so big thou little span Of earth What art thou more in being man I but my great Creatour did inspire My chosen earth with that diviner fire Of reason gave me judgement and a will That to know good this to chuse good from ill He put the rains of pow'r in my free hand And jurisdiction over sea and land He gave me art to lengthen out my span Of life and made me all in being man I but thy passion has committed treason Against the sacred person of thy reason Thy judgement is coâ—…rupt perverse thy will That knows no good and this makes choice of â—…ll The greater height sends down the deeper fall And good dâ—…clin'd turns bad turns worst of all Say then proud inch of living â—…arth what can Thy greatnesse claim the more in being man O but my soul transcends the pitch of nature Born up by th' Image of her high Creatour Outbraves the life of reason and beats down Her waxen wings kicks off her brazen crown My earth 's a living Temple t' entertein The King of Glory and his glorious train How can I mend my title then where can Ambition sind a higher style then man Ah but that Image is defac'd and soil'd Her Temple 's raz'd her Altars all desil'd Her vessels are polluted and distain'd With lothed lust her ornaments prophan'd Her oyl-forsaken lamps and hallow'd tapours Put out her incense breaths unsav'ry vapours Why swell'st thou then so giâ—… thou little span Of earth what art thou more in being man Eteâ—…nall Potter whose blest hands did lay My course foundation from a sod of clay Thou know'st my slender vessâ—…l's apt to leak Thou know'st my brittle temper 's prone to break Are my bones brazzil or my slesh of oake O mend what thou hast made what I have broke Look look with gentle eyes and in thy day Of vengeance Lord remember I am clay S. AUGUST Sâ—…liloq 32. Shall I ask who made me It was thou that madest me without whom nothing was made Thou art my maker and I thy work I thank thee my Lord God by whom I live and by whom all things suâ—…sist because thou madest me I thank thâ—… O my Potter because thy hands have made me because thy hands have formed me EPIO. 5. Why swell'st thou man pust up with fame and purse Th' art better earth but born to dig the worse Thou cam'st from eaâ—…th to earth thou must return And art but earth cast from the womb to th' urn VI JOB 7. 20. I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men why hast thou set me as a mark against thee LOrd I have done and Lord I have misdone 'T is folly to contest to strive with one That is too strong 't is folly to assail Or prove an arm that will that must prevail I 've done I 've done these trembling hands have thrown Their daring weapons down the day 's thine own Forbear to strike where thou hast won the field The palm the palm is thine I yield I yield These ueach'rous hands that were so vainly bold To try a thrivelesse combat and to hold Self-wounding weapons up are now extended For mercy from thy hand that knee that bended Upon her guardlesse guard doth now repent Upon this naked floore See both are bent And sue for pitty O my ragged wound Is deep and desp'rate it is drench'd and drown'd In blood and briny tears It doth begin To stink without and putrifie within Let that victorious hand that now appears Just in my blood prove gracious to my tears Thou great Preserver of presumptuous man What shall I do what satisfaction can Poore dust and ashes make O if that bloud That yet remains unshed were half as good As bloud of oxen if my death might be An offering to attone my God and me I would disdain injurious life and stand A suiter to be wounded from thy hand But may thy wrongs be measur'd by the span Of life or balanc'd with the bloud of man No no eternall sinne expects for guerdon Eternall penâ—…nce or eternall pardon Lay down thy weapons turn thy wrath away And pardon him that hath no price to pay Enlarge that soul which base presumption binds Thy justice cannot loose what mercy finds O thou that wilt not bruise the broken reed Rub not my sores noâ—… prick the wounds that bleed Lord if the peevish infant fights and flies With unpar'd weapons at his mothers eyes Her frowns half mixt with smiles may chance to shew An angry love-trick on his arm or so Where if the babe but make a lip and cry Her heart begins to melt and by and by She coaks his dewy-cheeks her babe she blisses And choaks her language with a thousand kisses I am that child lo here I prostrate lie Pleading for mercy I repent and crie For gracious pardon let thy gentle ears Heare that in words what motheâ—…s judge in tears See not my 〈◊〉 Lord but through my fear And look on ev'ry trespasse through a tear Then calm thy anger and appear more mild Remember th' art a Father I a child S. BERN. Ser. 21. in Cant. Miserable man Who shall deliver me from the reproch 〈◊〉 this shamefull bondage I am a miserable man but a free man Free because like to God miserable because against God O keeper of mankind why hast thou set me as a mark against thee Thou hast set me because thou hast not hindred me It is just that thy enemy should be my enemy and that he who repugneth thee should repugne me I who am against thee am against my self EPIG. 6. But form'd and sight but boâ—…n and then rebell How small a blast will make a bubble swell But dare the â—…oore affront the hand that laid it So apt is dust to fly in 's face that made it VII JOB 13. 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy WHy dost thou shade thy lovely face O why Doth that eclipsing hand so long deny The Sun-shine of thy soul-enliv'ning eye Without that Light what light remains in me Thou art my Life my Way my Light in thee I live I move and by thy beams I see Thou art my Life If thou but turn away My life 's a thousand deaths thou art my Way Without thee Lord I travel not but stray My Light thou
〈◊〉 or afflicted Jobs She 'll change thy wants to seeming store And turn thy 〈◊〉 to purple robes She 'll make thy hide 〈◊〉 flanck appear As plump as theirs that feast it all the yeare 6 Look off let not thy Opticks 〈◊〉 Abus'd thou seest not what thou should'st Thy self 's the Object thou should'st see But 't is thy shadow thou behold'st And shadows thrive the more in stature The nearer we approch the light of nature 7 Where Heav'ns bright beams look more direct The shadow shrinks as they grow stronger But when they glaunce their fair aspect The 〈◊〉 fac'd shade growes larger longer And when their lamp begins to fall Th' increasing shadows lengthen most of all 8 The soul that seeks the noon of grace Shrinks in but swells if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As heav'n 〈◊〉 up or veils his face Our self esteems grow 〈◊〉 or great The least is greatest and who shall Appear the greatest are the least of all HUGO lib. de Anima In vain he lifteth up the eye of his heart to behold his God who is not first rightly advised to behold himself First thou must see the visible things of thy self before thou 〈◊〉 be prepared to know the invisible things of God 〈◊〉 if thou canst not apprehend the things within thee thou canst not comprehend the things above thee The best looking-glasse wherein to see thy God is perfectly to see thy self EPIG. 6. Be not deceiv'd great fool There is no losse In being small great bulks but swell with drosse Man is heav'ns Master-peece If it appear More great the value 's lesse if lesse more dear VII DEUTERONOMY 30. 19. I have set before thee life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that thou and thy seed may live 1 THe world 's a Floore whose swelling heaps retein The mingled wages of the Ploughmans toyl The world 's a heap whose yet unwinnowed grain Is lodg'd with chaff and buried in her soyl All things are mixt the usefull with the vain The good with bad the noble with the vile The world 's an Ark wherein things pure and grosse Present their lossefull gain and gainfull losse Where ev'ry dram of gold conteins a pound of drosse 2 This furnisht Ark presents the greedy view With all that earth can give or Heav'n can add Here lasting joyes here pleasures hourely new And hourely fading may be wisht and had All points of Honour counterfeit and true Salute thy soul and wealth both good and bad Here maist thou open wide the two-leav'd doore Of all thy wishes to receive that store Which being empty most does overflow the more 3 Come then my soul approch this royall Burse And see what wares our great Exchange reteins Come come here 's that shall make a firm divorce Betwixt thy wants and thee if want complains No need to sit in councel with thy purse Here 's nothing good shall cost more price then pains But O my soul take heed if thou rely Upon thy faithlesle Opticks thou wâ—…lt buy Too blind a bargain kâ—…ow fools onely trade by th' eye 4 The woâ—…ldly wisdome of the foolish man Is like a sieve that does alone retein The grosser substance of the worthlesse bran But thou my soul let thy brave thoughts disdain So course a purchase O be thou a fan To purge the chaff and keep the winnow'd grain Make clean thy thoughts and dresse thy mixt desires Thou art Heav'ns tasker and thy God requires The purest of thy sloore as well as of thy sires 5 Let grace conduct thee to the paths of peace And wisdome blesse thy souls unblemisht wayes No mattâ—…r then how short or long 's the lease Whose dâ—…te determins thy self-numbred dayes No need to carâ—… for wealths or fâ—…es increase Nor 〈◊〉 his Palm nor high Apollo's Bayes Lord if thy gracious bountie please to fill The 〈◊〉 of my desires and teach me skill To diâ—…e and â—…use the corn take those the chaff that will S. AUGUST lib. 1. de doct. Christi Temporall things more ravish in the expectation then in sâ—…uition but things eternall more in the sruition then expectation Ibideâ—… The life os man is the middle between Angels and beasts Is man takes pleasure in carnall things he is compared to beasts but is he delights in spirituall things he is suited with Angels EPIG. 7. Art thou a child Thou wilt not then be fed But like a child and with the childrens bread But thou art fed with chaff or corn undrest My soul thou savour'st too much of the beast VIII PHILIPPIANS 13. 19. They mind earthly things but our conversation is in Heaven Venus Div. Cupid Ven. WHat means this peâ—…vish brat Whish lullaby What aâ—…ls my babe what ails my babe to cry Will nothing still it will it neither be Pleas'd with the nurses breast nor mothers knee What ails my bird what moves my froward boy To make such whimp'ring faces Peace my joy Will nothing do Come come this pettish brat Thus cry and bawl and cannot tell for what Come busse and friends my lambe whish lullaby What ails my babe what ails my babe to cry Peace peace my dear alas thy early years Had never faults to merit half these teares Come smile upon me Let thy mother spie Thy fathers image in her babies eye Husband these guiltlesle drops against the rage Of harder fortunes and the gripes of age Thine eye 's not ripe â—…or teaâ—…s whish lullaby What ails my babe my sweetâ—… fac'd babe to cry Look look what 's here A dainty golden thing See how the dancing bells turn round and ring To please my bantling here 's a knack will breed A hundred kisses here 's a knack indeed So now my bird is white and looks as fair As Pelops shoulder or my milk-white pair Here 's right the fathers smile when Mars beguil'd Sick Venus of her heart just thus he smil'd Divine Cupid Well may they smile alike thy base-bâ—…ed boy And his base sire had both one cause a toy How well theiâ—… subjects and theiâ—… smilâ—…s agree Thy Cupid finds a toy and Mars found thee â—…alse Queen of beauty Queen of false delights Thy knee presents an â—…mbleme that invites Man to himself whose self-transported heart Ovâ—…rwhelm'd with native sorrows and the smaâ—…t Of purchas'd grieâ—…s lies whining night and day Not knowing why till heavy heâ—…ld delay The dull-brow'd Pander of despaâ—…r layes by His leaden buskins and presents his eye With antick triâ—…les which th' indulgent earth Makes proper objects of mans childish mirth These be the coyn that passe the sweets that please There 's nothing good there 's nothing great but these These be the pipes that base-born minds dance after And turn immod ' rate tears to lavish laughter Whilst Heav'nly rapâ—…res passe without regard Their strings are harsh and their high strains unheaâ—…d The plough-mâ—…ns whistle or the triviall â—…ure â—…ind more respâ—…ct then great Apollo's lute We 'll look to Heav'n and trust to higher joyes Let swine love husks and
Can ye quench his fire Did not the great Creatours voice proclaim What ere he made from the blue spangled frame To the poore leaf that trembles very Good Blest he not both the Feeder and the Food Tell tell me then what danger can accrue From such blest Food to such half-gods as you Curb needlesse fears and let no fond conceit Abuse your freedome woman Take and eat Eve 'T is true we are immortall death is yet Unborn and till rebellion make it debt Undue I know the Fruit is good untill Presumtuous disobedience make it ill The lips that open to this Fruit 's a portall To let in death and make immortall mortall Serp. You cannot die Come woman Tast and fear not Eve Shall Eve transgresse I dare not O I dare not Serp. Afraid why draw'st thou back thy tim'rous arm Harm onely fals on such as fear a harm Heav'n knowes and fears the virtue of this Tree 'T will make ye perfect Gods as well as He. Stretch forth thy hand and let thy fondnesse never Fear death Do pull and eat and live for ever Eve 'T is but an Apple and it is as good To do as to desire Fruit's made for food I le pull and tast and tempt my Adam too To know the secrets of this dainty Serp. Doe S. CHRYS. sup Matth. He forced him not He touched him not Onely said Cast thy self down that we may know whosoever obeyeth the Devil casteth himselfe down For the Devil may suggest compell he cannot S. BERN. in ser. It is the Devils part to suggest Ours not to consent As os◅ as we resist him so often we overcome him as often as we overcome him so often we bring joy to the Angels and glory to God Who proposeth us that we may contend and assisteth us that we may conquer EPIG. I. Unluckie Parliament wherein at last Both houses are agreed and firmly past An Act of death confirm'd by higher Powers O had it had but such successe as Ours II. JAMES 1. 15. Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death 1 LAment lament Look look what thou hast done Lament the worlds lament thy own estate Look look by doing how thou art undone Lament thy fall lament thy change of State Thy faith is broken and thy freedome gone See see too soon what thou lament'st too late O thou that wert so many men nay all Abbridg'd in one how has thy desp'rate fall Destroy'd thy unborn seed destroy'd thy self withall 2 Uxorious Adam whom thy maker made Equall to Angels that excell in pow'r What hast thou done O why hast thou obey'd Thy own destruction Like a new-cropt flowre How does the glory of thy beauty fade How are thy fortunes blasted in an houre How art thou cow'd that had'st the pow'r to quell The spite of new-fall'n Angels baffle Hell And vie with those that stood and vanquish those that fell 3 See how the world whose chast and pregnant womb Of late conceiv'd and brought forth noth◅ng ill Is now degenerated and become A base Adultresse whose false births do fill The earth with Monsters Monsters that do rome And rage about and make a trade to kill Now Glutt'ny paunches Lust begins to spawn Wrath takes revenge and Avarice a pawn Pale Envie pines Pride swells and Sloth begins to yawn 4 The Aire that whisper'd now begins to rore And blustring Boreas blowes the boyling Tide The whit-mouth'd Water now usurps the shore And scorns the pow'r of her tridentall guide The Fire now burns that did but warm before And rules her ruler with resistlesse pride Fire Water Earth and Ai◅e that first were made To be subdu'd see how they now invade They rule whom once they serv'd cōmand where once obey'd 5 Behold that nakednesse that late bewray'd Thy glory now 's become thy shame thy wonder ◅ehold those Trees whose various fruits were made For food now turn'd a shade to shrowd thee under Behold that voice which thou hast disobey'd That late was musick now aff◅ights like thunder Poor man Are not thy joynts grown sore with shaking To view th' effect of thy bold undertaking That in one houre didd'st marre what heav'n six dayes was making S. AUGUST lib. 1. de lib. arbit It is a most just punishment that man should lose that freedome which man could not use yet had power to keep if he would and that be who had knowledge to do what was right and did not should be deprived of the knowledge of what was right and that he who would not do righteously when he had the power should lose the power to doit when he ◅ad the will HUGO de anima They are justly punished that abuse lawfull things but they are most justly punished that use unlawfull things Thus Lucifer fell from Heaven thus Adam lost his Paradise EPIG. 2. See how these fruitfull kernels being cast Upon the earth how thick they spring how fast A full-ear'd crop and thriving rank and proud Prepost'rous man first sow'd and then he plough'd III. PROVERBS 14. 13. Even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heavinesse 1 ALas fond Child How are thy thoughts beguil'd To hope for hony from a nest of wasps Thou maist as well Go seek for ease in hell Or sprightly Nectar from the mouths of asps 2 The world 's a hive From whence thou canst derive No good but what thy souls vexation brings Put case thou meet Some peti-peti sweet Each drop is guarded with a thousand stings 3 Why dost thou make These murm'ring troups forsake The safe protection of their waxen homes This hive contains No sweet that 's worth thy pains There 's nothing here alas but empty combes 4 For trash and toyes And grief-ingend'ring joyes What to◅ment seems too sharp for ◅lesh and bloud What bitter pills Compos'd of reall ills Man swallows down to purchase one false good 5 The dainties here Are least what they appear Though sweet in hopes yet in fruition sowre The fruit that 's yellow Is found not alwayes mellow The fairest Tulip 's not the sweetest flowre 6 Fond youth give ore And vex thy soul no more In secking what were better farre unfound Alas thy gains Are onely present pains To gather Scorpions for a future wound 7 What 's earth or in it That longer then a minit Can lend a free delight that can endure O who would droyl Or delve in such a soyl Where gain 's uncertain and the pain is sure S AUGUST Sweetnesse in temporall matters is deceitfull Il is a labour and a perpetuall fear it is a dangerous pleasure whose beginning is without providence and whose end is not without repentance HUGO Luxury is an enticing pleasure a bastard mirth which hath honey in her mouth gall in her heart and a a◅ing in her tail EPIG. 3. What Cupid are thy shafes already made And seeking honey to set up thy trade True Embleme of thy sweers Thy
art without thy glorious sight Mine eyes are darkned with perpetuall night My God thou art my Way my Life my Light Thou art my Way I wander if thou fly Thou art my Light If hid how blind am Iâ—… Thou art my Life If thou withdraw I die Mine eyes are blind and dark I cannot see To whom or whether should my darknesse flee But to the Light And who 's that Light but thee My path is lost my wand'ring steps do stray I cannot safely go nor safely stay Whom should I seek but thee my Path my Way O I am dead to whom shall I poore I Repair to whom shall my sad ashes fly But Life And where is Life but in thine eye And yet thou turn'st away thy face and fly'st me And yet I sue for grace and thou deny'st me Speak art thou angry Lord or onely try'st me Unskreen those Heav'nly lamps or tell me why Thou shad'st thy face perhaps thou thinkst no eye Can view those flames and not drop down and die If that be all shine forth and draw thee nigher Let me behold and die for my desire Is Phoenix like to perish in that fire Death conquer'd Laz'rus was redeem'd by thee If I am dead Lord see deaths prisner free Am I more spent or stink I worse then he If my pufft light be out give leave to tine My slamelesse-snuss at that bright Lamp of thine O what 's thy Light the lesse for lighting mine If I have lost my Path great Shepherd say Shall I still wander in a doubtfull way Lord shall a Iamb of Isr'els sheepfold stâ—…ay Thou art the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the blind mans Eye The dead mans Life on thee my hopes rely If thou remove I erre I grope I die Disclose thy Sun-beams close thy wings and stay See see how I am blind and dead and stray O thou that art my Light my Life my Way S. AUGUST Soliloqu cap. 1. Why dost thou hide thy face Happily thou 〈◊〉 say none can see thy face and live Ah Lord let me die that I may see thee let me see thee that I may die I would not live but die That I may see Christ I desire death That I may live with Christ I despise life ANSELM Med. cap. 5. O excellent hiding which is become my persection My God Thou hidest thy treasure to kindle my desire Thou hidest thy pearl to inflame the seeker Thou delayest â—…o give that Thou maist teach me to importune seem'st not to hear to make mâ—… persever EPIG. 7. If 〈◊〉 all-quickning eyes vouchsafe to shine Upon our souls we slight If not we whine Our Equinoctiall hearts can never lie Secure beneath the Tropicks of that eye VIII JE REMIAâ—… 9. 1. O that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night O That mine eyes were springs and could transform Their drops to seas my sighs into a storm Of zeal and sacred violence wherein This lab'ring vèssel laden with heâ—… sinne Might suffer sudden shipwrack and be split Upon that rock where my drencht soul may sit O'rwhelm'd with plenteous passion O and there Drop drop into an everlasting tear Ah me that ev'ry sliding vein that wanders Through this vast Isle did work her wild meanders In brackish tears in stead of bloud and swell This flesh with holy dropsies from whose well Made warm with sighs may fume my wasting breath Whil'st I dissolve in steams and reek to death These narrow sluces of my dribbling eyes Are much too strait for those quick springs that rise And hourely fill my temples to the top I cannot shed for ev'ry sinne a drop Great builder of mankind why hast thou sent Such swelling flouds and made so small a ventâ—… O that this flesh had been compos'd of snow In stead of earth and bones of ice that so Feeling the fervour of my sinne and lothing The â—…ire I feel I might be thaw'd to nothing O thou that didst with hopefull joy entomb Me thrice three moons in thy laborious womb And then with joyfull pain broughtst forth a Son What worth thy labour has thy labour done What was there Ah! what was there in my birth That could deserve the easiest smile of mirth A man was born Alas and what 's a man A scuttle full of dust a measur'd span Of flitting Time a furnish'd pack whose wares Are sullen griefs and soul-tormenting cares A vale of tears a vessel tunn'd with breath By sicknesse brocht to be drawn out by deaâ—…h A haplesse helplesse thing that born doth cry To feed that feeds to live that lives to die Great God and Man whose eyes spent drops so often For me that cannot weep enough O soften These marble brains and strike this slintie rock Or if the musick of thy Peters cock Will more prevail fill fill my hearkning ears With that sweet sound that I may melt in tears I cannot weep untill thou broch mine eye Or give me vent or else I burst and die S. AMBROS. in Psal. 118. He that committeth sinnes to be wept for cannot weep for sianes committed And being himself most lamentable hath no tears to lament his offences NAZIANZ Orat. 3. Tears are the deluge of sinne and the worlds sacrifice S. HIERON. in Esaiam Prayer appeaseth God but a tear compelleth him That moveth him but this constraineth him EPIO. 8. Earth is an Island ported round with fears The way to Heav'n is through the Sea of tearsâ—… It is a stormy passage where is found The wrack of many a ship but no man drown'd IX PSALM 18. 5. The sorrows of hell compassed me about and the snares of death prevented me IS not this Type well cut In ev'ry part Full of rich cunning sill'd with Zeuxian Art Are not the hunters and their Stygian hounds Limm'd full to th' life didst ever heare the sounds The musick and the lip-divided breaths Of the strong-winded horn recheats and deaths Done more exact th' infernall Nimrods hollow The lawlesse Purliews and the game they follow The hidden engines and the snares that lie So undiscover'd so obscure to th' eye The new-drawn net and her entangled prey And him thae closes it Beholder say Is 't not well done seems not an em'lous strife Betwixt the rare cut picture and the life These Purliew-men are Devils and the Hounds Those quick-nos'd Canibals that scour the grounds Temptations and the Game these Fiends pursue Are humane souls which still they have in view Whose fury if they chance to scape by slying The skilfull Hunter plants his net close lying On th' unsuspected earth bayted with treasure Ambitious honour and self-wasting pleasure Where if the soul but stoop death stands prepar'd To draw the net and drawn the soul 's ensnat'd Poore soul how 〈◊〉 thou hurried to and fro Where canst thou safely stay where safely go If stay these hot-mouth'd hounds are apt to tear thee If go the snares enclose the nets ensnare thee What good in this bad world has pow'r t'
invite thee A willing guest wherein can earth delight thee Her pleasures are but itch her wealth but 〈◊〉 A world of dangers and a world of snares The close pursuers busie hands do plant Snares in thy substance Snares attend thy want Snares in thy credit Snares in thy disgrace Snares in thy high estate Snares in thy base Snares tuck thy bed and Snares arround thy board Snares watch thy thoughts and Snares attach thy word Snares in thy quiet Snares in thy commotion Snares in thy 〈◊〉 Snares in thy devotion Snares lurk in thy resolves Snares in thy doubt Snares lie within thy heart and Snares without Snares are above thy head and Snares beneath Snares in thy sicknesse Snares are in thy death O if these Purliews be so full of danger Great God of Harts the worlds sole sov'reigne Ranger Preserve thy Deere and let my soul be blest In thy safe Forrest where I seék for rest Then let the hell-hounds rore I fear no ill Rouze me they may but have no pow'r to kill S. AMBROS. lib. 4. in cap. 4. Lucae The reward of honours the height of power the delicacie of diet and the beautie of a harlot are the snares of the devil S. AMBROS. de bono mortis Whilest thou seekest pleasures thou runnest into snares for the eye of the harlot is the snare of the Adulterer SAVANAR In eating he setteth before us gluttony Iâ— generation luxury In labour sluggishnesse In conversing envy In governing covetousnesse In correcting anger In honour pride In the heart he setteth evil thoughts In the mouth evil words In actions evil works when awake he moveth us to evil actions when asleep to filthy dreams EPIG. 9. Be sad my Heart deep dangers wait thy mirth Thy soul 's way-laid by Sea by Hell by Earth Hell has her hounds Earth snares the Sea a shelf But most of all my Heart beware thy self X. PSALM 143. 2. Enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Jesus Justice Sinner Jes. BRing forth the prisner Justice Just Thy commands 〈◊〉 done just Judge See here the prisner stands Jes. What hath the prisner done Say what 's the cause Of his commitment Just He has broke the laws Of his too gracious God conspir'd the death Of that great Majesty that gave him breath And heapt transgression Lord upon transgression Jes. How know'st thou this Just Ev'n by his own confession His sinnes are crying and they cry'd aloud They cry'd to Heav'n they cry'd to Heav'n for bloud Jes. What say'st thou sinner hast thou ought to plead That sentence should not passe hold up thy head And shew thy brasen thy rebellious face Sin Ah me I dare not I 'm too vile and base To tread upon the earth much more to 〈◊〉 Mine eyes to Heav'n I need no other 〈◊〉 Then mine own conscience Lord I must confesse I am no more then dust and no whit lesse Then my 〈◊〉 styles me Ah if thou Search too severe with too severe a brow What flesh can stand I have transgrest thy laws My merits plead thy vengeance not my cause Just Lord shall I strike the blow Jes. Hold Justice stay Sinner speak on what hast thou more to say Sin Vile as I am and of my self abhorr'd I am thy handy-work thy creature Lord Stampt with thy glorious Image and at first Most like to thee though now a poore accurst Convicted catiff and degen'rous creature Here trembling at thy bar Just Thy fault 's the greater Lord sâ—…ll I strike the blow Jes. Hold Justice stay Speak sinner hast thou nothing more to say Sin Nothing but Mercy Mercy Lord my state Is miserably poore and desperate I quite renounce my self the world and flee From Lord to Jesus from thy self to thee Just Cease thy vain hopes my angry God has vow'd Abused mercy must have bloud for bloud Shall I yet strike the blow Jes. Stay Justice hold My bowels yearn my fainting bloud growes cold To view the trembling wretch me thinks I spy My fathers image in the prisners eye Just I cannot hold Jes. Then turn thy thirsty blade Into my sides let there the wound be made Chear up dear soul redeem thy life with mine My soul shall smart my heart shall bleed for thine Siâ—… O ground-lesse deeps O love beyond degree Th' offended dies to set th' offender free S. AUGUST Lord if I have done that for which thou maist damne me thou hast not lost that whereby thou maist save me Remember not sweet Jesus thy justice against the sinner but thy benignity towards thy creature Remember not to proceed against a guilty soul but remember thy mercy towards a miserable wretch Forget the insolence of the provoker and behold the misery of the invoker for what is Jesus but a Saviour ANSELM Have respect to what thy Sonne hath done for me and forget what my sinnes have done against thee My flesh hath provoked thee to vengeance let the flesh of Christ move thee to mercy It is much that my rebellions have deserved but it is more that my Redeemer hath marited EPIG. 10. Mercie of mercies He that was my drudge Is now my Advocate is now my Judge He suffers pleads and sentences alone Three I adore and yet adore but One XI PSALM 69. 15. Let not the water-flood overflow me neither let the deeps swallow me up THe world 's a Sea my flesh a Ship that 's mann'd With lab'ring Thoughts and steer'd by Reasons hand My Heart 's the Sea-mans Card whereby she sails My loose Affections are the greater Sails The Top-sail is my Fancie and the Gusts That sill these wanton sheets are worldly Lusts. Pray'r is the Cable at whose end appears The Anchor Hope nev'r slipt but in our fears My Will's th' unconstant Pilot that commands The stagg'ring Keel my Sinnes are like the Sands Repentance is the Bucket and mine Eye The Pump 〈◊〉 but in extremes and dry My Conscience is the Plummet that doth presse The deeps but seldome cries A sathom lesse Smooth Calm's security the Gulf despair My Fraught's Corruption and this Life 's my Fair My Soul 's the Passenger confus'dly driven From fear to fright her landing-Port is Heaven My Seas are stormy and my Ship doth leak My Saylers rude my Steersman saint and weak My Canvace torn it slaps from side to side My Cable 's crakt my Anchor's slightly ti'd My Pilot's craz'd my thipwrack-Sands are cloak'd My Bucket 's broken and my Pump is choak'd My Calm 's deceitfull and my Gulf too near My Wares are slubber'd and my Fare's too dear My Plummet 's light it cannot sink nor sound O shall my Rock-bethreatned Soul be drown'd Lord still the Seas and shield my Ship from harm Instruct my Sailours guid my Steersmans arm Touch thou my Compasse and renew my Sails Send stifter courage or send milder gales Make strong my Cable bind my Anchor faster Direct my â—…ilot and be thou his Master Object the Sands to my more serious
till thâ—…n and then I die contented S. AUGUST lib de Civit. Dei Cap. 10. The time wherein we live is taken from the space of our life and what remaineth is dayly made lesse and lesse in so much that the time of our life is nothing but a passage to death S. GREG. lib. 9. Cap. 44. in Cap 10. Jeb As moderate afflictions bring tears so immoderate take away tears In so much that sorrow becometh no sorrow which swallowing up the mind of the afflicted taketh away the sense of the affliction EPIG. 13. Fear'st thou to go when such an Arm invites thee Dread'st thou thy loads of sinne or what affrights thee If thou begin to fear thy fear begins Fool can he bear thee hence and not thy sins XIV DELLTERONOMY 32. 29. O that men were wise and that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Flesh Spirit â—…l WHat means my sisters eye so oft to passe Through the long entry of that Optick glasse Tell me what secret virtue doth invite Thy wrinkled eye to such unknown delight Sp. It helps the sight makes things remote appear In perfect view It draws the object near Fl. What sense-delighting objects dost thou spie What doth that Glasse present before thine eye Sp. I see thy foe my reconciled friend Grim Death even standing at the Glasses end His left hand holds a branch of Palm his right Holds forth a two-edg'd sword Fl. A proper sight And is this all doth thy Prospective please Th' abused fancy with no shapes but these Sp. Yes I behold the dark'ned Sun bereav'n Of all his light the battlements of Heav'n Swelt'ring in flames the Angel-guarded Sonne Of glory on his high Tribunal-Throne I see a Brimstone Sea of boyling fire And Fiends with knotted whips of flaming wire Tort'ring poore souls that gnash their teeth in vain And gnaw their flame-tormented tongues for pain Look sister how the queazy-stomack'd Graves Vomit their dead and how the purple waves Scalld their consumelesse bodyes strongly cursing All wombs for bearing and all paps for nursing Fl. Can thy distemper'd fancy take delight In view of tortures these are showes t' affright Look in this glasse triangular look here Here 's that will ravish eyes Sp. What seest thou there Fl. The world in colours colours that distain The checks of Proâ—…eus or the silken train Of Flora's Nymphs such various sorts of hiew As Sun-confronting â—…is never knew Here if thou please to beautifie a town Thou maist or with a hand turn't upside down Here mayst thou scant or widen by the measure Of thine own will make short or long at pleasure Here mayst thou tire thy fancy and advise With shows more apt to please more curious eyes Sp. Ah fool that dot'st on vain on present toyes And disrespect'st those true those future joyes How strongly are thy thoughts befool'd alas To dote on goods that perish with thy glasse Nay vanish with the turning of a hand Were they but painted colours it might stand With painted reason that they might devote thee But things that have no being to besot thee Foresight of future torments is the way To baulk those ills which present joyes bewray As thou hast fool'd thy self so now come hither Break that fond glasse and let 's be wise together BONAVENT de contemptu seculi O that men would be wise understand and â—…oresee Be wise to know three things The multitude of those that are to be damned the few number of those that are to be saved and the vanity of transitory things Vnderstand three things the multitude of sinnes the omission of good things and the losse of time Foresee three things the danger of death the last judgement and eternall punishment EPIG. 14. What Soul no further yet what nev'r commence Master in Faith Still batchelour of Sense Is 't insufficiency Or what has made thee Oreslip thy lost degree thy lusts have staid thee XV PSALM 30. 10. My life is spent with grief and my years with sighing WHat sullen Starre rul'd my untimely birth That would not lend my dayes one houre of mitth How oft have these bare knees been bent to gain The slender alms of one poore smile in vain How often tir'd with the fastidious light Have my saint lips implor'd the shades of night How often have my nightly torments praid For lingring twilight glutted with the shade Day worse then night night worse then day appears In fears I spend my nights my dayes in tears I moan unpittâ—…'d grone without relief There is nor end nor measure of my grief The smiling flow'r salutes the day it growes Untouch'd with care it neither spins nor sowes O that my tedious life were like this flow'r Or freed from grief or finish'd with an houre Why was I born Why was I born a man And why proportion'd by so large a span Or why suspended by the common lot And being born to dy why dy I not Ah me why is my sorrow-wasted breath Denâ—…'d the easie priviledge of death The branded slave that tugs the weary oare Obteins the Sabbath of a welcome shore His ransom'd stripes are heal'd his native soyl Sweetens the mem'ry of his forrein toyl But ah my sorrows are not half so blest My labour finds no point my pains no rest I batter sighs for tears and tears for grones Still vainly rolling Sisyphean stones Thou just Observer of our flying houres That with thy Adamantine fangs devours The brazen monuments of renowned Kings Doth thy glasse stand Or be thy moulting wings Unapt to fly If not why dost thou spare A willing breast a breast that stands so fair A dying breast that hath but onely breath To beg a wound and strength to crave a death O that the pleased Heav'ns would once dissolve These fleshly fetters that so fast involve My hamp'red soul then should my soul be blest From all these ills and wrap her thoughts in rest Till then my dayes are months my months are years My years are ages to be spent in tears My grief 's entail'd upon my wastfull breath Which no recov'ry can cut off but death Breath drawn in cottages puft out in thrones Begins continues and concludes in grones INNOCENT de vilitate condit humanae O who will give mine eyes a fountain of tears that I may bewail the miserable ingresse of mans condition the sinfull pregresse of mans conversation the damnable egresse in mans dissolution I will consider with tears whereof man was made what man doth and what man is to do Alas he is formed of earth conceived in sinne born to punishment He doth evil things which are not lawfull He doth â—…ilthy things which are not decent He doth vain things which are not â—…pedient EPIG. 15. My heart Thy life 's a debt by Bond which bears Asecret date the use is Grones and Tears Plead not usurious Nature will have all As well the Int'rest as the Principall THE FOURTH BOOK I. ROMANES 7. 23. I see another Law in my
sinfull flesh and bloud To lend the smallest step to what is good My God I cannot move the least degree Ah! If but onely those that active be None should thy glory see none should thy glory see But if the Potter please t' inform the clay Or some strong hand remove the block away Their lowly fortunes soon are mounted higher That proves a vessâ—…l which before was mire And this being hewn may serve for better use then sire And if that life-restoring voyce command Dead Laz'rus forth or that great Prophets hand Should charm the sullen waters and begin To becken or to dart a stick but in Dead Laz'rus must revive and th' Axe must sloat again Lord as I am I have no pow'r at all To heare thy voyce or echo to thy call The gloomy Clouds of mine own guilt benight me Thy glorious beams nor dainty sweets invite me They neithâ—…r can direct nor these at all delight me See how my sin-bemangled body lies Nor having pow'r to will nor will to rise Shine home upon thy Creature and inspire My livelesse will with thy regen'rate fiâ—…e The first degree to do is onely to desire Give me the pow'r to will the will to do O raise me up and I will strive to go Draw me O draw me with thy treble twist That have no pow'r but merely to resist O lend me strength to do and then command thy list My Soul 's a Clock whose wheels for want of use And winding up being subject to th' abuse Of eating â—…ust wants vigour to fulfill Her twelve houres task and shew her makers skill But idly sleeps unmov'd and standeth vainly still Great God it is thy work and therefore good If thou be pleas'd to cleanse it with thy blood And wind it up with thy soul-moving keyes Her busie wheels shall serve thee all her dayes Her hand shall point thy pow'r her hammer strike thy praise S. BERN. Serm. 21. in Cant. Let us run let us run but in the savour of thy Ointments not in the confidence of our merits nor in the greatnesse of our strength we trust to run but in the multitude of thy mercies for though we run and are willing it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy O let thy mercy return and we will run Thou like a Gâ—…ant runnest by thy own power we unlesse thy ointment breath upon us cannot run EPIG. 8. Look not my Watch being once repair'd to stand Expecting motion from thy Makers hand H' as wound thee up and cleans'd thy Cogs with blood If now thy wheels stand still thou art not good IX CANTICLES 8. 1. O that thou wert as my brother that sucked the breasts of my mother I would find thee without and I would kisse thee 1 COme come my blessed Infant and immure thee Within the Temple of my sacred arms Secure mine arms mine arms shall then secure thee From Herods fury or the high-Priests harms Or if thy danger'd life sustain a losse My folded arms shall turn thy dying crosse 2 But ah what savage Tyrant can behold The beauty of so sweet a face as this is And not himself be by himself controul'd And change his fury to a thousand kisses One smile of thine is worth more mines of treasure Then there be Myriads in the dayes of Cesar 3 O had the Tetrarch as he knew thy birth So known thy stock he had not sought to paddle In thy dear bloud but prostrate on the earth Had vaild his Crown before thy royall Cradle And laid the Sceptre of his Glory down And begg'd a Heav'nly for an Earthly Crown 4 Illustrious Babe how is thy handmaid grac'd With a rich armfull how dost thou decline Thy Majesty that wert so late embrac'd In thy great Fathers arms and now in mine How humbly gracious art thou to refresh Me with thy Spirit and assume my flesh 5 But must the treason of a traitours Hail Abuse the sweetnesse of these â—…uby lips Shall marble-hearted cruelty assâ—…il These Alabaster sides with knotted whips And must these smiling Roses entertain The blows of scorn and flurts of base disdain 6 Ah! must these dainty liâ—…tle sprigs that twine So fast about my neck be pieâ—…c'd and torn With ragged nails and must these brows resigne Their Crown of Glory for a crown of thorn Ah must this blessed Infant tast the pain Of deaths injurious pangs nay worse be slain 7 Sweet Baâ—…e At what dear rates do wretched I Commit a sinne Lord ev'ry sin 's a dart And ev'ry trâ—…spasse lets a javelin slie And ev'ry javelin wounds thy bleeding heart Pardon sweet Babe what I have done amisse And seal that granted pardon with a kisse BONAVENT Soliloqu Cap. 1. O sweet Jesu I knew not that thy kisses were so sweet nor thy society so sweet nor thy attraction so vertuous For when I love thee I am clean when I touch thee I am chast when I receive thee I am a virgin O most sweet Jesu thy embraces defile not but cleanse thy attraction polluteth not but sanctifieth O Jesu the Fountain of uniâ—…ersall sweetnesse pardon me that I believed so late that so much sweetnesse is in thy embraces EPIG. 9. My burden 's greatest Let not Aâ—…las boast Impartiall Reader judge which bears the most He bears but Heav'n my folded arms sustain Heav'ns maker whom Heav'ns Heav'n cannot contain X. CANTICLES 3. 1. In my bed by night I sought him that my soul loved I sought him but I found him not THe learned Cynick having lost the way To honest men did in the height of day By Taper-light divide his steps about The peopled streets to find this dainty out But fail'd The Cynick search'd not where he ought The thing he sought for was not where he sought The Wisemens task seem'd harder to be done The Wisemen did by Staire-light seek the Sonne And found the Wisemen search'd it where they ought The thing they hop'd to find was where they sought One seeks his wishes where he should but then Perchance he seeks not as he should nor when Another searches when he should but there He fails not seeking as he should nor where Whose soul desires the good it wants and would Obtain must seek Where As and When he should How often have my wild affections led My wasted soul to this my widdow'd bed To seek my Lover whom my soul desires I speak not Cupid of thy wanton fires Thy fires are all but dying sparks to mine My flames are full of Heav'n and all Divine How often have I sought this bed by night To find that greater by this lesser light How oft have my unwitnest grones lamented Thy dearest absence Ah how often vented The bitter tempests of despairing breath And tost my soul upon the waves of death How often has my melting heart made choice Of silent tears tears louder then a voyce To plead my grief and woo thy absent eare And yet thou wilt not come thou wilt