sin which causeth endless shame and death Consider it ye mortals of the Earth Who now carouse in sin and sport away Thy blessed time of love by your delay Be not bewitcht with sin return and blest Behold our Christ admits you to his feast Oh let the endearments of a comon sence Of love and lively faith arise from thence And let sweet raptures of a holy zeal Raise in my soul such joyes as may reveal My constant faith and love to him alone That is for ever seated in the Throne Of heavenly glory Lord do thou permit Me in his arms of love and cause me sit Amongst the Saints above which take delight To sing sweet Hallelujahs day and night To that blest quire good Lord in time unite me And let thy praises ever more delight me Then shall my longing soul have quiet rest In the bosom of that glory ever blest Luke 19.9 This day is Salvation come to thy house BEhold our Jesus trav'ling for to gain Lost Man and see with what a loving pain He passeth Jericho after he 'd wrought Such mighty works and cur'd them all that sought To him in faith of which Zacheus hearing Hastning he climbs to see his Christ not fearing The publicans could hinder his good nature His zeal being warm although but low in stature He takes the Sicamore as here we find To raise his body equal with his mind VVell warm'd with faith and a desire to see His Lord and Christ from branches of a Tree VVhere being seen and call'd he made no stay But with all Joy of heart he did obey His infant faith did soon break forth in action And chearfully he vowed satisfaction And restitution no Man did ever more Largely express his Love unto the poor By all he did it truly demonstrate That Christ assur'd to be with in his gate T' was time for him to hast and not desist To entertain so merciful a guest That did so passionately express his love Calling Zacheus from the Tree above He leaves the branches that did him advance Prostrates himself with humble reverence Had his low limbs been of a higher extent He might have wanted that true zeal he meant But being low in stature high in grace Hee 's call'd to see his Christ ev'n face to face Oh humble kindness of the King of glory As it s recorded in the sacred story See how coldly th' world doth entertain The Lord of life which finds too much disdain 'T is he invites who well could pay the cost That came to seek and save such as were lost The Jew doth vainly look for his Redeemer To come in pomp which shews he 's an esteemer Of worldly majesty but hee 's become A wandring vagrant till the day of doom Stop stop ye glorious mortals which do ride In golden Chariots stuft with carnal pride See your Redeemer a blest president To true humility with care repent Place not felicity on Thrones of Gold But on the Scepter of Gods word take hold And if you 'l climb climb like Zacheus here Not after pomp but with an awful fear Cast down your selves even from the lofty Tree Of carnal Lusts Hear Christ saith come to me All that decline a Carnal conversation To them he offers life joy and salvation Who would not welcome such a noble guest And treat his Saviour at a Bounteous feast And sacrifice even all with joy and love Sith every perfect gift is from above And giv'n by him that can repay us double Conferring perfect happiness for trouble But there are some that think it to much charge If vestry ornaments be something large To express th' honor dignity and worth Of sacred things and decently let forth As late religious arts perform'd in order They say that on Romes Church we neerly boarder If they see Gap or Surplice Hood or Scarse Like silly momes they flout and jeer and laugh But such must know uniess they will be fools These are distinctions in the learned Schools How happy was Zachem with the favor Of Christ his presence whose persumes did savor Of humility in that he 'ed condescend To come to sinners as unto a friend And be a guest unto such a kind of Man As was a meer professed publican Nor is his mercy shut up here alone But it extends to all that sigh and groan Yea every houshould that indeed doth clime And mounts by virtue surely shall see him Hark you that sacrifice your lives and blood And with a hearful zeal do fly from good That foot the musick of a vainer life And with true virtues ever are at strise Strangers to God his holy ordinance The precious sacraments that sure advance The flight toward Heaven and make thee see Like good Zachem here as from a Tree Of grace if this be planted in thy heart Then Christ will be thy guest and nere depart If this be water'd with repenting tears Then it will bring forth fruit in which appears A holy life which will the comfort give And in true Joyes thou shalt for ever live After thy body is by death mowed down Thy soul shall have a pretious heav'nly crown Oh Lord we are as nothing in thy sight 'T is thou haft rais'd us by thy power and might And when the least desire we feel or find To come to thee 't is thou that stirs the mind And makes us climb for we are low of stature Lame and decrepit poor weak things by nature Unless we take advantage by the Tree Of faith and holy life wee see not thee And climb O Lord wee can't without thy grace Raise us O Lord by it to see thy face Infuse in us each holy good desire Blow up in us a zeal as hot as fire A zeal that may a doubtless warmth sure bring Then shall we praise thee and for ever sing Loud Halelujahs to thy blessed name That art th' Almighty God ever the same Whose mercies condescend to every one And gives assurance of salvation Luke 9.57 Lord I will follow thee wheresoever thou goest BEhold our Saviour here who doth reprove Revenging rashness prompting peace and love When his Apostles fill'd with desire To be reveng'd would set a Town on fire And in that passion were so fully bent They urged to Christ a former president Saying did not Elias do such things As'tis recorded in the book of Kings But Christ reprov'd them with a serious frown And pull'd their high avenging spirits down I came not to destroy mens lives but save All such as in humility do crave This heard the scribe professeth without boast Lord I will follow thee where e're thou goest Oh blessed boldness in that resolution A happy confidence to make intrusion Into such company there 's none can blame His passionate affection it became Holy desires which did indeed express His fervent zeal to God and holiness The wondrous miracles which thus were wrought Brought him to Christ whom he with fervor sought That divine light whose powerful
doth the same enrich His very grave becomes a cabinet Of precious dust the which is all beset With Saphires like a Rock that stoutly braves The raging Sea and its tempestuous Waves Or like the morning Sun that shines most bright After 't hath long bin clouded from our sight And more transparent shines to the eye of sence Attracting many muddy vapors hence For like the conquering palm that still doth flourish Under its pressures which doe never nourish His spreading limbs into a full extent Maugre the cloggs and weights of punishment Job these are but poor emblems of thy glory Like as the Lower Sphears are transitory Hurri'd with storms but still thy high-born soul Like the true loadstone points the heavenly pole And turns no other way although surrounded With griefs abounding thou art not confounded Tell me of stones whose power can expell Or herbs whose virtue can indeed repell The dangerous Thunder these are of small power Compar'd with that most glorious sparkling Tower His soul that these flames only purifie And brighter made so that we may descry Our conquering glory o're the worlds great same In which he is a Mirror still the same And shall our light afflictions temporary Discourage us from climing to thy glory And drive us from thy service by such Toyes As Satan casts to hinder purer Joyes No thou dost skreen thy love in discontent And shewest thy goodness in our punishment And whilst we do most foolishly repine And grumble at this providence of thine Being two much troubled at the smallest cross Of wealth and Honor which doe us so toss With vain affections shews we cannot take Danger of sufferings for thy blessed sake But are without true sence of thy dear Love And the Celestial Glory that 's above Treasur'd for us our duty 's to submit To thy blest will and all thou thinkest fit Triumphing in our sufferings not repine Lord bow our wills unto that will of thine Eternal wisdom Let it now be done To thine own Glory and thine only Son Romans 6.12 and part of 21. Let not Sin therefore raign in you mortal bodies that you should obey in the Lusts thereof For the end of these things are Death THe Blest and Learn'd Apostle here doth Preach Attonement made by Christ doth likewise teach Th' effects and power of Baptism here on earth Saying we'er all Baptiz'd into his Death And shall be surely raised from the Grave By th' only power of him that did us save From Death Eternal and may freely walk In a renewed Life and thereof talk To th' comfort of our Souls and Crucifie Our foul affections wherein we descry Sins large dominion in us it 's recoyl'd Which only Christ in Love did reconcile Made us alive to God by 's intercession Therefore let sin not raign to the transgression Of Gods most Holy will nor yet obey The raging Lusts thereof which do bear sway Within our mortal bodies while w'have breath Remembring that the end thereof is Death who 'l fancy such felicity on earth Which quite expireth with this present breath And the reward of Lusts will surely be Filled with horror and calamity Had we no hopes and were our sences gone Had we no thoughts of a Resurrection To raise again decayed natures frame To a more noble shape than is the same Then might we well thus drown our selves in pleasure And think on Heaven at our remotest leasure Like Epicures Study and still invent New fashioned Luxury with an intent For to be thought ingenious Rich in Wit And take felicity to revel in it Thinking that all confusion would do well And make no reckning either of Heaven or Hell But mingle all into a wild confusion By making such Athistical conclusion Yea deem 't no scandal for to be thus hurld To Blasphemy as for to think the world Is without God no stop thy prophane breath Sins certain wages is eternal death 'T is not the fear of death that takes thee hence But the horror of a guilty conscience That doth affright thee when the sting of death Seizeth our vital parts and stops our breath The memory of our sins doth smartly sting Awakened conscience when we'er hovering Over our Graves where we must soon be laid Then Hell and Judgment make us most afraid Who suffred sin to vaunt thus in our blood Following our Lusts and shunning what is good Tell me O thou who makest Earth thy Treasure And wrapst thy self up in the softest pleasure 'T is but a little Span before thine eyes With age grown weak and weary yea despise Such objects when each tired limb doth crack With anguish of those pains thy crimes did make Which were th'officious instruments to act Sins fatal Scene and following the tract Of Lusts and Luxury rev'ling with heat That sets thy darling body in a sweat Afflicts thee with the terrors of these fires Which thou hast kindled with thy foul desires Strictly examine now thy self vain man Whether these flattering false enjoyments can Restore thy soul which they have stoln from Heaven Recover it again and so make even That long and vast accompt which heretofore Thou hast laid by and set it on the score Of thy blest Saviour stop I say bewail The memory of thy crimes and so prevail To get that pardoning mercy that doth heal All broken hearts that unto Christ appeal Breathing such aires whose Musick soon would charm Like Davids Harp 't will drive away all harm Still conscience cries make Musick to delight Th' Almighties ears and bring thee to his sight Where are those fond diversions that did take Up thy vain thoughts and did as shadows make A transcient splendor which prov'd little gain It could not bribe thy pardon nor obtain The least reprieve to keep thee from the Grave Or be a means at all thy soul to save See ye blind Lovers of this Mass of Clay How quickly your enjoymonts fade away Being built on such Foundations which do slide And turn to Rubbish it will not abide Your vain felicities they have no power For to secure you in the latest hour Yea that impartial Conqueror pale Death Will seize your Vitals and stop your Breath Such as delight in pleasures live in flame And Death will bring them Torments Hell and Shame All that now spurn at Virtue and it Scoff Following vain pleasures and the Lusts thereof Bewitching World thou thou betray'st our sence And smoothly wheels us to impenitence Making transitory pleasures our delight And through dark mists leads to Eternal night Yet we imbrace and hug the waies of Sin And with a pleasing madness live therein Stopping our ears to the profers of thy Love The which would raise us to the joyes above Wildly we follow the dictates of sence And all those vile affections flowing thence Pitty O Lord our Captiv'd natures frail And give us such desires as may prevail Over our Lusts that our whole Souls may be Breathings in perfect longings after thee With holy servency whilst
from comfort nay the newest pain Of studied torments could not hinder their gain Or force them from their pious Christian love They ever bore to Christ who sits above He that so loves his Saviour will arise And stoop with Mary to enrich his eyes With the fruition of that desired sight That is so full of splendor power and might And not only stoop but step into a tomb And embrace a coffin in that dismal room And look on death but as the door to bliss The Messenger of glory and happiness And with St. Paul in raptures all in flame Begging a dissolution of this frame While his soul in extasies transports its sence Into a holy zeal to be mov'd hence O Lord with what regret do we forsake Earths vanishing pleasures in which we do take So great delight the which should make us sorry That we do strive so little for thy glory But are ever unwilling to let down Our lives our pleasures for an immortal Crown In obedience to the law of the blest Kingdom Which saith thy service is a perfect freedom And yet we count the sweetest sanctuary A Prison and trouble if we find it vary From our vile lusts and think our selves to blame If that we pay due honor to thy name Pardon O Lord the corruptions of our frame And teach us how to love and prize thy name But whether we live or die we may delight In that which is most pleasant in thy sight That when this Tabernacle shall dissolve Our earthy bodies may surely involve Into everlasting joyes the seat of bliss The only residence of happiness And stoop withal due reference and fear And look into a loathed Sepulchre Ecclesiastes 12.1 Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth HOw sweet's the preachers voice that doth invite Youth to a plous care and doth excite A holy life it is the best expression In all his sermon checking youths transgression Here younger Ones are bid to have a care Of spending time least that they do ensuare Their souls in sin for none indeed can tell How soon young Men may hear their passing bell Toll the sad ditty of their latest breath Surrendring up their sences all to death The divine preachers chiefest aim is this To stir youth up to early holiness And yet the worlds not pleased with the strain It sounds too harsh though it design their gain Look on the creatures with a single eye And you this doctrine quickly will espy They plainly preach it yet we slug and slumber With open eyes our duller thoughts do cumber Our purer meditations which should be Of our backslidings and returns to thee Regardless youth delighteth not to hear This silver trumpet sounding in his ear It spoils his mirth and sours his sweeter Muse Stirs thoughts of Heaven too soon he 'd rather choose His Carnal sports than thus to dull his wit Make him look grave before he attain to it His spritely blood thinks it too hard a task To be religious he prefers a mask And rather ravel out his time in pleasure Whose vainest sports are held his chiefest treasure Fond youth call in these thoughts lament thy way Remember the approaching judgment day When we to God a sure account must give Of all our actions whilst we here do live Let not these fleshly objects of thy pleasure Transport our sences beyond a due measure From Heaven and heavenly things which should rejoyce Our very hearts to hear the Preachers voice And shall these lusts which we pursue in pleasure Bewreave us of our joy our only treasure Shall we have greater zeal for to transgress Than for to magnifie thy holiness And shall those pleasures that do quickly die Quite drown the thoughts of immortality My life that 's but a span let it decay And shorten rather than mispend my day Better this earthy tabernacle be Dissolved than I by sin should fall from thee Much better 't is that I should quickly pay Nature her debt and turn again to clay Than with thy justice run too far in score That so thy goodness may again restore Me to thy blessed self which cannot be But by thy mercies Lord alone to me 'T was thou didst bring me from the lowest dust To serve thy self not base and filthy lust Thou didst implant in me a sacred ray Of thine own self to light the ready way Of thy commands which if we do pursue With upright bearts then surely will ensue Such joyes as do accompany thy grace Then cause me Lord no longer to misplace My roving sence but henceforth fixt it fast In my desires to follow Christ at last Make me O God ever to prize thy glory Declining pleasures meerly transitory And teach me for to use this vain vain world As that which may again by thee be hurl'd Into a Chaos let me not lose thee Nor the blest mansions of eternity Dear friends prize virtue though your blood gainsay Love and delight therein 't is the true way Other are by pathes which do tend to sin Much joy you 'l find if that you walk therein Pursue it strictly 't is a serious truth Remember your Creator in your youth Luke 18.11 The Pharisee stood up and pray'd God I thank thee I am not as other Men are DId Christ reprove by parable these Men Which trusteth in themselves and rudely bin Despisers of others in a haughty pride An humble sanctity could not abide But overvalued in a fair pretence Of self conceit not giving reverence And humility to those parts they had receivid But boasting of themselves they had deceiv'd The world till Christ did sharply them reprove In which he shew'd his mercy and his love How proudly do the Pharisee give thanks He stands on tip-toe venting his vain pranks Ungrateful pride hath alter'd his disposition Which used long prayers and vain repetition The fits not now upon him for to pray He 's out of tune but opes his mouth to bray Not to adore his God but commend himself In such proud boasting but alas poor elf That is so highly ravisht with his parts Not caring for to study divine arts But with so cold a zeal a posture ill 'T were better he had bin unthankful still He exceeded other Men in his own sence In a superlative kind of impudence How largely doth he set forth his own worth Making no Apology for his filthy froth He thanks God with a mind that 's fully bent To praise himself 't is rather complement Than prayer he thinketh it Idolatry To worship images yet his vain folly Makes him adore himself with his own praise As do the Catholick Pharisees of our days In works of superarrogation high And think by it strait unto Heaven to fly Having numbred o're their beads their Ave-Mary's Their superstitions rights that fouly varies From the true Catholick Church that blessed spouse Of Christ whose splendid glory doth even rouse My soul in contemplations of its love Which will ne're be perfected till
influence Attracts all Eyes with holy reverence And all in raptures proud of company That led him Heaven-ward in such Majesty Thus came the scribe attendant for to be Saying aloud Lord I will follow thee Nor could his poverty stop his intention Of following Christ he could have no prevention But suffer all the miseries can attend So good a Master that can him defend In whose deep wants there is more fulness hid Than Earth amounts unto if valued This scribe's a Coppy ought we not to write After this Jew and yet how blind's our sight We cannot see our senses are bereav'd Of the true light our souls they are deceiv'd Else would we not suffer this publican Out strip us in our duty ah vain Man Where are thy thoughts that thou dost thus despise That guide that leads to that blest place where lies All the hid treasures which can be exprest Of Saints and Angels in the heavenly rest Were we to follow through a bed of flowers Who would not run who now his visage lowres The sensualist would walk but that he scorns To prick his tender feet amongst such Thorns With prickles sharp this rose is all surrounded He cannot follow that 's with care confounded Cares of this world nor can the Epicure Follow cause abstinence he cannot endure He cannot fast this this will spoile his mirth And hinder his enjoyment on this Earth Which prizeth pleasures and at greatest cost Them to endulge although at last he 's tosh Into the Dungeon ' mongst eternal pains The just reward of his licentious strains So hard it is for to correct our blood To leave the world and follow that is good The blandishments of sence invalids bliss And robs us of the fruits of happiness Fruits that attends endeavors if we took A Serious prospect and with care would look Into the ways of virtue we might spie The sad effects of vain morality Which are but tinkling Simbals to our ears Though fill'd with musick it may end in tears And yet how many are there that pretend To follow Christ and will their ways amend Yet still are strangers to his footsteps pure Treading their own tracts and can not endure Sound councel but do beat these pathes anew Scarce ever trod but lately with a crew Of confident assertors that can find A nearer pathe which more disturbs the mind In their blind zeals they do too boldly say That th' holy Martyr'd fathers mist the way They think they have a neerer cut to Heaven And that a better guide to them is given Then Christ and his disciples their new light Indeed will lead them to eternal night So various is their zeal and given to change Which make them wander and most fondly range To find fresh oyl for to enflame new light Though meet impostures yet they think them right Scorn ancient foot-steps and approved form Of holy Church which doth so much adorn The grandure of true worship but they 'l find Meanders and Euthusiasts still are blind For in the darkness they do sadly grope And for to find the door they 'r sans all hope Wanting good government to keep them in From their blind zeal the occasion of their sin But hear the poor Man doth not make delay To come to Christ who is the persect way His humble resolutions he did press In begging confidence he made address How vile am I O Lord thou only know'st Oh! I will follow thee where e're thou goest So raise our souls from off the world O Lord In seeking thee we friendly may accord Thou art ascended to thy heavenly Throne Where all true joyes are lodg'd in thee a lone O draw our souls in raptures of thy love And spiritual exhalations from above That may enrich our souls and make us be True converts shunning sin and following thee Which art the only fountain from whence springs All streams of mercy thou art King of Kings Grant us admittance for to wait on thee Then shall our souls enjoy eternity Sir Anthony Bateman being then a Prisoner in the House lay the next Chamber to the Author He having received the sad and sudden news of the death of his beloved Daughter which died the Tenth day of December last It being the very day Twelve moneth that her Mother the Lady Bateman died and neer about the same hour the day before The deceased was much busied about thoughts of death and writ her Will and something about ordering her funeral yet went to bed Seemingly much grieved and very p … The Author to comfort him writ as followeth SIR Death hath surprized your Daughter so that she Thereby's translated to eternity Her virtues follow her that golden Chain Whose links are purest gold doth still remain Unblemist her pure soul with joy to find A heavenly rest her charitable mind Richly rewarded is with heavenly treasure Her sorrows turn'd to joyes beyond all measure Her mirth is endless and she doth aspire To sing sweet Anthems in the heavenly quire Cease then your tears and forbear thus to grieve She 's gone before where death hath no reprieve VVe all must follow her no writ can move Our day of hearing 's fixt in heaven above VVhere Angels can chant forth praises and still sing Most divine Anthems to our God and King I◠which she bears apart I hope on high VVhere Saints are crown'd with bliss eternally An Elogy on the name and death of the virtnous Lady Martha Bateman who departed this life the Tenth of Decemb. 1674. Most happy Saint by the eternals will Amongst the Gods where thou art ever still Rankt with the heavenly sitters most sublime To teach us mortals that abuse our time Here in this vail of Earth where we may see As in thy mirror how weak and frail we be But now a flower of a sweet fragrant smell Amongst the roses anon the passing bell Tolls the sad ditty of her last farewel Even under the sore pangs of mortal death Most willingly surrenders up her breath Altering her earthly shape she did lie down Natures frail case for a celestial Crown Nature expostulating with death Grim death why dost thou aim thy fiery dart In so direct a posture at my heart Be not mistaken My flesh is tender And will not yet admit of a surrender Of my pure vitals why so cruel bent ' gainst this afflicted family for thy rent For to exact it the same day ô why so cruel Might hot my dearest Mothers precious Jewel Be price enough to stay thy angry fate But must pursue her issue with thy hate And that same very Tenth day of December Must our sad family with sobbs remember Ah is it so be not in hast to kill My panting heart O let me write my Will Let me have nought to do but sigh and die Then farewel mortal come immortality Into which joyes no prying eye can peep It is beyond our knowledge and too deep To search into ô le ts a while admire Her great perfections that
him he sent and did passionately say I am not worthy Lord that thou shouldst stay Under my roof but speak and he shall be Healed and give his praises unto thee To which the great Physitian freely saith I have not found in Israel so much saith The elders importunity exceeds Most gratefully magnifying his deeds And his love unto his nation did express He built a Temple unto holiness Behold the character of a pious Man Which by virtue doth oblige all that he can And lay out his outmost interest to encrease His countries good prosperity and peace And as a father he doth still endeavor To serve his comon wealth in all what ever Lies in his power that he is justly stil'd A vertuous patriot ever meek and mild This good Centurion was not only high In place alone but lov'd true piety Where he was chief and all Judea over Could not paralel his worth it did discover A mine of treasure in his soul lay hid Of precious faith most richly valued Did they not hate Idolatry to prize They would his person too much Idolize And pay respect unto with adoration Who was so great a lover of their nation Herod indeed their Temple did repair But it was not for love but panick fear 'T was but in policy for him to get The Crown that ambitiously aspir'd to it Devotion had in him the smallest aim Not a religious zeal for to maintain 'T was not his aim he did not mind the thing His whole religion was to become King And as a Tyrant live for to suppress Christ's purer ways which tend to holiness Such is the sanctity that worldlings shew By pretence to virtue whilst they bestow All their endeavor to guild o're their crimes Make seeming virtue footstools to their aims Pretence of zeal a passage to ambition Thinking they creep along without suspicion But the Centurion's zeal was nobly bent To honor his nation with a full intent To befriend religion with his countenance And pious acts of virtue to advance With sincere intention not pretending But faithfully their souls and church defending Unlike those rulers which do set aside Religion to set up their haughty pride And think themselves the wisest of the crew If they have no religion in their view And as our new Enthusiasts do delight To pull down holy Temples in despight To holy things and raise even to the ground The carved works of structures and abound In novelties and think it good to fight ' Gainst Kings entrusted with protecting right Which sparkles like to Diamonds in their Crown And fills them full of splendor and renown They are the Churches patriots to preserve All divine right and faithfully to serve As conservators of that dignity Which they do hold from God in humility No these material Temples cannot be Sure monuments to all posterity Could we build Pyramids to reach the sky Or Alablaster piles carv'd curiously Or plates of brass to eternize our name They were but empty shadows to the frame That building without â—ands which none can sever From the immortal soul which lives for ever The Synagogue which the Centurion raife Became a greater monument to his praise And lasted longer it engaged the Jews To gratitude and wonder they did muse At such unwonted favor they swift did run And became advocates to heal his son And prest him with such arguments to move His pitty towards him shew'd so much love In such abundant measure he did raise A synagogue to his immortal praise Such honor is return'd to all that aim To advance thy glory and to praise thy name Such as have zeal for glory shall be blest With spiritual joy and ever be at rest The meanest offering they do make to thee It shall not only here accepted be But so rewarded in eternal bliss Where all true joy and every comfort is And stir up emulation who should be Most forward to express true plety Lord let not those are ignorant of thy power Outstrip us in devotion that each hour Depend on thee and seemingly profess The true religion in truth and holiness Oh! Let our holy carriage so adorn Thy publick worship and not be a scorn Let our bodies be Temples not a cell That grace and all the virtues there may dwell So teach us Lord our living souls may be Temples where praises may be given to thee And raise our hearts ever to make address To thee alone who art only goodness And let us not think building structures will Eternize names unless we do fulfill Thy holy precepts and there fix our thought All other buildings are but vain and naught John 20.11 But Mary stood without at the Sepulchre weeping and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the Sepulchre DId Mary weep and can our Eyes be dry Will nought afflict our sence no misery No loss so great make us shed tears but stay Consider it is the resurrection day When her blest body bowed to look in there Where he was laid the loathed Sepulchre Where she beheld her Saviours tomb with grief Which was her sweetest comfort and relief See how religiously she stoops to look Into the grave with care least she mistook When her younger sisters vainly did mispend Their precious time in dressing which doth tend To carnal pleasures some will scarce allow A modest kneeling or an humble bow In their religious worship they so slight All reverence due to Majesty and might See see the power of love that is divine Made Mary look into a loathed Shrine Which could strike the world with paleness and affright The boldest Champion Saint and put to flight Our faith had not the perfumes which came thence Rarified the air with its sweet influence And perfum'd thac nasty vault amongst hardstones And crazy coffins rotten dead mens bones Which were his pillow till that joyful Morn When he arose in triumph to adorn The heavenly Throne and there doth ever shine In perfect glory which is most divine See how the Martyrs Triumpht in their flame And gloried in their suffrings for his name And were carried in raptures through the fire In holy love and zeal they did aspire Into true joy that element did warm Their earthy parts and did their souls no harm They nobly met with death their souls did sing Most divine Anthems unto Christ their King Their chains were Musick they did seem to be Rather Priests than victims in that solemnity How sweetly did the blessed Martyr Stephen Expire he having seen his Christ and Heaven That heap of Cursed stones rais'd to torment His earthy part prov'd a blest monument Far richer than the chiefest Artists skill In the proudest marble it could paralel He cimited it with his blood and made it faster By the undaunted spirit of the first Martyr Thus did the suffring saints their tortures turn To pleasures and the terrors of the urn To a stream of mirth not all their rage Of fiercest Tyrants could once disengage Their souls
with Christ above Though that Rome's Juglers do pretend they can Open and shut the door to every Man And enjoyn such pennance as Christ ne're require And teach by pilgramages they aspire The heavenly Throne by their excess of merit Thinking thereby salvation to inherit Let them forbear further to urge this strife 'T is Christ which saith I am the dore and life How nimbly our Enthuafiasts follow their Leaders These trembling Saints these sanctimonious pleaders By imperious purity seem to reform The world and with an attack of words to storm The whole Creation new model it again And Saint themselves new stile with all their train And tell God plainly with their tongue and pen They are the elect not like to other Men And railingly proclaim that we are down hurl'd And they the only true lights of the world In such a pious lunacy and strain They rant as come to Gospel us again Extravagantly prescribing religious rights To the melancholly fancy of their sights And in a sullen zeal they think they shine As Stars counting themselves purely divine Secluded from others in a peevish trance Of supposed zeal their ignorance to advance And proudly vent their follies with so much vanity To the loss of all good order and humanity See how vain Man doth thus delude his sence In performance of religious reverence How is his heart taken Captive with such wiles As Satan casts before him with his smiles And make him think he 's better than other Men When alas poor soul he can but badly ken His way aright yet with all his might Urge his performance boldly in the sight Of his Creator whose all seeing eye Beholds his weakness and his faults espy Humility Crowns all graces and puts on A comely beauty to religion When confidence in merit doth deform Most zealous actions done with so much scorn And secludes us from the enjoyment of that bliss VVhich attends an humble zeal in happiness Teach us O Lord an humble gratitude And self donial of our selves not rude Prophaness to approach thy glorious Throne Of mercy which is our hope alone Oh le ts not be forgetful of that power VVhich chastiseth mortals every day and hour Nor pride our selves in works though ne're so great But humbly prostitute before the seat Of our offended God and there confess Our great presumption ' gainst his holiness And bewail the imperfections of our spirit By such an holy meekness we may inherit The heavenly mansions where we may have access By faith in Christ and devout holiness Matthew 16.26 For what is a Man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul BEwitching world how hath thy baits deceiv'd Poor Man by thy allurements and bereav'd Of purest comforts for a moments pleasure To be shut out of the blest joyes for ever The enjoyment of our carnal pleasures here Are purchas'd at a rate extreamly dear The Indian Mines are of too small a price In value for that place where comfort lies All Crowns and scepters the earths highest bliss Are trifles to that infinite gloriousness Then cease thy proling humor and controul Thy pining cares least that thou lose thy soul And yet poor Man labors under mistake Thinking the world his Heaven and never take Right aims but with a covetous desire Of greatness earnestly striving to aspire To some great title or bubble here on Earth Which quite expireth with its latest breath And while he labors with uncessant toil Is diappointed by some petty foil He frets and fumes that he hath lost his station And so is turn'd to bruitish transmutation And buries his souls divinity in this Earth Which should have greater happiness after death Here this all ye that study complements And look no higher than the elements Ye gallants of the world that are on fire To pawn your souls to satisfie your desire For fading pleasures chief felicity A seemingly delightful misery Which glisters for a time you 'l surely find They are but shadows that delude the mind Heark all you lofty aspirers to ambition Check your proud fancies with a fair submission You that can worship Sathan with delight And do him homage with your strength and might And glory in your lust without controul And pay the immortal tribute of your soul Thy revellings will be horror in that day When sad regrets will check thy soul and say What profit is it for to gain the world And lose my immortal soul and so be hurl'd Down from my lofty state to endless flame Where 's dread and horror infamy and shame Heark you sensualists that make disputes Whose souls are as unconcern'd as bruits And panteth after pleasures seeming fair With more desire than Camelion for air Thou that wad'st in soaming floods of vice O're whelm'd with wantonness at any price Sporting thy self in the full bathes of pleasure Shunning that Christal stream divinest treasure Counting religion dross and do seem able To correct divinity as a very fable And in such height of humor thy thoughts advance Thinking the lives of Saints a meer Romance Laughing at Heav'n and that diviner light Keeping the worlds vain objects in thy sight It will bleer thy eyes unless thou dost repent Thy looser ways will suffer punishment Hearken thou miser that hath given thy eat To the Rhetorick of a bag thy soul doth chear At the musick of a purse where is thy aim That gaze thy eyes to blindness at a Jem Wishing thy self an Judian for such pleasure That thou mayst ever dwell amongst such treasure Inhabit mines until thou art turn'd to oar Thy hairs to silver and thy heart which poar On the worlds filth into a wedg of gold Then wilt thou be a person fit to hold Correspondence with the Devil in the lower vaults Which will severely strip thee for thy faults Though thou art seemingly in a golden slumber He 'l find a time thy covetous thoughts to cumber With his severe corrections thou wilt howl That thou so lov'st the world to lose thy soul Hearken ye gallants which have lost your sence And are enamored on fashions with pretence To beautifie your Limbs with better shapes Have lost your true Ideas are turn'd apes And meerly live to feed vain luxury With studied dishes for debauchery And martyr many creatures to fulfil The unchast desires of your wanton will Like Epicures on that abundance given By the most good and bountiful hand of Heaven Are your veins purer have you nobler spirits Then should your passions be full of great merits Abandoning a base and covetous mind In getting wealth which will scatter with the wind And breath of the displeasure of the giver Which soon can blast our hopes and make them wither Into a sterile dry and pale complexion And make thee know that thou art in subjection To powers divine that can stop thy career And make thy griping covetous purchase dear Could we live old and still recover strength Not finding the miseries of age at
length Could we unwind time and reverse its wheel Stop the celestial posts and make them reel And set the worlds great clock far back again What shall we get by it but trouble and pain Imaginary selicities here Sliding contentments purchas'd very dear And when we 're listed in the dismal book That accursed catalogue of the damned look And ask Dives without any controul What did it profit him to lose his soul Oh Lord what is there in this world to prize And weary our selves with vain desires to raise A temporary felicity and name Which quickly vanisheth as a blast or flame 'T is hard to him that 's to thy law a stranger To apprehend the misery and danger Of covetous desires the length of time Hath made that vice a habit and incline Our natures to the breaches of thy law Oh Lord teach me with care to stand in aw Of losing thee my God my only pleasure Whom to enjoy is the divinest treasure O let the blessings thou hast freely given Quicken our duller souls with thanks to Heav'n From whom we have receiv'd the chief promotion Let it not flack but quicken our devotion And raise contemplations not vainly rude But with obedience and humble gratitude That so the vanities that are here below May be our scorn but the graces with do flow From thy abundant mercy may delight'us To the bosom of thy Church good Lord unite us And raise our spirits our vices to controul And think no profit for to lose our soul Canticles 2.1 I am the Rose of Sharon and the Lilly of the valleys 'T is Solomons song his most Seraphick strein That in high and transcendent raptures aim To express Christs love to his Church the sacred spouse Doth not his fervent divine fancy rouze These high passionate expressions divine The Rose of Sharon love better than wine Lilly of the valleys turtle undefil'd Love of delights sweeter than spices mild Spikenard and Mirrhe Saphron and Frankincense All these allusions in an amorous sence Of divine love as in a holy song VVith lofty ejaculations all along In a devout harmony doth allude In allegory and similitude The Rose is natures perfume it displays Its treasures through the air unto its praise It delighteth sence both in color and smell Whose odoriferous beauty none can paralel Other flowers like Hypocrites are fair of color And in a painted shew they do seem fuller Of various shapes but they have not the scent Of that sweet Rose that still is fragrant And retains its sweetness ev'n in withered dust When other flowers of Color pine and burst Into a nasty shape of the Rose is made A cordial so that it doth never fade It 's virtues are still useful of great price Of vegetables natures paradise In this wonder of flowers we may espy Not only Physick but Divinity It wears Heaven's livery in its beauteous color Natures master piece nothing is fuller Than the sweet lovely blushes of the Rose That Rose of Sharon which all wisedom knows With many prickles was his head surrounded VVith tanting scoffs was his pure soul confoundad The perfumes of his prayers rais'd a richer smell Than all Arabia's spices can paralel His divine miracles were higher scented Than all odoriferous gums if sublimated Into one perfume it s a rifle to that sweet That cordial posie where the God-head meet As join'd in one and sent such perfume thence VVhich should enamor our hearts with reverence To adore that Rose of Sharon which will never Lose its perfume but will smell sweet for ever Oh let us run with meekness not presume After the odors of thy sweet perfume And have fervent desires for thee alone And for the streams that do flow from thy Throne Imprint in me such rays of divine grace A purity capable to see thy face The greatest perfections in creatures lie But a drop of transcendent excellency That is in thee let me have a longing strife To imitate the purity of thy life And in an humble meekness to submit To such indignities as thou think'st fit And when I shall lay down this earthy feature I may be raised a renewed creature And be comforted with perfumes of thy love VVhich are prepared with the Saints above In the eternal paradise of rest VVith the true Rose of Sharon ever blest Psalm 119.92 If my delight had not been in thy Law I should have perished in my trouble FINIS To the Honorable the Lord Chief justice Raynsford upon his adding St. George's Church to the rules of the Kings Bench. THanks noble Raynsford for this bounteous favor To prisoners restrained it doth sweetly savor Of a pious clemency thus to enlarge The footsteps of those Men under thy charge You 've outdone loyal Keeling that act we 'le sound He'n larg'd the rules thou givest us holy ground St. George's Church Englands Titular Saint VVhere we may freely go and make complaint Of our hard ereditors and devoutly pray That he 'l enlarge his mercies in the day Of your account we 'l study to express All ways of gratitude for this happiness With thanks unto our Marshal for his love VVhich doth oblige us faster far above All other obligations we 'l express All cordial love with humble thankfulness Pardon Dear Sir that I this silence break That am the meanest how could others speak An Elogie on the death of Edmund Lenthal Esq late Marshal of the Kings Bench. ARe prisons sad is' t not a place of grief To be restrain'd from liberty the chief Desire of Man but here a comforts given VVhen a mild keeper is decreed from Heaven Such one we had but suddenly snatcht hence By the impartial hand of providence Death with his pale fac'd Envy hath bereav'd Of comfort in which we were not deceiv'd His carriage was obliging sweet and kind Expressing still a bounteous noble mind And generous Courtesy yet his care was just Preserving them that did oblige his trust In such an harmony his acts did meet Mixt mercy with justice in consort sweet My meditations of Joy and gladness Are turn'd to Elogies and songs of sadness He 's taken hence which my sad soul did chear I cease to write surpriz'd with mournful tear THE TABLE Of the FIRST PART Philippians Chap. 4. v. 12. 1. I Know how to abound and how to suffer need c. Job 2.10 2. In all this did not Job sin with his Lips Romans 6.12 and part of 21. 3. Let not sin theresore raign in your mortal bodies that you should obey it in the Lusts thereof For the end of these things are death 7 Matthew 15.28 4. And he said unto her O Woman great is thy Faith 11 John 12.2 5. But Lazarus was one of those that sat at the Table with him 14 Genesis 2.8 6. And the Lord God planted a Garden East-ward in Eden 17 Luke 10.25 7. And behold a certain Lawyer flood up and tempted him Master what shall I do to inherit Eternal Life 20 John 11.36 8. Jesus Wept 23 Matthew 6.33 9. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you c. 25 John 13.23 10. And there was leaning on Jesus bosom one of his Disciples whom he loved c. 29 Luke 19.9 11. This day is Salvation come to thy House 32 Luke 9.57 12. Lord I will follow thee wheresoever thou goest 36  A Copy of Verse to Sir Anthony Bateman on the Death of his Daughter 40  An Elogy on the Name and Death of the Virtuous Lady Martha Bateman who departed this Life the Tenth of December 1674. 41 THE TABLE Of the SECOND PART Numbers 27.16 17. 1. Let the Lord the God of the Spirits of all flesh set a man over the Congregation Which may go out before them and which may go in before them and which may lead them out and which may bring them in that the Congregation of the Lord be not as Sheep which have no Shepherd p. 1. Matthew 5.8 2. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God c. 6 Daniel 12.3 3. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever 9 Matthew 2.18 4. And when they saw the Star they rejoyced with exceeding great Joy 12 Ecclesiastes 12.13 5. Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of Man 16 Matthew 8.2 6. And behold there came a Leaper and worshipped him saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean 20 1 Kings 19.9 7. And he came unto a Cave and lodged there 23 Genesis 28.12 8. And he dreamed a Dream and behold a Ladder set upon the Earth and the top of it reached unto Heaven and behold the Angels descending and ascending on it 27 Proverbs 18.14 9. But a wounded Spirit who can bear 33 Matthew 24.38 10. And knew not until the Flood came and took them all away 37 Luke 7.5 11. For he loved our Nation and hath built us a Synagogue 40 John 20.11 12. But Mary stood without at the Sepulchre weeping and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the Sepulchre 44 Ecclesiastes 12.1 13. Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth 47 Luke 18.11 14. The Pharisee stood up and pray'd God I thank thee I am not as other men are 50 Matthew 16.26 15. For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul 53 Canticles 2.1 16. I am the Rose of Sharon and the Lilly of the Vallies 57  A Copy of Verses to the Right Honorable the Lord Chief Justice Raynsford  An Elogy on the Death of Edmund Lenthal Esq FINIS