Ere night Sun-burnt so bright As thou by suff'ring neer The righteous Phoebus here Thus grew'st acquainted Thus Sainted He of thy shame partook thou of his glory Blest change beyond conceit or story Thy Cross each wise Invention Stiles thy Ascention 5. Laverna now No longer hath thy vow But he alone hath thy belief Whose inn'cence suffers with thee as a Thief This craft He thee hath taught To rob hell of her aim Though Death not of her claim Not to redeem esteem For thou giv'st Christ the praise thy self the shame Though Dismas doth blaspheme his name And ev'n in death pants His wicked taunts 6. Peace Satan's martyr Though Christ nor law nor charter Hath broke the Scriptures have not slumber'd Which have foretold that Christ must thus be number'd But if Th' hadst been no Thief Christ had t' appease their pride With Barabbas thus di'd In equipage Of rage But now thy theft 's in grain thou dost contract Blood to 't while thou approv'st their act And while thou shouldst condole Dost vex his soul 7. Didst never read Good thief lift up thy head With th' eye of faith look and condole The Brazen Serpent on you cursed pole The grief Thou wert a Thief Did wound his soul more fierce Then nail or spear can pierce How for thy deeds He bleeds His bloody sweat sweat through each gracious pore Claims but unfeigned tears no more His giving up the ghost But sighs at most 8. Thy Scripture's Lord Thy gracious Record That shining light which through the dark Directs us in our race unto that mark But this Thy passage is A circumstance more ample For precept then example We finde this one Alone Whose late repentance Christ in death vouchsaf'd Although thy wisdom hath me taught This Scene not to prorogue Till th' Epilogue On the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Cnrist Matth. 28. 5 And the angel answered and said to the woman Fear not for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified 6 He is not here for he is risen as he said Come see the place where the Lord lay 1. ARise my active soul and run Keep measure with you dancing Sun Who seems as weary of his Sphere As thou to be confined here Look how his sprightly beams do spark So David danc'd before the Ark. How he descends his Chariot he in this Worships Christ's rising as the Persian his 2. But why doth Phoebus mount his head So soon up from Aurora 's bed The tother night when we my soul Our Saviour 's Passion did condole The frighted Sun forsook our clime Two hours before his wonted time And therefore now the sooner gilds the heaven By two hours time to make his course up even 3. But how rid Satan and his Legions In triumph th'row th' infernal Regions The Sp'rits which Christ out-cast did come With Songs of triumph on his Tomb All mankinde was proscrib'd whom death Did in conceit to hell bequeath Oh how death gloried that all now was safe And hell in triumph wrote his Epitaph 4. How did the Devil Man upbraid That Christ so weakly was betraid And he who took not Angels seed But Abraham's fail'd in the deed And by that seed spurn'd to his grave Whom he in mercy came to save That now the God of life was dead this mirth Had balm to cure the wounds made by his birth 5. But Satan at the third days dawn Christ now hath re-assum'd his pawn Thoughtst thou on his t' insult as once Thou proudly didst for Moses bones Thy two days triumph 's like the story Of the Persian pris'ners glory So thought the Gazites Samson safe till day When he arose and bore the gates away 6. Descend damn'd sp'rits as you began Howl on The death of great God Pan At this Christ's conquest we may call Your ruine Satans second fall Come King of terrours yeeld thy trophies On Heroes Souldiers and Sophies Unto our Saviour for thou art undone Thy Triumph 's but an empty Skeleton 7. My soul that Christ was born nay di'd Did not so much quench Satan 's pride But when he rose this blessed morn Hell was confounded Death forlorn Were 't not for what this day brings forth The rest had lost that solemn worth Hence on this day let no foul spirit dare T' ascend the Regions of our earth or air 8. Lord as by thine I am assur'd My bodies rise shall be procur'd So let my soul feel 't here begin Her resurrection too from sin Lord 't is too much she 's thus confin'd But is she buried in this kinde Oh raise her up if thus thou please to do My heart my bodies Sun shall triumph too On the Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Psal 24. 8. Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in 9. Who is the King of glory even the Lord of hosts he is the King of glory 1. YE blest immortals Divide your glorious portals Who not dilates The everlasting gates While that the King of glory mounts his throne Though by his own Here nor receiv'd nor known We rather worry The blessed Lamb of glory Your Wisdom knows him God's eternal Son 2. His work is ended Nought partial or suspended Blest Angels too He purchas'd hath for you A nature fix'd which seem'd before unfinish'd And of a worm Though here he took the form It since he di'd Is so much glorifi'd His Godhead 's neither clouded nor diminish'd 3. 'T is now no Shrine T' his Godhead more divine His glorious flesh He needs not now refresh With food or rest from hunger or from labour And if he here Shone on the mount so clear As if the Sun With rays his coat had spun How brighter shines he now than on mount Tabor 5. Since Christ so clear Shines in his Manhood's Sphere That at its graces Ye Angels hide your faces See in the Trinities transparent myrrour How he 's instal'd And in his robes impall'd How he 's renown'd And by his Father crown'd With gracious Majestie and awful terrour 5. At his return The Pearlie gates do burn Jerusalem Shines with each kinde of Gem The new Jerusalem with glory burnisht Nought here is built With superficial gilt But all in gold The Citie is inrol'd All thus against his blest Ascention furnisht 6. Of Precious stones Are her foundations Her Pearlie streets Do brandish beaming sheets Reflecting from the Lamb 's most glorious face Here 's constant noon No need of Sun or Moon Our glim'ring Globe Deck'd in his azur'd robe Here an Eclipse were to the lowest Grace 7. How are we blest That have so sweet a rest Got by the care Of such a Harbinger Who all things can command all consummate The way to heaven He hath made plain and even And what with thorns Was choak'd his grace adorns With rose-beds makes wide heav'ns narrow gate 8. As Olivet Some say retains as yet Thy foot
's last print That nought can close the dint Grave on my stupid soul Lord this days love Ev'n at the mention Of this thy blest ascention Let her aspire Like an excentrick fire To thee her Centre that art fix'd above On Christ his Session at the right hand of God Mark 16. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them he was received up into heaven and sate on the right hand of God 1. HOw well the throne Becomes God's holy One How fit the Rod Beseems the hand of God! How meet the Crown Befits him 't is his own How well meet fit his Throne Rod Diadem Deck him with glory but he much more them 2. We wish Good luck To thee with these go pluck Hell by the root Make it quake at thy foot To right thy Spouse Damn Death t' a Charnel-house Good luck have with thy right Oh how we bless Thee and thy Father for thy good success 3. With how sweet bliss Do Grace and Glory kiss So Light and Heat We see in Phoebus met By these 't is known Thou not usurpst thine own Good luck have with thy right we willingly Submit unto thy yoke of Liberty 4. We if we might Would not supplant thy right But yeeld as well As if nor heav'n nor hell Should crown or damn With endless bliss or shame Our better Natures will this just embrace Nor can we other by instinct of Grace 5. Satan as heir Long kept his steely Chair Nay yet usurps The unregen'rate corps But when Christ claim'd His right how was all maim'd Our blessed Gyant having run his course Now on the heavens rides as on a horse 6. On man 's agreeing With Hell sin had its being And by this blot Death had her essence got Should Christ these things Suffer as fellow-Kings No if they stir in us while here we breath They 're the last pangs but of a dying Death 7. But how large Scenes Hath this Christ's act What means He to prorogue His wished Epilogue And not concludes Without more Interludes Is not th' earths harvest ripe hath it so dull In sinning been yet are the Fat 's not full 8. Hell Sin and Death Which yet too strongly breath Seem to blaspheme As if they were Supreme Or their pow'r here Some Interregnum were Lord 't is long since long since thy promise spake These days I 'll shorten for my chosen's sake On Christ's Intercession with the Father for us Heb. 7. 25 Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them 1. NOr is our Saviour so much given Unto the contemplation of himself That he forgets us now in heaven As once prophanely thought that glutton elf But having travers'd hence his journey He still remembers us amidst his glory He still remains our blest Attorney Whereof the least act on our true repentance Is able to reverse the strongest sentence 2. Hence then let 's Fortune fear nor Fate Or what blear-ey'd Star-gazers can rehearse Because we have an Advocate Who can each ominous presage reverse Let Satan never hence appeal To heaven in his wonted Dialect Lest he be doom'd by Christ his zeal As who would make his Death of none effect And aim'd to hinder him lest he inherit The dear-bought purchase which his death did merit 3. But if he dare us to attaint He 'll strait be silenc'd at Christ's counter-suit As daring to accuse a Saint To whom Christ will his righteousness impute You then whose troubled souls do languish In pining sorrow for your sins and follies Banish your fears and calm your anguish Exult and vent your joy in sprightly vollies Go see him with your tears leave the tryal To him alone whose Suit ne'er found denial 4. If Artaxerxes took so kinde A handful but of water from a Peasant Present thy tears and thou shalt finde More gracious acceptance of that present And if thy sins so thick should croud To fill heav'ns ears with a condemning matter And stand between you like a cloud Which not the windes of all thy sighs can scatter By him that sable cloud shall be dissolv'd Wherein the Sun of glory seem'd involv'd 5. In vain let Satan henceforth wander Like to a base accusing Ottacus As daring to inform by slander Him that 's all ear and eye concerning us Thus let us then forestal his malice Accuse our selves let not that seem uncouth Who will not so with Justice dallies But so we do his office stop his mouth Our Case thus op'ned if Christ intercede What envious boldness dares against us plead 6. What means that Man of sin that rallies The Saints as Christ's corrivals in this Function And if they were so neer his allies How was it purchased when was their Unction True with him are the Saints co-heirs But Christ did purchase it and them elected And they to whom now Rome repairs If Saints now by him reign so here expected He is our elder Brother and he sure Enjoys his right of primogeniture 7. Then have our hands transgress'd the warrant Of heav'ns Laws Christ pleads his hands bor'd through Or have our devious feet been errant He pleads his pierc'd by a sufficient proof Or if our hearts have Ill invented Christ pleads his for us by the Souldier pierc'd All was on him by stripes indented He sues the Fine of all on him amerc'd In him our sins were scourg'd bor'd nail'd and rack'd Nor will his Father them again exact 8. Our sins but whisper to that cry Which his wounds make the sorrow compunction Of his perplexed Agony Nay with our sins if hell howl'd in conjunction Our thanks he graciously perfumes Our supplications with odours balms Sweetens with myrrhe repentant rheums With incense sanctifies our vows and alms Blest be thy Father and that sacred Unction That did consigne thee to this blessed Function On Christ his final coming to Judgment Revel 5. 12 And the Sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the moon became as blood 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty winde 14 And the heaven departed as a seroll when it is rolled together and every mountain and island were moved out of their places 1. NOr here our Saviour concludes His act these are his Interludes The eye of faith in these he asks As being an Interview of Masks But he upon a flaming stage In an Angelick equipage Now comes in person at the day of Audit When troops of angels shall trump forth his plaudit 2. When righteousness and equitie The pillars of his Seat shall be The elements together mixt And the two Poles of th' world unfixt Whose Genius shall feel that story Of the imagin'd Purgatory When wild Disorder and amaz'd Confusion Shall be the Whifflers to a sad conclusion 3. But Lord how long wilt thou defer To hear Wilt still our hopes
worst imagine still 't is worse If heavens joys can't draw me home Let these true terrors fright me till I come The second Part. On several occasions and several texts of Scripture Psal 119. 37 O turn away mine eyes lest they behold vanity 1. LOrd what 's a Beauty but a paint at most Which with a breath 's gone 't is so vainly glost What beauty 's dy'd so deep in grain that dolour Or age or sickness cannot blast its colour Since there 's within 't no principle to nourish Its verdant vigour to a constant flourish Lord let me think 't but a more specious worm And wink its beauty to an Antick form 2. Lord what 's a beauty in it could I see The Image which I lost in losing thee I 'd court and gaze till through mine eyes that face Reprinted on my soul that former grace Here 's no such form although indeed some few Think that in it we may thy footsteps view What 's beauty then for which we so much brawl But flesh transparent th'row a smoother cawl 3. Lord what 's a Beauty Did a more divine Saint dwell within 't I would adore the shrine My captiv'd heart with zealous love should boil I 'd count each beauty as this beauty's foil But since the soul the better part is tainted Can th' outward part be free must that be Sainted What 's beauty then if it be void of grace Thy Philip's Blackmore had the fairer face 4. Lord what 's a Beauty our fair Grannam Eve Soon prov'd a strong Suadela to deceive This treach'rous White Red hath bred more war Then they did once 'twixt York and Lancaster Lord let me think those eyes by th' wanton Muse Stil'd Stars are Ignes fatui to seduce Those Coral-lips my credit would explode These Yv'ry teeth my good report corrode 5. Lord what 's the world Thou didst not mean I ghess Th'worlds for Impostures either great or less Nor mean'st the lesser whom thou mad'st compleater Should be at all seduced by the greater Yet as they represent each others parts The greater too hath its delusive Arts. Since then they 're objects both to tempt mine eyes O turn them from beholding vanities 6. Lord what 's the world 't is but a turning Globe Which whirls us now on high then lowe as Job Or a toss'd ship whose now-aspiring Mast Seems for to boar the clouds then back doth cast Her rolling passengers to seek a Tomb In some vast Sea-shell or some fishes womb Then what 's the world a bubble 't is at most With winde 't is onely full with winde 't is tost 7. Lord what 's the world I will not wish me blinde Because mine eyes thus tempt me though I finde A grave * Bp. Hall one bid one of one eye bereft Not t' weep that loss but that one yet was left Nor will mistake thee when thou bidst not doubt If that mine eye offend to pluck it out Lord turn away mine eyes all 's one to me If so thou dost as if I did not see 8. Lord what 's the world indeed the heav'ns aray'd Are in thy Livery we see display'd In them thy glorious Coat they each night story In Starry characters their Makers glory But since a fly worm or the meanest elf If animate excels the world it self Why then 's the world by noble man thus held In such esteem that is by such excell'd The Author 's Epainicron to God for his Recovery from a sharp Fever Psal 118. 18 The Lord hath chastened and corrected me sore but he hath not given me over unto death Isai 38. 18 For the grave cannot praise thee death cannot celebrate thee they that go down to the pit canner hope for thy truth 19. The living the living he shall praise thee as I do this day 1. Lord THough Scripture say A thousand yeers one day Are unto thee yet must I think again To thee appears Each day a thousand yeers Till I thee thank for freedom from my pain 2. Late I was sick 'T were vain with Launcet's prick To vent my blood corrupted too too long I look'd for death As he that lay beneath A threatning sword which by a thred was hung 3. The active strife For hope or help of life Now fail'd me quite And while the Doctor lingers How did I feel A hastie Death to ceel My falling eye-lids with her Ycie fingers 4. The quick results Within my fev'rish Pulse The minutes were by which the hours I counted Wherein delay'd The tarder Doctors ayd So hours to days and days to weeks amounted 5. To hold me home My last Viaticum Was tender'd to sustain me in my journey Nor was I mute For to present my sute To th' mediation of my sweet Attorney 6. Life's influence Scar'd from my outward sence Now to my hearts Metropolis was gone And in this strait My ready soul did wait With nimble wing for dissolution 7. But like a brand Pluck'd by thy gracious hand I have escap'd the burning unconsum'd Though death by Fever Did rage as bad as ever Caldee's King on the furnac'd children fum'd 8. But as they freed With one consent agreed To praise thee for thy kindness and thy love So let me praise Thy mercy all my days So shall this mercy not my judgement prove Temptation Ephes 6. 14 Stand fast therefore having your loyns girt about with truth and having on the brest-plate of righteousness 15 And your feet shed with the preparation of the Gospel of peace 16 Above all taking the shield of faith whereby ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked 17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God 1. NOr was with Death my combat such But now I 'm tempted all so much So that me thinks my Senses halt 'Twixt two which was the worst assault Unless thou Lord who conquer'dst Death And lately crown'dst me with that wreath As thou hast vanquish'd Hell too I 'm undone Unless thou finish what thou hast begun 2. Is' t not enough by the sinister Temptations of her whisp'ring sister My soul 's seduc'd with frailty cloath'd And to infirmity betroth'd That th' easie soul by flesh is tempted Nor night nor day nor place exempted As if in slights she did the Devil ape And meant them no temptations but a rape 3. Is' t not enough that by the fraud of Hell that makes the World her Band I 'm by the World seduc'd and Sense Wooes not refists its influence Whose very blessings are but Baits As if th' air breath'd nought but deceits So that we all might breathe our mourning thus False world Imposture is thy Genius 4. But are we subject to the darts Of hellish Fiends which seize our hearts Like subtil Lightning's fierce inquests Which melts the gold within the chests As if they aim'd t' usurp thy part Who onely know'st and try'st the heart Into whose Closets they themselves convey Unless
The world 's no less Than a vast wilderness Whence if heav'ns guides lead us not home Officious hell will seem to lend us some His fiery pillar of false joy he grants His cloudy one of Ignorance But to these who confides To be his guides Is straightway swallow'd in some dang'rous gulf Or prey'd by sin as by some bear or wolf 3. Who look well in 't The world 's a Labyrinth At each whose Maze who ever touch'd But found that damned Minotaur lay couch'd Who takes each yeelding for a firm contract And proudly will each grace exact Till he have all deflowr'd And all devour'd Let not thy Theseus Lord be too remiss My soul my Ariadne shall be his 4. Is then each path All thus scatter'd with wrath We hop'd amongst the Jewish scorns Christ from these ways had fetch'd his crown of thorns And from these Turn-pikes and these armed Rails Had daign'd to take his Cross and Nails And hence had fetch'd that dart Which pierc'd his heart And triumph'd had in conquest of these spoils And purg'd his high-way of these snares and toils 5. W' are not withstood By easie flesh and blood But Satan with our weakness wrestles The Prince of th' air which in our Region nestles Nay we with these like Gibellines and Guelves Do side and fight against our selves Fraud's Convoy and Deceit Th' Inne where we bait Though Christ have bought us heaven without doubt We both must sue for it and fight it out 6. No Saint nor Martyr Can boast of other Charter All at this Cross have Inn'd as well As Christ that went that way to heav'n by hell Vertue 's a narrow mean betwixt two Vices On each hand are deep precipices Let 's take if guide we lack That bloody track Which issu'd from that blessed Roe's five wounds When pierc'd and pursu'd by the Jewish hounds 7. It can't be wav'd The righteous scarce are sav'd Shall not the wicked then be swallow'd Up in the mire wherein they thus have wallow'd If trouble ever do attend on grace Shall peace wait on a wicked case If scarce be sav'd the just Shall pride and lust If thus the case stood with that verdant tree How shall the stubble and the chaff go free 8. In sack and down All thoughts of hell they drown Ev'n so th' Hart ends the controversie When he pursu'd flies to the Hunter 's mercy Ev'n so the Sparrow by the Falcon chas'd Did to the Stoick's bosome haste Each path with pleasure 's pav'd With beauty grav'd Until that footing fails them ere they think Oh then how quickly into hell they sink Grief for not grieving Psal 126. 6 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy 7 He that now goeth on his way weeping and beareth forth good seed shall doubtless come again with joy and bring his sheaves with him 1. IF ever any thing be heard or seen That might provoke or raise my jocund spleen How could I wish my lungs were made of buff For clasps to hold me till I 've laugh'd enough But godly grief cannot one tear extort As if my senses all were made for sport 2. Have I sustain'd a trivial loss how apt My active senses are for to be rapt To th' highest strain of passion I can gloss Heav'n never could impose a greater cross My floodgate-sense can stand wide ope at those But godly grief 's against the stream they close 3. If that I hear Death's universal doom Hath on my friend to execution come Methinks then had I at his funeral All Argus eyes I could supply them all But when one tells me what a Lethargie Hath seiz'd my soul I can nor moan nor cry 4. If little bigger then an atome fall Into my eye it smarts though ne'er so small But what 's an atome to a mountain such Like sins I bear yet start not half so much Why have I not within through conscience A sense of pain as outward pain of sense 5. If that the clouds some foggie mists have suck'd They 'll show'r them back what can their course obstruct The Moon by tides doth purg the frothy main The poison'd Spring doth clear it self again Yet I'm sin-tainted and what motions urge me Unto repentance that should clear and purge me 6. Were I to live the old Methus'lem 's yeers A living Conduit of incessant tears I could not vie a tear for ev'ry sin So vain and foolish all my youth hath bin Yet th' earth to bear our villanies may groan But I am dead and sensless of mine own 7. My Conscience Lord though I it light esteem Doth with a secret issue closely teem Oh let her pregnant womb be now disclosed Till that disease or age have incomposed My sense I now should court it as my friend Which then perhaps may prove my foe i'th'end 8. Lord wound me or I die for I although My case be deadly am not sick enough O let me know I 'm taken in Death's jaw Till I am quite digested in her maw For if any Conscience like a Lethargie Stir not till th' hour of death I sadly die Ephes 4. 30 Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption 1. GRieve not the Spirit can it be believ'd The Spirit can be griev'd Thought we God void of passion could be vext Except we saw this text When Christ indeed was heres in flesh confin'd He wept and griev'd we finde But thought we that a Dove which hath no gall Could once be griev'd at all Oh I should groan 't not measur 't in an Ode Sin grieves the holy Spirit of my God 2. Who would resist that sacred Dove that pecks The conscience with checks Who would resist that Dove that helps to grone In an accepted tone Who would resist that Dove whose harmless beak Instructs us how to speak Who would resist that Dove whose in'cent feet Shew to walk as is meet Let not this Dove back to the Ark and grieve That we on earth will none of him receive 3. Here let him bring his Olive-leaf and rest And nestle in our brest O! never let us at his gracious billing Once shew our selves unwilling Until we new begotten are and breed Through his eternal seed O! let us never hence resist this Dove This blessed Bird of love This Dove at Mahomets ear never bill'd Though so he faign the Alcharon instill'd 4. Think we because some say Doves have no gall God's vengeance feign'd at all That we thus with his Spirit dare to dally As with our Friend or Ally Such wanton cruelty to Christ we dealt When he among us dwelt Such entertainment he whiles here receiv'd When he among us griev'd VVe could him to no other Inne bequeath But to his Grave and to no Hoast but Death 5. But let not sin usurp us but the Spirit His right in us inherit And since he made the heart let none abridge Him of that priviledge O let not sin be Porter still which mocks