great And though the skirmish may much danger threat By how much more thou dost in battell strive The more the ioy in conquest thee'll revive For marke this one thing in a speciall measure If for the love of earth and carnall pleasure Thou leave Gods love and seeme his Grace to scorn Gods love will leave thee wretched and forlorne Even in thine houre of most necessity And give thee over to hels tyranny Thou art arriv'd now at the Haven of rest Where vessels must be firmely rig'd and drest Thy day of death which as thy last did fright thee Is thy eternall Birth day to delight thee Then cast off every clog that would thee stay If any darling sin lye in thy way Which thou extremely hast delighted in As with too many thou hast tyred bin Then leave it loath it For thy foot must tread A holier way a happier life to lead What ere is brittle is of little price And being fraile doth faile us in a trice And now thy feeble flesh must needs abide The common-Chance which does all sorts betide Then wonder not thy Predecessours all Did tread the selfe-same path both great and small How aptly answered they in such-like case Whether we watch or sleepe in any place Whether we talke or silent hold or peace Whether we walk or from our works doe cease Whether we will or nill in any thing By times least minutes we doe daily bring Our sliding gliding dayes at last to end And then to natures course must bow bend Then weep not my poore Mayd cease showres of tears At this my parting from thee cease all fears In heavens duetime we both againe shall meet And with full joy enjoy a union sweet Fl. Deare Mistresse these your admonitions kinde Doe mightily prevaile and ease my minde Yet I cannot some strugling thoughts dissemble To thinke to dye and be dissolv'd I tremble So. Alas weake Flesh that 's it I most desire To be dissolv'd and flye to th' heav'nly Quire O doe not thou indulge thy selfe too much Why dost thou looke so pale at deaths sweet touch Why dost thou quake and quiver at his sight Since thou shalt have a frame more faire and bright Than ever yet thou hadst or canst conceive These rotten mud-walls thou must onely leave To be pull'd downe and be built up againe To turne to dust then ever new remaine He onely feare of death is fit to show Which to his Saviour Christ is loath to goe â— goe before that I may see his face We both shall joyne and hee 'll us both embrace Meane-while thou must sleepe sweetly in thine urne And there into thy native dust returne â—rom whence thou shalt in farre more beauty rise â—nd see thy Saviour even with these same eyes â—or thou art laid in earth to lay-away Thy earthly-substance corrupt state of clay Be then couragious For as corne men sowe Must first dye in the ground before it grow Must first seeme rotten ere it rise againe Even so thy Body like unto the graine Must first lye dead and rotten in the grave Ere it in heaven eternity can have Fl. Now truly Mistresse you have sweetly said I now am much assur'd and well apaid Being thus fore-warn'd I am fore-arm'd from feare Death's face is now lesse terrible than ere And now O lovelesse-life burnt out enough Put out thy light ceasse now thy twinckling snuffe Farewell deare Mistresse sweetest soule farewell In this assured hope ring out my knell That in my Gods good time I rais'd shall be With thee my soule my Saviour Christ to see So. Having this hope in dying thou shalt live And I with joy shall me to thee regive De. How hardly can these two divorced be Have ye done talking and given way to me Your mutuall last-farewell take now I pray Time and my taske will now no longer stay So. O Death I prethee now take thine own time Make haste that I to heaven my haven may clime Come now and put thy charge in execution For I with this one well-fixt resolution Will winde up all I have not so liv'd here In this vaine world yet hereunto I feare I have beene too-inclin'd too much affected Which now I grieve and leave thee more neglected As that to live here longer I should shame Or that I durst not dye for feare of blame And that because I serve a Master kinde Whom I in Christ doe reconciled finde Thus therefore to goe out of this fraile life Is to goe into heavenly pleasures rife Thus life to leave is aye to live in Peace In full fruition of all joyes encrease Thus thee my Mayd I to the earth commend Whiles I Heavens Kingdome happily ascend De. Thus then adeu To both of you The end of the first Dialogue The Second DIALOGUE Betweene the Divell the Flesh and the VVorld The Argument of the second Dialogue The World and Flesh to every evill Are onely Agents for the Divell But here the Flesh being mortifi'de Sathans suggestions are deny'de Who can do nought but tempt to ill Has no more power although more Will Which amply to the world he showes And how ore carnall men he crowes But neither yet the world effects Nor He himselfe his foule projects Vpon the sanctified Heart Dead to the world and hels blacke Art The Divell thus repell'd each way With rage recoyles makes there no stay Di. WHere are ye my comragues my servants true My Martiall-mates by whom I must subdue What is there no hope left to lift or force The sullen Soule from her religious course Whereon she is so fixt and fully bent What no devise this geere for to prevent Must my high glory suffer such eclipse And be so child nigh kild with pious nips Surely I ever since my first great fall Have burn'd with lust and boyl'd with bitter gall Of deepe desire to fence and fortifie Yea and expatiate our large Emperie Yet still I finde by old experience That whiles the soule gets the preheminence Ore thee the flesh reason the soule subjects And grace guides reason all hath ill effects My projects perish and my engines faile My force growes feeble and my power does vaile Be stirring then my Champions old and brave For work enough to doe yee see ye have Fie are ye not asham'd more sound to sleep Now than ye us'd and sluggishly to keepe Your hands within your bosomes since that you Have for your Master so much work to doe For shame arise shake off this drowsinesse And hunt and haunt about with eagernesse Now is my Summer-season harvest faire Which if by your neglect and want of care It be let slip and fruitlesly past over Farewell all hope for ever to recover My owne peculiar strength and princely state O then faire flesh neat nice and delicate My faithfull servant whom above the rest I most doe trust and ever prized best And on whose strong assistance and brave ayde I ever have my chiefe assurance stayde And
see me whom I need to feare Tusâ— God my faults does not in mem'ry beare Vaine most profane are all such thoughts as these Shall not the eyes-creator see with ease And shall not he that made the eare soone heare Or He that plants the heart know all things cleare All things to his Omniscience naked are Fly from the field to th' towne with frighted care Out of the street into thy house make haste Thence though thou be in thy bed-chamber plac'd Yet know that I by thy Creators will Within thee rest and am thy witnesse still Whom if thou with an evill-eye behold To use those words to me thou wilt be bold Of Ahab to Elias impiously What hast thou found me O mine enemie And I most readily shall answer thee I have thee found and must against thee be 'Cause thou hast sold thy selfe to worke what 's iâ—â— Before the Lord which does thy guilt fulfill Behold therefore I now against thee rise And bring upon thee purchas'd miseries Ma. Alas I then perceive our foule offences Are most unsafe though daub'd with faire pretences Con. What though they could be safe in their commission If yet they bring thee to unsure condition Or what good comes to sinners by being hid If guilt to hope so long does them forbid Ma. Enforme me then good Conscience how I may Make thee my gladsome witnesse in me stay Con. The best and briefest counsell I can give Is thee t' advise a holy-life to live A life inculpable of crying-crimes Vnspotted with the evils of the times A life declaring power of godlinesse A life that heavenly graces doth expresse By dying to all lusts and foule desires By doing all good-deeds that love requires By giving freely what to each belongs Forgiving friendly all received wrongs Not coveting what is anothers right To do as thou'dst be done by with delight By shunning that which makes the soule to dye Chusing what makes it live eternally Ma. These are hard tasks and bitter lessons sure And such as flesh and bloud cannot endure Con. O but it will be farre more harsh and hard T' endure the worme of Conscience and be barr'd And shut out from the Beatifick-sight Of Gods all-cheering face and beauty bright Which paine of losse doth doubtlesse farre excell All other the most horrid paines of hell Namely to be both torne and tortur'd there To be distracted and distrest with feare Where neither the tormentors tyred be Nor those tormented ever death can see Ma. Alas that Death 's most dire and tart indeed Ah shew me how I may from it be freed Con. The onely-onely-way is to the world to dye Before thy soule out of this world doth flye Ma. What must this spacious specious Aedifice Adorn'd with rarities of precious price Full of so many various curious pleasures The onely magazine of so much treasures Must this I say be vilipended so Must I this world so rare so faire forgo Con. Vndoubtedly if thou in these delight With deadly danger they thy soule will smite For look how much the flesh this world affects And the false-seeming-sweets thereof respects So much the more the soule will be perplext And with the fire of hell be plagu'd and vext On th' other side How much the flesh is tam'd So much the soule with heavenly hope is flam'd Ma. But yet we see all men do still desire The present-state t is this they most require Con. But yet I know t is far the worst condition T' enjoy things-present in a full fruition But therewithall to be quite stript and bare Of future-comforts to have part or share O t is most sweet onely the world to use But God alone t' enjoy and chiefe to chuse Thou hast not in this world a fixed station Nor here must ever have thy habitation Who then can sing his Song in a strange-land Who would build Castles on the sinking-sand Alas we here our selves should so behave That when the wormes did eate our corps in grave Our soules in heaven triumphantly might sing With quires of Saints and Angels to heav'ns King Thither our spirit ever should ascend Whither we do propound our journies-end Thither we should make speedy haste yea flie Where we shall ever live and nere-more die Dost thou pure gold nere to be spent desire Eternall-life which never ends require The land of Havilah in Paradise Hath in it store of gold of precious price T is Earth thou bear'st that thou must leave behinde T is earth thou tear'st that thou must nere-more mind But t is a land thou seek'st and would'st receive That is the land which thou shalt never leave Men rather are Gods Stewards than Treasurers Riches therefore upon them He conferres What then we reape we piously should sowe And liberally and lovingly bestow That this true faith and due obedience Might be repayd with heav'nly recompence The things we give are small and not our owne Those we shall have are great and from Gods throne Mâ—n whose affections are celestiall Are justly stil'd Angels terrestriall And no man shall hereafter God possesse In whom God dwels not here by holinesse If Sathan Prince of earth hath thy least part God King of heav'n will not dwell in thy heart The spirit of evill then cast out disdaine That so thou mayst Gods Spirit entertaine Remember whence thou cam'st thine offspring base And this will make thee blush and hide thy face Consider where thou art and sigh for wo And quake to thinke whither thou once must go Ma. All are I know made of one Potters clay And must resolve into the same one day Con. Then every man being mould must into earth Moulder away whence first he took his birth Ma. Nothing 's more true Con. And Flesh is but a froth Cloth'd with fraile beauty a meere menstruous cloth Man T is even so I can it not denie Con. Why then dost thou so fat and beautifie That Flesh of thine which after a short while Must be devour'd in grave by wormes most vile But as for thy poore soule thou let'st it pine Nor dost with good works make it faire and fine Which thus to God and 's Angels thou shouldst show Thou dost not sure the price of thy soule know Man Yes very well Con. I feare the contrarie For else thou wouldst not it so vilifie Know this O Man know this I say to thee The losse of one soule greater losse to be Than of a thousand bodies for t is plaine Bodies may be reviv'd that have bin slaine But O the soule which once by sinne is dead Can never be to life recovered But by a miracle Christs bloud apply'd Which cannot be where it is still deny'd O then behold and blush to see thy sloth Or rather sinfull sottishnesse or both In thus preferring barke before the tree Shels 'fore the kernels flesh 'fore the soule in me Not onely blush at this but sigh and groane Whiles thou considerest how th' art left alone Here in
all still If I should hide my selfe in earth most deepe Thy piercing eye could sentinell there keepe If I in wildernesse would build my nest Even there should I to thee be manifest G. And dost thou know that I am judge of all S. Most certainly and that my Saviour shall The whole world judge with equity and right Though he on earth was sentenced with spight G. O if thou didst both know and well beleeve That I thy God do every thing perceive Am present every where and must judge all I thinke so oft on sinne thou wouldst not fall S. We all O Lord are very weake and fraile And I know none so apt as I to faile G. By how much thou thy state more fraile dost So much the stronger thou shalt daily grow But tell me now this one thing wouldst thou faine know Be counted worthy me to entertaine S. Blessed thrice blessed is that soule most sure That can his God to be his guest procure For he can never want a sure protection In whom thou dwel'st worthy thy sweet refection G. Thou shalt be worthy if thou follow me S. Lord to the crosse in Christ to purchase thee G. That blessed author finisher of faith Hanging upon the Crosse bequeathed hath In his last-will of love and piety To divers sorts a severall legacie To his Apostles persecutions tart Vnto the Iews his corps and wounded heart His Spirit into his heavenly Fathers hands Vnto the Virgin Iohns firme fostering-bands To the beleeving-thiefe blest paradise To soule-slaying sinners helt just pay for vice And to repentant-Christians he set downe A certaine crosse before a promis'd Crowne S. O Testament full of pure charity From whence I may collect infallibly That all the hope of mans salvation blist Doth in Christs meritorious death consist G. And whence thou mayst collect thy dignity The purchase of a soule a price most high Which at no lower rate could ransom'd be But by Christs bloud shed on the Crosse for thee Vse then all care thy selfe to watch and ward Vnto thy latter end have great regard And this most holy wholesome sentence grave Be evermore sure in thy minde to have Whether I sleepe or wake with watchfull eye Or whatso'ere I do continually Me thinks that last great Trumpets sound I heare Arise ye dead to judgement now appeare S. A sound O Lord indeed most lowd and shrill To Saints most glad to sinners sad and ill G. And yet alas I pitty thy poore case This shaking sound which should all evill chase No sooner is remembred than forgot And this the soules rich worth doth staine and spot An asse fals in a pit and is puld out But if a soule falls no man looks about Ev'ry man does his bodies death much feare But very few do for the soules death care And whence I pray does this souls-slaughter rise Because men do that precious thing despise Which being lost and carelesly neglected A soule so falne cannot be re-erected Nothing men say more precious is than Time And yet alas oh t is a common crime Nothing is now a dayes esteem'd more base Nothing more slighted than these dayes of grace Yet on this moment which men here let fly Dependeth most mans blest eternity Then let not Pastimes passe the times away But up be doing good in this thy day Correct thy selfe and then my mercy crave No fault so great which cannot pardon have S. But O my God I many things here finde By liking which I staine and soyle my minde G. But he them all contemnes most easily Which alwaies mindefull is that he must dye S. O but deare God I feare I shall dye never G. Dye to the world and live with me for ever But marke this well unto the world to dye Is to forsake this world primarily Not to be left by it for if that men Begin Repentance and to leave sinne then When they can sinne no longer and forsake The world when they no more of it can make Sinne leaveth them they doe not leave their sinne The world leaves them ere they this worke begin Not to avoyd a danger when thou may'st Is not to have thy hope upon me plac'd But 't is to tempt me rather wilfully Leaving the rule liking security In hope therefore feare fearing take good heed Thus of much danger thou shalt safe be freed Beare tryals then and thou shalt comforts have No conquest comes without a battaile brave S. Most holy Lord I all things will forsake All tryals I will gladly undertake That I at last may thee my God possesse Who art my All in All in all distresse Forsake thy-selfe and then thou shalt me finde Put off all high-conceipts all pride of minde A Christians prime-Praeludium and best tryall Is to divorce himselfe by selfe-denyall Thou art not mine if thou preferre thy will Before my pleasure in thy actions ill For no man heere can stand which heartily Will not himselfe for my-sake vilifie Thou hast within thee from me still to teach thee Or stay with me or else returne and reach me When-ere thou shalt be mov'd or avocated By ill-affects nay defects instigated Give me thy-selfe then and thou shalt me gaine Love me and thou shalt my free love obtaine S. Certainely holy Lord he loves not truly Who loves ought with thee which thee loves not duely Love to the thing-belov'd transaminates And in its love it-selfe full fatiates I wholly leave my-selfe nought is in me I totally being thine will rest in thee And in my Saviours armes I doe desire My life to lead and sweetly to expire But yet I cannot comfortably sleep Vntill my Soveraignes armes me safely keepe G. Be comforted poore Soule thou shall be sure To be more safe then rest thou heere secure A Christians-crosses are a Christians Crowne And shall obtaine immortall high renowne Persist therefore in this my Cordiall-love Wherein if thou thy-selfe sincere approve Thou wilt a thousand deaths more soone endure Than willfully by sin my wrath procure Persist I say in my religious feare Wherein if thou thy-selfe uprightly beare Thy House of Clay thou shalt well regulate Thy actions thou shalt wisely ordinate Thus thou shalt sweetly have repose in me Thou need'st not feare because my love 's in thee For that soule surely cannot feare that loves But that soule whom no love of me once moves For perfect love all servile-feare casts-out And fortifies the soule from griefe and doubt It brings-forth most enduring-dignity And fits thee for my Saints society S. Most holy God so write thou in my Heart By finger of thy Spirit the sacred Art Of memory of thy Mellifluous-name That blacke-Oblivion nere blot out the same Yea print upon my soule and sincere minde And graven on my Brest let me still finde Thy sacred pleasure which no chance or change May violate or from my thoughts estrange Come Lord come perfect what thou hast begun And in-mee on-mee Thy blest will be done G. Goe-on then
thy presence precious gaines De. All 's one to me the youngling or the sage Fl. Alas what profit's then in youthfull age Since youth and old age have but one condition And must submit to Fates most dire commission De. Indeed if thou dost their condition eye They both are subject to Mortality But if their probable-departure hence Thou mayst discerne this onely difference As young-men soone may dye though ere so strong So old-men can't alive continue long Death is for old-men ever at the gate For young-men he with nets and snares doth wait To old-men he is still before their eyes To young-men close behinde their backes he lyes Death is the child hood of weake infancie Death is the lad-age of our childe-hoodry Death is the youth of our lad-age estate Death is the manly-hood of youthfull fate Death is the old-age of our man-hood stout Death after old age doth decrepid flout For Death is of Decrepid-age the Death And thus t is plaine that None that ere drew breath Could sheltred be in such a close estate But Death made entrance in Him soone or late Fl. Alas I surely thought but plainly see I did but gull my selfe that None like Mee So lusty lively in their youthfull-blood So fresh in flower of age so quickly shood Be nipt and cropt but might make truce with death And so enjoy a longer happier breath De. O no for short is that felicity Which still is tended with fragility Fl. Ah though t is short yet who desires it not De. He that a tyresome tedious life hath got Fl. Yet euen he would scape death if he might De. Hast thou nere heard or read those lessons right That 't is farre best not to be borne at all Or soone to leave this life most tragicall That dead than living are in happier state That nought than Sleepe does Death more personate That Death 's the hav'n of ills the help 'gainst woe The onely easer of all griefes that grow That all must dye that death concludes all strife That death is better happier farre than life Fl. That I have read them oft to minde I call But held none true and so forgot them all De. It seemes indeed th' are all slipt out of minde Fl. True for those things in which no joy we finde We scarce beleeve and eas'ly let them goe De. But say think'st thou that thou shalt die or no Fl. I thinke I shall but yet withall I hope The day 's farre off ere Death with me will cope De. We hope things good we hate things that are bad And what can worse be either held or had Than a continuall warfare jarre and strife And still to prop a transitorie life Fle. O but what ere does please gives ease to all De. And canst thou that a pleasant passage call Which is encombred with so many Straites Whereon fierce famine thirst and labour waits Crosses and losses and a sea of woe Which from corrupted life doe fleet and flow Fl. Men us'd to paine are not so passionate And we are so inur'd to such a state And daily so acquainted with all these That we scarse feele them or though felt they plese De. Wouldst thou not count it a choice benefit If one would thee of these dire fetters quit Fl. Yes I should hold it the best favour found If first I could beleeve that I am bound De. Peace peace for shame canst thou not plainely see Lifes discommodities base bonds to be Fl. O spare me prethee till I think them so Till I beleeve them such pray let me goe De. Nay now I smell thy Foxe-like fallacie I 'll not doe so nor shalt thou so me tye As once one did who spying me draw neere And brandishing this fatall-Sithe I beare Still in my hand This onely suit did make That with my deadly dart I would not take His life from him untill he quite had done His deepe devotions pious prayers begun Which finished hee 'd thanke me very much And quietly to dye would never grutch I having eaâ—â—ly granted his petition And bound my selfe by oath to this condition Not once to touch him till he quite had ended His orizons and prayers so pretended He instantly left off left me deluded And from that time he with himselfe concluded And made a vow he never Death would pray To spare him more unto his dying-day Mayd 't is most easie never to beleeve Things we desire not and which most us grieve But I will deale with thee another way And cause thee instantly aside to lay This vicious most pernicious fond opinion Then lend an eare put off thou wanton Minion Thy carnall-nicenesse for I 'll now declare Things which to thee most wholsome healthsome are Hee 's teachable that diligently heares Shew thy selfe such and lend me thy prest eares So shalt thou surely understand and finde That I have herein bin to thee most kinde Fl. O Death I 'll heare thee most attentively But O I would not have thee in mine eye De. Then shut thine eyes onely set ope thine eares And now first tell me how thou spend'st thy yeares How thou employst thy selfe what paines dost take What dost thou daily thy chiefe pleasure make That thou art so much taken and delighted With Lifes false fleeting sweets more fitly slighted Fl. O Sir my Exercises be most sweet And to my nature every way most meet I feele no frying heat nor freezing cold My hand did never wheele or distaffe hold My heart in serious studies I nere pent To sweeter pleasures I my selfe have bent Namely in delicate delights to flow To please my tooth to publike sports to goe To swim in luscious liquor sparkling wine To be arayd in vestures rich and fine To be a guest at banquets nuptiall-feasts To be at Playes and other joviall-jests To dance lascivious measures spend the nights With youthfall Gallants juvenile delights On rich embroydered beds of Doune to lie My flesh in sweet hot bathes to clarifie Finely to feed fully to sleepe and snort To fill my flesh with pleasures of each sort De. But that thou maist thine own prime-state review And take a just account and reckoning true How thou hast spent each day from morn to night What speciall work does this taske expedite Fl. I never worke nor any worke desire My onely businesse is earths joyes t' acquire De. What joyes are they I prethee to me show Sure they be rare whence such rare love doth grow Fl. My chiefest care is for my cloaths and meat My dainty breakfast in my bed to eate Which is provided in such costly wise That nothing wants my palate to suffice This proeme past that all things may concurre To answer my desires in bed I stirre And rowle my selfe by soft-degrees most slow As when a doore smooth on the hinge doth goe And thus a sweet and soaking nap I take Desirous nothing more to shun forsake Then forreine quarrels and domesticke strife From publike tumults to preserve my
a life austere and rough Ile finde you merrier mates if you 'll forsake Your closet and with me worlds joyes partake My lovely Lady heereupon replies How merrily at Dice the time hence flies How muddily at Prayers it stickes and stayes How still it steales away at sports and playes How slow it seemes to goe how tedious spent When at Gods worship we are most intent And thus my Mistresse heereto condiscends And ready eares to my allurement lends De. It seemes then that the mayd her mistresse sways Fl. Most true For she in nothing me gaine-sayes But alwayes holds me as her merriest mate Hugs me with kisses does me consolate We be as one `wee 'gree as one in all Namely that we quench nor the sparkles small Of our sweet Loves deare lusts but them fulfill Not to deterre but to preferre them still De. Thus thou O flesh given as thy Mistresse ayde Art her destruction and chiefe scandall made Fl. O Sir y' are much mistaken in the thing Rather much joy and solace I her bring De. Thou dost not ioy but her annoy with woe Fl. Nay then farewell Sir if you censure so De. Farewell nay soft ther 's no way to evade For yet more talke I have thus long delayde Nay whimper not you doe but beat the ayre If for your strugling you thinke I 'll you spare Fl. Let me alone or I aloud will cry If thou provok'st me with thy cruelty De. Canst thou accuse me now of fornication Fl. No but for theft I 'll bring mine accusation De. Indeed if accusations may suffice The innocentest party guilty lyes But can it by thy nimble wit be showne To be a theft to claime and take mine owne Fl. If those two Pronounes mine and thine might cease The worlds deep discord would not so encrease De. How right thou hit'st the nayle yea pamper'd flesh Whiles thou dost live jars wil arise afresh I tell thee Wench thy white skin painted face Does in a Realme raise more contentions base Than all thy Ladies utmost art or skill And strength of wit is able ere to still But I have caught thee now and thou art mine I 'll now take care to end thy cheats most fine Fl. O I had rather run into a Stewes Than such a spighted Spittle-House to choose De. I easily beleeve thee but now know Thou must such Brothell-houses quite forgoe Death to the Suburbs now hath made his way Then neer the walls thou inmate canst not stay Fl. What dost thou meane to touch me raw-bon'd face De. To give thee now a deadly cold embrace Fl. Most irkesome and unpleasant are esteem'd Th' embraces of a wooer ugly deem'd But what is Death in love with flesh I pray De. Yes eagerly thy flesh to turne to clay Fl. Thou needs must be in love who art in want De. I therefore covet 'cause I feele such scant Fl. Will not a piece of me give thee content De. No by no meanes for ti 's most evident That deaths devouring jawes no parts will take But all or nothing is his proper stake Fl. Yet many Gallants full of youthfull heate Famous for beauty brave and bodies neate Have thought themselves t' have got an ample prey If on these roseall lips they could but lay And fixe one onely kisse and wisht no more And yet must thou worne lancke and thin all-ore And as thou seemst to me bloodlesse and bare Have me all-whole as thine insatiate share De. I will not bare one inch I le have thee full Fl. Oh! whither dost thou thus me hale and pull De. Even to my horrid-house of clay the Grave Fl. O! must thou such an expiation have Must my fayre corps fill-up an uglie urne De. It must indeed and must to dust returne Fl. And what companions shall I therein finde De. Onely great crawling wormes bred of thy kinde Fl. O! wilt thou not me spare but one yeere more De. No not one howre I told thee so before A Statute-Law heerein doth on me lie And I my charge must discharge instantly Fl. What Instantly Ay me most wofull wretch Spare me but till I doe my Mistresse fetch For she alas doth little dreame of thee Or of thy now so neere approach to me De. Indeed I thinke no lesse for I beleeve Thou friendlier entertaynment wouldst me give If more familiarly thou didst me know But hence such strangenesse doth betweene us grow And hence I am your so unwelcome guest 'Cause scarce one thought of me is ere exprest Yet call her foorth I le promise make nere doubt I le thee not touch before she first comes out Fl. O Mistresse Mistresse are you now asleepe More sound than ere you us'd that hence you keepe Soule Thou art deceiv'd Mayd if thou thinkest so That ever I did sleepe I doe not know But what 's the newes what is the cause and case That thou me call'st with such a frighted face Fl O Mistresse ther 's extreme necessity Faln on us both for most impetuously A stranger knockes at doore of horrid hew And if I may speake what I thinke is true Of fierce aspect a most deformed creature And every way of most uncomely feature He stands without but spite of you or me He plainly threats that he let-in must be So. Who is 't I prethee that so saucily Behaves himselfe what Is 't not fit that I Should mistresse be of mine bid him let 's see What right he has to enter then tell me Fl. Tender indulgent Mistresse I you pray Your tender Mayden Flesh I neither may Nor dare so much as looke him in the face Much lesse expostulate with him the case I would not for a thousand worlds and more Goe backe againe alone to him to th' doore So gastly ghostly frightfull spritelike he Fierce furious fatall doth appeare to me So. Then tell me prethee what may be his name Or whence this formidable creature came Fl. Aske him your selfe I pray a monster sure O I cannot to talke with him endure For such bold liberty of speech he us'd And me without least blushing so abus'd As that he me his Paramour did call And on me layd his fatall Pawes withall Onely he herein shew'd some courtesie And plighted promise to me seriously That untill you deare Mistresse came out hence He would not on me use his violence So. Alas poore foole and what wilt thou then be When I thy Mistresse Soule goe out of thee Nothing alas but a poore karkasse dead On which foule crawling worms must full be fed But I 'll goe meet him and doe what I may Timely to tame his pride Who art thou say De. I am the utmost end of every thing Fl. O Mistresse goe not neere him feare his sting O if you love me send him soone away By treats or threats by force or fullest pay By any meanes we must him quickly quaile And packe him hence or our whole house will faile So. Peace peevish wench I 'll forth talke with him
is the light of lights The rest and receptacle of delights Life of all living seat of travellers The palme the prize the crowne of conquerers S. O who can Gods great goodnesse understand How wondrous are the works of his right hand Yesterday I was in earths darknesse dimme To day in heavens resplendent lustre trimme Yesterday in the roaring Lyons power To day i th' hands of my sweet Saviour Yesterday brought unto the gates of hell To day in Paradise where joyes excell Yesterday in the worlds circumf'rence round To day in Abrahams bosome blestly found O that men living on the earth below Did least part of celestiall joyes well know Then solely seriously all paines the'yd take In holy duties no least losse they 'd make Of precious time which no man can regaine Nor would so fruitlesly their lives retaine Divines would then more study lives than learning More to live well than quaint disputes discerning Their chiefe philosophy they would it deeme To know Christ and him crucifi'de esteeme Grave Oratours would not so breake their brains To vent strong lines invent such losty strains As holily and heartily to speake And by good works from guilded words would break The worlds great traders would more piously Endure and not procure an injurie And count a quiet and good conscience best Yea farre beyond the greatest gaine possest Then that intolerable beast most wilde I meane that canker covetice most vilde Would not so rage and rave in courses base But yeeld to time as the fit time of grace Yea all of all sorts would so sparke and shine In holinesse of life and gifts divine That those two sayings at the last great day Should never from their thoughts depart away Go O ye cursed into fire eternall Come O ye blessed to a crowne supernall Oh what can be more harsh more full of wo Than then to heare that bitter saying go But what can better then pronounced be Than that blest invitation iâ— Come ye Two sentences than one of which none sadder And than the other none was ere heard gladder Oh if men would these throughly ruminate Then they more soundly would recogitate And thinke upon the last and dreadfull day As that on which they must resolve to clay Yea they the judgement-day would duely tender As that on which they must a reck'ning render Then would they muse and meditate on hell As on that lake where woe and horrour dwell And thinke on heaven as on a glorious place And kingdome of incomparable grace Their time yet left to heaven they 'd consecrate Their lampe yet light aloft they 'd elevate No day without a line no line should be Without a guiding-rule to sanctitie No smallest sand out of the houre-glasse Without at least one trickling teare should passe They nothing not time-present would count theirs Whose onely minute all their due appeares The morning they would make dayes inchoation The evening that dayes due examination Their bodies from their beds they soone would raise Their drowsie sleepe they 'd shun without delayes Their candle lighted they betimes would pray And give their God the first-fruits of the day Then they would boldly looke death in the face Yea gladly they 'd invite his hastie pace And being wholly dead to earths false joy They best would live while they seem'd life to ' stroy By dying so they death would deadly wound And by Deaths death their life would best be found Thus they would not count death a pang or paine But rest from sorrow and their greatest gaine Thus earth disdain'd and heav'n obtain'd all blest They would approach the haven of endlesse rest But worldlings alwayes finde by proofe most bad Whiles they breathe out this sentence sowre and sad O death how bitter is the thought of thee To those that earthly peace with wealth do see That unto whom the world 's a blandishment To them it brings from heaven a banishment For two most distant loves do men still make Of two most distant Cities to partake The love of God Ierusalem erects The love of earth proud Babilon protects The place of peace Ierusalem is nam'd Babilon is Seditions seat proclaim'd But they shall nere in Peaces-city dwell Which love not peace but like confusion well O then that men on earth these things would minde They even on earth an heavenly life would finde G. Thou dost indeed most sweetly meditate Things well befitting soules in heavenly state For if men did these things more seriously Discusse and scan and to themselues apply They to the world would sure more strangers be And cleave to God in neerer amitie But we must joy in Gods revealed will Rejoyce in Converts comming to us still Pray the approach of all terrestriall Saints Who this our Cities ruine and restraints Must restaurate and full re-edifie And make complete to all eternity Meane while sweet soule beloved lovely mate Come thou to us with us cohabitate Blest in thy selfe gratefull to us all blest Most blessed in this blessed state of rest Come let us now with interchang'd embraces With mutuall joy new songs go take our places In Gods most admirable Tabernacle All sacred Saints most holy habitacle Now thy once Ministers become thy mates Now 'mongst the lillies in most lovely states 'Mongst troops of glorious Angels shining bright Thy lustre now may glister full of light Yea now thou mayst lye downe on beds of roses Amongst Gods lovely lambes in sweet reposes Come come I say be now exceeding glad That thou art with celestiall beauty clad Ioy in enjoying endlesse joy and peace In Gods blest presence which can never cease S. O most mellifluous sweetnesse most admird O heavenly honey pleasures most desir'd How sweet thou art in serious meditation How farre more sweet in thy due declaration How much more sweet to view and contemplate How most transcendent sweet in blest estate T is not in all I am to set thee forth T is past my power to blaze thy blessed worth But t is enough for me that I possesse thee That being in thee blest I thus do blesse thee That I aloud his laud and praise may sing That plac'd and grac'd me here heav'ns glorious King To whom with Iesus Christ and his blest Spirit Who doth all power and praises wholly merit Even heavens ineffable Trine-unity Be Halelujahs sung eternally Amen Ephes. 5.14 Arise thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Bernard An account must be given of all the time lent unto us how it hath beene spent by us Aug. upon Psal. 36. My brethren if ye are perswaded that we shall enjoy any such things in that countrey wheâ—eunto the celestiall-silver trumpet incites and summons us and for their sakes ye are willing to abstaine from things present that there ye may receive those future comforts more copiously Do then as those men who being invited to a great feast keepe their stomacks empty and are content to abstaine that their appetites may attaine an even insatiate satisfaction FINIS