with waight grow higher their flame doth waxe more strong the more it is with-stood Their Spice by pounding yeeldeth sweeter sent and Le ts to Truth are borne downe with this floud Which let abroad doth grow more violent And while it runnes it rores and after cryes For vengeance on their Foes Truths Enemies With Tyrants Thundrings Errours Cloud is crackt th'inclosed light of Truth 's disclosed so And showres of bloud that then for Truth are wrackt makes Martyrs more and more on Earth to grow For still their Side by God himselfe is backt they Sampsons with their Death do quell the foe And most torment him when they most are rackt then good Crosse blessed sheep-crooke Saints stil keep to Christ whose Hooke thou art to catch his Sheepe For as a feate Embroderer that hath a piece of Veluet brackt t'embroder on So drawes his Worke that he to hide the scath embroders richliest in that place alone So GOD vpon the Veluet of our flesh all torne in time of Persecution Couers the Bracks with Beautie faire as fresh So that the other Parts are beautifide By those rent parts by GOD so glorifide And as the Paper-mill of rotten Raggs tane from the Dung-hill by still mauling it Makes so white Paper as the filthy Iagges may now infold the purest part of Wit Or purest things that come from Heart or Hand so we by Martyrdome are made most fit How euer base in glory still to stand And made more apt diuinely to comprise Gods glorious Graces and his Rarities Thogh th'vpper heau'n doth turne by violent sway the lower out of course from East to West Yâ—t of themselues they wheele the other way for they by Nature turne from West to East So thogh from th' East where Truth begins to shine her Foes would force our Faith or course at least To Errors West where Truth doth still decline Yet must we stirre as Grace and Nature moues Vnto the East where God our course approues A Martyr's like a Dye which though it fall this or that way it fals no way amisse It flat will lye or cannot lye at all so Martyrs lye with Truth where ere she is They will lye leuell with the Earth nay more In or aboue it lye or stand for this Hange burne or starue all 's one they feele no sore Then when God throwes at all with them to win At eu'ry throw he drawes some others in Abel he cannot be that is not taught true patience by the malice of a Caine And happy he that like a Cole is caught out of Afflictions fire with God to raigne While he is bright and glowes with Charitie for whether to be white or red in graine The Church were best is vncouth to discry The Churches flowres the Rose nor Lilly want But both adorne and make her triumphant The martyr'd Body of our Lord and God is the main Rock from whence his Saints are hewne For from his flesh they rent are with the Rod and by the rentings of the Rod are knowne To be true flesh of his torne Flesh and so to be his Types by which him selfe is shewne To Heathen-folke that him desire to know O! t is a glory past the height of FAME To be like Christ in suffrings as in name The antient Romaines vs'd their force to trye t' incounter Beares and Lyons and the Scarres That came by sauage Tuskes they valued hye and piercings of their Pawes so many Starres If in vaine-glory they such Dents endur'd what should we doe in Christ our Captaines Warres Be'ing of true glory for our fight assur'd We should with Patience arm'd encounter death And for that gaine with torment lose our breath Shall Saints feare Men whom Angels ought to feare for Saints shall iudge the Angels and the Fâ—end Hath cause to feare them for they rule doe beare ouer his Legions yea his Forces rend The World should likewise feare them sith the Saints shall with heau'ns Vmpier iudge it in the end Than hee that at his threates or torments faints Can be no Saint but must be Iudg'd of them A Coward to foule shame and paines extreame Elias must not feare nor feare disguize to let the Mantle of his flesh to fall To flye in Coach â—lame-wing'd to Paradise Gedeon must breake his earthly Pots sith all Their Light 's so seene to put his foes to flight Ioseph must leaue his Cloake or else he shall Be mou'd to wrong his Maister in his right Life leads to Care but Death to Comfort leads Then Death in Syons cause in Sion treads At Sea decayes the Sailer in his Tent the ventrous Sâ—uldier in the Court decayes The vertuous Courtier Iustice in Iudgement true Faith in Friendship Skill in Arts Assaies In Manners Discipline so we alone that dying liue in these too nightly dayes Vnder the ruines of the World doe grone All is quite or â—erlesse which doth portend The World with vs is euen at an end And ô what should I say when Courage makes the Cause nor good nor bad for Falshoods Friends Haue dide in Errors cause at flaming Stakes as stout as Martyrs in their constant ends Witnesse that Legate sent from Pow'rs beneath who late in Smith-field Error so defends That he out-fac'd Truth men flames dread death And Anabaptists there for Error stood Aâ— stout as those that for truth lost their bloud But Legate though thou canst no answere yeeld yet let me question thee as many doe Question the dead for Error which they held tell me who gaue thy false Faith Courage too That thou for Error should'st so stoutly burne for Error that must needs thy Soule vndoe If on the Coales from it shee did not turne Can Sathan counterfet our GOD so nye In 's Gifts that men for him should stoutly dye But thou might'st answere Faith though false it be yet if the Soule perswaded be it's true Vpon the Heart it worketh morrally as Faith doth which to Heau'nly Truth is due This made the Priests of Baal their flesh to wound and many Indians sense of paine subdue Yea burne with those whose Faith thâ—y hope was sound Then not to suffer much nor Constancy Proues Error Truth which fire 's too cold to trye Then Truth must trye her selfe by Reas'n and Faith but where Faith bids beleeue Reas'n still must be Obedient to beleeue what ere she saith though she say Three are One and One is Three A Maid's a Mother that a Man had wiu'd true God vnmade made true Man really And that the Dead shall rise as here they liu'd All this and more of Faith must Reas'n beleeue But God the Fount of Reas'n this Faith must giue Death is the worst of Ils yet best to those that dye for Faith well tryde and who they be The Conscience of the Dyers neuer knowes if with the Rules of Faith they disagree Then God knowes who are his and Men may know that all are his his â—reest Spirit doth free From life by death
to them my Heart betraies And all to spoile it seeke by all assaies It is the Shop where base Affections frame The Embâ—ion of Sinne which growing great Breakes out to Action to the Actors shame Vnlesse thy Deed ô Lord the Deed defeate Then in the heart the Seate of Peace and Life I finde the certain'st Death the surest strife Lord help Lord help me to subdue my Heart Before these Foes my Heart doe quite o'er-throw O let it labour with a World of smart It selfe to conquer and it selfe to know They that so fight great Hearts and Glory haue Then let me fight my Fame and Heart to saue To saue my Heart which though it little be Yet nought but thine owne Greatnesse can suffice For t is a Kingdome onely made for thee Though Traitors to thee doe it oft surprise But chase from thence the traitors to thy Crowne That thou maist still in peace possesse thine owne O take away these Scandals of thy raigne Theeues of thy Glory most vain-glorious Theeues For Tyrant PRIDE would be my Soueraigne Which for reiecting her me euer grieues For Pride deare Lord is of that spightfull vaine That where she most seekes loue she most doth paine Then Lust Ire Enuie Malice Scorne and Hate Striue in me for me but as much as I Am holp by thee doe striue to keepe my State From vsurpation of their Tyranny Which freely I surrender vp to thee That freely twice did render me to me For I no King recognise but my God Worthy to sit as Soueraigne in my Heart Before all Scepters I adore thy Rod Which driues to endlesse pleasure though it smart O then away from mee yee cursed Crue Ye haue no part in me His onely due And come dear Lord destroy theÌ„ in their strength Confound their Councels all their Drifts defeate That I through thee may winne my selfe at length From out their Hands that make me as their Meate And let me so won lose my selfe in thee Where to be lost is still most safe to be Giue me ô Lord that empire o'er my Heart That It thy Becke and mine may still obey For that and more is due to thy desert Sith that due is much more then I can pay For I can pay no more then what is mine And I haue nought but sinne but what is thine Then as I am oblieg'd thee to obey So Equitie and Profit doe perswade That I should walke no Way but in thy Way For that 's the Way by which good Men are made Then till I goe away for good and all Let me runne in this Way and neuer fall For that 's to runne that so we may obtaine Else get we paine eternall for our paine If many runne and labour lose How easie is 't to be of those The Soule desireth to know God FRom out the Soule of my most happy Soule I praise thee migthy Maker of this All For that when I was nothing faire nor foule thou mad'st me of thy Creatures Capitall For to thine Image didst thou fashion me giuing my Soule Intelligence and Will That so at least she might b'in loue with thee sith all things loue their like by Nature still Thou mightst haue made me some detested Worme some Toade or Viper or some Crocâ—dile Or else some Monster both in moode and forme or ought what is most harmefull and most vile And that thou didst not it was of thy grace for what could I deserue when I was not No not a Being in the basest place much lesse Earths Lordship which is now my Lot And lest a Creature so resembling thee should instantly to nothing fall againe Thou me endu'dst with immortalitie that I might in all Worlds still liue and raigne Yet seem'd that nothing to thy boundlesse Loue vnlesse of nothing thou hadst made my Soule But little lesse if not some way aboÌ„ue the Angels for they serue and I controule Oxen and Sheepe with Grasse are satisfide Fish Fowle and Wormes with Food of baser kinde But my Soules Meate is more then Deifide for nothing but her God contents her Minde For She is made of that Capacitie because like thee She is directly made That Heau'n and Earth her cannot satisfie sith She shall flowrish most when these shall fade For though she once began yet now she is eternall made and truely infinite Then nought but thou that hast these properties can satiate her insatiate appetite Wretch that I am this World why doe I loue or seeke the fading glory of the same Why doe I riches sâ—eke and pleasures proue that doe the Soule vnioynt and Minde vnframe These Husks suffice not and these painted Fires warme but the bare imagination While the Soâ—le starues throgh cold with vaine desires bred by that powers misinformation O no her Food 's much more substantiall Supersubstantiall I should rather say Because it is so passing spirituall as none but purest Spirits it relish may Then know my Soule know what by kind thou art thy Makers Type and viue Similitude Whole in the Whole and whole in eu'ry Part another God of boundlesse magnitude How can thy Palate then taste any thing without distast that is not most diuine Why drink'st of this World 's Dike and leau'st the Spring that euer ouer-flowes with Angels Wine All vnder Heau'n is too vnsweete for thee for it 's but Elementall still in strife Nay nought in Heau'n but the sweet Trinitie can feede thee fat or keepe thee but in life That foode whose sweetnesse rauisheth the sense of sweetest soules diuinest Faculties Must feed thy Will and thine Intelligence else can they not to grace or glory rise That Lord whose Beauty Sunne and Moone admires whose Maiestie the Hoasts of Heau'n adore Whose Grace is praised by the Angels Quires He that was is and shall be euermore God infinite in pow'r and Maiestie hath made thee but to fill thee with his Loue Which being infiniâ—e in quantitie thine All and Parts all whole in each can moue Hee onely Hee can thy desires fulfill albe't they did exceede Immensitie And being Three in One can fitly fill thine Vnderstanding Will and Memory Then ô my Soule runne out this Guest to meet and him into thee gladly introduce Who is as sweet as great and good as sweet that vs'd augments and fades for want of vse Then locke him in the Closet of thine Heart where thou in secret maist vnfold thy Loue There clip him fast let him not thence depart till Hee with him from hence doe thee remoue Who will be soone intreated There to stay because it is the rest of his desire And needes hee must take thee with him away if Nuptiall Loue doe make you two intire Which dignitie of my Celestiall Soule when well I weigh deare Lord I maruell not Though in my Mud thy Sonne himselfe did roule to seeke in my true shape to knit this knot But muse I may at mine ingratitude my madnesse dulnesse and grosse impudence That doe neglect they Loues
O let her be repos'd none outherwise then as they fashion her To harbor Thee that 's make her well dispos'd els let her rest be restlesse euer there My Sonne saith thou deare Lord giue me thy heart ô small request my Heart Lord what is it But one poore bit of wormes-meate can no Part of me delight thee but so vile a bit Why thou didst wholy giue thy selfe to me shall I returne thee then but that alone O t is sweet Sauiour most vnworthy Thee for which thou know'st it's meekly wo-begon Yet gladly would I giue it but it is so small vncleane vnquiet and accurst That I doe feare to giue it so amisse sith of all gifts it 's worser than the worst Yet take it Lord of Loue it is thine owne how e'er I haue abus'd it make it such As thou wouldst haue it let it still be knowne fit for thy Stampe vpon thy Trials Touch. O glorious King what grace is 't to our Hearts to be accepted and desir'd of thee Then take my Heart yea all mine other parts for they are safe in thee but lost in me And is this all thy gaine ô kindest Lord and is this all our gift one wretched Heart And for the same dost thou thy selfe afford then take it to thee Lord through ioy or smart For nothing can I giue thee but the same augments my gaine and glory endlesly Then take it wholy set me all on flame to melt me into thee by Charitie For were my Heart as great as is the Heau'n that all includes and that past price it were It should to thee desiring it be giu'n sith I haue thee for it who hast no Peere Then World be silent call it not againe Flesh be as still permit it still to goe And Diuell striue not for it is in vaine my God will haue it then it shall be so Vade vade for all you cannot fill my Heart my God alone can doe it and He must Haue it to fill then from me all depart that seeke to fill it but with winde or dust And sole Sufficer chaine it still to Thee with Adamantine Linckes of endlesse Loue That through those Straites which thou hast past for me it may be drawne to thee if slow it moue Let it attend thee to the Iudgement-Hall where thou wast doom'd to death and to the Hill Whereon thou suffer'dst let it taste thy Gall and on thy Crosse let it be fixed still That be'ing with thee thus plagu'd disgrac'd slaine It may with thee be rais'd and crown'd and raigne A soueraigne Salue against Sinne and Despaire out of S. Augustine DEare Lord when sinfull thoughts doe me assaile to thy deare Wounds then let me hye with speed When burning lust against my thoughts preuaile quench it by minding me how long they bleede In all Extreames I finde no Meane so good as thy wide Wounds to keepe my Soule still whole They cannot dye that drown'd are in thy bloud for that is Aqua vitae to the Soule Thy Death is my desert then doe I not lacke merits sith thy Death destroyes my Sinne Thy Mercy is my merit and my Lot is glories Crowne through my firme hope therein For if thy grace be great then is it cleare my glory shall be great and the more pow'r Thou hast to saue the lesse I ruine feare for Grace abounding makes Loues hope secure Yet I acknowledge mine iniquities and Conscience with her thousand Witnesses Accuse me of extreame impieties yet will I hope of mercy ne'erthelesse For where Sinne hath abounded there hath grace abounded more so loue enflaming in The grieu'd delinquent who doth enterlace sweete teares of Ioy with bitter Teares for Sinne. For who dispaires God vtterly denyes deny his Attributes himselfe deny His Iustice we prouoke his mercies rise but from him selfe who is selfe Clemencie Then let my thoughts still murmure while they will and aske why such a Sinner grace should seeke Yet in firme hope I will continue still sith he hath promised that cannot breake Who can doe what he will and he will doe what he hath sworne which is he will make whole The broken Heart for sinne and grace it too yea help contrition in the willing Soule My Sinnes though great then me no whit dismay when his deare Death I minde for all my Crimes Can ne'er o'er-match his Mercies if I pray for grace to hope in his sure help betimes His Thorny Crowne and Naylâ—s that him transpierc'd assures my hope that He and I are One Which haue his Iudgemeuts gainst my sinnes reuerst if I but grieue for what I haue misdone Longius hath clear'd the sad coast to his Heart with his fell Speare that kinde to me made way There rest I now in Ioy and ioyfull smart of safety sure while there in hope I stay Vpon the Crosse he doth his Armes extend t' embrace the Contrite then betweene those armes Deuoutly will I throw me till mine end so safe I shall be there from foes and harmes He bow'd his Head before Death brake his Heart to kisse his Louers with the kisse of Peace Then still I le kisse him so shall I depart in peace to him that is my Sinnes release Sweet Christ embrace me then and kisse me till I dye to liue to clip and kisse thee still The crazed Soule being almost in dispaire desireth Grace to hope in Gods mercy LOrd in thy Loue let me be none of them that loue but in a Calme a time beleeue But when a Storme ariseth doe blaspheme and with infernall S'prits thy Sp'rit doe grieue Thus what I need I craue but what I feare thou know'st deare Lord I feare I am too bold To seeke thy loue because I doe appeare no correspondence with thy loue to hold For he that merits hate Lord how can he straight looke for loue who hath shame deseru'd Seeke for immortall glory or to be from shame and paine which he deserues preseru'd He moueth but his Iudge to iustest wrath that being faulty lookes he him should cleare Without meete satisfaction for the scath which he hath done all these my hopes doe feare For he that is to shame and death condemn'd small reason hath to looke for high'st respect If but his death by grace might be redeem'd in sense it should be all he could expect But why ô why doe I now call to minde what I haue done to make my feares more rife Death I deserue yet seeke I life to finde that liue but to offend the Lord of life Can I still vexe my Iudge yet looke for grace and still prouoke my King yet seeke his loue Nay still but buffet my sweete Iesus face and yet expect he should my Iesus proue Alas how should he much lesse how can I such fauour seeke that so his Fauour wrongs Can wrong expect such right in equitie ô no for vengeance to the same belongs Vengeance belongs to wrongs so great so plaine as so to wrong a MAIESTIE so
carelesse spend their breath for all that watch for him he doth reward With endlesse Life the rest with double death But they that dye for Vertue or good note Though he o'er-throw them yet they cut his throate And why should his worst looke more irke or feare a Man resolu'd that he can dye but once Goliah bought a little Stone as deare as Sampson did the House that chrusht his bones And from a Chaire to fall the Necke can breake as well as falling high as Thunder-stones And all is but one Death bee â—t strong or weake Deaths sharpest sting the Heart but enters in Which dyes with that and so t' will with a pinne Why grudge we then t' endure for endlesse life that for vaine-glory freely we endure Repine we not to dye in damned strife and grudge to dye to make our life secure Is Death so sweete when it the Diu'll commands and when God wils it is the same to sow'r What manhood 's this whereon now manhood stands O ougly valor if it valor be To flee to death yet fearing life to flee Liue well and so dye well perhaps we may but liue still and not dye we neuer can Life is not short that soone goes well away and longest life Truth calleth but a spanne He dyeth old though young that well doth die and Life well lost is better then ill wanne For so to winne we lose eternally Then what can counteruaile eternall losse Nothing that is no Patience beares that crosse If we for vertue doe our life forgoe our Pitcher's broken o'er the fountaine-head From whence what fill'd it came and where doth flow the Aqua vitae that reuiues the dead Our liquor is not lost but runne into the proper Fount by Nature thither lead And heau'nly Grace assisting Nature too Our life 's a war where patience guards from losse Our Captaine Christ our Standard is his Crosse But seemes God long thy labours to content the more forborne the more will be thy meede He takes on Intrest what before he lent and takes delight t'o'er-guerdon each good-deed If in our Vs'ry then we wish delay feare we the Lord of All should fall to neede That on his Bond we dare not giue him Day And shall we trust a Merchant that may breake More than that King of whom all Kings do seeke Admit thou should'st be rackt to straine the Truth though Racks are made the truth to gaine not strain Yet if thou her beleeue let ne'er thy mouth deny it for the cracking of a veyne We owe so much to Truth as should we pay the reall debt to vs should nought remaine No not our liues which must for her away For God and Truth are Relatiues Not so For God is Truth then for him All must goe If Truth-pretending Turkes or Infidels should on our Plagues which we for her endure Triumph and make our Paines so many Hels alas poore Soules they so doe but procure Their owne perdition for that God we serue is God of vengeance and the same will poure On Good-pretenders that so ill deserue To be for truth reprocht yea pâ—agu'd or slaine Is to be glorious free from Death and paine The red-hot It'n into the Water throwne thunders therein as if it did it harme Yet so the force of burning's ouer-throwne the while the Water cold before is warme Like Thundrings Tyrants vse in eu'ry Age who though against the Truth themselues they arme And with the bloud of Martyrs quench their Rage Yet all their triumph 's nothing but the noise Of their owne quenching and the Martyrs Ioyes Then if they shew vs Honors Gold or Iemmes t' intice vs to their Faith they shall but shew The Lion Chaffe which chasing he contemnes and if with Torments then they vs pursue The Salamander they but threat with fire which makes her rather to reioyce then rue So that the worst they can doe we desire Then through the Red-sea of our bloud thus shed Vnto Heau'ns Holy-Land we soon'st are led Saints on the Earth resemble Babes dead borne that are no sooner borne but borne they be Vnto their graues so straight to Ashes turne but Tyrants Viper-like doe liue to â—ee Their own Confusion and the death of those which they haue martyr'd so from death made free And manumiz'd from this Worlds mortall woes The first are borne to dye to liue in ioy The last to liue to dye in all annoy When Theeues an house doe breake to rob by night sith t is a Worke of darknesse first they will That they may not be knowne put out the light and so the good are handled by the ill Lights of the World the Good are said to be but bad-men Sonnes of darknesse put out still Those lights lest men their darkest deedes should see For all that euill doe the Light doe lothe So loue they darknesse and doe darkly both Vnto the light it 's no reproch at all though Bats and Owles abhorre it nor is it Disgrace to Wisedome if but Ideots shall condemne the same for Polly they want Wit To iudge of Wisedome which is too too bright for men to looke on that in darknesse sit To iudge of coulors blinde-men haue no light The fault 's not in the coulors they are so But in their Eyes that can no coulors know Farre sweeter are the Teares of them that mourne then is their laughter that in mirth are lost All crosses by the vertuous so are borne that most they ioy in that which grieueth most Like Roses mong the Thornes their pleasures are most sweete when as they are most sharply crost And being at the worst they best doe fare But put the least crosse on a sensuall Soule And t wil blaspheming grudge nay cry houle The greater Oxe the yokes worst part doth beare that is the heauiest Christ that is thy God Thy yokes most heauy part with thee doth weare that so thou maist with him the lighter plod Through thicke and thinne for him thou canst not do that he did for thee hee feeles the Rod Yet he doth all in vs and for vs too Mates in afflictions make Affliction lesse Then if Christ beare with vs nought can oppresse This life is but a lye true life 's not here it seemes but is not so it is not true Than for a lie or what doth false appeare let vs not lie to God or breake our vow We made in Baptisme but to cleaue to him although for it it might perhaps ensue That we to him in our owne Bloud should swimme That water 's strong it will not let vs sincke And to engrosse sure Deedes the onely Inckâ— The life of Dauid was but Teares and moane but Salomonâ— was ioy and Mirth through-out Yet Dauid sure is sau'd but Salomon whether he be or no Beleeuers doubt Poore Lazarus liu'd here in dying-plight Diues in all that reueld with the Rowt Of honied Pleasures and extreame delight But he that liu'd in death in ioy now liues And he