when you shall come to that serious businesse you may pitch upon one who by his Doctrine and Life may build upon the same foundation upon which your worthy Pastours hitherto have done My advice may be will give offence but I hope my prayer will not I heartily pray that God will direct you herein to do that which may be most for his glory and your soules good Lastly I shall speak to you the near and dear relations of this our deceased brother you mourn you have cause to mourn we mourn with you we lament for the publike we sympathize with you for your private affliction You have lost much a dear husband a loving father but mourn not as without hope quietly submit to God who hath put this cup into your hand 1 Thess 4.13 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord be silent He is gone but whither to be with God He is not but he is He is not with you but he is with Christ He is taken but God hath taken him He that gave he took say though it be hard Blessed be the Lord. If you lov'd me you would rejoyce because I go unto my Father Job 1. ult John 14.28 He is better where he is then where he was for here a poor decaying man but there a glorious triumphing Saint The Lord make up this great losse to you to the Parish to the City to the whole Church of God FINIS RICHARDVS VINES Anagramma Charus Dei Sinn UNa deest Anagrammate litera sed tibi nullus O dilecte Deo desideratur apex It 's true our Anagram doth limp a little That speaks thy blisse but it wants not a tittle William Spurstowe D.D. In memory of that eminent Servant of Christ Mr. RICHARD VINES deceased lately the learned and faithful Pastour of Lawrence Church in London Numb 13.23 A Ponderous Cluster once did give a taste Of Palestines fertility and pleasure To Zions Denizons who in the Waste Valu'd that Present as a royal treasure How fruitful was the Vine which bare that Clustre How fertile was the soile which bred that Vine How fragrant all its Vines then in their lustre Psal 16.6 How sweet a Paradise was that holy Line Their Lines I grant were faire our Lot is better Theirs but a type was of our Promis'd Land Their rich enjoyments were the bark and letter Of what we look for in the Heavenly Strand Micah 7.1 But wo is me when Vines begin to fail Whence can we Grapes expect or Cordials In howling Desert Zions Pilgrims quail At the report of Babels towering walls How many Vines of late have been transplanted From wildernesse to Paradise whose graces Whose gifts and pains we in our journey wanted Men of Seraphick principles and paces Their choice Perfections did in Thee unite As in a common Centre all the Lines Both Nature Art and Grace thy name make bright Each of them was a Vine but thou art Vines Roger Drake Pastour of Peters Cheap RICHARDUS VINES 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hic rarus Videns * 1 Sam 9.9 Agite eamus ad Videntem nam qui Propheta hodie antiquitùs vocabatur Videns HIc est ille Videns quo non est rarior alter Assertor Fidei quo non nervosior alter Malleus Haeresium quo non solertior alter Praeco Dei verbi quo non divinior alter Nec vitae absimilis voci non sanctior alter Huic plures Deus alme pares concede Videntes T. D. Ad Tumulum Viri quà m Clarissimi RICHARDI VINES Aulae Pembrochianae nuper Praefecti Malos Iambus enecat beat bonos VIator haud novum fero fero malum Diu est quod omne Triste non novum siet Jacet sepulta Veritas Sciens perit Diémque vidit ultimum Pius suum At Ilias mali sequuta tot mala In uno habemus omne Vinius cadit Malo vel ausus esse saeculo Bonus Minúsque dives esse quà m pius minus Frequenter Angliam dolere perfidam Solumque Patrium solebat O potens Fide imminente sistere à ruina At heu Ruit Columna ponderi impar impari Ad haec Sacrata Jura Numinis petens Amoris ille plenus in Deum nisi Sacrum nihil dein sapit nec appetit Quam in infimis morari obire maluit Suprema quaeritans Abit beata Mors Modis oportet hisce Episcopum mori P.V. Th. B. On his receiving the Lords Supper the day or rather some houres before his death STrange miracle Elijah's blest repast In fourty dayes brought him to God at last But stranger this Our Vines to God does go In some few houres and without fasting too And yet in me it shall no wonder move A Raven did bring that but this a Dove Delicious fare He relish'd nought beside But tasting of it lik'd it not and di'd Yet stay I 'me out for know he is not dead But after such a Supper went to bed Pet. Vink M.C. Lond. Upon the Death of so many Reverend MINISTERS of late STill we do finde black Cloth wears out the first And fruits that are the choicest keep the worst Such men so many and they die so fast They 're precious Death Oh do not make such waste Scarce have we dri'd our eyes for losse of one But in comes tidings that another's gone Oh that I had my former tears agen All but those few laid out upon my sin Had I an Helicon in either eye I have occasion now to verse them dry Triumph Licentious Age lift up thy Song Presbytery sha'n't trouble you e're long Those that tormented you before your day Are now apace removing out o' th' way Yea rather tremble England stand agast To see thy glorious Lamps go out so fast When Death like Sampson thus layes hold upon The Pillars of the Church the Building 's gone When we do see so many stars to fall Surely it boads the worlds great Funeral London look to 't and think what Heaven is doing Thy flames are coming when thy Lots are going Well may we all feare God intendeth wars When he commands home his Ambassadours That venerable Synod which of late Was made the object of mens scorne and hate For want of Copes and Miters not of Graces Are now call'd up with Moses and their faces When they return shall shine God sees it fit Such an Assembly should in glory sit The learned Twisse went first it was his right Then holy Palmer Borroughs Love Gouge White Hill Whitaker grave Gataker and Strong Perne Marshal Robinson all gone along I have not nam'd them half Their only strife Hath been of late who should first part with life Those few who yet survive sick of this Age Long to have done their parts and leave the Stage Our English Luther Vines whose death I weep Stole away and said nothing in a sleep Sweet like a Swan he preach't that day he went And for his Cordial took a Sacrament Had it but been suspected he would die
too in the presence of so many grave judicious learned Ministers who may be my fathers truly I blush at it but you may all spare your censuring of me for I do very severely censure my self All this had been prevented tâ— your I am sure to my own great comfort and satisfaction iâ— another darkish Providence had not interposed There was worthy person design'd first to this work one whose head anâ— heart God hath inured to Funeral Sermons one who was intâ—mately acquainted with him that is dead and gone and so haâ— been for many years one who was as willing as fit for thâ— service but he is at present Gods Prisoner and disâ—inableâ— by distempers of body The Lord continue his life that he may preach many Sermons more but no more Funeral Sermons for such instruments as this our brother was if the Lorâ— please But we 'l leave the Apology and come to the business Another of the Chariots and Horsemen of our Israel is gone 2 Kings 2.12 2 Sam. 23. one of the three not one of the thirty for he may well be put amongst the first as exceeding the most inferiour to none We may this day say to God with an humble submission to him under his correcting dispensations as to the death of Ministers Joseph is not and Simeon is not and ye wil take away Benjamin all this is against me Dr. Gouge is not Mr. Gataker is not Mr. Strong is not Mr. Robinson is not Gen. 42.36 my dear and precious friends Dr. Hill and Mr. Whitaker are not of late worthy memory M. Marshal is not all these are not and now Benjamin is gone too These things are very sad the Lord help us to lay them to heart Historical Narratives are very usual upon this occasion I shall be very short in mine Mr. Vines was born at Blazon in the County of Liecester when he was of competent age he was sent to the University where he continued for some years a Student in Magdalene Colledge In which time he discovered much quickness of wit and pregnancy of parts which though they made him lively and acute yet never sinful or prophane which is a great commendation when we consider how apt your hot wits are to boil up to a scum of frothinesse and prophanenesse From the Vniversity he was removed to Hinckley in his own Country where for some time he was a Schoolmaster And let this be no disparagement I could instance in rare instruments of Gods glory in the Church of Christ who began with that emploiment but Mr. Vines is enough to himself and may rather give then take credit from any From thence he was called to the Ministry at Weddington in the County of Warwick where how diligent and painful he was in his work 't is sufficiently known Not bounding his parts and pains there in the limits of a private village he undertook a Lecture every fortnight at Non-eaton which hee carried on with much profit too and much applause from his hearers insomuch that in those days when preaching was a rare commodity many both Ministers and Christians would travel many miles to hear him The late and never enough to be lamented Civil war drawing on he was forced from his House and Charge for his Preservation to go to Coventry There he is not idle and the inhabitants were so affected to his Ministry that they earnestly desired him to sit down with them And indeed 't is pity that great lights should burn out in little rooms The Parliament calling an Assembly of Divines he was nominated a Member of it and deputed to have a share in that work And 't was a mercy to the Church of God that he was so for how much service he did there in the matter of Church Government may safely be concealed scarcely be exprest without offence This was the occasion of his coming up to this famous City and here too no sooner was he come but he had a call to Clements Danes a very large and considerable Parish And how effectual his preaching there was to the good of many Some I am sure in this Congregation can testifie not without many tears so much are they troubled at the drying up of those breasts from which for some years they had so wholesome nourishment Afterwards he removed from thence to Watton in Hartfordshire was also chosen to be Head of a Colledge in Cambridg viz. Pembroke-Hall who more fit for learning for a spirit of Government for such a trust then he there he continued very usefull and serviceable till he was put out because hee would not take the Engagement I say that Engagement which was a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to many tender conscientious Ministers in this Nation Raro solent ingenia insigniter foelicia robusta sortiri corpora sic dispensante Natura ut quod animi viribus additum est corporis detrahatur Erasm in Ep. Praef. ad Aug. opera From being Pastor of Waetton he was invited hither to Lawrence Jury and so returned to London again And here this famous light went out Hence was his last removal viz. to glory What his carriage and behaviour was here you know better then I and yet so much I know that I dare confidently say do but lay aside ignorance and prejudice and you cannot but blesse God that ever be came amongst you Long he had not been Minister here but he fell into some decays and abatements both in his spirit and strength continual pains in his head did somewhat cloud him but yet Carthage might be seen in the very dust of it Hee was formerly of a very strong constitution but lately infirmities grew much upon him which he grapled withal some moneths together till God sent his messenger with a final Arrest to â—ake him away from us At the Arrival of which upon Monday morning betwixt two and three of the Clock he â—ied at the Age of 56. or thereabouts We blesse God he lived 〈◊〉 long we mourn because he died so soon And 't is thought he hight have longer liv'd had he wrought lesse Job 14.14 but why do ye speak of that His appointed time was come And now we may bring my Text and the Providence together or of our brother we may say He walked with God Ut est mode stiae non agnoscere laudes hominum it a gratitudinis est non tacere viros per quos numinis benignitas tanta commoda largitur humano generi Eras ib. John 5.35 Job 33 23. Acts 8.24 Ut vâ—sa Aegyptiis erepta in usum Tabernaculi converti potuerunt sic Literatum Philosophiae studia c. Voet in orat Fun pro Schotauo p. 16. and he is â—ot for God hath taken him Shall we leave him thus A â—ttle I beseech you of his worth you have heard much from â—im be willing to hear a little of him partly to work upon our thankfulnesse that you ever had him partly
Christian is sad the death of a good Minister is more sad but the death of a godly and able Minister such a one as our brother was 2 Kings 2.12 this is very sad indeed My Father my Father the Chariots of Israel and the Horsemen thereof The more publick is the losse the more it is to be lamented Godly Ministers are men that are placed in a publick Orbe and therefore their losse is much to be laid to heart What do you lose when you lose your godly Ministers consider what the Scripture makes them to be Ezck. 3.17 1 Cor 4 1. 1 Cor. 4.15 Mat. 5 14. Watchmen Stewards Fathers Lights c. and you 'll see you lose much when they are taken away and more then this there cannot be a sadder presage of approaching judgments to a Nation then the death of such When God pulls up the stakes he intends to burn the hedge when the pillars are removed the house is like to fall upon these and other motives be seriously and deeply affected with such dispensations as this is God looks for this from you and his Providences call you to it Isa 57.1 but wo unto us The righteous perish and no man layes it to heart Secondly Put away those things which cause God to shorten the lives of painful Ministers I might reckon up many you cast dirt upon them and God casts dust upon them you contemn them and vilifie them 't is one of the sins of the age Jeroboam made Priests of the basest of men and now those that serve in their stead are made the basest of men The Heathens will rise up in judgement against us Amongst the Egypt Priests were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diod. Sicul. Of Alexander See Jos Ant Jud l. 11 c. 8. who alwayes honoured those that administred in the matters of their worship But I 'le only instance in one thing you are unfruitful and barren under all the paines of godly Ministers they preach in season and out of season waste their strength spend their lungs preach out their very hearts and yet you never the better this makes God to take them away in judgement to you for your unprofitablenesse 'T is your sin that hastens their end if you did thrive better they would live longer Thirdly when you mourn because so many are gone be thankful because so many are left God hath taken many Labourers out of his Vineyard in a little time but many are yet spared 'T is of the Lords mercy Elisha is not snatch't away too Well Phil. 1.25 they are spared a little for the furtherance of your joy and faith prize them and profit by them or else they also shall be removed from you Secondly let me take the boldnesse to speak a word to you my Brethren and Fathers in the Ministery Though I am but an Elihu yet suffer the word of Exhortation from me Job 32.6 You see you are mortal as well as others nay indeed your lives are more uncertain then others your frequent labours your consuming studies your spending emploiments drive you to the grave faster then others The Prophets Zech. 1.5 1 Cor. 15. ult do they live for ever I would from hence stir you up to abound in the work of the Lord to improve your opportunities of service whil'st health and strength are afforded to you to double your diligence to work whil'st the day lasts because the night is coming when no man can work John 9.4 You are spared when others are taken away there are fewer hands you must be the more diligent this may be will hasten death but this I am sure it will sweeten death and make you go out of the world if not with love from men yet with peace in your own consciences 't will be in the stead of a thousand cordials to you when you come to die Lord thou knowest I have not been idle I have according to my poor talent glorified thee on earth and now glorifie thou me John 17.4 c. Be not too much cast down at the taking away of such eminent instruments as this was for God will raise up others he never wanted instruments as yet to do his work If he take away an Eli he 'll provide a Samuel if there be need of eminent instruments for the beating down of errour the holding up of Truth Such God will provide He 'll have an Athanasius for an Arius an Augustine for a Pelagius a Prosper for a Coelestine a Fulgentius for a Faustus I say let 's not be cast down God will never want Workmen to do his work only let us make this use of it we that are remaining Elisha's to get Elijah's spirit doubled upon us to treasure up a large stock of grace and knowledge that we may be able to bear some considerable weight when old pillars are gone and to increase our diligence as God increases our work Thirdly I shall suggest something to you the Inhabitants of this Parish who have the deepest share in this sad Providence for though the Eclipse reaches further yet 't is darkest in your borders God hath smote your Shepherd and you are like to be for a time as a scattered flock Zech. 13.7 a Shepherd you may have again but every Shepherd is not Mr. Vines shall I inminde you of two or three duties 1. Blesse God for that merciful provision which he hath made for you in a succession of godly Pastours Not many places in this City have been better fed then you to the praise of his Grace be it spoken Secondly Study what is the meaning of God in the taking away of your Ministers so fast Two you have lost in a little time though by different wayes The one burnt out like a candle that hath no more matter to maintain its burning the other was blowen out This our brother now to be interr'd was taken away by the Hand of God the former Minister was taken away by the hand of man whether justly or not the great day will discover when Kings and Parliaments must give a strict account especially for blood and that too especially for the blood of precious Ministers Thirdly Do not forget them though you cannot enjoy them Let the precious truths they preach'd always be sounding in your ears Heh 11 4. Heb. 13.7 for though they be dead they do yet speak Remember them who have spoken to you the Word of God though now they are laid aside You do remember them in some sense witnesse the large expressions of your love to the widows which the two last left behinde them which I cannot but mention to your praise but remember them further so as to live according to that they have set before you This affection is the best affection this will be their crown and yours too at the day of judgement Fourthly if I shall not presume too far let me advise you to be careful in your choice again that
His people sure had stopt him with their Cry My blear-ey'd Muse 't is tears have made her so Must wash his Marble too before she go Upon the much to be lamented Death of the Reverend Mr. Vines ARt thou gone too thou great and gallant minde And must such Sneaks as I be left behinde If thus our Horsemen and Commanders die What can the Infantry do then but flie Oh divine Vines Tell us why would'st thou go Vnlesse thou could'st have left thy parts below If there 's a Metempseuchosis indeed Tell us where we may finde thee at our need Who hath thy Memory thy Brain thy Heart Whom didst thou leave thy tongue for every part Of thee can make a man What if we finde As I 'le not swear this Age wo'nt change her minde Prelacy though her lands are sold revive Or Independency who hopes to thrive No where suit 's Trump should dare dispute at length Where hast thou left thy Presbyterian strength With which thou got'st the Game i' th' Isle of Wight Where the King cri'd that Vines was in the right When Essex di'd the Honour of our Nation Thou gav'st him a new life in thy Oration An expression in Mr. Vines Sermon on my Lord of Essex But when great Fairfax to his Fate shall yield Whom hast thou left to fetch from Naisby field Th' Immortal Turfe and dresse it with a story That shall perpetuate his name and glory Where 's thy rich Fancy man To whom beneath Did'st thou thy lofty and high strain bequeath Tell us for thy own sake for none but he That hath thy wit can write thy Elegy Till he be found let this suffice which I Leave on thy stone Here lies the Ministry R. Wylde Minister of Aynhoe In obitum Viri Doctissimi pariter pientissimi RICHARDI VINES Summi Theologi QUae tenerum quondam solita est inutile gramen Et flores agri carpere falce levi Robora sublimes CEDROS VITESque securi Fatal Nunc Mors Improba sternit humi Atque uno ut miseros per compendia reddat Ict u Stravit totum hoc genus arboreum En cui Robur erat QVERCVS CEDRIque perennis Durities VIT IS Laetificae Bonitas Hunc celeri caeco succidit Vulnere Casum Flebit Posteritas Nos satis haud fuimus In English thus DEath that was wont the tender grasse to mowe And crop with gentle Sithe the flowers that growe In broidered fields now fells our stoutest OAKES Tall CEDARS CHOICEST VINES with fatal stroaks And to compleat our misery at one blow ALL these in ONE fierce Death did overthrow For Him in whom the STRENGTH of OAKES did rest BEAUTY of CEDARS and of VINES the BEST By a swift secret stroke too envious Death Out of our sacred Grove removed hath Thus VINES cut down and ' cause we for his fall Cannot lament enough our children shall M.N. Epitaphium In Disputatorem acutissimum Concionatorem foelicissimum Theologum Eximium Dominum RICHARDVM VINES QUo disputante Nemo Nervosior Et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strophas solvere Atque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 capistrare potis magè Quo perorante Nemo facundior Doctior aut Coelum effundere in Mortaleis Sinus aut Mortalia in Coelum Pectora Quo vivente Nemo charior Aut suis aut Amicis veritatis Quo moriente Ah Desiderantur plurima Posuit Mat. Newcomen Upon the much lamemed Death of that eminently accomplished Man of God Mr. Richard Vines late Pastor of Lawrence-Jury London Jer. 24.3 OF figs two baskets and two sorts of Vines Some good some bad I reade unlike their wines Deut. 32 32. The Vine of Sodom poisonous grapes which beares The Vine of Sibmah bleeding briny teares Esa 16 8. Jer 48.32 2 Kings 4.39 Hos 101. Job 15.33 Esa 5.2 Ezek. 17.6.7 The wilde Vine which the Prophets Pot did taint An empty Vine the foule self-seeking Saint A blasted Vine which unripe fruits did cast A soure grap'd Vine unpleasing to the taste A bending Vine constant to no one side But changing Lords and Faiths with every tide Such were the old false prophets cursed souies Which poisoned their times with Hell-brew'd Boules Such Hypocrites such the Apostate Race Foul Covenant-breakers Men of no heart All-face Ezek 17 15. None such was this our Vines A better kinde Then those forenam'd you do in Scripture finde Jer. 2.21 Gen. 49.11 Judg. 9.13 Psal 128.3 1 Kings 4.25 Psal 80.15 Ezek 17.8 John 15. A noble Vine I meet with a Vine choice A fruitful Vine best Embleme of Increase A shady Vine Ensigne of publike peace A Vine of Gods own planting Goodly Vine Branches implanted in a Vine Divine Such was our Vines whose noble fruit choice shade The gracious heart and spirit chearful made A Branch of the True Vine ingraffed drest By th' Fathers hand purged made fruitful blest Joh. 15.1 2 5. With many Clusters full of such rich wine As did Braines Hearts and Lives of men refine Oh Noble Plant Oh Plant of much renown Loaden with so much fruit as well might crown A◠many Ministers where such variety Of Learning Wisdom Courage Grace and Piety Were manag'd with that skill and so improved As made him honour'd awed reverend loved England consider Thy Vineyard fast declines Thy hedge is broke wall fallen thy choicest Vines Transplanted are now like an Heath forlorne With stones thou cover'd art o're run with thorne Esa 5. Psal 80.13 Cant. 2.15 Psal 80.14 Pester'd with briars the Beast Fox and wilde Bore Do all assault thee and will more and more But look down Lord from Heaven and visit thou This Vineyard 't is thine own in danger now Esa 5. The stones and thornes pick out the hedge and wall Restore tower build but above all Esa 27.3 Let thy eye be upon it night and day Whatever may it hurt chase thou away To the Honourable Memory of Mr. Richard Vines BUt why so soon why make such haste away Could'st thou not brook a little more delay And give some warning of so sad a blow No private but a common overthrow As when the Fabrick of some stately Towre Comes near the period of its fatal houre Here shrinks a rafter there a pillar groanes And all the parts breath out their farewel moanes That so some just and seasonable feare May the indwellers for the stroke prepare And was it thine intent to verifie What we thought false that Seraphims may die Sure could they die just so they 'd lose their breath Nor would they pray against a sudden death What was the cause thou wast so hurried hence Nor with a moments stay would death dispence Was it because that restlesse hellish crew Did with good Angels their dispute renew 'Bout Moses body and th' Archangel chose Thee for his Second to confute his foes Or did those blessed spirits who use to pry And search into the Gospel-mystery Come to a riddle and resolved thus To send
for thee to be their Oedipus Were it not heathenish to apprehend Mortals could to a Deity ascend I should expound thy sudden change to bliss A token of thine Apotheosis As Romulus when to be deifi'd He must to Heaven in a whirlwinde ride Or was 't because had a more lingring death Giv'n timely notice of thy passing breath Such rivers would have flowen from mortal eyes As might the world with a new flood surprize Or else like Niobe such had been our moan That all mankinde had wept into a stone But now amazement did our tears suppresse And made our grief the more but danger lesse Forraign Geographers did once surmize That England had three Universities London was one but now they 'l change their tone 'T is now too true England hath lesse by one O you Caligula's whose monstrous rage Could wish that all the Levites of this Age Had but one neck that so one bloody sword Might cut off all the conduits of the Word Forbear 't is done and here doth bleeding lie As in a Map all Englands Ministry You brood of Munster whose prodigious ire Destines all Libraries unto the fire Surcease your barbarous rage within one span Here lies the ashes of the Vatican When Lambeth-Sea of Books was to forsake Its ancient Seat and a new Chanel take Our Senate did espouse those choice remaines To Sion-House Cambridge forbade the banes 'T was doubtful where that walking Library Would fixe both places were resolv'd to try Their titles but at last did thus agree To send it to the Universitie Upon these termes they should with Vines dispense And send him hither for a recompence He was transplantad Thus our common mother Found one vast Library and lost another Or if you please you may compound it thus They got the shadow th'substance came to us Some blam'd the publike body of the Nation Because they did not call a Convocation They sent for Vines and what need further cost In him a whole Assembly was ingrost It could not then be said to Englands shame It hath no Synods for such was thy fame That in thy Head as in a Common Hall They saw they heard a Councel general Some say that Englands present Ministry Is nothing but an Antichristian fry Then sure thou was 't the Pope for 't was confest Thou hadst all Lawes i' th' Cabinet of thy breast But peace my whining Muse and say no more Of unknown worth conceal his hidden store Bury the rest lest mortals too much prize His sacred reliques and idolatrize Lest other Students when his parts they hear Grow negligent and sink into despair Do but name Vines more need not be exprest Tagus and Ganges will report the rest Each echo at the mention of his name Will be a sounding Trumpet of his fame Sure that at Vxbridge will speak his renown Oftner then the echo at Pont-charentoon Mat. Pool Min. of M. Quern Lond. On the sudden and unexpected death of that famous and incomparable Preacher of the Gospel Mr. Richard Vines I 'me pleas'd much more to see a Vine though weak Laden with clusters and its branches break With weight of Grapes then view a sturdy tree Barren though standing to eternity A knife that cuts the sheath I 'le rather chuse Though 't wear apace then that 's not fit for use A brave man 's gone but this shall be my strife Just so to live though so I end my life My Fancy runs too flat for every line Should yield a flavour of the sprightly Vine I would not drop a crabby tear on 's Herse Eager devotion martyrs him in verse Yet farewel mirth Just reason for complaint When Vines are dead no wonder if we faint Nothing but Cypresse pensive heads shall dresse The Vineyard is become a wildernesse Soure grapes there are I know in every hedge But he who eats them sets his teeth on edge Thy grapes were ripe pure soul so that the Presse Was needlesse since the streams of happinesse Ran from thee freely and thou didst distill The blessed dictates of thy Makers Will For soules inflam'd with lust Thy Art divine Afforded water when they long'd for wine And where a soul lay prostrate with despair Thy wine prov'd Aqua vitae cordial rare Milk unto babes strong meat to manly stature Thy doctrine sympathiz'd with every nature Thus the Vine flourish'd till a soveraign fate In Paradise did it innoculate S. Jacombe Mary Woolnoth Lombardstreet Upon the never enough to be lamented Death of the learned Mr. Richard Vines AMongst the throng of Mourners who do come To wait upon the learned Vines his tombe Make room I pray for one who with lame verse Can only crawle to offer at his Herfe My muse like Croesus son was fast tongue-ti'd And had ne're spoke had not his father di'd Let her but groan to ease her heart and then She shall give over and be dumb agen Oh you his people let your sorrow swell To floods of tears which to'th'world may tell Your losse and when y'have wept your eyes quite dry Let him be wept by your posterity How have we angred Heaven what ugly sin Hath in this wretched City harbour'd been What whoredoms murders and Heaven-daring crimes Have broken out in these debautched times That we should live to see the angry hand Of God stretch't out against our Church and Land Breaking our pillars down with furious haste Laying our well compact foundations waste Powerful Whitaker whose incessant cries Did reach the Heavens and laid siege to th'skies Reverend Gataker whose unfathom'd braine Did all the Arts and Sciences contain Laborious Robinson whose care and pain Was for immortal soules not wealth or gain Stout-hearted Love who durst defie the axe When others yielded like the melting waxe These are no more and to compleat our wo Eloquent Vines stoops to deaths fatal blow Have patience Gentlemen and tithes abhor'd * The Patron Will lapsed be unto the present Lord. You need not beat your braines how to lay waste Our pious Clergy See with speed they haste To get into their Ark before the cloud That gathers thick poure down in showers of blood If thus our glorious Lights waste and expire For all our new ones we may sink i' th' mire Of damn'd Apostacy that horrid crime Which threatens ruine to our present time Oh for an Atlas to uphold the Sphear Of our reeling Church which frighted shakes with fear I could my self turn Seeker but 't is vain Another sturdy resolute Vines to gain He whose undaunted courage did contend With blasphemies and errours to his end No armed vice or wickednesse in buffe No scarlet sinners gown or chain or ruffe Could fright him to base silence no sweet bait With a hook in it but he scorn'd it strait Rather then swear that which his soul did dread He lost his Headship would have lost his Head When England's Essex fell our Nations glory Who but Seraphick Vines must tell his story The drooping State that did attend his fall When Lords and Commons wept his Funeral The mourning drum the Lance and Ensignes trail'd The robes of honour all in Sables vail'd Did but affect the eye 't was only he Who tun'd our hearts into sad melody His tongue and pen eterniz'd Essex more Then all the trophies which his tombe then wore And this will sound our learned Vines his praise Louder then riming or our crackling bayes Thomas Playre Gent. FINIS