hath seen Say Princess great why is thy look so grim To what 's meer man being so fair and trim To gracious souls it's but the fear of change That makes thee so And yet oh wonder strange Want of change caus'th that fear man hear my breath Change but thy self thou'lt ne'er fear change by death Death's visage is a looking-glass wherein Thou view'st thy foul deformity by sin It 's guilt of that breeds fear of death in man Whilst rinsed souls with joy embrace it can See see besotted earth-worm who hast run The race of man and nought but cob-webs spun Sow'd rotten seed death thy race terminates Cuts off thy warp thy harvest antidates And makes it dreadful which might joyful be If thou thy way of safety couldst but see Death is a bond-mark-bridge to Heav'n and Hell On yonder side On this to earth as well Three spatious Kingdoms yea the three and all On this side are two roads which equal fall At the bridge-end the roads of joy and wo And every man in one of them doth go On t'other side two spatious Inns are built The one for innocence t'other for guilt To entertain the Travellers that pass The former roads In these a boundless mass Of joyes and woes are treasur'd up in store Where they shall joy or mourn for evermore Both Inns are at Bridge-end on t'other side One hath a narrow gate the other wide Whoe'er in either enters ne'er returns But there eternally or joys or mourns Joy's road is narrow rough and thorny woe 's Broad plain and smooth wherein the whole world goes Have care to chuse thy path and rightly judge For there 's no changing paths beyond the bridge But each of all the num'rous pilgrims throngs Lies in that Inn that to his path belongs And there remains for ever Heed thy walk It 's of concernment high whereof we talk Tread the straight path then death will be thy friend And guide thee to joy's Inn at journey's end For she presents the ghests in both the places And is chief Umpire in all doubtful cases For many seem to walk in way of zeal Whose specious shews do good opinion steal Ev'n of the best Yet tri'd by death's true test Lie down in sorrows Inn among the rest Others but few may seem to walk the ways That lead to wo whom death at last displays To be the joy-house ghests who there sit down And for their crosses here enjoy a crown Death is both ferry-man and boat whereby We launch the Ocean of eternity The Poets Charon who doth waft alone Souls to Elysium or to Acheron It is the intermitting point whereby We time divide from perpetuity Our time dies with us though time 's self remain Unto the time when we shall rise again In brief it 's but a blank at life's line 's end To bad men mortal foe to good a friend It 's amiable in a faithful eye But horrible to Belial's progeny Fond man cease death to fear make right thy heart Faith steeps in Balsamum death's surest dart Trans-forms its wounds to cures for thou shalt live Eternally by the wound death doth give The Epigram PAle Princess spare thy threats we know thy force Thou su'st the soul and bodies short divorce It lasts but one night's rest and that 's a toy For in the morning they shall meet with joy Thou wounded'st once our brother Lord and King And in that wound drone-like didst lose thy sting Now thou canst hurt no more save such mad elves As bring thee a new sting to kill themselves 'T were better for them death had kept his sting Then they be stung to death by stings they bring Though plain perire be a fate past jest Pennis perire propriis grave est Judgment HArk hark rebellious man the trumpet sounds Thy judgment-march the earth for fear rebounds Rocks rock the mountains tremble all the world Is ague-shook into hearts passion hurl'd Tellus keeps open house the grave 's unfraught Thetis re-renders up the dead she caught Both now their captives forth to judgment bring Before the throne of Heav'ns eternal King They can't detaine a dust of good nor bad But re-deliver must whate'er they had The ratling flames with horrid whirling roar Drink up the Sea and eat at once the shoar It 's quite in vain to mountains now to cry Or rocks to hide they all like atoms fly Hence in the beams of fire-light Oh! look look Sun Moon and Stars have Firmament forsook They fall like mellow fruit in blustring storms The spheres are shrivel'd up and loose their forms The Elements do melt the fixed Stars Fall down pel-mel as soldiers drop in wars The Heavens can no canopy afford No curtain thee to hide for in a word Both Heav'n and earth are nonplus'd at this blast And shall together in new molds be cast Thou' rt past advising now appear thou must Thy sentence to receive which will be just That 's all thy comfort and small comfort 't is To those who in this life have done amiss For all accounts shall here be fully cast And each man have full pay for labour past See yonder where the Judges books are come Whereby he judges and will pay all home According as appears by those records Whose counterparts thy own scar'd soul affords And still hath kept lockt up in conscience-chest But now must bring them forth among the rest Both she and thou and all know all is true In those records so there needs no review Sentence will soon be past the judge will say To you of his left-handed herd Away Depart from me ye cursed into fire That lasts for ever fitted for your Sire The Devil and his Angels Oh sad doom Yet ne'er to be revok'd for time to come Wer 't but to death or to annihilation The pains would end by senses deprivation But in these torments life and sense remain Yet neither life nor sense save those of pain Pains measureless and endless pour'd on thee Where wronged mercy will most cruel be Millions of ages past thy pains appear As far from end as when thou first wast there Their measure is as much as Devils can Devise of torment to inflict on Man Or an Almighty God can storm on those Who have declar'd themselves his mortal Foes There needs no more be spoke Ah wretched wight Think on this day before eternal night Prevent thy thinking on 't by being in 't Fence off the blow before thou feel the dint It 's true in God's as well's in Nature's school QUIS EXPECTAVIT is a cure-less fool If hearing man be told that death is nigh And scorns to heed it he must surely die Heed heed thy way of peace in this thy time Repent each former shun each future crime Redeem thy time to come none can what 's past Spend thy first hour as if it were thy last Think still thou dost the trumps loud summons hear ARISE you Dead to Judgement quick appear With penitential water
once and I dare say The rest will throw down arms and run away She is thy castle's porter she lets in World Devil and all that may provoke to sin Call self forth to the bar thou needst not try her She 's both judg'd and condemn'd go crucifie her Methinks as did Copernicus I ' spy The world with all her trinkets round to fly At that brave sentence Satan sneak away As one that in the field hath lost the day Like black Cur scar'd with tail betwixt his legs Seeing he sate abrood on addle eggs Walk on brave heart now thou' rt a man indeed Now thou hast done the work no more then need Hadst not thou hadst for ever been undon Run cheerly forth thou 'lt come to Heav'n anon An Epigram on the same MAn know thy self and wherefore thou wert made Not wealth to seek or make deceit a trade Deceit 's a trade that will deceive at last Greatest Deceivers when th' accounts are cast If thou wilt needs deceive deceive thy foes Who have and do deceive thee at thy nose The devil world and flesh all three at once I 'll shew thee how to do 't if thou have sconce Thou hast two men within thee here 's the skill Cast out the old and keep the new man still This new-mans sent alone packs them for ever 'T will conjure better then Tobiah's liver Age. MAn 's no stay'd creature Lo he now appears Transform'd from what he was his hoary hairs And baldness shew that Winter's neer when late 'T was but high harvest Ceres out of date Pursues her sister Flora on with speed Blow'th to bespeak of her for next years seed Thus times revolve and then return but man Review's no more what 's past the strongest can But one time have and but once have that time To Platonize in Christians is a crime Grave Sir time present's only in your power The past and future times are none of your You can't the first recal nor latter tell What it shall bring to pass this you know well If you but lose the present your time 's lost Irrevocab'ly gone nay more 'T will cost Your loss of labour body soul and all And that for ever Oh! let this appal Your subtle heart rouze your clogg'd memory Time to redeem lest you eternally Rue that neglect you 're wise pray therefore weigh How your state stands for he that did conveigh All to you that you have or can have here Past it but for six days not for a year Four of the best expir'd if rightly cast Infancy childhood youth and manhood past You now are in the fifth at Fryday's stage But Saturday left for your doating age And that 's half pain half play the school-boys maze And old mens too for then their life 's a blaze Like a spent candle which if let alone Burns dim then flashes and is forthwith gone But ah look further then comes on the day That should thy Sabbath be the day of pay 'T will be to all for all shall have their hire As they deserve though not as they desire Who finde it not a pleasure-day of rest Finde it a pain-day not to be exprest Oh then begin to think and cast about With care how to work your salvation out I know your care is great those things to save Whereof no use at all you 'll shortly have You 're penny-wise pound-foolish nay much worse You 're body-wise soul-foolish O dire curse You to advise as others were too bold Might jealousie provoke since you are old Should I to you Put off the old man say You 'll think I bid you cast your self away That 's a fond errour pray mistake me not It will not shorten health or life a jot Suppose the worst if you should thereby die 'T will screw your life up to eternity Work work your change for now the days are neer Of which you 'll say in sorrow pain and fear I have no pleasure in them when your sky Sun Moon and Stars shall dark'ned be on high And Clouds shall follow rain House-k eepers tremble The strong men bow themselves and grinders nimble Through paucity shall cease the window-peepers Be darkned and the street-doors shut by keepers When you shall undergo those other woes That Isr'el's royal preacher quaintly shows Desire shall fail your dust to earth return Your soul to God your carkase to the urn 'T will be too late to work when death's dark night Hath you envelopt robb'd of light and sight Sure none defer their work but thriftless fools 'Till dotage hath depriv'd them of their tools That they should work with think you he that gave Men souls and bodies with endowments brave To do him service can contented be In his foe's work them all imploy'd to see And take the Devil's gleanings we such folly Would highly scorn And can our God most holly An wise be so deluded Man remember Thy yeer is almost past it 's high December Work ne'er so hard who 'll give thee a yeers pay To work for him 'twixt this and new-yeers day Yet God will do 't if thou wilt faithful prove And serve him in true fear with fraudless love Give him thy heart and less thou canst not give Nor craves he more So thou shalt surely live Live beyond date of death or force of fear Where nothing that offends shall more come near What canst expect thy gain more to advance Then thy life's change for firm inheritance Such an inheritance earth ne'er did see Thy self thy everlasting heir shalt be A better Lord was never tenant had If thou refuse him thou art worse then mad He 'll make thee co-heir with his own sole son The Lord of Heaven and Earth and with him one Haste haste accept the motion whilst thou may'st 'T is a cheap purchase whatsoe'er thou pay'st And he expects no more but thy old clothes Thy carnal habits which he likewise lothes But will 's thou cast them off for he retains No servitor on whom such ragg remains He 'll clothe thee in white Robes of righteousness Whose glory Cherubims cannot express Add to the pow'r he gives but thy endeavour And thou shalt sit inthron'd with him for ever Quick shift thy vestments and go hide thee in Those splendent Robes cast off thy rags of sin Let lusts and passions a new Master get Speed lest thou be prevented by Sun-set Now now 's thy time to do 't for who doth know Whe'er thou shalt live a minute more or no This done thou 'lt reap invaluable gains And I 'll require but thanks for this my pains Nay if thou give me none content I 'll be He for whose glory 't is will pay them me Epigram GRay Hair with graceless Heart a guilded tomb Greedy yet fruitless like a barren womb It 's Harvest high and yet no fruit appears This plague's far worse then Egypts fruitless years Those Harvests fail'd but they had Grain in store Here 's no fruit now nor hopes of
To charm our fancies and besot our reason And make our selves against our selves work treason Nor have we in our selves pow'r to resist Her winning wiles noâ— from her love desist That pow'r supernal is O dearest Lord Grant us this pow'r thy help to us afford Then shall we force thy greatest Foe to yeild And make our temptingst sin forsake the field An Epigram on the same THe Devil 's a Witch our Proverb tells us thus But Sin 's the Witch that witch'd both Him and Us. Him past all cure but We may cured be If we by faith can Jâ—sus feel and see Great God assist us and it shall suffice For we must have from Thee both hands and eyes Pride the Seed of Sin GReat fall of Men and Angels Heavens hate Wert thou as good as thou art seeming great Thou would'st the fairest Vertue be of many But art the most deformed Vice of any Scorn of all good a bastard mungrel Evil Begot betwixt relapsing Man and Devil Though both quâ tales thy own creatures be Begetters of and yet begot by thee A monstrous spawn of Incest sp'ritual That Viper-like hadst life from parents fall And yet thou vaunt'st boasting thy birth and blood When no progenitor of thine was good Surpassest in thy self-conceit by odds Those humbler souls descended from the gods Whose most heroick race and princely birth Farther transcendeth thine then heaven doth earth Bold Queen of Vices thou ledst on the Van Of that Black Regiment that foiled Man Under Gods elbow by the Prince of Hell Lucifer thy Lieutenant Colonel Under the subtile Serpents shape disguis'd Thereby presuming to make man despis'd In his Creators eyes for evermore VVhose Mercie sent his Son to clear that score VVho brake the Serpents head thy daring skill Did legions of sacred Angels fill VVith God-unthroning plots whereby they fell To all eternity cast down to Hell The glory of thy conquests yet thy gain Appears but small for they subdu'd again Thee their subduer and have forc't thee since To act in service of their direful Prince Who by Self-merit and Presumption Thy fatal Daughters hath more souls drawn on In everlasting-fire-chains to be ti'd Then by all other sins and sâ—…res beside Mother of Antichrist thou first set'st on The founding of Mysterious Babylon The Beast is but thy Creature and the Whore Thy eldest unmach't Daughter I therefore A Mate will motion to her though a mad one Yet not unfit it is the great Abaddon Who shortly will to her a Kingdom give Wherein though dying she shall ever live For here her time is short as I compute And will be found so without all dispute Therefore translate her hence unto the place Before all worlds prepared for her was It is her portion Oh detain it not Do her no wrong but let her have her lot And then the Lord of Life shall rule again And under him his humble Saints shall reign Amen Lord Jesus haste it on for lo The whole Creation groans to have it so The Angels Saints and Martyrs cry aloud To have thy vengeance poured on the proud For of all sins that bar poor man from bliss To Them and Thee Pride the most hateful is None doth in Man thy Image more deface Nor any makes us in thy sight so base VVhat Necromantick Philter us hath charm'd And both of sense and reason so disarm'd That we should glory in our greatest shame Our Fig-leaf cloathes do but our fall proclaim VVas that worth boasting of Then thy gains scan Proud prinking pranking prating parret man And brag on spare not kneaded lump of clay Thy seal'd damnation 't will at last display Handful of dust coagulate short span Of putri'd earth such art thou proudest man Thou vaunt'st of thy descent and may'st do 't well Never was greater then from heav'n to hell Thy pedigree I 'll shew I dare aver To be Angelick from great Lucifer Thy parts and gifts of body and of soul Are fair and comely but pride makes them foul Thou aimst at great atchievments buildst high hopes Sand-founded structures On whose towring tops Are batt'ries rais'd against the walls of Heav'n But all thy Cannon-shot of force bereav'n Retort from those unpierced edifices Upon thy self and so thy fond devices Are self-crush't And what self not ruinates Death briefly seizeth and annihilates Proud fool go rake great Alexander's dust The ashes of those Hero's whose meer lust Their pow'r transform'd to law whose very word Made Empires tremble whose devasting sword Made seas of blood and robb'd the lands of breath Divorcing souls from bodies by grim death And see how calm they are how voyd of pride As if all Histories had them bely'd Draw neerer home and open late-made tombs Of thy progenitors within whose wombs Their nigh-corrupted flesh sends forth a stink Which thou abhorr'st to smell yea loath'st to think How noysom 't is And tell O tell me then If there be reason for such pride in men Dost thou their flesh-devested bones there see Such Skeleton be sure thy self shall be If not by providence to worse ordain'd For worse corruption many have sustain'd And truth to say most proper 't were for thee Should thy dead corpse by fowls devoured be Who living in self-thoughts didst soar on high And so when dead on others wings shalt fly Pride is Lust's Bawd Broker to Avarice Mother of Envy and each hateful Vice Excesses Vintner Brewer Cook and Baker The Souldiers and the Lawyers Cavil-Maker Ambitious Engineer Wars shoo-horn so Were't not for Pride souldiers might bare-foot go VVho now march booted to advance the shew Of her vain-glorious self-conceited Crew Shoo-makers Haberdashers Jewellers VVith Lapidaries Goldsmiths Pewterers Cutlers and Armourers all sorts of Drapers Fencers and Fidlers Dancers cutting capers Those that make Buttons Bandstrings Tires and Borders Teeth Eyes and Periwigs and mend disorders In ugly Faces with a countless number Of other Trades who us with changes cumber Chameleon Dyers who by Art do vary Their colours to the same that others carry Attend her train all plague-sick of the Fashion Led on by Taylors pest of English Nation VVhose Proteus-like changing quite out-braves In mutability the Moon and VVaves VVho Frenchifie our men and women so That who are English we can hardly know VVho a new Fashion do affect so well They 'l have it though they knew it came from Hell Did they the Dev'l in Uncouth Habit spie They 'ld sue for his Old Suit to cut New by These are which I think cannot be deny'd Gentlemen-Ushers to the Devil and Pride A Letany to beg deliverance From these were very fit Here and in France VVhich two fond Nations they have stultifi'd This last-past Age more then the world beside Pride would fear banishment if they should fall VVho are supporters of her Devil and all I think few wise men deem this censure hard If Laws were mended Taylours would be marr'd And women made more wise and poor men too VVho now betwixt them
both have much to do But sure ere long I hope the time to see VVhen English Laws shall so amended be That pride the subject now of admiration Shall be scorn's subject throughout all the Nation VVhen we shall glory not in gawdy cloaths New-fangled fashions or in horrid oaths Or spotted faces with like souls within Or hair like those that in a Mill have been Or self-conceited gestures speech or looks The Devils new devised baits and hooks To catch poor souls But shall with joynt accord Gloâ—y in this that we do know the Lord And that he is our God and will us own He knowing us and being of us known VVho will suppress the proud exalt the meek And then his people shall to Sion seek VVith joy and peace Oh haste the time dear Lord Let thy Church say Amen with one accord An Epigram on the same HEll-maker why so high I stile thee well For thou mad'st Devils and they made God make Hell Apollyon destruction is thy trade For thou marr'dst man and man marr'd all God made Let reason rule the rost quit thy old score Mend what thou marred hast or vaunt no more Avarice the Root of Sin HUnger-starv'd plenty what a Monster 's here A greedy stomach pin'd in midst of cheer Yet wants nor hands nor mouth nor teeth to feed With these she tears devours grinds those that need Opus and Vsus all the means of profit Opus that gets it makes not Vsus of it This gnawing worm its Mothers intrails rends To line fat bags nay it s own spirits spends Indangers soul and body that to gain Which is but kept with fear when got with pain And never us'd joy'd in but not injoy'd At fullest still complains of being voyd All put to Vse and yet none Us'd at all A fine Fools Paradise I may it call Wherein wise worldlings much delight to walk Though to their endless pain they think and talk Plot and project and waste out day and night In carking care to get by wrong or right Or any means what gotten but annoyes And is the worst of vanities and toyes This greedy Dame made thievish Achan run A course that Isr'el had almost undone That brought on him and his most sad confusion This cursed Caitiff caus'd the great effusion Of Ahabs Races blood a numerous crew Of Royal Imps whom furious Jehu slew Then out of pride and greediness to reign Return'd to Jeroboam's sin again Who had through Avarice in time of old Stock't Dan and Betâ—el with curst Calves of gold She made the great Assyrian Monarch plunder The sacred Temple once the worlds rare wonder 'T was greediness not neediness of wealth Provok'd that Prince to sacrilegious stealth She 't was when Christ did preach that deafness wrought In learned Scribes and Pharises who taught The people most exactly yet were blind Themselves the while through Avarice of minde And seeing could not see nor hearing hear Those Truths which in their Scriptures written were This hellish Hag betray'd our dearest Lord Made Judas sell him for a price abhor'd Who a self-strangling and damnation got As Over-plus of purchase for his lot She to the holy Ghost to lye inclin'd Poor Ananias and Sapphira's minde For which on them that fearful Judgement fell Of sudden Death if not of sudden Hell She made wise Simon Magus Sophimore Thinking by Coin which none but fools adore To purchass that unvaluable Gift Of God's most holy Spirit but his drift Was at his Gain and so he gained hath Lasting Reproach if not e'erlasting Death She wrought the Pythonesses girles masters On Paul and Silas to bring such disasters In old Philippi And at Ephesus Diana's Zealot blinde Demetrius To raise an uproar and an Idol prize Beyond the Lord of Life where were his eyes Not on his goddess but his god his gain For whose sole sake he that hot Zeal did fain This made unhappy Felix leave Paul bound Although no cause of his restraint he found Yet in that passage Avarice we see Procur'd unwonted affability And since that Scripture is undoubted true I 'll instance it to give the Dev'l his due Leprous Gehezi I could here bring forth And many more examples notice-worth In Histories sacred and forraign too But that will endless be for me to do It might be for my pleasure not my gains For sure no miser would requite my pains Covetousness might find me lasting work Should I into her secret corners lurk Survey her bags and baggage tricks together And yet in my expressions ' bate of either She 's prides sworn sister but that pride 's too dear Oft-times for her who still loves to go near She loaths prides hand-Maid Cost who makes her smart For none but she and loss do pierce her heart The world and coin of all round things she loves And of square dealings mostly she approves Save in her self for there she 'l all confound Make that seem square which others know is round Uneven even basest wrong seem right Light make of darkness and bright day of night Her train are Under-Sheriffs Bayliffs Brokers Pursivants keepers and such men-provokers Their loading is of papers parchments waxes Which terrifie men more then new-rais'd taxes These all like Cannibals the coast do scour And Devil-like seek whom they may devour These Anthropophagi are nearest friends To avarice by whom she works her ends Mercy 's her wonder mildness she deems wild And thinks severest justice much too mild If harshest cruelty her gain procure She will baptize it courtesie most pure If not meer charity she 's Satans bawd And can like him by her sublimed fraud Assume an Angel's shape whilst she commits Rapes on poor innocents and racks her wits Widdows and Orphans to devour her faith Is Pharisaick falshood which betray'th All those that trust her though relations near Vicinity's forgot if gain appear It 's she wise Heathens term'd the root of evils VVhich in no Garden grows except the Devils Unfit for Christian heart to entertain Or to be lodged in a Converts brain Her heart 's the mint of all dcceits the sink Of bloodi'st crimes that heart of man can think The Devil is chief coiner in this Cell And stamps the Cash to buy him slaves for Hell Her she insinuation screws into Corrupted nature and doth us undo Insensibly her none-such subtilties ' Mongst men inveigles mostly the most wise And ablest parted masters of most reason Before perversion If a heart she season VVith love of gain that heart 's bewitched quite And ' reft of reason truth peace love delight Of mercy conscience and of all that 's good And grudgâ—th its sole-lov'd self both cloaths and food Scrapes all it may from whomsoe'er it can Without respect of friend foe God or man Yet gotten cannot will not use it why If you know not no more doth he nor I Unless the Devils inchantments so prevail To blind his sense and make his reason fail For inclinations unto other sins Mostly
1. LIfe thou dost flatter and betray My heedless soul to sin to day On thee presuming And hopes assuming Of penitence hereafter And so thou lead'st me sheep-like to the slaughter 2. Thou in thy warfare careless art Though Death hath got Letters of Mart Soon to surprize thee VVhere-e'er he spies thee A foe that will not trifle But surely speed and will thee shortly rifle 3. Why shouldst thou faithless to me be 'T is to thy self as well as me Cease then to flatter And thy baits scatter To hook my foolish fancie For thy allurements work like necromancie 4. 'T is a black Art and dark thou hast VVho danger vail'st till time is past Of it preventing And mak'st repenting Late unavailing to us And by thy Syren's songs dost quite undo us 5. VVe silly mortals quite mistake VVhen thee for our chief friend we take Death is more friendly And deals more kindly VVho summons us to heaven VVhen thou would'st keep us here of joy bereven 6. Nature on thee doth too much dote VVhose humour 't is to love by rote VVhil'st reason 's blinded And sense most minded Our souls by thee are lulled Secure asleep and of salvation gulled To DEATH 1. DEath how do sinners thee abuse VVho thee most grim to pourtray use They quite mistake thee VVho uglie make thee Thou to the good art comely Though worldlings deem thy presence course and homely 2. Thou art out Moses who dost show Our way from Egypt here below To Can'an's glory Thou dost us hurry From this worlds dayly sorrows To joyes eternal where to day wants morrows 3. It is thy father makes thee grim Thou lovely art wert not for him He dwells within us And he doth win us To hate thee without thy desert Thy Father's sin and thou his wages art 4. A father strange that hates his child And wages too you 'ld deem him wild As we count wildness For death's sweet mildness Is shown still to the holly Sin 's their chief foe and counts their goodness folly 5. Death is God's Hâ—… who calls away His servants to receive their pay But to his debtors And their abertors His under-Sheriff cruel Who them imprisons where flameâ— ne'er wantâ— fuel 6. Death lays our bodies here asleep Whilst festivals our souls shall keep 'Till our exciting And re-uniting In joys passing all beneath Ah fit me Lord for thee and welcome death The Resurrection DRead Lord what harmony my soul doth find In all the wondrous works by thee design'd Or consummate past present or to come Oh! how disorder bringeth order home This days confusion sure will far surpass The Chaos that at the Creation was And this days order will the perfect'st be That men or Angels ever yet did see The sad confusion of thy Goat herds train Exceeds all thoughts conceiv'd by mortals brain And the sweet order of thy shepherds sheep Will Angels strike with admiration deep What hurly-burly here shall we descry ' Mongst Nimrod's fell Tyrannick progeny How loath this day will their proud ashes be To re-unite when they thy Son shall see Whose members they have persecuted here In cloud-clad glory come what rueful cheer What horrour and amazement will confound Their loathsome souls when that last trump shall sound And they be summon'd forthwith to appear Before that Judge whom they condemned here Pilate will wish his heart had washed been When he his hands did wash but for a screen To cover horrid murther Wilful Jews That roar'd out Crucifie him at this news Struck with astonishment will surely wish They had been all born dumb or mute as fish But empty wishes nought avayl them here For will they nill they all men must appear At this last great Assize and render in Compleat account of what hath acted been By them here in the flesh and not alone Of act 's but of their words and thoughts each one According whereunto they shall their doom Receive for all that endless time to come Save those for whom the Lamb was born and dy'd Who shall by faith not by deserts be try'd And bathed in his blood shall shine more bright Then Phaebus doth when he gives purest light These shall have all the tears wip'd off their eyes And be enthroned with the deities With great Tri-une Jehovah they shall be The Bridegroom's Bride to all eternitie And raign with him in bliss for evermore Who them redeemed hath and pay'd their score Lord these do groan for this great day and cry Come come Lord Jesus Oh come quickly hy To set us free from sin and from all those That persecute us thine and our fierce foes When shall we be avenged when wilt thou Ascend the throne and make all mortals bow Before thy foot-stool when again restore All pow'r unto thy self for evermore Lord re-assume it for it is thy due Thou hast it lent a while to men 't is true But they bad stewards prove and miss-employ Thy talents and deserve not to enjoy Thy slighted favour Lord call in again That pow'r and let the Lamb for ever raign Then shall the Church triumphant sing his song With Hallelujah's from the Angel-throng For he alone is worthy to ascend The throne eternal whose rule shall not end Whose Kingdom and dominion ne'er shall â—…se Who is the Prince of everlasting peace Who from beginning was ordain'd to die That he his chosen flock might glorifie To whom all glory be ascrib'd and then Shall Saints and Angels cry Amen amen The Epigram JUdas prepare thy bag thy day is come When for thy pains thou shalt be payd full home But Oh! thy mind is chang'd thou would'st Essoyn Thy self this court rather then take this Coin Though take it needs thou must and when thou hast it 'T will last for ever for time cannot waste it Yet thou wilt finde thy state had been more thriving Had'st thou refus'd those thirty pieces living This is a maxime though of my own making Men grow not always truly rich by taking Misers whom love of coin on earth o'er-sway'd Shall this day in their own coin be repay'd For Sion's Lamb when he ascends the throne Will prove himself a debtor unto none But will requite both good and ill that 's done By all man's off-spring since the world begun A Soliloquie on the Resurrection CHeer up my soul exalt thy head on high For thy long-look'd Redemption draweth nigh Lo thy sweet Saviour comes in glory bright This day to put an end to day and night Whence times alternate course away shall fly Issuing forth into eternity One everlasting day whose splendor clear Will need no Sun to give us light and chear Our Sun shall be the Sun of Righteousness Which never sets whose light no cloud makes less In his coruscant glory He shall shine Into thine eyes my soul with light divine And yet not dazzle them to hurt thereby They 'l dazled be with sweet satiety With joy and admiration to behold Israels shepherd with his flock and
any more Yet sow good seed and plow thy furrows deep And thou shalt reap rich harvest in thy sleep Dotage AH what a sight is here a man turn'd child Nay infinitely worse with sin defil'd Yet knows it not See proud rebellious Chit Who vaunt'st of youth strength beauty wisdom wit Health and accursed Policie weigh well This rue-ful spectacle which might excel Thee in them all in time but now bereft Of all by his own natures trait'rous theft Thou the same nature hast of the same mold And may'st be such perhaps ere half so old Oh pride thee not in these indowments so Thou seest their frailty how they come and go This less then man worse then child once thoughâ— He never should have to this pass been brought Nor can believe he 's so which much augments His sad condition utterly prevents His Reformation makes him doat along In Hell's wide rode with a presumption strong That he 's in Heavens path and knows the way As well's the best and scorns to go astray When he no more that way doth know or minde Then new-born Infants know or plod to finde The North-west passage to the Indies hence Howe'er if you 'l him teach he takes offence Ah wayward froward and untoward man To God and all that 's good A Negro can Lâ—ave his black skin unto a snow-white hue Much sooner then man can himself renew It 's far more easie to make Earth change place Then change corrupted Nature into Grace 'T is madness to a truce to seek to win them The quintessence of Opposition's in them Cease therefore self-deluding-man to try To compass an impossibility Rouze up thy soul his pow'rful help to crave Who is Almighty and alone can save Who only can such change as this effect And all the fraud of thy false Heart detect Whose Will perverse is greatest foe to grace Cashier old Will and give new Will the place This poor anatomy of man doth still Retain in height of strength its wonted will Though totally of other strength depriv'd And would retain that if it were three-liv'd Oh saddest sight Let 's view it once again It 's a meer Magazine of grief and pain Mortalitie's Memorial here is limm'd Full to the life and with Death's shadows trimm'd The snuff of man half in half out if blown It seems the quicker Is but quicker gone Once it was man now a meer living creature Not prefect man nor beast of humane feature You 'll think I doat to doatage thus to speak Lest it miss-apprehend me for it 's weak Yet wilful too of reason quite bereft Almost of sence it hath no sences left Save pains-sense unimpair'd few active now Unless you lingua and non-sence allow For senses too as some loose wits would have them In women for their labour e'en beknave them Yet I to doaters on my harp may strike A note as well's to infants much alike But I 'll speak faire Father youâ—… run the ring Of nature like a man or some such thing A child you crawl'd from earth your mother's womb Now are a child crawling to earth your tomb You 're going whence you came are what you were Except that innocence which did appear First in your soul which sin deleted hath And made you the old man a child of wrath 'T were better far you had continu'd still Such innocent yet I can teach you skill How you more innocency may recover If you 'll re-act your childs paâ—… rightly over Weep heartily and cry for your sins past Neglect of duties want of true fore-cast In your unlawful actions and desire The Gospels milk sincere blow in the fire Of that small spark of grace that God affords Your half-extinguisht soul and blaze records Of your true zeal though weak hugg the sweet breasts Of divine consolation make attests Of good desires by lifting up your eyes And hands to him that gave them let your cries Be for the bread of life cast off the toys Of this deluding world slight her false joys Allot to alms the treasures earth affords Chaunt out your tuneless songs your phraseless words To his great glory who such love hath shown To your poor soul when you deserved none Play with the babes of grace and take delight In little children such in God's pure sight If any beat thee to thy father cry Thy moan to him brings certain remedy Hang fast upon thy elder brothers neck Kiss kiss the Lamb his Bride with garlands deck Such plays content the soul whereas your joys Unsatisfying are yea sinful toys Look on the se-ven candlestick's bright lights Insite in purest gold joy in such sights Reject world's worthless trifles catch the crown To thee held forth and so in peace lye down In earth's great cradle hush'd in silence shy Where earthquakes rock and windes sing lullaby 'Till thy exciting by those trumpets blasts who 'll summon dead to life that ever lasts In Resurrections morn whose joys transcend Immensly voyd of measure as of end The Epigram BRave man what doating now who would have thought Thou to this market wouldst thy hoggs bave brought Love is youth's doatage make thy doatage love Then doat on spare not on the things above They 're worth thy doating on and thou shalt see Thy doatage seeds spring to eternity Death GReat King of terrours Sythe-man of the earth Whose harvest rounds the year thou ne'er hadst dearth Since the world first was peopled nor shalt have Till it unpeopled be the silent grave Is thy head-quarters where all mankind keep Their gen'ral Rendevouz lull'd fast asleep In equal darkness yet in quiet rest There 's no distinction of the worst from best Great small friends foes all undisturbed ly Of Sympathy void and Antipathy Lay Calvin with Calvus a popish Priest Their arguments a child may here untwist Put Alexander into Codrus toomb He 'll never justle for more elbow-room Cesar's with Pompey's dust will co-unite As well as Jonathan's with David's might Death is the truest Leveller that smoothes The lofti'st turrets with the lowest boothes No controversies in her court arise No titles question'd there in any wise The plaintiff and defendant there may ly In peace together with their Lawyers by Each on both sides as here perhaps they were Much to their prejudice but not so there The taxing souldier and the taxed clown Shall be joynt-tenants when they here ly down In sweet ungrumbling silence land-lords great And tenants poor shall have a like estate In this demesnes the Emperour and groom Partake without precedency this room No fears or jealousies disturb their rests No Herauld needs to place this princes ghests 'T is a Decree in this great Court alone TAKE PLACES AS YOU COME or else have none Yet no distaste is taken if it hap A beggar placed be in Caesar's lap Death strikes with equal stroak lays equal rates All Adam's progeny with her are mates More perfect order never yet hath been In any Monarch's Court that Earth
that raigns for evermore 10. To Father FArewel my being's instrumental Cause Assign'd by him from whom all beings flow Who my new Father is and old one was Ere you were so methinks my heart doth grow With grief to part But yet part needs I must From all relations that Heav'ns Canopy Surrounds to find the merciful and just Who 's Father to us all whose Progeny Are all man-kind whose wonderful affection By his Son's blood redeem'd me who before Made love sole ground of my poor souls election For which I 'll sing his praise for evermore Father if you are loath I gone should be Come but to him you 'll surely come to me 11. To Mother FArewel dear mold where in my mortal clay First by th' eternal potter formed was In pain that baâ—'st me nine months night and day And after grievous travel gav'st me pass Into this vale of tears thy torments bind Me to a boundless love yet wonder not If I now leave thee for a new I find Who hath me born again since 't was thy lot A mother militant who hath prepar'd A third triumphant for me who doth dwell Where never to approach a foe yet dar'd Above the fear and spite of Earth and Hell Oh let me fly and haste thee after me For she to both of us will mother be 12. To Children FArewel sweet implings quick Epitomes Of me and my dear second I must leave Your lov'd society death 's Writ of Ease Doth me remove yet not of life bereave That 's length'ned by my change you I commit Unto a faithful guardian yea a father To me and you with whom I go to sit In everlasting glory who will gather You all to me again when his time comes Only be faithful to the death and he Will give you crowns of life when your bless'd homes Shall be th' imperial Heaven where with me With Angels Saints and Martyr's crowned throng You 'll sing for ever Sion's Lamb 's sweet song 13. To Wife FArewel my better half life of my life And sub-celestial comforts we must cleave One heart in two at parting dearest wife As we made one of two at meeting leave Spare those heart-melting cries those thriftless tears Thy frailties to bewail in those streams swim Home to thy harbour where my faith me bears There my Bridegroom and thine doth mansions trim For us with everlasting ornaments With whom we both shall newly marri'd be And raign eternally fill'd with contents Passing what heart can think ear hear eye see I do but go before and thee expect Among the number of the Lord's Elect. 14. To all Joyntly FArewel World Europe Britain native Shire And Parish too servants acquaintance friâ—…ds Kindred with Father Mother children dear And dearest Wise have all contented mindes Fot I am to so high preferment call'd That if you lov'd me you would urge me on To haste away that I may be install'd A death-less prince crown'd King by him whose throne Is over all whose Scepter sways at once Heav'n Earth and Hell with their inhabitants That Triple Crown that girts the pride-puft sconce Of Antichrist who there of falsly vaunts Is this Kings right alone stil'd in truth's words The only King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Charge BRitain thy glory 's sunk swoln are thy sins To an o'erwhelming torrent that begins Thee to o'erwhelm thy erst indulgent God Hath turn'd his hand against thee see his rod Begins to whip thy follies whose dread sword Did lately fight thy battels whose pure word Made the earth's Goshen thou begin'st to grope In an Egyptian darkness many hope To see th' unbottom'd pits black mists o'ercloud Thy splendent Sun yea thy own sons have vow'd To put out that great light to raise thereby Their ignis fatuus light of phantasie Father of lights frustrate their curs'd design The comfort shall be ours but glory thine Let not the pit's black torches smokie fumes Eclipse thy Sun-shine here though he presumes To see it so who is the man of sin Who among us those false fires usher'd in To light us on to darkness Lord return Those fires into his bosom let them burn Mysterious Babylon their heat calcine The scarlet whore and beast to ashes fine Their light discover Antichrist to all That they and their false fires together fall Quench'd in eternal flames and then on high And here beneath thy Church shall glorifie Thy aweful name But ah Lord we betray Our selves to them by sin wildely display Our nakedness and what defects we have Thy hand 's not shortned that it cannot save Nor thine ear heavie that it will not hear But our iniquities O God most dear Have separated us from thee our sins Have stockt our feet in their intangling gins Our gross abominations in thy sight Have thee provok'd to take from us the light That we so long unworthily enjoy'd Thanklesly too which made the favour void Our disesteeming of thy sacred light Perverting it to doctrines of the night To schisms and errours heresies and factions Have justly brought on us these sad distractions And since so many of us dare to scoft it Thou justly may'st henceforth deprive us of it Thou may'st remove our candlestick to those who 'll bring forth better fruit then our vain shows Our painted leaves and blossoms which discrie Our faith but fain'd our zeal hypocrisie Provoke thy patience to fierce wrath's effusion And woo thy vengeance to our own confusion But Lord forbid forbid dear God the sins Of us poor nothings who have nothing in 's But sin and folly ever should out-vie Thy boundless mercy force thee to defie Fond weakling worms yet thy own creatures Lord Create ' Redeem'd preserved by thy word And those whom thou hast lov'd Oh rather turn Us from our sins to thee for them to mourn Then thee from us to view them and in wrath For them to punish Lord thy mercy hath Ways to prevent thy justice and can give Light unto all that all may see to live Hoping to live to see the gen'ral call Of nations to the light by all in all Who shall have all the glory that redounds Eccho'd from Heav'ns and earth's remotest bounds And when all other Kingdoms are o'erthrown Pow'r and dominion shall be all his own Which hasten Lord that we may see with joy To thine Elect and to their foes annoy And oh prepare us for that glorious day Turn us from each perverse and crooked way Wherein we wander fit this Island 's ghests For thy bright coming and for the arrests Of death and judgment that whate'er befal The glory may be thine joy ours in all But Lord our sins have at such height o'erbore us That they transcend all Nations past before us It well may make at sight of our base pride Lucifer blush to see himself out-vi'd And we have those by us'ry and oppression Who would wrest Mammon's self out of possession Fraud and deceit to such a height are grown That most men