till thâ—…n and then I die contented S. AUGUST lib de Civit. Dei Cap. 10. The time wherein we live is taken from the space of our life and what remaineth is dayly made lesse and lesse in so much that the time of our life is nothing but a passage to death S. GREG. lib. 9. Cap. 44. in Cap 10. Jeb As moderate afflictions bring tears so immoderate take away tears In so much that sorrow becometh no sorrow which swallowing up the mind of the afflicted taketh away the sense of the affliction EPIG. 13. Fear'st thou to go when such an Arm invites thee Dread'st thou thy loads of sinne or what affrights thee If thou begin to fear thy fear begins Fool can he bear thee hence and not thy sins XIV DELLTERONOMY 32. 29. O that men were wise and that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Flesh Spirit â—…l WHat means my sisters eye so oft to passe Through the long entry of that Optick glasse Tell me what secret virtue doth invite Thy wrinkled eye to such unknown delight Sp. It helps the sight makes things remote appear In perfect view It draws the object near Fl. What sense-delighting objects dost thou spie What doth that Glasse present before thine eye Sp. I see thy foe my reconciled friend Grim Death even standing at the Glasses end His left hand holds a branch of Palm his right Holds forth a two-edg'd sword Fl. A proper sight And is this all doth thy Prospective please Th' abused fancy with no shapes but these Sp. Yes I behold the dark'ned Sun bereav'n Of all his light the battlements of Heav'n Swelt'ring in flames the Angel-guarded Sonne Of glory on his high Tribunal-Throne I see a Brimstone Sea of boyling fire And Fiends with knotted whips of flaming wire Tort'ring poore souls that gnash their teeth in vain And gnaw their flame-tormented tongues for pain Look sister how the queazy-stomack'd Graves Vomit their dead and how the purple waves Scalld their consumelesse bodyes strongly cursing All wombs for bearing and all paps for nursing Fl. Can thy distemper'd fancy take delight In view of tortures these are showes t' affright Look in this glasse triangular look here Here 's that will ravish eyes Sp. What seest thou there Fl. The world in colours colours that distain The checks of Proâ—…eus or the silken train Of Flora's Nymphs such various sorts of hiew As Sun-confronting â—…is never knew Here if thou please to beautifie a town Thou maist or with a hand turn't upside down Here mayst thou scant or widen by the measure Of thine own will make short or long at pleasure Here mayst thou tire thy fancy and advise With shows more apt to please more curious eyes Sp. Ah fool that dot'st on vain on present toyes And disrespect'st those true those future joyes How strongly are thy thoughts befool'd alas To dote on goods that perish with thy glasse Nay vanish with the turning of a hand Were they but painted colours it might stand With painted reason that they might devote thee But things that have no being to besot thee Foresight of future torments is the way To baulk those ills which present joyes bewray As thou hast fool'd thy self so now come hither Break that fond glasse and let 's be wise together BONAVENT de contemptu seculi O that men would be wise understand and â—…oresee Be wise to know three things The multitude of those that are to be damned the few number of those that are to be saved and the vanity of transitory things Vnderstand three things the multitude of sinnes the omission of good things and the losse of time Foresee three things the danger of death the last judgement and eternall punishment EPIG. 14. What Soul no further yet what nev'r commence Master in Faith Still batchelour of Sense Is 't insufficiency Or what has made thee Oreslip thy lost degree thy lusts have staid thee XV PSALM 30. 10. My life is spent with grief and my years with sighing WHat sullen Starre rul'd my untimely birth That would not lend my dayes one houre of mitth How oft have these bare knees been bent to gain The slender alms of one poore smile in vain How often tir'd with the fastidious light Have my saint lips implor'd the shades of night How often have my nightly torments praid For lingring twilight glutted with the shade Day worse then night night worse then day appears In fears I spend my nights my dayes in tears I moan unpittâ—…'d grone without relief There is nor end nor measure of my grief The smiling flow'r salutes the day it growes Untouch'd with care it neither spins nor sowes O that my tedious life were like this flow'r Or freed from grief or finish'd with an houre Why was I born Why was I born a man And why proportion'd by so large a span Or why suspended by the common lot And being born to dy why dy I not Ah me why is my sorrow-wasted breath Denâ—…'d the easie priviledge of death The branded slave that tugs the weary oare Obteins the Sabbath of a welcome shore His ransom'd stripes are heal'd his native soyl Sweetens the mem'ry of his forrein toyl But ah my sorrows are not half so blest My labour finds no point my pains no rest I batter sighs for tears and tears for grones Still vainly rolling Sisyphean stones Thou just Observer of our flying houres That with thy Adamantine fangs devours The brazen monuments of renowned Kings Doth thy glasse stand Or be thy moulting wings Unapt to fly If not why dost thou spare A willing breast a breast that stands so fair A dying breast that hath but onely breath To beg a wound and strength to crave a death O that the pleased Heav'ns would once dissolve These fleshly fetters that so fast involve My hamp'red soul then should my soul be blest From all these ills and wrap her thoughts in rest Till then my dayes are months my months are years My years are ages to be spent in tears My grief 's entail'd upon my wastfull breath Which no recov'ry can cut off but death Breath drawn in cottages puft out in thrones Begins continues and concludes in grones INNOCENT de vilitate condit humanae O who will give mine eyes a fountain of tears that I may bewail the miserable ingresse of mans condition the sinfull pregresse of mans conversation the damnable egresse in mans dissolution I will consider with tears whereof man was made what man doth and what man is to do Alas he is formed of earth conceived in sinne born to punishment He doth evil things which are not lawfull He doth â—…ilthy things which are not decent He doth vain things which are not â—…pedient EPIG. 15. My heart Thy life 's a debt by Bond which bears Asecret date the use is Grones and Tears Plead not usurious Nature will have all As well the Int'rest as the Principall THE FOURTH BOOK I. ROMANES 7. 23. I see another Law in my
lofty strutting steps disdain to tire My antick knees can turn upon the hinges Of Complement and skâ—…ue a thousand cringes 4 â—…ut when I come to Thee my God that art The royall Myne of everlasting treasure The reall Honour of my better part And living Fountain of eternall pleasure How nervelesse are my limbs how faint and flow I have nor wings to fly nor legs to go 5 So when the streams of swift-foot Rhene convay Her upland riches to the Belgick shore The idle vessel slides the wat'ry lay Without the blast or tug of wind or oare Her slipp'ry keel divides the silver fome With ease so facil is the way from home 6 But when the home-bound vessel turns her sails Against the breast of the resisting stream O then she slugs nor sail nor oare prevails The Stream is sturdy and her Tides extreme Each stroke is losse and ev'ry tug is vain A Boat-lengths purchase is a League of pain 7 Great All in All that art my rest my home My way is tedious and my steps are slow Reach forth thy helpfull hand or bid me come I am thy child O teach thy child to go Conjoyn thy sweet commands to my desire And I will venture though I fall or tire S. AUGUST Ser. 15. de Verb. Apost. Be alwayes displeased at what thou art if thou desirest to attain to what thou art not For where thou hast pleased thy self there thou abidest But if thou sayest I have enough thou perishest Alwayes adde alwayes walk alwayes proceed neither stand still nor go back nor deviate He that standeth still proceedeth not He goeth back that continueth not He deviateth that revolteth He goeth better that creepeth in 〈◊〉 way then he that runneth out of his way EPIG. 3. Fear not my Soul to lose for want of cunning Weep not Heav'n is not alwayes got by running Thy thoughts are swist although thy legs be slow True love will creep not having strength to go IV. PSALM 119. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements LEt others boast of luck and go their wayes With their fair game know vengeance seldome playeâ—… To be too forward but doth wisely frame Her backward Tables for an after-game She gives thee leave to venture many a blot And for her own advantage hits thee not But when her pointed Tables are made fair That she be ready for thee then beware Then if a necessary blot be set She hits thee wins the game perchance the set If prosp'rous chances make thy casting high Be wisely temp'rate cast a serious eye On after dangers and keep back thy game Too forward seed-times make thy harvest lame If left-hand Fortune give thee left-hand chances Be wisely patient let no envious glances Repine to view thy gamesters heap so fair The hindmost Hound takes oft the doubling Hare The worlds great Dice are false sometimes they go Extremely high sometimes extremely low Of all her gamesters he that playes the least Lives most at ease playes most secure and best The way to win is to play fair and swear Thy self a servant to the Crown of fear Fear is the Primmer of a Gamesters skill Who fears not Bad stâ—…nds most unarm'd to Ill The Ill that 's wisely fear'd is half withstood And fear of Bad is the best foyl to Good True Fear 's th' Elixar which in dayes of old Turn'd leaden Crosses into Crowns of Gold The World 's the Tables Stakes Eternall life The Gamesters Heav'n and I Unequall strife My Fortunes are my Dice whereby I frame My indisposed Life this Life 's the Game My sinnes are sev'rall Blots the Lookers on Are Angels and in death the Game is done Lord I 'm a Bungler and my Game doth grow Still more and more unshap'd my Dice run low The Stakes are great my carâ—…lesse Blots are many And yet thou passest by and hitst not any Thou art too strong and I have none to guide me With the least jog the lookers on deride me It is a Conquest undeserving Thee To win a Stake from such a Worm as me I have no more to lose If we persever 'T is lost and that once lost I m lost for ever Lord wink at faults and be noâ—… too severe And I will play my Game with greater fear O give me Fear ere Fear has past her date Whose blot being hit then fears fears then too late S. BERN. Ser. 54. in Cant. There is nothing so eâ—…ectuall to obtain Grace to retain Grace and to regain Grace as alwayes to be sound before God nâ—…t over-wise but to â—…ear Happy art thou if thy heart be replenished with three â—…ears a sear for received Grace a gâ—…eater fear for lost Grace a greatest â—…ear to recover Grace S. AUGUST super Psalm Present fear begetteth Eternall securitie Fear God which 〈◊〉 above all and no need to fear man at all EPIG. 4. Lord shall we grumble when thy flames do seourge us Our sinnes breathe fire that fire returns to purge us Lord what an Alchymist art thou whose skill Transmutes to perfect Good from peâ—…fect ill V. PSALM 119. 37. Turn away mine eyes from regarding vanitie 1 HOw like to threds of flax That touch the flame are my inflam'd desires How like to yielding wax My soul dissolves before these wanton â—…ires The fire but touch'd the flame but felt Like flax I burn like wax I melt 2 O how this flesh doth draw My fetter'd soul to that deceitfull â—…ire And how th' eternall Law Is baffled by the law of my desire How truly bad how seeming good Are all the laws of flesh and bloud 3 O wretched state of men The height of whose ambition is to borrow What must be paid agen With griping int'rest of the next dayes sorrow How wild his thoughts How apt to range How apt to vary Apt to change 4 How intricate and nice Is mans perplexed way to mans desire Sometimes upon the ice He slips and sometimes falls into the â—…ire His progresse is extreme and bold Or very hot or very cold 5 The common food he doth Sustain his soul-tormenting thoughts withall Is honey in his mouth To night and in his heart to morrow gall 'T is oftentimes within an houre Both very sweet and very sowre 6 If sweet Corinna smile A Heav'n of joy breaks down into his heart Corinna frowns awhile Hels torments are but copies of his smart Within a lustfull heart doth dwell A seeming Heav'n a very Hell 7 Thus worthlesse vain and void Of comfort are the fruits of earths imployment Which ere they be enjoy'd Distract us and dâ—…stroy us in th' enjoyment These be the pleasures that are priz'd When Heav'ns cheap pen'worth stands despis'd 8 Lord quench these hasty flashes Which dart as lightning from the thund'ring skies And ev'ry minute dashes Against the wanton windows of mine eyes Lord close the casement whilst I stand Behind the curtain of thy hand S. AUGUST Soliloqu cap. 4. O thou Sun that illuminatest both
Without a tenter It is a vast Circumference where none Can find a Center Of more then earth can earth make none possest And he that least Regards this restlesse world shall in this world find rest 5 True rest consists not in the oft revying Of worldly drosse Earths miâ—…ie purchase is not worth the buying Her gain is losse Her rest but giddy toil if not relying Upon her crosse How worldlings droil for trouble That fond breast That is possest Of earth without a crosse has earth without a rest CASS. in Ps. The Crosse is the invincible sanctuary of the humble The dejection of the proud the victory of Christ the destruction of the devil the confirmation of the faithfull the death of the unbeliever the life of the just DAMASCEN The Crosse of Christ is the key of Paradise the weak mans staff the Converts convoy the upright mans perfection the soul and bodies health the prevention of all evil and the 〈◊〉 of all good EPIG. 6. Worldlings whose whimpring folly holds the losses Of honour pleasure health and wealth such crosses Look here and tell me what your Arms engrosse When the best end of what ye hug's a crosse VII 1. PETER 5. 8. Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devoure 1 WHy dest thou suffer lustfull sloth to creep Dull Cyprian lad into thy wanton browes Is this a time to pay thine idle vowes At Morpheus shrine Is this a time to sleep Thy brains in wastfull slumbers up and rouze Thy leaden spirits Is this a time to sleep Adjourn thy sanguine dreams Awake arise Call in thy thoughts and let them all advise Hadst thou as many Heads as thou hast wounded eyes 2 Look look what horrid furies do await Thy slatt'ring slumbers If thy drowzie head But chance to nod thou fall'st into a bed Of sulph'rous flames whose torments want a date Foâ—…d boy be wise let not thy thoughts be fed With Phrygian wisdome fools are wise too late Beware betimes and let thy reason sever Those gates which passion clos'd wake now or never For if thou nodd'st thou fall'st and falling fall'st for ever 3 Mark how the ready hands of death prepare His bow is bent and he has notch'd his dart He aims he levels at thy slumb'ring heart The wound is posting O be wise beware What has the voyce of danger lost the art To raise the spirit of neglected care Well sleep thy fill and take thy soft reposes But know withall sweet tasts have sowre closes And he repents in thorns that sleeps in beds of roses 4 Yet sluggard wake and gull thy soul no more With earths false pleasure and the worlds delight Whose fruit is fair and pleasing to the sight But sowre in tast false at the putrid core Thy flaring glasse is gems at her halflight She makes thee seeming rich but truly poore She boasts a kernell and bestowes a shell Performs an inch of her fair promis'd ell Her words protest a Heav'n her works produce a hell 5 O thou the fountain of whose better part Is earth'd and gravell'd up with vain desire That dayly wallow'st in the fleshly mire And base pollution of a lustfull heart That feel'st no passion but in wanton fire And own'st no torment but from Cupids dart Behold thy Type Thou sitst upon this ball Of earth secure while death that flings at all Stands arm'd to strike thee down where flames attend thy fall S. BERN. Securitie is no where It is neither in Heaven nor in Paradise much lesse in the world In Heaven the Angels sell from the divine presence in Paradise Adam sell from his place of pleasure in the world Judas sell from the School of our Saviour HUGO I eat secure I drink secure I sleep secure even as though I had past the day of death avoided the day of judgement and escaped the torments of hell-fire I play and laugh as though I were already triumphing in the kingdome of Heaven EPIG. 7. Get up my soul Redeem thy slavish eyes From drowzy bondage O beware Be wise Thy fo 's before thee thou must sight or flie Life lies most open in a closed eye VIII LUKE 6. 25. Woe be to you that laugh now for ye shall mourn and weep THe world 's a popular disease that reignes Within the froward heart and frantick brains Of poore distemper'd mortals oft arising From ill digestion through th' unequall poysing Of ill-weigh'd Elements whose light directs Malignant humours to maligne effects One raves and labours with a â—…oyling liver Rends hair by handfuls cursing Cupids quiver Another with a bloudy-slux of oaths Vowes deep revenge one dotes the other loathes One frisks and sings and vies a slagon more To drench dry cares and makes the welkin rore Another droops the sunshine makes him sad Heav'n cannot please One 's mop'd the tother 's mad One hugs his gold another lets it slie He knowing not for whom nor tother why One spends his day in plots his night in play Another sleeps and slugs both night and day One laughs at this thing tother cries for that But neither one nor tother knowes for what Wonder of wonders What we ought t' evite As our disease we hug as our delight 'T is held a symptome of approching danger When disacquainted Sense becomes a stranger And takes no knowledge of an old disease But when a noysome grief begins to please The unresisting sense it is a fear That death has parli'd and compounded there As when the dreadfull Thund'rers awfull hand Powres forth a vâ—…all on th' infected land At first th' affrighted Mortalls quake and fear And ev'ry noise is thought the Thunderer But when the frequent soul-departing bell Has pav'd their ears with her familiar knell It is reputed but a nine dayes wonder They neither fear the Thund'rer nor his Thunder So when the world a worse disease began To smart for sinne poore new-created Man Could seek for shelter and his gen'rous Sonne Knew by his wages what his hands had done But bold-fac'd Mortalls in our blushlesse times Can sinne and smile and make a sport of crimâ—… Transgresse of custome and rebell in ease We false-joy'd fools can triumph in disease And as the carelesse Pilgrime being bit By the Tarantula begins a sit Of life concluding laughter wast our breath In lavish pleasure till we laugh to death HUGO de anima What profit is there in vain glory momentany mirth the worlds power the â—…leshes pleasure â—…ll riches noble descent and great desires Where is their laughter Where is their mirâ—…h Where their insolence their arrogance From how much joy to how much sadnesse After how much mirth how much misery From how great glory are they 〈◊〉 to how great torments What hath â—…allen to them may bâ—…fall thee because thou art a man Thou art of earth thou liveâ—…l of earth thou shalt return to earth Death expecteth thee every-where be wise therefore and expect death every-where
and wilt thou bring me to dust again THus from the bosome of the new-made earth Poore man was delv'd and had his unborn birth The same the stuffe the self-same hand doth trim The plant that fades the beast that dies and him One was their sire one was their common mother Plants are his sisters and the beast his brother The elder too beasts draw the self-same breath Wax old alike and die the self-same death Plants grow as he with fairer robes arraid Alike they slourish and alike they â—…ade The beast in sense exceeds him and in growth The three-ag'd oake doth thrice exceed them both Why look'st thou then so big thou little span Of earth What art thou more in being man I but my great Creatour did inspire My chosen earth with that diviner fire Of reason gave me judgement and a will That to know good this to chuse good from ill He put the rains of pow'r in my free hand And jurisdiction over sea and land He gave me art to lengthen out my span Of life and made me all in being man I but thy passion has committed treason Against the sacred person of thy reason Thy judgement is coâ—…rupt perverse thy will That knows no good and this makes choice of â—…ll The greater height sends down the deeper fall And good dâ—…clin'd turns bad turns worst of all Say then proud inch of living â—…arth what can Thy greatnesse claim the more in being man O but my soul transcends the pitch of nature Born up by th' Image of her high Creatour Outbraves the life of reason and beats down Her waxen wings kicks off her brazen crown My earth 's a living Temple t' entertein The King of Glory and his glorious train How can I mend my title then where can Ambition sind a higher style then man Ah but that Image is defac'd and soil'd Her Temple 's raz'd her Altars all desil'd Her vessels are polluted and distain'd With lothed lust her ornaments prophan'd Her oyl-forsaken lamps and hallow'd tapours Put out her incense breaths unsav'ry vapours Why swell'st thou then so giâ—… thou little span Of earth what art thou more in being man Eteâ—…nall Potter whose blest hands did lay My course foundation from a sod of clay Thou know'st my slender vessâ—…l's apt to leak Thou know'st my brittle temper 's prone to break Are my bones brazzil or my slesh of oake O mend what thou hast made what I have broke Look look with gentle eyes and in thy day Of vengeance Lord remember I am clay S. AUGUST Sâ—…liloq 32. Shall I ask who made me It was thou that madest me without whom nothing was made Thou art my maker and I thy work I thank thee my Lord God by whom I live and by whom all things suâ—…sist because thou madest me I thank thâ—… O my Potter because thy hands have made me because thy hands have formed me EPIO. 5. Why swell'st thou man pust up with fame and purse Th' art better earth but born to dig the worse Thou cam'st from eaâ—…th to earth thou must return And art but earth cast from the womb to th' urn VI JOB 7. 20. I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men why hast thou set me as a mark against thee LOrd I have done and Lord I have misdone 'T is folly to contest to strive with one That is too strong 't is folly to assail Or prove an arm that will that must prevail I 've done I 've done these trembling hands have thrown Their daring weapons down the day 's thine own Forbear to strike where thou hast won the field The palm the palm is thine I yield I yield These ueach'rous hands that were so vainly bold To try a thrivelesse combat and to hold Self-wounding weapons up are now extended For mercy from thy hand that knee that bended Upon her guardlesse guard doth now repent Upon this naked floore See both are bent And sue for pitty O my ragged wound Is deep and desp'rate it is drench'd and drown'd In blood and briny tears It doth begin To stink without and putrifie within Let that victorious hand that now appears Just in my blood prove gracious to my tears Thou great Preserver of presumptuous man What shall I do what satisfaction can Poore dust and ashes make O if that bloud That yet remains unshed were half as good As bloud of oxen if my death might be An offering to attone my God and me I would disdain injurious life and stand A suiter to be wounded from thy hand But may thy wrongs be measur'd by the span Of life or balanc'd with the bloud of man No no eternall sinne expects for guerdon Eternall penâ—…nce or eternall pardon Lay down thy weapons turn thy wrath away And pardon him that hath no price to pay Enlarge that soul which base presumption binds Thy justice cannot loose what mercy finds O thou that wilt not bruise the broken reed Rub not my sores noâ—… prick the wounds that bleed Lord if the peevish infant fights and flies With unpar'd weapons at his mothers eyes Her frowns half mixt with smiles may chance to shew An angry love-trick on his arm or so Where if the babe but make a lip and cry Her heart begins to melt and by and by She coaks his dewy-cheeks her babe she blisses And choaks her language with a thousand kisses I am that child lo here I prostrate lie Pleading for mercy I repent and crie For gracious pardon let thy gentle ears Heare that in words what motheâ—…s judge in tears See not my 〈◊〉 Lord but through my fear And look on ev'ry trespasse through a tear Then calm thy anger and appear more mild Remember th' art a Father I a child S. BERN. Ser. 21. in Cant. Miserable man Who shall deliver me from the reproch 〈◊〉 this shamefull bondage I am a miserable man but a free man Free because like to God miserable because against God O keeper of mankind why hast thou set me as a mark against thee Thou hast set me because thou hast not hindred me It is just that thy enemy should be my enemy and that he who repugneth thee should repugne me I who am against thee am against my self EPIG. 6. But form'd and sight but boâ—…n and then rebell How small a blast will make a bubble swell But dare the â—…oore affront the hand that laid it So apt is dust to fly in 's face that made it VII JOB 13. 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy WHy dost thou shade thy lovely face O why Doth that eclipsing hand so long deny The Sun-shine of thy soul-enliv'ning eye Without that Light what light remains in me Thou art my Life my Way my Light in thee I live I move and by thy beams I see Thou art my Life If thou but turn away My life 's a thousand deaths thou art my Way Without thee Lord I travel not but stray My Light thou
Heaven and Earth Wo be unto those eyes which do not behold thee Wo be unto these blind eyes which cannot behold thee Wo be unto those which turn away their eyes that they will not behold thee Wo be unto those that turn away their eyes that they may behold vanity S. CHRYS. sup Matth. 19. What is an evil woman but the enemy of friendship an unavoidable pain a necessary mischief a naturall tentation a desiderable calamity a domestick danger a delectable inconvenience and the nature of evil painted over with the colour of good EPIG. 5. 'T is vain great God to close mine eyes from ill When I resolve to keep the old man still My rambling heart must cov'nant first with thee Or none can passe betwixt mine eyes and me VI ESTHER 7. 3. If I have found favour in thy sight and if it please the King let my life be given me at my petition THou art the great Assuerus whose command Doth stretch from Pole to Pole the world 's thy land Rebellious Vashti's the corrupted will Which being call'd refuses to fulfill Thy just command Esther whose tears condole The razed City 's the regen'rate Soul A captive maid whom thou wilt please to grace With nuptiall Honour in stout Vashti's place Her kinsman whose unbended knee did thwart Proud Hanans glory is the fleshly part The sober Eunuch that recall'd to mind The new-built gibbet Haman had divin'd For his own ruine fiftie cubits high Is lustfull-thought-controlling chastity Insulting Haman is that fleshly lust Whose red-hot fury for a season must Triumph in pride and study how to tread On Mordecay till royall Esther plead Great King my sent-for Vashti will not come O let the oyl o' th blessed Virgins womb Cleanse my poore Esther look O look upon her With gracious eyes and let thy Beams of honour So scoure her captive stains that she may prove A holy Object of thy Heav'nly love Annoint her with the Spiknard of thy graces Then try the sweetnesse of her chast embraces Make her the partner of thy nuptiall bed And set thy royall Crown upon her head If then ambitious Haman chance to spend His spleen on Mordecay that scorns to bend The wilfull stiffnesse of his stubborn knee Or basely crouch to any Lord but thee If weeping Esther should prefâ—…rre a grone Before the high tribunal of thy Throne Hold forth thy golden Sceptre and aâ—…ord The gentle audience of a graâ—…ious Lord And let thy royall Esther be possest Of half thy Kingdome at her dear request Curb lustfull Haman him that would disgrace Nay ravish thy fair Queen before thy face And as proud Haman was himself ensnar'd On that self gibbet that himself prepar'd So nail my lust both puniâ—…hment and guilt On that dear crosse that mine own lusts have builâ—… S. AUGUST in Ep. O Holy Spirit alwayes inspire me with holy works Constrain â—…e that I may do Counsel me that I may love thee Confirm â—…e that I may hold thee Conserve me that I may noâ—… lose thee S AUGUST sup Joan. The Spirit rusts where the flesh resteth For as the flesh is 〈◊〉 with sweet things the Spirit is refreshed with sowâ—…e Ibidem Wouldest thou that thy flesh obey thy spirit Then let thy spirit obey thy God Thou must be governed that thou maist govern EPIG. 6. Of Mercy and Justice is thy Kingdome built This plagues my sin and that removes my guilt When ere I sue Assuerus like decline Thy Scepâ—…re Lord say Half my Kingdome 's thine VII CANTICLES 7. II. Come my beloved let us go forth into the fields and let us remain in the villages 1 Christ Soul Câ—…r COme come my dear and let us both retire And whiff the dainties of the fragrant fields Where warbling Phil'mel and the shrill-mouth'd quire Chaunt forth their raptures where the Turtle builds Her lonely nest and where the new-born bryer Breaths forth the sweetnesse that her Aprill yields Come come my lovely fair and let us trie These rurall delicates where thou and I May melt in private â—…ames and fear no stander by 2 Soul My hearts eternall joy in lieu of whom The earth 's a blast and all the world a bubble Our Citie-mansion is the fairer home But Countrey-sweets are tang'd with lesser trouble Let 's try them both and chuse the better come A change in pleasure makes the pleasure double One thy commands depends my go or tarrie I 'll stirre with Martha or I 'll stay with Mary Our hearts are firmly fixt although our pleasures varie 3 Chr. Our Countrey mansion situate on high With various Objects still renews delight Her arched roof 's of unstain'd Ivory Her wall 's of fieâ—…y-sparkling Chrysolite Her pavement is of hardest Prophety Her spacious windows are all glaz'd with bright And fluming Carbuncles no need require Titans faint â—…ayes or Vulcans feebler fire And ev'ry Gate 's a Pearl and ev'ry Pearl entire 4 Soul Fool that I was how were my thoughts deceiv'd How falsly was my fond conceit possest I took it for an Hermitage but pav'd And daub'd with neighb'ring dirt and thacht at best Alas I nev'r expected more nor crav'd A Turtle hop'd but for a Turtles nest Come come my dear and let no idle stay Neglect th' advantage of the head-strong day How pleasure grates that feâ—…ls the curb of dull delay 5 Chr. Come then my Joy let our divided paces Conduct us to our fairest territory O there we 'll twine our souls in sweet embraces Soul And in thine aâ—…ms I 'll tell my passion story Chr. O there I 'll crown thy heaâ—… with all my graces Soul And all those graces shall râ—…flect thy glory Chr. O there I 'll feed thee with celestiall Manna I 'll be thy Hanna Soul And I thy Elkanah Chr. I 'll found my trump of joy So. And I 'll resound Hosanna S. BERN. O blessed Contemplation The death of vices and the life of virtues Thee the Law and Prophets admire who ever atteiâ—…ed perfection if not by thee O blessed Solitude the Magazine of celestiall treasure by thee things earthly and transitory are changed into Heavenly and Eternall S. BERN. in Ep. Happy is that house and blessed is that Congregation where Martha still complaineth of Mary EPIG. 7. Mechanick soul thou must not onely do With Martha but with Mary ponder too Happy 's that house where these fair sisters vary But most when Martha's reconcil'd to Mary VIII CANTICLES 1. 3. Draw me we will follow after thee by the savour of thy Ointments THus like a lump of the corrupted Masse I lie secure long lost before I was And like a block beneath whose burden lies That undiscover'd woâ—…m that never dies I have no will to rouze I have no power to rise Can stinking Lazarus compound or strive With deaths entangling fetters and revive Or can the water buried Axe implore A hand to raise it or it self restore And from her sandy deeps approch the dry-foot shore So hard 's the task for
EMBLEMES CAMBRIDGE Printed by RD for Francis Eglesfeild and are to be sold at the signe of the Marigold in St. Pauls Church-yard 16â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haec laus hic apex Sapientiae est ea viventem appetere quae morienti forent appetenda TO My much honoured and no lesse truly beloved Friend EDW. BENLOWES Esquire My dear Friend YOu have put the Theorboe into my hand and I have played You gave the Musician the first encouragement the Musick returneth to you for Patronage Had it been a light Ayre no doubt but it had taken the most and among them the worst But being a grave Strayn my hopes are that it will please the best and among them You. Toyish Ayres please triviall eares They kisse the fancy and betray it They cry Hail first and after Crucifie Let Dorrs delight to immerd themselves in dungwhilest Eagles scorn so poore a Game as Flies Sir you have Art and Candour Let the one judge let the other excuse Your most affectionate Friend FRA. QUARLES What heere wee see is but a graven face Onely the shaddow of yt brittle case Wherein were treasurd up those gems wch he Hath left behind him to Posterity To the Reader AN Embleme is but a silent Parable Let not the tender Eye check to see the allusion to our blessed Saviour figured in these Types In holy Scripture he is sometimes called a Sower sometimes a Fisher sometimes a Physician And why not presented so as well to the eye as to the eare Before the knowledge of letters God was known by Hieroglyphicks And indeed what are the Heavens the Earth â—…ay every Creature but Hieroglyphicks and Emblemes of His Glory I have no more to say I wish thee as much pleasure in the reading as I had in the writing Farewell Reader BY Fathers back'd by Holy Writ led on Thou shew'st a way to Heav'n by Helicon The Muses Font is consecrate by Thee And Poesie baptiz'd Divinitie Blest soul that here embark'st Thou sail'st apace 'T is hard to say mov'd more by Wit or Grace Each Muse so plyes her Oar but O the Sail Is fill'd from Heav'n with a Diviner Gale When Poets prove Divines why should not I Approve in Verse this Divine Poetry Let this suffice to licence thee the Presse I must no more nor could the Truth say lesse Sic approbavit RICH. LOVE Procan Cantabrigiensis Tot Flores QUARLES quot Paradisus habet Lectori bene-male-volo Qui legit ex Horto hoc Flores Qui carpit Utâ—rque Jure potest VIOLAS dicere jure ROSAS Non è Parnasso VIOLAM Paestive ROSETO Carpit Apollo magìs quae sit amoena ROSAM Quot Versus VIOLAS legis Quem verba loâ—â—â—â—um Credis verbà dedit Nam dedit Ille ROSAS Utque Ego non dicam haec VIOLAS suavissima Tâ—â—â— Ipse facis VIOLAS Livide si violas Nam velu◠è VIOLIS sibi sugit Araâ—ea virus Vertis ità in succos Hasque ROSASque tuos Quas violas Mùâ—as VIOLAS puto quasque recusaâ— Dente tuo rosas has reor esse ROSAS Sic rosas facis esse ROSAS dùm 〈◊〉 rodis Sic facis has VIOLAS Livide dum violas Brent Hall 1634. EDVV. BENLOVVES THE FIRST BOOK The Invocation ROwze thee my soul and drein thee from the dregs Of vulgar thoughts Skrue up the heightned pegs Of thy sublime Theorboe foure notes higher And higher yet that so the 〈◊〉 mouth'd Quire Of swift-wing'd Seraphims may come and joyn And make thy consort more than halfe divine Invoke no Muse Let heav'n be thy Apollo And let his sacred influences hallow Thy high-bred strains Let his full beams inspite Thy ravish'd brains with more heroick 〈◊〉 Snatch thee a Quill from the spread Eagles wing And like the morning Lark mount up and sing Cast off these dangling plummets that so clog Thy lab'ring heart which gropes in this dark fog Of dungeon-earth Let flesh and bloud 〈◊〉 To stop thy flight till this base world appear A thin blew Lanskip Let thy pineons sore So high a pitch that men may seem no more Than Pismires crawling on this Mole-hill earth Thy eare untroubled with their frantick mirth Let not the frailtie of thy flesh disturb Thy new-concluded peace Let Reason 〈◊〉 Thy hot-mouth'd Passion and let heav'ns fire season The fresh Conceits of thy corrected Reason Disdain to warm thee at Lusts smokie fires Scorn scorn to feed on thy old bloat desires Come come my soul hoyse up thy higher sails The wind blowes fair Shall we still creep like Snails That gild their wayes with their own native slimes No we must flie like Eâ—…gles and our Rhimes Must mount â—…o heav'n and reach th' Olympick eaâ—… Our heav'n-blown fire must seek no other Sphear Thou great Theanthropos that giv'st and ground'st Thy gifts in dust and from out dunghill crown'st Reflected Honour taking by retail What thou hast giv'n in grosse from lapsed frail And sinfull man that drink'st full draughts wherein Thy Childrens leprous fingers scurf'd with Sin Have padled cleanse O cleanse my crafty Soul From secret crimes and let my thoughts controul My thoughts O teach me stoutly to deny My self that I may be no longer I Enrich my fancie clarifie my thoughts Resine my drosse O wink at humane faults And through this slender conduit of my Quill Convey thy Current whose clear streams may fill The hearts of men with love their tongues with prayse Crown me with Glory Take who list the Bayes I. JAM 1. 14. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed Serpent Eve Serp. NOt eat Not tast Not touch Not cast an eye Upon the fruit of this faiâ—… Tree And why Why eat'st thou not what Heav'n ordain'd for food Or canst thou think that bad which heav'n call'd Good Why was it made if not to be enjoy'd Neglect of favours makes a favour void Blessings unus'd pervert into a Wast As well as Surfets Woman Do but tast See how the laden boughs make silent suit To be enjoy'd Look how their bending fruit Meet thee half-way Observe but how they crouch To kisse thy hand Coy woman Do but touch Maâ—…k what a pure Vermilion blush has dy'd Their swelling cheeks and how for shame they hide Their palsie heads to see themselves stand by Neglected Woman Do but cast an eye What bounteous heav'n ordain'd for use refuse not Come pull and eat Y' abuse the thing ye use not Eve Wisest of Beasts our great Creatour did Reserve this Tree and this alone forbid The rest are freely ours which doubtlesse are As pleasing to the tast toth' eye as fair But touching this his strict commands are such T is death to tast no lesse than death to touch Serp. Pish death 's a fable Did not heav'n inspire Your equall Elements with living Fire Blown from the spring of life Is not that breath Immortall Come ye are as free from death As He that made ye Can the flames expire Which he has kindled
〈◊〉 or afflicted Jobs She 'll change thy wants to seeming store And turn thy 〈◊〉 to purple robes She 'll make thy hide 〈◊〉 flanck appear As plump as theirs that feast it all the yeare 6 Look off let not thy Opticks 〈◊〉 Abus'd thou seest not what thou should'st Thy self 's the Object thou should'st see But 't is thy shadow thou behold'st And shadows thrive the more in stature The nearer we approch the light of nature 7 Where Heav'ns bright beams look more direct The shadow shrinks as they grow stronger But when they glaunce their fair aspect The 〈◊〉 fac'd shade growes larger longer And when their lamp begins to fall Th' increasing shadows lengthen most of all 8 The soul that seeks the noon of grace Shrinks in but swells if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As heav'n 〈◊〉 up or veils his face Our self esteems grow 〈◊〉 or great The least is greatest and who shall Appear the greatest are the least of all HUGO lib. de Anima In vain he lifteth up the eye of his heart to behold his God who is not first rightly advised to behold himself First thou must see the visible things of thy self before thou 〈◊〉 be prepared to know the invisible things of God 〈◊〉 if thou canst not apprehend the things within thee thou canst not comprehend the things above thee The best looking-glasse wherein to see thy God is perfectly to see thy self EPIG. 6. Be not deceiv'd great fool There is no losse In being small great bulks but swell with drosse Man is heav'ns Master-peece If it appear More great the value 's lesse if lesse more dear VII DEUTERONOMY 30. 19. I have set before thee life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that thou and thy seed may live 1 THe world 's a Floore whose swelling heaps retein The mingled wages of the Ploughmans toyl The world 's a heap whose yet unwinnowed grain Is lodg'd with chaff and buried in her soyl All things are mixt the usefull with the vain The good with bad the noble with the vile The world 's an Ark wherein things pure and grosse Present their lossefull gain and gainfull losse Where ev'ry dram of gold conteins a pound of drosse 2 This furnisht Ark presents the greedy view With all that earth can give or Heav'n can add Here lasting joyes here pleasures hourely new And hourely fading may be wisht and had All points of Honour counterfeit and true Salute thy soul and wealth both good and bad Here maist thou open wide the two-leav'd doore Of all thy wishes to receive that store Which being empty most does overflow the more 3 Come then my soul approch this royall Burse And see what wares our great Exchange reteins Come come here 's that shall make a firm divorce Betwixt thy wants and thee if want complains No need to sit in councel with thy purse Here 's nothing good shall cost more price then pains But O my soul take heed if thou rely Upon thy faithlesle Opticks thou wâ—…lt buy Too blind a bargain kâ—…ow fools onely trade by th' eye 4 The woâ—…ldly wisdome of the foolish man Is like a sieve that does alone retein The grosser substance of the worthlesse bran But thou my soul let thy brave thoughts disdain So course a purchase O be thou a fan To purge the chaff and keep the winnow'd grain Make clean thy thoughts and dresse thy mixt desires Thou art Heav'ns tasker and thy God requires The purest of thy sloore as well as of thy sires 5 Let grace conduct thee to the paths of peace And wisdome blesse thy souls unblemisht wayes No mattâ—…r then how short or long 's the lease Whose dâ—…te determins thy self-numbred dayes No need to carâ—… for wealths or fâ—…es increase Nor 〈◊〉 his Palm nor high Apollo's Bayes Lord if thy gracious bountie please to fill The 〈◊〉 of my desires and teach me skill To diâ—…e and â—…use the corn take those the chaff that will S. AUGUST lib. 1. de doct. Christi Temporall things more ravish in the expectation then in sâ—…uition but things eternall more in the sruition then expectation Ibideâ—… The life os man is the middle between Angels and beasts Is man takes pleasure in carnall things he is compared to beasts but is he delights in spirituall things he is suited with Angels EPIG. 7. Art thou a child Thou wilt not then be fed But like a child and with the childrens bread But thou art fed with chaff or corn undrest My soul thou savour'st too much of the beast VIII PHILIPPIANS 13. 19. They mind earthly things but our conversation is in Heaven Venus Div. Cupid Ven. WHat means this peâ—…vish brat Whish lullaby What aâ—…ls my babe what ails my babe to cry Will nothing still it will it neither be Pleas'd with the nurses breast nor mothers knee What ails my bird what moves my froward boy To make such whimp'ring faces Peace my joy Will nothing do Come come this pettish brat Thus cry and bawl and cannot tell for what Come busse and friends my lambe whish lullaby What ails my babe what ails my babe to cry Peace peace my dear alas thy early years Had never faults to merit half these teares Come smile upon me Let thy mother spie Thy fathers image in her babies eye Husband these guiltlesle drops against the rage Of harder fortunes and the gripes of age Thine eye 's not ripe â—…or teaâ—…s whish lullaby What ails my babe my sweetâ—… fac'd babe to cry Look look what 's here A dainty golden thing See how the dancing bells turn round and ring To please my bantling here 's a knack will breed A hundred kisses here 's a knack indeed So now my bird is white and looks as fair As Pelops shoulder or my milk-white pair Here 's right the fathers smile when Mars beguil'd Sick Venus of her heart just thus he smil'd Divine Cupid Well may they smile alike thy base-bâ—…ed boy And his base sire had both one cause a toy How well theiâ—… subjects and theiâ—… smilâ—…s agree Thy Cupid finds a toy and Mars found thee â—…alse Queen of beauty Queen of false delights Thy knee presents an â—…mbleme that invites Man to himself whose self-transported heart Ovâ—…rwhelm'd with native sorrows and the smaâ—…t Of purchas'd grieâ—…s lies whining night and day Not knowing why till heavy heâ—…ld delay The dull-brow'd Pander of despaâ—…r layes by His leaden buskins and presents his eye With antick triâ—…les which th' indulgent earth Makes proper objects of mans childish mirth These be the coyn that passe the sweets that please There 's nothing good there 's nothing great but these These be the pipes that base-born minds dance after And turn immod ' rate tears to lavish laughter Whilst Heav'nly rapâ—…res passe without regard Their strings are harsh and their high strains unheaâ—…d The plough-mâ—…ns whistle or the triviall â—…ure â—…ind more respâ—…ct then great Apollo's lute We 'll look to Heav'n and trust to higher joyes Let swine love husks and
for thine eye Or if that wound be clos'd that passage be Deny'd between thy gracious eyes and me Yet view the scarre that scarre will countermand Thy wrath O read my fortune in thy hand S. CHRYS. Hom. 4. Joan. Fools seem to abound in wealth when they want all things they seem to enjoy happinesse when indeed they are onely most miserable neither do they understand that they are delâ—…ded by their fancy till they be delivered from their folly S. GREG. in Mor. By so much the more are we inwardly foolish by how much we strive to seem outwardly wise EPIG. 2. Rebellious fool what has thy folly done Controul'd thy God and crucisi'd his Sonne How sweetly has the Lord of life deceiv'd thee Thou shedst his bloud and that shed blood has sav'd thee III. PSALM 6. 2. Have mercy Lord upon me for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed Soul Jesus Soul AH Son of David help Jes. What sinfull 〈◊〉 Implores the Son of David Soul It is I Jes. Who art thou Soul Oh a deeply wounded breast That 's heavy laden and would fain have rest Jes. I have no scraps and dogs must not be fed Like houshold children with the childrens bread Soul True Lord yet tolerate a hungry whelp To lick their crummes O Sonne of David help Jes. Poore Soul what ail'st thou Soul O I burn I fry I cannot rest I know not where to fly To find some case I turn my blubber'd facé From man to man I â—…oul from place to place T' avoid my tortures to obtein relief But still am dogg'd and haunted with my grief My midnight torments call the sluggish light And when the morning 's come they woo the night Jes. Surcease thy tears and speak thy free desires Soul Quench quench my flames and swage these scorching fires Jes. Canst thou believe my hand can cure thy grief Soul Lord I believe Lord help my unbelief Jes. Hold forth thy arm and let my fingers try Thy pulse where chiefly doth thy torment lie Soul From head to foot it reignes in ev'ry part But playes the self-law'd tyrant in my heart Jes. Canst thou digâ—…st canst relish wholesome food Haw stands thy tast Soul To nothing that is good All sinfull â—…rash and earths unsav'ry stuff I can digest and relish well enough Jes. Is not thy bloud as cold â—…s hot by turns Soul Cold to what 's good to what is bad it burns Jes. How old 's thy grief Soul I took it at the fall With eating fruit Jes. 'T is Epidenâ—…call Thy bloud 's infected and th' infection spâ—…ng From a bad liver 'T is a feaver strong And full of death unlesse with present speed A vein be op'ned thou must die or bleed Soul O I am faint and spent that launce that shall Let forth my bloud le ts forth my life withall My soul wants cordials and has greater need Of bloud then being spent so far to bleâ—…d I faint already If I bleed I die Jes. 'T is either thou-must bleed sick soul or I My bloud 's a cordiall He that sucks my veins Shall â—…se his own and conquer greater pains Then these cheer up this precious bloud of mine Shall cure thy grief my heart shall bleed for thine Believe and view me with a faithfull eye Thy soul shall neither languish bleed â—…or die S. AUGUST lib. 10. Confess Lord be mercisull unto me Ah me Behold I hide not my wounds Thou art a Phâ—…sician and I am sick Thou aâ—…t mercifull and I am miserable S. GREG. in Pastoral. O Wisdome with how sweet an aâ—…t dâ—…th thy wine and oyl vestore health to my healthlesse soul How powersully mercisull how mercifully powerfull art thoâ—… Powerfull for me mercisull to me EPIG. 3. Canst thou be sick and such a Doctour by Thou canst not live unlesse thy Doctour die Strange kind of grief that finds no med'cine good To swage her pains but the Physicians bloud IV. PSALM 25. 18. Look upon my affliction and my pain and forgive all my sinnes BOth work and strokes both lash and labour too What more could Edom or proud Ashur do Stripes after stripes and blows succeding blows Lord has thy scourge no mercy and my woes No end my pains no ease no intermission Is this the state Is this the sad condition Of those that trust thee will thy goodâ—…esse please T' allow no other favours none but these Will not the thet'rick of my torments move Are these the symptomes these the signes of love Is 't not enough enough that I â—…ulfill The toylsome task of thy laborious mill May not this labour expiate and puâ—…ge My sinne without th' addition of thy scourge Look on my cloudy brow how fast it rains Sad showers of sweat the fruits of fruitlesse pains Behold these ridges see what purple furrows Thy plow has made O think upon those sorrows That once were thine wilâ—… wilt thou not be woo'd To mercy by the charms of sweat and blood Canst thou forget that drowsie mount wherein Thy dull Disciples slept was not my sinne There punish'd in thy soul did not this brow Then sweat in thine were not those drops enow Remember Golgotha where that spring-tide O'rflow'd thy sovereigne Sacramentall side There was no sinne there was no guilt in Thee That caus'd those pains thou sweat'st thou bledst for me Was there not bloud enough when one small drop Had pow'r to ransome thousand worlds and stop The mouth of Justice Lord I bled before In thy deep wounds can Justice challenge more Or dost thou vainly labour to hedge in Thy losses from my sides my bloud is thin And thy free bountie scorns such easie thrift No no thy bloud came not as lone but gift But must I ever grind And must I earn Nothing but stripes O wilt thou disaltern The rest thou gav'st Hast thou perus'd the curse Thou laid'st on Adams fall and made it worse Canst thou repent of mercy Heav'n thought good Lost man should feed in sweat not work in bloud Why dost thou wound th' already wounded breast Ah me my life is but a pain at bâ—…st I am but dying dust my dayes a span What pleasure tak'st thou in the bloud of man Spare spare thy scourge and be not so austere Send fewer stroaks or lend more strength to bear S. BERN. Hom. 81. in Cant. Miserable man who shall deliver me 〈◊〉 the reproch of this shamefull bondage I am a miserable man but a â—…ree man â—…ce because a man miserable because a servant In regard of my bondage miserable in regard of my will inexcusable For my will that was â—…ree beslaved it self to sinne by assenting to sinne for he that committeth sinne is the servant to sinne EPIG. 4. Taxe not thy God Thine own defaults did urge This twofold punishment the mill the scourge Thy sin 's the authour of thy self tormenting Thou grind'st for sinning scourg'd for not repenting V. JOB 10. 9. Remember I beseech thee that thou hast made me as the clay
art without thy glorious sight Mine eyes are darkned with perpetuall night My God thou art my Way my Life my Light Thou art my Way I wander if thou fly Thou art my Light If hid how blind am Iâ—… Thou art my Life If thou withdraw I die Mine eyes are blind and dark I cannot see To whom or whether should my darknesse flee But to the Light And who 's that Light but thee My path is lost my wand'ring steps do stray I cannot safely go nor safely stay Whom should I seek but thee my Path my Way O I am dead to whom shall I poore I Repair to whom shall my sad ashes fly But Life And where is Life but in thine eye And yet thou turn'st away thy face and fly'st me And yet I sue for grace and thou deny'st me Speak art thou angry Lord or onely try'st me Unskreen those Heav'nly lamps or tell me why Thou shad'st thy face perhaps thou thinkst no eye Can view those flames and not drop down and die If that be all shine forth and draw thee nigher Let me behold and die for my desire Is Phoenix like to perish in that fire Death conquer'd Laz'rus was redeem'd by thee If I am dead Lord see deaths prisner free Am I more spent or stink I worse then he If my pufft light be out give leave to tine My slamelesse-snuss at that bright Lamp of thine O what 's thy Light the lesse for lighting mine If I have lost my Path great Shepherd say Shall I still wander in a doubtfull way Lord shall a Iamb of Isr'els sheepfold stâ—…ay Thou art the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the blind mans Eye The dead mans Life on thee my hopes rely If thou remove I erre I grope I die Disclose thy Sun-beams close thy wings and stay See see how I am blind and dead and stray O thou that art my Light my Life my Way S. AUGUST Soliloqu cap. 1. Why dost thou hide thy face Happily thou 〈◊〉 say none can see thy face and live Ah Lord let me die that I may see thee let me see thee that I may die I would not live but die That I may see Christ I desire death That I may live with Christ I despise life ANSELM Med. cap. 5. O excellent hiding which is become my persection My God Thou hidest thy treasure to kindle my desire Thou hidest thy pearl to inflame the seeker Thou delayest â—…o give that Thou maist teach me to importune seem'st not to hear to make mâ—… persever EPIG. 7. If 〈◊〉 all-quickning eyes vouchsafe to shine Upon our souls we slight If not we whine Our Equinoctiall hearts can never lie Secure beneath the Tropicks of that eye VIII JE REMIAâ—… 9. 1. O that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night O That mine eyes were springs and could transform Their drops to seas my sighs into a storm Of zeal and sacred violence wherein This lab'ring vèssel laden with heâ—… sinne Might suffer sudden shipwrack and be split Upon that rock where my drencht soul may sit O'rwhelm'd with plenteous passion O and there Drop drop into an everlasting tear Ah me that ev'ry sliding vein that wanders Through this vast Isle did work her wild meanders In brackish tears in stead of bloud and swell This flesh with holy dropsies from whose well Made warm with sighs may fume my wasting breath Whil'st I dissolve in steams and reek to death These narrow sluces of my dribbling eyes Are much too strait for those quick springs that rise And hourely fill my temples to the top I cannot shed for ev'ry sinne a drop Great builder of mankind why hast thou sent Such swelling flouds and made so small a ventâ—… O that this flesh had been compos'd of snow In stead of earth and bones of ice that so Feeling the fervour of my sinne and lothing The â—…ire I feel I might be thaw'd to nothing O thou that didst with hopefull joy entomb Me thrice three moons in thy laborious womb And then with joyfull pain broughtst forth a Son What worth thy labour has thy labour done What was there Ah! what was there in my birth That could deserve the easiest smile of mirth A man was born Alas and what 's a man A scuttle full of dust a measur'd span Of flitting Time a furnish'd pack whose wares Are sullen griefs and soul-tormenting cares A vale of tears a vessel tunn'd with breath By sicknesse brocht to be drawn out by deaâ—…h A haplesse helplesse thing that born doth cry To feed that feeds to live that lives to die Great God and Man whose eyes spent drops so often For me that cannot weep enough O soften These marble brains and strike this slintie rock Or if the musick of thy Peters cock Will more prevail fill fill my hearkning ears With that sweet sound that I may melt in tears I cannot weep untill thou broch mine eye Or give me vent or else I burst and die S. AMBROS. in Psal. 118. He that committeth sinnes to be wept for cannot weep for sianes committed And being himself most lamentable hath no tears to lament his offences NAZIANZ Orat. 3. Tears are the deluge of sinne and the worlds sacrifice S. HIERON. in Esaiam Prayer appeaseth God but a tear compelleth him That moveth him but this constraineth him EPIO. 8. Earth is an Island ported round with fears The way to Heav'n is through the Sea of tearsâ—… It is a stormy passage where is found The wrack of many a ship but no man drown'd IX PSALM 18. 5. The sorrows of hell compassed me about and the snares of death prevented me IS not this Type well cut In ev'ry part Full of rich cunning sill'd with Zeuxian Art Are not the hunters and their Stygian hounds Limm'd full to th' life didst ever heare the sounds The musick and the lip-divided breaths Of the strong-winded horn recheats and deaths Done more exact th' infernall Nimrods hollow The lawlesse Purliews and the game they follow The hidden engines and the snares that lie So undiscover'd so obscure to th' eye The new-drawn net and her entangled prey And him thae closes it Beholder say Is 't not well done seems not an em'lous strife Betwixt the rare cut picture and the life These Purliew-men are Devils and the Hounds Those quick-nos'd Canibals that scour the grounds Temptations and the Game these Fiends pursue Are humane souls which still they have in view Whose fury if they chance to scape by slying The skilfull Hunter plants his net close lying On th' unsuspected earth bayted with treasure Ambitious honour and self-wasting pleasure Where if the soul but stoop death stands prepar'd To draw the net and drawn the soul 's ensnat'd Poore soul how 〈◊〉 thou hurried to and fro Where canst thou safely stay where safely go If stay these hot-mouth'd hounds are apt to tear thee If go the snares enclose the nets ensnare thee What good in this bad world has pow'r t'
members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivitie to the Law of sinne 1 O How my will is hurried to and fro And how my unresolv'd resolves do vary I know not where to fix sometimes I go ' This way then that and then the quite contrary I like dislike lament for what I could not I do undo yet still do what I should not And at the self same instant will the thing I would not 2 Thus are my weather-beaten thoughts opprest With th' earth-bred winds of my prodigious will Thus am I hourely tost from East to West Upon the rowling streams of good and ill Thus am I driven upon these slipp'ry suds From reall ills to false apparent goods My life 's a troubled sea compos'd of Ebs and Flouds 3 The curious Penman having tâ—…imm'd his page With the dead language of his dabbled quill Le ts fall a heedlesse drop then in a rage Cashiers the fruits of his unlucky skill Ev'n so my pregnant soul in th' insant bud Of her best thoughts showâ—…s down a cole-black flood Of unadvised ills and cancels all her good 4 Sometimes a sudden flash of sacred heat Warms my chill soul and seâ—…s my thoughts in frame But soon â—…hat fire is shouldred from her seat By lustfull Cupids much inferiour flame I feel two flames and yet no flame entire Thus are the mungrill thoughts of mixt desire Consum'd between that heav'nly and this earthly fire 5 Sometimes my trash-disdaining thoughts out-passe The common period of terrene conceit O then me thinks I scorn the thing I was Whilst I stand ravisht at my new estate But when th' Icarian wings of my desire Feel but the warmth of their own native sire O then they melt and plunge within their wonted mire 6 I know the nature of my wav'ring mind I know the frailty of my fleshly will My Passion 's Eagle-ey'd my judgement blind I know what 's good but yet make choice of ill When th' Ostrich wings of my desires shall be So dull they cannot mount the least degree Yet grant my soul desire but of desiring thee S. BERN. Med. 9. My heart is a vain heart a vagabond and instable heart while it is led by its own judgement and wanting Divine counsel cannot subsist in it self and whilest it divers wayes seeketh rest findeth none but remaineth miserable through labour and void of peace It agreeth not with it self it dissenteth from it self it altereth resolutions changeth the judgement frameth new thoughts pulleth down the old and buildeth them up again It willeth and willeth not and never remaineth in the same state S. AUGUST de verb Apost. When it would it cannot because when it might it would not Therefore by an evil will man lost his good power EPIG. 1. My soul how are thy thoughts disturb'd confin'd Enlarg'd betwixt thy members and thy mind Fix here or there thy doubt-depending cause Can nev'r expect one verdict 'twixt two Laws II. PSALM 119. 5. O that my wayes were directed to keep thy Statutes 1 THus I the object of the worlds disdain With Pilgrime-pace surround the weary earth I onely relish what the world counts vain Her mirth 's my grief her sullen grief my mirth Her light my darknesse and her truth my errour Her freedom is my jail and her delight my terrour 2 Fond earth proportion not my seeming love To my long stay let not thy thoughts deceive thee Thou art my prison and my home 's above My life 's a preparation but to leave thee Like one that seeks a doore I walk about thee With thee I cannot live I cannot live without thee 3 The world 's a lab'rinth whose anfractuous wayes Are all compos'd of rubs and crook'd meanders No resting here He 's hurried back that stayes A thought and he that goes unguided wanders Her way is dark her path untrod unev'n So hard 's the way from earth so hard 's the way to Heav'n 4 This gvring lab'rinth is betrench'd about On either hand with streams of sulph'rous fire Streams closely sliding erring in and out But seeming pleasant to the fond descrier Where if his footsteps trust their own invention He falls without redresse and sinks beyond dimension 5 Where shall I seek a Guide where shall I meet Some lucky hand to lead my trembling paces What trusty Lantern will direct my feet To scape the danger of these dang'rous places What hopes have I to passe without a Guide Where one gets safely through a thousand fall beside 6 An unrequested Starre did gently slide Before the Wisemen to a greater Light Back-sliding Isr'el found a double Guide A Pillar and a Cloud by day by night Yet in my desp'rate dangers which be farre More great then theirs I have nor Pillar Cloud nor Starre 7 O that the pineons of a clipping Dove Would cut my passage through the empty Aire Mine eyes being seeld how would I mount above The reach of danger and forgotten care My backward eyes should nev'r commit that fault Whose lasting guilt should build a Monument of Salt 8 Great God that art the flowing Spring of Light Enrich mine eyes with thy refulgent Ray Thou art my Path direct my steps aright I have no other Light no other Way I 'll trust my God and him alone pursue His Law shall be my Path his Heav'nly Light my Clue S. AUGUST Soliloqu cap. 4. O Lord who art the Light the Way the Truth the Life in whom there is no darknesse errour vanitie nor death The Light without which there is darknesse The Way without which there is wandering The Truth without which there is errour The Life without which there is death Say Lord Let there be Light and I shall see Light and eschew darknesse I shall see the Way and avoid wandering I shall sâ—…e the Truth and shun errour I shall see Life and escape death Illuminate O illuminate my blind soul which â—…itteth in darknesse and the shâ—…dow of death and direct my feet in the way of peace EPIG. 2. Pilgrime trudge on What makes thy soul complain Crownes thy complaint The way to rest is pain The road to resolution lies by doubt The next way home 's the farthest way about III. PSALM 17. 5. Stay my steps in thy paths that my feet do not slide 1 WHen ere the old Exchange of profit rings Her silver Saints-bell of uncertain gains My merchant soul can stretch both legs and wings How I can run and take unwearied pains The charms of profit are so strong that I Who wanted legs to go find wings to fly 2 〈◊〉 time-beguiling Pleasure but advance Her lustfull trump and blow her bold alarms O how my sportfull â—…oul can frisk and dance And hug that Syren in her twined arms The sprightly voyce of sinew-strengthning pleasure Can lend my bedrid soul both legs and leasure 3 If blazing Honour chance to fill my veins With flatt'ring warmth and flash of Courtly fire My soul can take a pleasure in her pains My
Let Hymens easie snarles be quite forgot Time cannâ—…t quench our â—…ites nor death dissolve our knot ORIG. Hom. 10. in divers O most holy Lord and sweetest Master how good art thou to those that are of upright heart and humble spirit O how blessed are they that seek thee with a simple heart How happy that trust in thee It is a most certain truth that thou lovest all that love thee and never forsakest those that trust in thee For behold thy Love simply sought thee and undoubtedly found thee She trusted in thee and is not forsaken of thee but hath obtained more by thee then she expected from thee BEDA in cap. 3. Cant. The longer I was in finding whom I sought the more earnestly I held him beâ—…ng found EPIG. 12. What found him out let strong embraces bind him He 'll fly perchance where tears can never find him New sinnes will lose what old repentance gains Wisedome not onely gets but got retains XIII PSALM 72. 28. It is good for me to draw near to God I have put my trust in the Lord God WHere is that Good which wisemen please to call The Chiefest Doth there any such befall Within mans reach Or is there such a Good at all If such there be it neither must expire Nor change then which there can be nothing higher Such Good must be the utter point of mans desire It is the Mark to which all hâ—…arts must tend Can be desired for no other end Then for it self on which all other goods depend What may this Excellence be doth it subsist A reall Essence clouded in the midst Of cuâ—…ious Art or clear to ev'ry eye that list Or is 't a tart Idea to procure An edge and keep the practick soul in ure Like that dear Chymick dust or puzzling Quadrature Where shall I seek this Good where shall I find This Cath'lick pleasure whose extremes may bind My thoughts and fill the gulf of my insatiate mind Lies it in Treasure In full heaps untold Doth gowty Mammous griping hand infold This secret Saint in sacred shrines of sov'reigne gold No no she lies not there wealth often sowrs In keeping makes us hers in seeming ours She slides from Heav'n indeed but not in Danat's showrs Lives she in honour no The royall Crown Builds up a creature and then batters down Kings raise thee with a smile and raze thee with a frown In pleasure no Pleasure begins in rage Acts the fools part on earths uncertain stage Begins the Play in youth and Epilogues in age These these are bastard-goods the best of these Torment the soul with pleasing it and please Like water gulp'd in fevers with deceitfull ease Earths flatt'ring dainties are but sweet distresses Mole-hils perform the mountains she professes Alas can earth confer more good then earth possesses Mounâ—… mount my soul and let thy thoughts cashier Earths vain delights and make their full carier At Heav'ns eternall joyes stop stop thy Courser there There shall thy soul possesse uncarefull treasure There shalt thou swim in never-sading pleasure And blaze in honour farre above the frowns of Caesar Lord if my hoâ—…e dare let her anchor fall On thee the chiefest Good no need to call For earths inferiour trash Thou thou art All in All S. AUGUST Soliloqu cap. 13. I follow this thing I pursue that but am filled with nothing But when I found thee who aâ—…t that immutable individed and onely good in my self what I obtained I wanted not for what I obtained not I grieved not with wâ—…at I was possest 〈◊〉 whole desire was 〈◊〉 S. BERN. Ser. 9. sup beati qui habent c. Let others pâ—…etend merit let him bâ—…ag of the burden of the day let him boast of his Sabbath fasts and let him glory that 〈◊〉 is not as other men but for me it is good to cleaâ—…e unto the Lord and to put my trust in my Lord God EPG 13. Let Boâ—…eas blasts and Nepâ—…unes waves be joyn'd Thy Eolus commands the waves the wind Fear not the rocks or worlds imperious waves Thou climbst a rock my soul a rock that saves XIV CANTICLES 2. 3. I sat under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my tast 1 LOok how the sheep whose rambling steps do stray From the safe blessing of her Shepherds eyes Estsoon becomes the unprotected prey To the wing'd squadron of beleagring slies Where swelired with the scorching beams of day She frisks from bush to brake and wildly flies From her own self ev'n of her self afraid She shrouds her troubled brows in ev'ry glade And craves the mercy of the soft removing shade 2 Ev'n so my wand'ring Soul that hath digrest From her great Shepherd is the hourely prey Of all my sinnes These vultures in my breast Gripe my Promethean heart both night and day I hunt from place to place but sind no rest I know not where to go nor where to stay The eye of vengeance burns her flames invade My swelt'ring soul My soul hath oft assaid But she can find no shrowd but she can feel no shade 3 I sought the shades of Mitth to wear away My slow-pac'd hours of soul-consuming grief I search'd the shades of sleep to ease my day Of griping sorrows with a nights reprief I sought the shades of death thought there t' allay My finall torments with a full relief But mirth nor sleep nor death can hide my houres In the false shades of their deceitfull bowrs The first distracts the next disturbs the last devours 4 Where shall I 〈◊〉 To whom shall I apply 〈◊〉 Are there no streams where a faint soul may wade Thy Godhead JESUS are the flames that fry me Hath thy All-glorious Deity never a shade Where I may sit and vengeance never eye me Where I might sit refresht or 〈◊〉 Is there no comfort Is there no resection Is there no cover that will give protection T' a fainting soul the subject of thy wraths 〈◊〉 5 Look up my soul advance the lowly stature Of thy sad thoughts advance thy humble eye See here 's a shadow found The humane nature Is made the Umbella to the Deity To catch the Sun-beams of thy just Creatour Beneath this covert thou maist safely lie 〈◊〉 thine eyes to climbe this fruitfull tree As quick Zacheus did and thou shalt see A cloud of dying flesh betwixt those beams and thee GUILL in cap. 2. Cant. Who can indure the 〈◊〉 rayes of the Sunne of Justice Who shall not be consumed by his beams Therefore the Sun of Justice took flesh that through the conjunction of that Sun and this humane body a shadow may be made S. AUGUST Med. cap. 37. Lord let my soul flee from the scorching thoughts of the world under the covert of thy wings that being resreshed by the moderation of thy shadow she may sing merrily In peace will I lay me down and rest 〈◊〉 14. Ah treach'rous soul would not thy pleasures give That Lord which made thee living leave to
fruitfull grove To cool my palate and renew my sent For I am sick for I am sick of love These will revive my dry my wasted pow'rs And they will sweeten my unsav'ry houres Refresh me then with fruit and comfort me with flow'rs 3 O bring me apples to asswage that fire Which Aetna-like inflames my flaming breast Nor is it every apple I desire Nor that which pleases every palate best 'T is not the lasting Deuzan I require Nor yet the red-cheek'd Queening I request Nor that which first bethrewd the name of wife Nor that whose beauty caus'd the golden strife No no bring me an apple from the tree of life 4 Virgins tuck up your silken laps and fill ye With the fair wealth of Floras Magazine The purple violet and the pale-fac'd lilly The pancy and the organ colombine The flowring thyme the guilt-boul daffadilly The lowly pink the lofty eglentine The blushing rose the queen of flowers and best Of Floras beauty but above the rest Let Jesses sovereigne flower perfume my qualming breast 5 Haste Virgins haste for I lie weak and faint Beneath the 〈◊〉 of love why stand ye mute As if your silence neither car'd to grant Nor yet your language to deny my suit No key can lock the doore of my complaint Untill I smell this flower or tast that fruit Go Virgins seek this tree and search that how'râ—… O how my soul shall blesse that happy houre That brings to me such fruit that brings me such a flower GISTEN in cap. 2. Cant. Expos. 3. O happy sicknesse where the infirmitie is not to death but 〈◊〉 life that God may be glorified by it O happy sever that procedeth not from a consuming but a calcining sire O happy â—…emper wherein the soul relisheth no earthly things but onely savoureth divine nourishment S. BERN. Serm. 51. in Cant. By flowers understand faith by fruit good works As the flower or blossome is before the fruit so is saith before good works So neither is the fruit without the flower nor good works without faith EPIG. 2. Why apples O my soul Can they remove The pangs of grief or ease the flames of love It was that fruit which gave the first offence That sent him hither 〈◊〉 that remov'd him hence III. CANTICLES 2. 16. My beloved is mine and I am his He feedeth among the lillies 1 EV'n like two little bank-dividing brooks That wash the pebbles with their wanton streams And having rang'd and search'd a thousand nooks Meet both at length in silver-breasted Thames Where in a greater current they conjoyn So I my best-beloveds am so he is mine 2 Ev'n so we met and after long pursuit Ev'n so we joyn'd we both became entire No need for either to renew a suit For I was flax and he was flames of sire Our firm united souls did more then twine So I my best-beloveds am so he is mine 3 If all those glitt'ring Monarchs that command The servile quarters of this earthly ball Should tender in exchange their shares of land I would not change my fortunes for them all Their wealth is but a counter to my coin The world 's but theirs but my beloved's mine 4 Nay more If the fair Thespian Ladies all Should heap together their diviner treasure That treasure should be deem'd a price too small To buy a minutes lease of half my pleasure 'T is not the sacred wealth of all the nine Can buy my heart from him or his from being mine 5 Nor Time nor Place nor Chance nor Death can bow My least desires unto the least remove He 's firmly mine by oath I his by vow He 's mine by faith and I am his by love He 's mine by water I am his by wine Thus I my best-beloveds am thus he is mine 6 He is my Altar I his Holy Place I am his guest and he my living food I 'm his by penitence he mine by grace I 'm his by purchase he is mine by bloud He 's my supporting elm and I his vine Thus I my best-beloveds am thus he is mine 7 He gives me wealth I give him all my vows I give him songs he gives me length of dayes With wreaths of grace he crowns my conqu'ring brows And I his Temples with a crown of Praise Which he accepts as an ev'rlasting signe That I my best-beloveds am that he is mine S. AUGUST Manu cap. 24. O my soul stampt with the image of thy God love him of whom thou art so much beloved bend to him that boweth to thee seek him that seeketh thee Love thy lover by whose love thou art prevented being the cause of thy love Be carefull with those that are carefull want with those that want be clean with the clean and holy with the holy choose this sriend above all friends who when all are taken away remaineth onely faithfull to thee In the day of thy buriall when all leave thee he will not deceive thee but defend thee from the roaring Lions prepared for their prey EPIO. 3. Sing Hymen to my soul What lost and found Welcom'd espous'd enjoy'd so soon and crown'dâ—… He did but climb the Crosse and then came down 〈◊〉 gates of hell triumph'd and fetch'd a Crown IV. CANTICLES 7. 10. I am my Beloveds and his desire is towards me 1 LIke to the Artick needle that doth guide The wand'ring shade by his Magnetick pow'r And leaves his silken Gnomon to decide The question of the controverted houre First franticks up and down from side to side And restlesse beats his crystall'd Iv'ry case With vain impatience jets from place to place And seeks the bosome of his frozen bride At length he slacks his motion and doth rest His trembling point at his bright Poles beloved brest 2 Ev'n so my soul being hurried here and there By ev'ry object that presents delight Fain would be settled but she knowes not where She likes at morning what she loaths at night She bowes to honour then she lends an eare To that sweet swan-like voyce of dying pleasure Then tumbles in the scatter'd heaps of treasure Now flatter'd with false hope now foyl'd with fear Thus finding all the worlds delights to be But empty toyes good God she points alone to thee 3 But hath the virtued steel a power to move Or can the untouch'd needle point aright Or can my wandring thoughts forbear to rove Unguided by the virtue of thy spirit O hath my leaden soul the art t' improve Her wasted talent and unrais'd aspire In this sad moulting time of her desire Not first belov'd have I the power to love I cannot stirre but as thou please to move me Nor can my heart return thee love untill thou love me 4 The still Commandresse of the silent night Borrows her beams from her bright brothers eye His fair aspect filles her sharp horns with light If he withdraw her flames are quench'd and die Even so the beams of thy enlightning spirit Infus'd and shot into my dark desire
deceived mine eyes and I have not observed that thou art more amiable then all thy creatures to which thou hast communicated but one drop of thy inestimable beautie For who hath adorned the Heavens with starres Who hath stored the air with sowl the waters with fish the earth with plants and flowers But what are all these but a small spark of Divine beauty S. CHRYS. Hom. 5. in Ep. ad Rom. In having nothing I have all things because I have Christ Having 〈◊〉 all things in him I seek no other reward for he is the universall reward EPIG. 6. Who would not throw his better thoughts about him And scorn this drosse within him that without him Cast up my soul thy clearer eye Behold If thou be fully melted there 's the mold VII 〈◊〉 120. 5. Wo is to me that I remain in Meshech and dwell in the tents of Kedar IS Natures course dissolv'd doth Times glasse stand Or hath some frolick heart set back the hand Of Fates perpetuall Clock will't never strike Is crazy Time grown lazy faint or sick With very Age or hath that great Pairroyall Of Adamantine sisters late made triall Of some new trade shall mortall hearts grow old In sorrow snail my weary arms infold And underprop my panting sides for ever Is there no charitable hand will sever My well-spun thred that my imprison'd soul May be deliver'd from this dull dark hole Of dungeon flesh O shall I shall I never Be ransom'd but remain a slave for ever It is the lot of man but once to die But ere that death how many deaths have I What humane madnesse makes the world affraid To entertein Heav'ns joy because convey'd By th' hand of death will nakednesse refuse Rich change of robes because the man 's not spruse That brought them or will povertie send back Full bags of gold because the bringer 's black Life is a bubble blown with whining breaths Fill'd with the torments of a thousand deaths Which being prickt by death while death deprives One life presents the soul a thousand lives O frantick mortall how hath earth bewitch'd Thy Bedlam soul which hath so fondly pitch'd Upon her false delights Delights that cease Before enjoyment finds a time to please Her fickle joyes breed doubtfull fears her fears Bring hopefull griefs her griefs weep fearfull tears Tears coyn deceitfull hopes hopes carefull doubt And surly passion justles passion out To day we pamper with a full repast Of lavish mirth at night we weep as fast To night we swim in wealth and lend to morrow We sink in want and find no friend to borrow In what a climate doth my soul reside Where pale-fac'd murder the first-born of pride Sets up her kingdome in the very smiles And plighted faiths of men-like Crocodiles A land where each embroyd'red sattin word Is lin'd with fraud where Mars his law lesse sword Exiles 〈◊〉 balance where that hand Now slayes his brother that new-sow'd his land O that my dayes of bondage would expire In this lewd soyl Lord how my soul 's on fire To be dissolv'd that I might once obtain These long'd for joyes long'd for so oft in vain If Moses-like I may not live possest Of this fair land Lord let me see 't at least S. AUGUST 〈◊〉 cap. 12. My life is a frail life a corruptible life a life which the more it increaseth the more it decreaseth The farther it goeth the nearer it cometh to death A deceitfull life and like a shadow full of the snares of death Now I rejoyce now I languish now I flourish now infirm now I live and straight I die now I seem happy alwayes miserable 〈◊〉 I laugh now I weep Thus all things are subject to mutabilitie that nothing continueth an 〈◊〉 in one state O joy above joy exceeding all joy without which there is no joy when shall I enter into thee that I may see my God that dwelleth in thee EPIG. 7. Art thou so weak O canst thou not digest An houre of travel for a night of rest Chear up my soul call home thy spirits and bear One bad good-friday full-mouth'd Easter's near VIII ROMANES 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death BEhold thy darling which thy lustfull care Pampers for which thy restlesse thoughts prepare Such 〈◊〉 cates for whom thy bubbling brow So often sweats and bankrupt eyes do ow Such midnight scores to nature for whose sake Base earth is sainted the infernall lake Unfeard the Crown of glory poorely rated Thy God neglected and thy brother hated Behold thy darling whom thy soul affects So dearly whom thy fond indulgence decks And puppets up in soft in silken weeds Behold thy darling whom thy fondnesse feeds With farre-fetcht delicates the dear-bought gains Of ill-spent time the price of half thy pains Behold thy darling who when clad by thee Derides thy nakednesse and when most free Proclaims her lover slave and being fed Most full then strikes th' indulgent feeder dead What meanst thou thus my poore deluded soul To love so fondly Can the burning cole Of thy affection last without the fuel Of counter-love Is thy compeer so cruel And thou so kind to love unlov'd again Canst thou sow favours and thus reap disdain Remember O remember thou art born Of royall bloud remember thou art sworn A Maid of Honour in the Court of Heaven Remember what a costly price was given To ransome thee from slav'ry thou wert in And wilt thou now my soul turn slave again The Son and Heir to Heav'ns Triune JEHOVE Would fain become a 〈◊〉 for thy love And offers for thy dow'r his Fathers Throne To sit for Seraphims to gaze upon He 'll give thee Honour Pleasure Wealth and Things Transcending farre the Majesty of Kings And wilt thou prostrate to the odious charms Of this base scullion shall his hollow arms Hugg thy soft sides shall these course hands untie The sacred Zone of thy virginitie For shame degen'rous soul let thy desire Be quickned up with more heroick fire Be wisely proud let thy ambitious eye Reade nobler objects let thy thoughts desie Such am'rous basenesse let thy soul disdain Th' ignoble profers of so base a swain Or if thy vowes be past and Hymens bands Have ceremonied your unequall hands Annull at least avoid thy lawlesse act With insufficiencie or a precontract Or if the act be good yet maist thou plead A second freedome for the flesh is dead NAZIANZ Orat. 16. How I am joyned to this body I know not which when it is healthfull provoketh me to warre and being dammaged by warre affecteth me with grief which I both love as a fellow-servant and bate as an utter enemy It is a pleasant foe and a perfidious friend O strange conjunction and alienation what I fear I embrace and what I love I am affraid of before I make warre I am reconciled before I enjoy peace I am at variance EPIG. 8. What need that house be
towre Above the sent of these inferiour things How happy is the Lark that ev'ry howre Leaves earth and then for joy mounts up and sings Had my dull soul but wings as well as they How I would spring from earth and clip away As wise Astrea did and scorn this ball of clay 3 O how my soul would spurn this ball of clay And loath the dainties of earths painfull pleasure O how I 'de laugh to see men night and day Turmoyl to gain that trash they call their treasure O how I 'de smile to see what plots they lay To catch a blast or own a smile from Cesar Had I the pineons of a mounting Dove How I would sore and sing and hate the love Of transitory toyes and feed on joyes above 4 There should I find that everlasting pleasure Which change removes not which chance prevents not There should I find that everlasting treasure Which force deprives not fortune dis-augments not There should I sind that everlasting Cesar Whose hand recalls not and whose heart repents not Had I the pineons of a clipping Dove How I would climb the skies and hate the love Of transitory toyes and joy in things above 5 No rank-mouth'd slander there shall give offence Or blast our blooming names as here they do No liver-scalding lust shall there incense Our boyling veins There is no Cupids bow Lord give my soul the milk-white innocence Of Doves and I shall have their pineons too Had I the pineons of a sprightly Dove How I would quit this earth and sore above And Heav'ns blest kingdome find with Heav'ns blest King Jehove S. AUGUST in Psal. 128. What wings should I desire but the two precepts of love on which the Law and the Prophets depend O if I could obtain these wings I could fly from thy sace to thy face from the face of thy Justice to the face of thy Mercy Let us find those wings by love which we have lost by lust S. AUGUST in Psal. 76. Let us cast off whatsoever hindereth entangleth or burdeneth our flight untill we attain that which satisfieth beyond which nothing is beneath which all things are of which all things are EPIG. 13. Tell me my wishing soul didst ever trie How fast the wings of red-crost faith can slie Why begg'st thou then the pineons of a Dove Faiths wings are swifter but the swiftest love XIV PSALM 84. 1. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O God of Hosts ANcient of dayes to whom all times are Now Before whose Glory Seraphims do bow Their blushing cheeks and veil their blemisht faces That uncontain'd at once dost fill all places How glorious O how farre beyond the height Of puzzled quils or the obtuse conceit Of flesh and bloud or the too flat reports Of mortall tongues are thy expreslesse courts Whose glory to paint forth with greater Art Ravish my fancy and inspire my heart Excuse my bold attempt and pardon me For shewing sense what faith alone should see Ten thousand millions and tne thousand more Of angel-measur'd leagues from th' Eastern shore Of dungeon earth this glorious Palace stands â—…efore whose pearly gates ten thousand bands Of armed angels wait to entertain Those purged souls for whom the Lamb was slain Whose guilâ—…lesse death and voluntary yielding Of whose giv'n life gave this brave court her building The lukewarm bloud of this dear Lamb being spilt To rubies turn'd whereof her posts were built And what dropt down in cold and gelid gore Did turn rich Saphyres and impav'd her floore The brighter flames that from his ey-balls ray'd Grew Chrysolites whereof her walls were made The milder glances sparkled on the ground And groundsild every doore with Diamond But dying darted upwards and did fix A battlement of purest Sardonix Her streets with burnisht gold are paved round Starres lie like pebbles scattred on the ground Pearl mixt with Onyx and the Jasper stone Made gravell'd causwayes to be tâ—…ampled on There shines no Sun by day no Moon by night The Pallace glory is the Pallace light There is no time to measure motion by There Time is swallow'd with Eternitie Wry-mouth'd Disdain and corner-haunting Lust And twy-sac'd Fraud and beetle-brow'd Distrust Soul-boyling Rage and trouble-state Sedition And giddy Doubt and goggle-ey'd Suspition And lumpish Sorrow and degen'rous Fear Are banisht thence and Death 's a stranger there But simple Love and sempiternall Joyes Whose sweetnesse neither gluts nor fulnesse cloyes Where face to face our ravish't eye shall see Great Eâ—…OHIM that glorious One in Three And Three in One and seeing him shall blesse him And blessing love him and in love possesse him Here stay my soul and ravish in relation Thy words being spent spend now in contemplation S. GREG. in Psal. 7. poenitent Sweet Jesus the word of the Father the brightnesse of paternall glory whom Angels delight to view teach me to do thy will that led by thy good Spirit I may come to that blessed Citie where day is eternall where there is certain securitie and secure eternitie and eternall peace and peacefull happinesse and happy sweetnesse and sweet pleasure where thou O God with the Father and the holy Spirit livest and reignest world without end Ibid. There is light without darknesse joy without grief desire without punishment love without sadnesse 〈◊〉 without loathing safetie without fear health without disease and life without death EPIG. 14. My soul pry not too nearly the complexion Of Sols bright face is seen but by reslexion But wouldst thou know what 's heav'n I 'll tell thee what Think what thou canst not think and heav'n is that XV CANTICLES 8. 14. Make hast my Beloved and be like the Roe or the young Hart upon the mountains of Spices GO gentle tyrant go thy flames do pierce My soul to deep thy flames are too too fiâ—…rce My marrow melts my fainting spirits fry I' th' torrid Zone of thy Meridian eye Away away thy sweets are too perfuming Turn turn thy face thy fires are too consuming Hast hence and let thy winged steps out-go The frighted Ro-buck and his flying Ro. But wilt thou leave me then O thou that aâ—…t Life of my soul soul of my dying heart Without the sweet aspect of whose fair eyes My soul doth languish and her solace dies Art thou so easily woo'd so apt to heare The frantick language of my foolish fear Leave leave me not nor turn thy beauty from me Look look upon me though thine eyes o'rcome me O how they wound but how my wounds content me How sweetly these delightfull pains torment me How I am tortur'd in excessive measure Of pleasing cruelties too cruel pleasure Turn turn away remove thy scorching beams I languish with these bitter-sweet extremes Hast then and let thy winged steps out-go The flying Ro-buck and his frighted Ro. Turn back my dear O let my ravisht eye Once more behold thy face before thou fly What shall we part without a mutuall kisse O who can leave so sweet a face
as this Look full upon me for my soul 〈◊〉 To turn a holy 〈◊〉 in those fires O leave me not nor turn thy beauty from me Look look upon me though thy flames ov'rcome me If thou becloud the Sun-shine of thine eye I freez to death and if it shine I frie Which like a fever that my soul hath got Makes me to burn too cold or freez too hot Alas I cannot bear so sweet a smart Nor canst thou be lesse glorious thâ—…n thou art Hast then and let thy winged steps out-go The frighted Ro-buck and his flying Ro. But go not farre beyond the reach of breath Too large a distance makes another death My youth is in her Spring Autumnall vowes Will make me riper for so sweet a Spouse When after-times have burnish'd my desire I 'll shoot thee flames for flames and fire for fire O leave me not nor turn thy beautie from me Look look upon me though thy flames ov'rcome me Autor scalae Paradisi Tom. 9. Aug. cap. 8. Fear not O Bride nor despair think not thy self contemâ—…ed if thy Bridegroom withdraw his face a while All things cooperate for the best both from his absence and his presence thou gainest light He cometh to thee and he goeth from thee he cometh to make thee consolate he goeth to make thee cautions lest thy abundant consolation puss thee up he cometh that thy languishing soul may be comforted he goeth lest his familiaritie should be contemned and being absent to be more desired and being desired to be more earnestly sought and being long sought to be more acceptably sound EPIG. 15. My soul sinnes monster whom with greater ease Ten thousand fold thy God could make then please What wouldst thou have nor pleas'd with sun nor shade Heav'n knowes not what to make of what he made THE FAREWELL REVâ—…LATION 2. 10. Be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee the crown of life 1 BE faithfull Lord what 's that Believe 't is easie to believe but what That he whom thy hard heart hath wounded And whom thy scorn hath spit upon Hath paid thy sine and hath compounded For those foul deeds thy hands have done Believe that he whose gentle palms Thy needle-pointed sinnes have naild Hath born thy slavish load of alms And made supply where thou hast faild Did ever mis'ry find so strange relief It is a love too strong for mans belief 2 Believe that he whose side Thy crimes have pierc'd with their rebellions di'd To save thy guilty soul from dying Ten thousand horrid deaths from whence There was no scape there was no slying But through his dearest blouds expence Believe this dying friend requires No other thanks for all his pain But ev'n the truth of weak desires And for his love but love again Did ever mis'ry find so true a friend It is a love too vast to comprehend 3 With flouds of tears baptize And drench these dry these unregen rate eyes Lord whet my dull my blunt belief And break this fleshly rock in sunder That from this heart this hell of grief May spring a Heav'n of love and wonder O if thy mercies will remove And melt this lead from my belief My grief will then resine my love My love will then refresh my grief Then weep mine eyes as he hath bled vouchsafe To drop for every drop an Epitaph 4 But is the crown of Glory The wages of a lamentable story Or can so great a purchase rise From a salt humour can mine eye Run fast enought ' obtain this prize If so Lord who 's so mad to die Thy tears are trifles thou must do Alas I cannot then endeavour I will but will a tug or two Suffice the turn thou must persever I 'll strive till death and shall my feeble strife Be crown'd I 'll crown it with a crown of life 5 But is there such a dearth That thou must buy what is thy due by birth He whom thy hands did form of dust And gave him breath upon condition To love his great Creatour must He now be thine by composition Art thou a gracious God and mild Or head-strong man rebellious rather O man 's a base rebellious child And thou a very gracious Father The gift is thine we strive thou crown'st our strife Thou giv'st us Faith and Faith a crown of life FINIS