twain Now is the Vail pull'd off from Moses Face And the way plain'd to the most Holy Place Where neither Peasant Priest nor King did venture For to approach all holy souls may enter Nor is man reconcil'd to God alone But Jew and Gentile too here meet in one SOUL Grant that thy voice which made the vail to part May rend the Vail of sin off from my heart My sin 's the Gulf that Dives knew so well Makes that vast distance between Heav'n and Hell Let this wide space be fill'd with thy great Merit And circumcise my heart too with thy Spirit What boots it Lord if Heaven 's laid ope to me If that my souls unfit for Heaven and Thee Silence my doubts dear Lord and make this clear Why was thy side once pierced with a spear From thence came Water and from thence came Blood Methinks there must be something understood CHRIST Near to the Heart so Providence thought fit A Cruse of VVater's plac'd to cool its heat VVhen Blood and VVater from my side burst out That I was truly dead thou needst not doubt Except it did appear I truly di'd My Resurrection can't be verifi'd VVhen Moses in the Desart strook the Rock He smote my side with a Prophetick Knock. The Covenant of old was then made good VVhen ratifi'd by VVater and by ‖ Heb. 9.19 Blood And so the Covenant that did come after It was confirmed too by Blood and VVater This VVater and this Blood th' Apostle saith Are the great witnesses o' th' Christian Faith Pure as the water such my Doctrine was My Patience was exemplar on the cross What I have teached you may build your faith on And what I promis'd that I took my death on In the old Law there 's no atonement made Till the blood of the Sacrifice was shed That sacrificing Rite was then appli'd To me when that the Dagger pierc'd my side This bloody spout once gaged for thy sin Le ts my Life out and lets thy death come in My Blood comes forth thy Pardon for to merit Water concurreth for to cleanse thy spirit For so of old to make a Leper pure Blood mixt with Water must effect the cure Such Cordials from this Lymbeck were distill'd Thy Font with one thy Cup with others sill'd As Woman first was fram'd from Adam's side So from my Breast was form'd the Church my Bride First form'd by vital Water then my Blood And body both became her spritely food SOUL What greater favour could my Lord impart Than through his side that I may view his heart More wounded by his Love than Daggers Art What greater love than this was ever read My Lord will live in me when he is dead The Cross display'd thy Death 't was thy intent Thy Life should be convey'd by th' Sacrament Once to my flesh thou didst thy self impart Nothing will please thee now except my heart What said Hypocrates is here made good If all the Spirits in the Creatures blood Were once extracted and imbibed then Men that are mortal would be immortal men Who drinks thy blood draws in thy vital breath Must find a life yea in the Jaws of Death Thou art the Tree of Life in Paradise VVhose Faith can strongly feed on thee ne'r dies Let thy VVounds and thy Blood Lord make me whole And with this water purifie my soul I beg thy Favour Lord what did't betoken Not one bone of thy body shall be broken CHRIST God counts our hairs and heareth all our grones And is in Cov'nant with our very bones That mine might be preserv'd I 'd the defence Of Promise Prophecy and Providence The Jew wont break a bone o' th' Paschal Lamb VVhen sacrific'd that Sacrifice I am VVhat in my natural body 's understood My body Mystical shall make it good My Bride so dearly bought I 'le love and cherish Not the least member of her once shall perish My piercing eye beholds each dust and whither Retir'd my hand can bind up all together I di'd 't is true but yet I live and I As little can in my poor Member dye My flesh and blood my soul and life he is Can such a member ever fail of bliss VVill not God cherish that life he 's begun Or can you cut a Ray off from the Sun The dearest husband may forsake a wife But God whiles God can ne're forego his Life Souls full of Goodness Truth Integrity The Life and Spirit of the Deity Then ceases for to live when God can dye SOUL Lord hear my voice and listen to my cry Reach me thy hand or else I faint and dye VVhat loving Mother but will hear the crying Of her dear Child when at the point of dying Suffer not thy dear self to be in pain VVhy should my Lord and Saviour dye again VVhat life I have in me 't is thine alone Let not thy foes and mine once break a bone Nor suffer me to see corruption Vouchsafe my Lord this secret to disclose VVhy at thy death we read the dead arose CHRIST Under that curse of dying thou shalt dye A double death for sin did couched lye Sin rob'd thy body of its vital breath And caus'd thy soul to dye a second death My body from my soul was rent o' th' Cross My soul from God o' th' two the greater loss But yet by dying thus 't was truly shown Thy double death I satisfi'd in one I loos'd deaths bonds bursting Hell-gates asunder Out comes the dead and tells abroad the wonder Hast thou not heard nor seen that wonted Fashion Of Potent Princes at their Coronation To make their Glory and their Joy combine The very Conduit-Pipes must flow with VVine To shew withal their Grace and Clemency The Prison's open and the captives free So in Triumphal Conquests Princes please To cast about their Gifts and Largesses My Cross it was my Throne tho curst by sin Where I was consecrated Priest and King When that my side was pierced by my foe My blood more choice than wine did freely flow Having discharg'd thy debts upon the Tree Both from the Grave and Hell I set thee free And here I made the Goal-delivery Mounting on my Triumphant Chariot I Led sin and Satan in captivity Dragging them at my Chariot-Wheels and then I freely gave my gifts and grace to men Such was the glorious conquest of my Cross That sin death grave and hell my Vassals was SOUL If so my Lord why am I dead in sin As if what thou hast done had never been Since thou hast broke the Prison of the Grave Why doth my sin fetter me like a slave Making my soul forget her former birth Sinking her deeper in this mud of earth And tho within this Clay she can't stay long Why should she strive to make her Prison strong Since that my soul 's enlarg'd from th' nether Hell I will no more in that dark dungeon dwell Since thou hast paid so dearly for thy slave Shall not my
this blessed grace of me SOUL Thy pardon Lord methinks thy sinful Creature Should learn this lesson of his wretched nature Earth should be Earth and Worms are ever found Like other insects crawling on the ground Man to be lowly is as if I said Man should be man dust dust a spade a spade How can man pride himself and himself flatter When sin 's his form and nothing is his matter Poor and proud is the greatest monster seeing None but it self can give it self a being Man 's all is God nothing's his own beside That which is worse than nothing that 's his pride Pride therefore is a sin of Monstrous birth Who Serpent like feeds on the slime o' th' Earth Black spawn of Hell Void of intelligence Got in the darksome night of ignorance Who like a Viper eats through's Mother's side Since nothing but a nothing genders pride So bladders swell and skip for want of poise And empty Vessels make the greatest noise When Fruitful Trees of young and early Birth Do end their teeming burdens to the Earth So Pearls in dark and deepest Earth are found And sweetest Violets trail on the ground My self unto my self do thou disclose Who knows not his own nothing nothing knows Gods greatness and mans sin 's so deep a pit Such as no mortal man e're sounded yet Who counts himself a sinful wretched man He is more wretched than his thoughts can span Lord let me know and feel my nothingness Then do thou fill this wide and empty space With plenitude and riches of thy grace Since I am nothing of my self alone And nothing nothing hath to bottom on Lord touch my heart as needle's touch't with stone That it may point and fix on thee alone Why did my Lord and Saviour think it best Before his Death t' appoint the Paschal Feast CHRIST When once the Lamb was slain and every door o th' Jewish Tribes was signed with the gore The quick-ey'd Angel spi'd it out and slew The Egyptian Host but passed o're the Jew Then did the Jews conducted by the Hand Of Moses pass o're safe to th' promis'd Land Not that they did atchieve that land till they Had trac't their passage through the Ruddy Sea View how this rite was perfected by me I pass'd from Life to Death by sinners slain I pass from Death to Life for sinners gain Look as the Lamb when on the Altar lay'd The owners debt was by the Victim pay'd And so the curse pass'd o're the sinners Head And fell upon the beast slain in its stead I was that Lamb ti'd fast upon the Tree Gods Justice like the Angel fell on me Th' Egyptian's slain the Israelite is free Passing from Life to Death I made all good Passing from Death to Life is understood The way to bliss is by and through my Blood Thus knowing my departure to draw on I joyn'd the Paschal-Supper with my own That both the Type and Antitype may meet And with a joynt Salute each other greet The Paschal-supper did commemorate The ancient thraldom of the Jewish State The signal was a pure and spotless Beast Offred in Sacrifice of Eucharist Nor did they only Sacrifice a Beast But on that Sacrifice they made a Feast Thus on the Cross I gave my Flesh and Blood Both on the Table are become thy Food Here thou may'st quell thy hunger quench thy thirst Feeding upon the Sacrifice of Christ Since thus for thee I gave my Life and Breath Forget not the memorials of my Death SOUL Since that my Lord so freely did impart His Blood to me sprinkle it on my Heart That so thy Justice may the signal view Making my sin th' Egyptian me the Jew Slay my First born O thou First-born of God! My mighty sins with thine Almighty Rod. Drown these Egyptians in thy Sea of Blood Then through this Sea Lord make my passage good Unto the Land of Canaan understood Help me too through this Egypt where I dwell A Land of darkness thraldom sin and Hell Snce that my Bands are loosed by thy Merit Guide me Lord through this desert by thy Spirit Let thy Hand be my Covert and my Shrowd Thy Law my fiery pillar and my Cloud Let truth that binds our words and actions fast Gird up my Loyns and clasp about my Wast Bind on my feet the Sandals of thy Word Which to my steps alone can light afford Give me the staff of Faith too in my Hand My Foes to conquer or at least withstand Thus fix't I 'le trace my way to th' Holy Land Lest in this Pilgrimage I faint and pine I 'le not forget my Viands Bread and Wine My dayly wants and needs do prompt me to it Thy Dying Words dear Lord commands me do it And am I not a treasure to attend The living pledges of my Dying Friend Thy cursed Death dear Jesus should be mine And shall I balk the blessed fruits of thine Thy Cross I should have born tho pressed down And shall I be compell'd to wear my Crown Compulsion to a Feast seems very odd Surely to such whose Friend and Food is God If that the Jewish Rites and thine accord I Feast not only with but on my Lord. Thou giv'st thy self on Earth from Heaven above Thou giv'st thy self again such is thy Love Shall not thy dying Love on Earth invite me Shall not thy living Love from Heaven excite me Canst thou do more than dye Do more than love me Can 't bleeding Love nor feeding love too move Be angry Lord and let my sins at least Harrass and toss me to this blessed Feast Then shall thy sacred Body and thy Blood Be Meat and Med'cine both Physick and Food Give me this day my dayly Bread I cry Or in this pilgrimage I faint and dye Why did my Lord and Saviour think it meet To condescend to wash his servants Feet CHRIST To raise the price of that contemned grace Humility born of a Heavenly Race If any one had reason to be high And lift his Head above the Tow'ring Sky None shews a better title to 't than I. I claim Gods Titles Worship Nature Name God and Gods Privy-Councellor I am My Births Divine my works were works of Wonder My Life was Lightning and my Voice was Thunder I was King too but yet my power was shown In Kindness Love and Courtesy alone Great was my Works as not to be withstood Yet great in nothing more than doing good I raise the Dead tho Dead to worldly pelf I Dy'd unto the VVorld and to my Self For when my Miracles came to be known I stopt mens mouths together with my own I rais'd the Sick and still'd the Winds beside Yet knew not how to raise a puff of pride When I was once transfigured on high Both Moses and Elias standing by The only news they brought me I must Dye When in a King like manner once I came Riding in Triumph to Jerusalem My joys were soon allayed by my fears For then I
After the Victim had incurd his death He was consumed by a Heavenly Breath Nor did this sacrifice acceptance find Unless performed by a grateful mind That sweet Perfume that incense that did savour The sacrifice and so procured favour The Jewish Rites were relative of mine Who was a Sacrifice pure and Divine A Male the choicest first-born set apart Form'd fram'd and fashioned by Heavenly Art And when I did the wrath of God atone 'T was by a free-will Off'ring of my own Making the Jewish Mincha Off'ring good When freely pouring out my Life and Blood Led as a Lamb and as a Lamb too dy'd Closing my Mouth but opening wide my side My Sacrifice it was my precious Life My free consent the Sacrificing Knife My Godhead what the Altar did of Old It sanctifi'd the Gift and made it Gold I was consumed too as from above With Flagrant Flames of everlasting Love Look as Eliah when about to dye Mounts in a Fiery Chair then climbs the Sky Dropping his Mantle to the standers by In fervent Love to man from Heaven I came And thither went all in a Fiery Flame Expiring out to God my Vital Breath Casting my Bodies Mantle on the Earth So dying persons commonly commend Their choicest Treasure to their choicest friend To thee my Child I left my precious Merit My Body to my Friends for them to bury 't And to my God I did commend my spirit SOUL The Death of Saints as David doth Record Is precious in the aspect of the Lord * Psal 116.15 When Enoch walk'd with God God clos'd his eye Nor known nor heard nor seen he was to dye Abr'am gave up the Ghost and therefore blest Gods Bosome was the pillow of his rest When Moses dy'd such was the Jewish Faith 'T was by a Kiss from God his Soul in Death Being extracted by a Heavenly Breath Scaree can we say Eliah ever dy'd Since both in Soul and Body he bestired The Fiery Chair and unto Heaven did ride Lord let me now depart Old Simeon cryes And like a Swan sings sweet before he dies Sweetly expiring by such tempting Charms As he in Christs and Christ within his Arms. Saint Paul perceiving death a drawing on Calls it no more than dissolution And so the Tent-maker took down his Tent VVithout a Crack or Noise or any Rent This is the truth of what the Wiseman ‖ Prov. 10.22 saith That Righteousness deliv'reth from death Since that his Darts can ne'r be felt as keen Till they be whetted at the forge of sin Nor doth he ever ride the pale-fac'd †Revel 6.8 Horse Till Guilt and Hell engageth in the Course Who wrongs his Prince and what is more his God Must dread the Usher of the sable Rod. So have I seen a Pris'ner in a swound When at th' Assize he heard the Trumpet sound The Musick 's good but such he cannot find it Since that he knows the Judg comes close behind it Such is the Musick of a Passing-Bell Each sinner knows the meaning too too well Death goes before and after follows Hell Who makes his soul and body of one crust Of Heaven and heavenly things can have no gust Nor can with ease be turned into dust Who stews his flesh in Riot and Excess And lull'd asleep with steams of drunkenness That soul can never hope in Heav'n to dwell Since he 's descended to the lowest Hell Aethereal Mansions are too pure and clear For him to hope to have a dwelling there That state of bliss 't would be his state of pain His lusts would poise him down to Hell again Who strives to make his Prison strong within As 't is without by gratifying sin That captive must conclude without all doubt His labour must be painful to get out And that which pains him most and grieves him more He 's worse got out than e're he was before Nor could that Gospel-fool this world †Luke 12.20 depart Till death by force of arms tore out his heart Knock off my chains dear Lord and make me free Dead to the world and the world dead to me Thus dying in the flesh and to it more Death can compleat but what is done before Laying his gentle hand upon my back My soul may part from hence without a crack My spirit failing and my strength exhaust I freely may like thee give up the Ghost Why did the Sun my Lord withdraw his Light Changing bright day into a darksom night CHRIST At a full Moon the Sun eclips'd to see It was both Miracle and Mystery A Glorious Star points out my Glorious Birth A greater Star's eclipsed at my death By both conclude this truth was verifi'd 'T was God that once was born 't was God that dy'd This dreadful darkness child had ne'r been seen Wer't not for Thine the Jews and Adam's sin For so in Holy Writ 't is often ¶ Ezek. 32.7 8. said Gods Wrath to sin by darkness was ‖ Joel 2.10 displaid When God was wroth with Pharaoh and his †Amos 8.9 10. Host Thick darkness overspread th' Egyptian Coast That dreadful day of doom shall make this good The Sun to darkness turns the Moon to blood So base is sin and of so foul a feature That neither God can view it nor his creature SOUL Who would not hate his sin and fear his God That for its baseness and this for his Rod. Tho God 's not cloath'd with passions of man His anger far outgoes mans Passion What Tyrants frown like to the louring sky Ratling down Fire and Brimstone from on high The Lions roaring and the Thunders noise Is but the Eccho of his angry Voice Night-hag of Hell clad in its black Attire Is but the shadow of his dreadful Ire If darkness be so full of fear and fright What is the darkness of Eternal Night O sin of Hell or rather Hell of sin Darkness without and darkness too within But here my doubts return to me again Why was the Vail o' th' Temple rent in twain CHRIST The Temple of the Jews did typifie This lower World and that above the sky The outward Court this outward world did mean Where all do meet in and where beasts are slain That inward Court wherein God had his Throne By that the Heaven of Heavens is clearly shown To this most Holy Place none could prevail To enter in 't was guarded with a Vail Now this Vail was thy sins that dismal shroud Which on the place of glory draws a cloud This is that Cherub who with flaming Rod Bars up thy passage to the Living God Nor was it meet till th' bars of Hell be broken This passage-gate to Heav'n should e're be open Whose sins do chain them to the posts of Hell In heav'nly places are unfit to dwell In likeness of thy sinful flesh and blood Thy sins I did atone upon the Wood And when my flesh was torn with dying pain Thy sins with Temples vail were rent in
Licensed and Entred according to Order THE MYSTERIES OF MOUNT CALVARY Opened and Improved IN A DIALOGUE BETWIXT CHRIST and the SOUL Omnis creatura compatitur Christo morienti sol obscuratur terra movetur Petrae scinduntur velum templi dividitur Sepulchra aperiuntur Solus homo Christo non Compatitur pro quo tamen Solo Christus patitur S. Hieronymus in Mat. 27. Aut prodesse volunt aut delectare Poetae Aut simul jucunda idonea dicere vitae Horat. de Arte Poetica By J. V Rector of Woodston in the County of Huntington LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercers Chappel 1686. THE MYSTERIES OF Mount CALVARY c. SOUL GRant me O Lord thy Spirit from above That I may know the mysteries of thy Love It cramps my Reason and it damps my Faith To read the stories of thy Life and Death Thou art my God infinite Wisdom can Best solve the point why God became a man CHRIST Behold my Soul God's a transcendent Sprite Love Wisdom Justice Mercy infinite Such is his Glorious Nature to the Eye Once to behold is to behold and Dye Nor can a prospect of the Sun be made Ere grateful to the Eye but in a shade The Vail of Moses Face was as a Glass For to reflect the glory of his Face Moses Vail was my flesh that pleasing shade In which Gods Attributes were all displai'd Sin was conceived first by Virgin Woman Since Adam knew her not and she knew no man By Virgin woman sin found entrance in The Virgin Woman's seed attones the sin The birth of sins controuled by my birth Since I was pure and spotless born of Earth Pure as my birth my life hence qualifi'd To expiate those sins for which I di'd Nor did my human nature less express Gods Wisdom equal to his Holiness 'T was Flesh and Blood that sin'd to make this good Thy sin I did atone by Flesh and Blood 'T was man that sin'd 't was God that was offended Man di'd God's satisfied the quarrel ended God's peace with man's proclaimed by my merit Man's peace with God's procured by my Spirit I took thy nature so imparted mine I was humane that thou may'st be Divine I came from Heaven to Heaven I plain'd the Rode God dwelt with man that man may dwell with God When I for sin a Sacrifice was made Gods Justice like his Wisdom was display'd That mercy may be shown God will be Just Either the sinner dyes or Jesus must At the same instant Mercy meant thy good Justice procur'd it with the price of Blood Nor do'st thou read God ever pard'ned Vice Scarce with but ne'r without a Sacrifice For so the Jews in all their solemn Feasts To atone their sins they Sacrificed Beasts And when the Lamb was slain i' th' sinners stead The guilt pass'd over to th' accursed head By these and other rites it was infer'd Sin was not strictly pardon'd as transfer'd David pursu'd with guilt to th' Altar flies His sin is pard'ned but his Infant dies So Just is God but yet so meek and mild He pardons sin but punisheth his Child Fear to offend Justice being so severe Since that thy pardon too doth cost so dear That God is merciful thy sins do shew it His blessed nature prompts him daily to it But since I paid so dearly for thy sin Justice it self doth usher Mercy in So contrite Souls may in Gods Mercy trust Since God is merciful ' cause he is just Buying thy Ransom at so dear a price Justice can ne'r demand the payment twice Gods Love like to his Mercy 's infinite Exerting all its pow'rs with all its might Light ceases not to spread his Golden Bams Fountains would drain themselves in Silver Streams God can't be less than the work of his hands His very Nature is what love commands Thy self unto thy self God gave thee once Ten thousand times thy self he gave thee since But when thy sin and misery he spi'd Took flesh so gave himself for thee and di'd Thus love from Heaven discharging every dart At last he threw himself into thy heart Not only took thy flesh and so thy sin But being man like thee became thy kin What friendship e're was found in any other Of Friend Physician Advocate or Brother All meet in me nay I am more then this Thy Flesh thy Life thy self thy God thy bliss SOUL Since 't was my Lords blest purpose and intent Within my Nature for to pitch his Tent Since that thy house meat grave they were not thine The reason is my Lord thou wouldst have mine Come Holy Ghost and by thy spritely art Hover and breathe upon my barren heart Since the place sacred is where God will come Make my heart like unto the Virgins Womb. Tho 't is not pure as knowing sin before Let it be Virgin knowing sin no more Once in a Manger was thy Body lay'd But in a Jakes I blush to have it said Into a worldly mind thou canst not come 'T is pinching narrow and it wanteth room Nor can I hear thy sweet and secret Voice In a House fill'd with jangling War and noise Nor canst thou dwell in a revengeful Brest The noise and hurry will disturb thy Rest Nor can my Lord an Habitation find Fit for thy Presence in an haughty mind Self taketh up the room and fills thy space Of residence and scorns to give thee place Uncleanness doth thy sacred spirit choak Bees shun the Hive when driven out by smoak Drunkards do quench thy Sprite pure and Divine Who cannot keep his own he cannot thine Nor can the God of truth e're dwell within A naughty mind where treachery hath been Since it betrays him to each tempting sin Nor can a sin within thy Temple dwell No more than Heaven can e're accord with Hell What friendship hath my God with Belial Why wouldst thou condescend Lord let me know Not to be made a man but man so low CHRIST Such was thy pride daring with God to vye And I atton'd it by humility God envys none his happiness to know it When pride atempted it and did foregoe it Humility points out the way unto it Such is the Virtue of an humble Soul Coupling all graces and secures the whole Blest be the grace to which alone 't is given To fetch God down to Earth raise man to Heaven Such is its power and vertue that it can Make man become like God and God like man God greater than himself can never be Except in this great in humility God and man courts this grace Heaven is Gods seat He 's but one more the humble soul is it When greatness doth with goodness twist and twine What can be more Heroick and Divine What makes the Sun so graceful but his light Quickning the meanest object of our sight Never did Radient Pearl so please the eye As to behold an humble Deity Learn O my Child
here my Lusts and dare to taste no more O' th' Fruit ' the Tree of Good and Evil bore Y' have tasted of the Apple view the Core Hear O supine Devotion his loud cry So strong so fervent that it pierc'd the Sky His very Prayer was an Agony VVhy didst thou deprecate thy Cup and say Father if possible pass it away 'T was thy Baptismal Cup thou long'st for how Could'st thou desire it once and dread it now CHRIST Oh 't was a dreadful Cup as ne'r was seen Poison'd with Wrath of God and dregs of Sin The greatest sorrow and the quickest sense Doth set the higher Price on Patience Once to desire it now to drink it loath Doth signifie my love and sorrow both SOUL Shall I take pleasure in those cups and cates VVhich my dear Lord so dreads and deprecates Shall I delight in that by which he dies And sport with ponyards and with Agonies Grant that thy Cup more dreadful than thy Cross is May sour my sins and sweeten all my losses Suffer me Lord thy love for to controul Thou sufferest in thy Body why in Soul CHRIST Sin from thy soul my child did first begin My sorrows did commence as did thy sin And why I sweat such drops of such a sort The burden of thy sins must answer for 't View how my soul 's surrounded for thy sin Sweats Blood without and feels a Hell within Such anguish as is never to be found Sweat without Heat and Blood without a Wound With God with Sin with Satan did I strive Mine was the Life of Death as Death of Life My Death was one yet in that all may be Who di'd before and after di'd in me Well may my Blood be squeez'd through all my Pores I had as many deaths as I had Doors SOUL And shall my sins dear Lord increase thy store And cause thee for to dye ten Thousand more Sin robb'd thee of thy life and 't is as true It kills thy death and stobs thy kindness too Mercy Love Truth and Goodness are a good More dear to thee than was thy Flesh and Blood This thou assum'st the other to display And yet in these thou suffer'dst every day Thy flesh ne'r felt so much from Daggers keen As did thy Heart and Mind feel by my sin O cursed sin far harder to be born Than VVhips than Deaths than Daggers Crowns of Thorn VVhy did the Jews all in a spiteful Vogue Prefer before thee Barabbas a Rogue CHRIST To shew the sinners choice in every Vice Wh ' on God and Conscience sets so low a Price To gain his Lust will lose bis Paradise The value of a soul wer 't to be sold Weighs down a world yea tho a world of Gold Gods Glory 's more to be esteemed than Ten Thousand worlds than Millions of Men Put all into the scales they wont outpoise The wilful madness of the sinners choice There 's no unjust man sins but that in sinning He stabs the mighty God that is within him Lust stares you in the face heard in its groans Felt by its fires smelt in its rotten bones The Drunkard of all sinners not the least Tho God hath stampt his image in his breast Changes that coin and only buys a beast The Swearer sins not at the common rate Swallowing the Devils Hook without a Bait Pawning his soul but for a fruitless evil And not so much as cheapning with with the Devil Who fears man more than God I 'l answer for 't He kills himself for fear of being hurt Thus through the sinners choice it comes to pass Each sin crys out Not Him but Barabbas SOUL The sinner's wretched choice doth far outvy What 's said in Holy VVrit or Hystory Esau stands fool on record for his dotage Selling his Birthright for a mess of Pottage Glaucus chang'd Gold for Brass Crates they say To brave his folly cast his Gold away The Romans fram'd an Altar to apppease A feaverish God worshipping a Disease The Sinners folly doth them all excel Exchanging Life for Death and Heav'n for Hell If Souls more worth than Worlds infer from hence How cheap the're sold when sold for thirty Pence Nay for a filthy Lust when pass'd and gone Not to be found but in a Sigh or Groan Is this the Paramour that most doth please us Is this the Barabbas that Vyes with Jesus Is there such charming Magick in its hue As to be Wed without a Dowry too Nay pay a price down sor't and such a price As Health Wealth Life Soul Bliss and Paradice Since thou dost guard the Tree of Life so well With Cherubims of Death and Flames of Hell How can I break the Fence since to be blest It is my Duty both and Interest Why wast thou stript my Lord I cannot fathom CHRIST To take on me the state of sinning Adam He and thou naked were I naked am That thou may'st have my Robes to hide thy shame SOUL O Clothe me with the Robe of thy great Merit Adorn me with the Graces of thy Spirit Why wast thou bound my Lord why whipt with Cord My Faith begins to fail me help me Lord CHRIST Was Adams sin nought in respect to thee Who robb'd Gods Orchard the forbidden Tree Or did that Fruit ne're set thy Teeth on Edge Or Achan like did'st never steal a Wedg I for thy theft was like a thief fast bound Not guilty but for thee was guilty found Thy greater sins did Stob me to the heart The lesser were those Whips that made me smart Causing such ghastly Wounds in every part SOUL Let me not cherish Lord that viprous brood Which fed upon the reekings of thy Blood Oh wound my sins which caus'd such wounds in thee Then heal those wounds thy love hath made in me Why wast thou spit on Lord why mockt why made A Prophet Priest and King in Masquerade CHRIST Learn where the sin of sin doth chiefly lye Offring affront to th' glorious Majesty Profaness lays him open to Disgrace And Malice spits him in the very face Drunkards deface his Image spoil his Creature Lust would assoil his pure and spotless Nature The unbeliever fain would tye his hands From punishing the breach of his commands And what Injustice does you soon may guess It strips him of his Robes of Righteousness In Robes of Scarlet Scoffers make him stand And puts a Reeden Scepter in his hand Who with inflamed Blood revenge doth seek Doth smite his blessed Maker on the Cheek The Proud Crown him with Thorns the Swearers part Is for to strike his Ponyard through his heart All sin doth mean the same to th' Deity What the Jews meant and did effect in me SOUL To affront my God it is the Sinners sport God may be injur'd true can he be hurt CHRIST I was both God and Man conclude thou then What hurt sin brought to God what hurt to men My Body felt its pangs my Soul its fears My Eyes its taunts its mocks and scoffs my
Ears My head the prickled Crown my Cheeks the nips My Hands and Feet the Nails my Back the Whipts 'T is strange but true what cannot be deni'd God cannot dye yet t' was a God that dy'd SOUL I clearly see my sins do wound my Lord Without a Trope with and without a Sword Curst Serpent sin since nought can quench his thirst Till he 's imbib'd the precious Blood of Christ What Sinners make so light of by their leaves It press'd God down like as a Cart with Sheaves Nay press'd forth Blood when laid upon his back Poor Wretch am I shall ne're a heartstring crack Shall both thy Head and sacred Temples reek And not a tear bedew my withered Cheek Indeared Mothers when they see a Dart Levelled at the tender Infants Heart They Cry they Screek I Faint I Swound I Dye So cannot I my Lord so cannot I Yet I 'm resolv'd these sins shall ne're be mine I 'le spit them in the face who spat in thine Grant that the Spittle Malice cast on thee May wipe all foul Aspersions off from me But now again my Lord I 'm at a loss What meant thy carrying up and down thy Cross CHRIST The Pagans when a Judgment stroke a Town Did lead their Sacrifices up and down T' appease their angry Gods 't is also said Isaac did bear the Wood on which he 's laid Simon and I bearing that weighty Tree Tells my Disciples what t' expect from me Come on my Child with an undaunted heart Since I go first and also bear a part SOUL Can I refuse thy blessed Yoak to take Since born by thee and fitted to my Neck Thy Cup was full of the red Wine of Sadness Thou fil'st it up to me with Oyl of gladness Thy Cross was fixt on Golgotha a place Where God from thee withheld his blessed Face Mine thou hast fixt on Mount Moriah's green The place where God once promis'd to be seen * Gen 22. A Crown of Thorns thy sacred head encloses Thou wear'st the Prickles and I wear the Roses Truth Lord who follows thee shall have no loss The Cross bears him who ever bears the Cross Is it unlawful Lord for me to say Why was thy Cross fixt on a Golgotha CHRIST This was the seal Tradition would maintain Where Isaac once had like to have been slain The place of Dead mens Skulls 't is also said It was the place where Adam 's buried This being so as 't hath been said of old Then Death was Conquer'd in his Fort and Hold. Man found out sin by sin Death first came in Sin brought forth Death and Death hath conquer'd sin Who by the Serpents sting hath got a hurt The Oyl of Serpents is a plaister for 't 'T was humane Flesh that caus'd the first to dye So humane Flesh obtain'd the Victory Under my Cross Death like a Victim lies And as a Sacrifice o' th' Altar dyes So that of Golgotha it may be said Here is the place where Death lies buried Courage my Soul Death 's done his utmost spite The Serpent he may hiss but cannot bite Spred his cold hand he may and press upon Thy spriteless Corps but cannot break a Bone Hence Death a dark and shady Entry call Bending thy footsteps to a spacious Hall SOUL When through Death's valley I shall bend my way Thy Cross shall be my Rod my Staff my Stay Can'st thou my Soul refuse to lay thy Head Within that place where Jesus made his Bed Once 't was a Golgotha of stench and smell The Pagans call'd it Hades the Jews say Hell Since Christ lay there and from thence did arise Call it from hence the Gate of Paradise Chide not dear Lord my curiosity Why was thy Cross exalted up on high CHRIST It was Gods penal Law and his Decree * Deut. 27.26 Cursed is every one that hangs o' th' Tree I to atone thy Sin thy Curse thy Shame Did dye that Death which did attest the same Altho it was a Roman Death I dy'd Yet an All-seeing Eye did so provide That the curse should contain that Ignomy The Law pronounc't to him that hung o th' Tree Hast thou not read the place where 't is rehearsed And they shall look on him whom they have pierced By this 't is plain my Cross I was to bear And dye that Death whose piercing was by Spear When th' Lamb of old was to the Altar ti'd Mounted aloft and then upon it di'd My Crosses Exaltations verifi'd That sacrificed Ram as 't is related * Exodus 29.27 At the time when the Priest was consecrated 'T was waved to and fro heav'd up and hurld Pointed to the four corners of the World When I was consecrated on the Tree That Jewish rite was well becoming me For so my Cross was mounted up on high That all the World may their Redeemer spy Thus plac't 'twixt Earth Gods footstool and Heavens Throne To reconcile both God and Man in one The Brazen Serpent in the Desert was A Type of me relating to my Cross The Jews being stung with Serpents were made whole By a brass Serpent fixed on a Pole To cure the Wound caus'd by that cursed Creature Art can't effect the cure no more could Nature For if it was a Serpent then I 'm sure Serpents by nature rather kill then cure A fiery Serpent too who can indure The sting of Death is sin by th' Serpent shown The Venom too cause 't was a fiery one What more averse to Reason Sense or Faith Than to seek Life from an accursed Death A crucified Jesus did bespeak Spite to the Jew and folly to the Greek But if you look at Gods wise end in this The cursed Tree's become the Tree of bliss Look as th' aforesaid Serpent made of Brass Was not a Serpent but its Image was So without sin I 'm made a sinful Creature And by my Death gave Life to humane Nature And this Life is convey'd as Scripture saith By looking on my Cross with lively faith A Faith that puts the Serpent to the rout Pulls out his sting and lets the Poyson out SOUL Since that my Lord thus rais'd himself on high Why doth my Soul o th' ground thus grov'ling lie O fix my heart on this thy blessed Tree So as to tast the fruit and healed be What boot's thy pardon tho so full so free If that my Conscience will not pardon me I have been told that this thy Towring cross The downfal of the Devils Kingdom was CHRIST Some make the brazen Serpent for to be A fitting Emblem of this Verity A dead and wounded Serpent on a Tree Bespeaks the wounds Satan receiv'd from me For thus my Cross became the Stage and Scene Where that curst Serpent vents his utmost spleen Nor did I break his Scepter and his Rod By force of Arms alone as being God By Martial Law I entred in the Field By a new Conquest made my Foe to yeild My Innocence did quench his fiery Dart
outbids the Devils market far Judg whether Vice or Virtue is more gainful Since Life to come's so sweet and Death so painful Nor canst thou say 't is thine unhappy state Sin never was thy choice but 't is thy Fate Can Life cause Death Good Evil Truth a lye Life Goodness Truth crys out why wilt thou dye Is man a Creature of a rank no higher Than artificial Puppet made of Wier Are praises promises rewards all one As if you should sing well to please a stone Is man no more blame worthy for his sin Than is a Watch not pointing right the Pin Conscience would never smite thee for a Vice Did not thy Nature prompt thee otherwise Is' t not the Drunkards choice to set at nought That cup where Aconite is made the draught And cannot Heaven nor Hell make him refrain Can Heaven e're lose its price or Hell its pain Strange Fate ne're fix'd on ought but what are evils As if God ne're made men but all were Devils If sin hath caught thee in its fatal gin Thy punishment's as fatal as thy sin But after all is there no strength and force In this that sin made God himself a curse Then sinner take thy fill carouse and quaff But canst thou drink o th' Cup that Christ drank of Or can thy back once bear that direful Rod Prest with the Arm of an Almighty God If sin made God so cursed Oh what can Make sin more cursed unto sinful man If innocence did under wrath so groan What comfort can the sinner look for none I beg thy Favour Lord for to relate Why thou wast Crucifi'd without the Gate CHRIST For to compleat a Jewish Type of note Th' accursed Sacrifice o' th' Scapen Goat Nor was it fit my Merits and my Grace Should be confin'd only to th' Jewish Race I dy'd a Pagan Death my erected wood Stood ' loft that all may view it for their good My Arms were stretched out from East to West To close with every Soul that would be Blest My Titles wrote in Hebrew Latin Greek All Nations in me may Salvation seek SOUL Thou dyd'st for all nought can it falsify But only cursed Infidelity Were not thy Death of Value infinite It could not make atonement for one sprite But being infinite it satisfi'd Both for this world and thousand worlds beside Let my name in thy Cross Engraven be Thou didst not dye for all if not for me But why in Holy Writ is' t verifi'd My Lord betwixt two Malefactors dy'd CHRIST There is a reason why th' Apostle said it Not only for to save the Prophets credit I was esteem'd a greater thief to be Than either of those Thieves that dy'd with me But yet by dying thus I mercy meant To th' greatest thief the greatest penitent When Adam robb'd the Tree to make him VVise And then deny'd it lost his Paradise Humble confession finds admission in To Paradise thus lost by Adams sin Wht one Thief lost you see the other found Who falls and riseth soon he gaineth ground But he that lives in sin in sin shall dye Yea tho his Lord and Saviour standeth by VVho hopes for Heaven but will not change his vice May find a Hell yea in a Paradise His very hopes are founded in his fears Since lust would fire a Heaven about his Ears Bateing my word each sinner can foretel Sin hath a Central force that points at Hell I need not say Depart out of my sight It never was nor can be his delight VVho to my sacred Laws hath small regard Hath less of reason to expect reward My Cross here seems to represent my Throne VVhich at the last day I shall sit upon O' th left hand stands the Goats my Sheep o' th' right As meet inheritors with Saints in light SOUL By these two Thieves my Lord hath clearly shown Justice and Mercy doth uphold his Throne Th' one aws my hopes th' other checks my fears Th' one hoists up Sail whil'st that the other stears To th' dying Thief much was thy mercy shown I won't presume on 't cause he was but one 'T was his first time he ever heard of thee The same can ne're be verifi'd of me He for his Lord and Saviour once did take thee In that weak state when all thy friends forsake thee Thou own'st him at thy death he thee at thine The same can ne're be truly said of mine I 'le now resolve God ne're held forth to morrow Or if he did did not repenting sorrow That I shall turn to God can it be said When that I scarce can turn me in my Bed My time is short way heavy long the course Shall all the burden lye o' th' weakest Horse My debts run on shall I discharge the score And pay them bitter when I owe the more I blush to think what 's dreadful for to own My lusts shall have the Marrow God the Bone When on the dying Thief thou cast thine Eyes Methinks thy words some potent truth implies This day thou shalt be with m' in Paradise CHRIST The Jews held forth a double Paradise That on the Earth and that above the Skies The place where earthly joys all met together The one the fitter umbrage of the other From hence th' Elysian Fields first took their rise Shades of the Trees that grew in Paradise Both Jew and Greek concur that men survive Their mortal clay and then are most alive Nothing to nothing tends and more say I 'T is by a Metaphor my Saints can dye God 's not the God o' th' dead but of the living The Souls of Abraham Isaac still surviving Moses Elias in the Mount appears Alive tho dead above two thousand years When Jacob saw the garment of his son Cries out some Beast hath kill'd him I 'm undone Whilst thus lamenting his unhappy fate Joseph's alive and Lives in Princely state Whilst mine and thy dear friend do spriteless lie Inexorable to thy sighs and cry They are not Dead but are alive as I Leaving their Grave-Cloaths for to wipe thine Eye Hast thou not seen a Student at his Book Close pent and pris'ned in some private nook He 's then all Mind all Soul all Life all Sprite And most alive when dead to Human sight Hast thou not seen two Combatants Engage Till one seems prostrate dead upon the Stage But when drawn off dragg'd through a Postern Door He is alive as e're he was before So have I seen the Branches of a Vine At Winters season faint away and pine When at that instant each luxuriant shoot Tho seeming dead yet is alive at Root And when the Sun imparts its gentle light Each branch appears again in pregnant plight Thy Life on Earth is hid with Christ above And when the Sun of Righteousness and Love Quickneth thy Soul all truth shall be display'd And latent forms of things which have been dead Hast thou not heard the pangs and pains that come From teeming Mothers of a pregnant