Bodies all the night May rest till Trumpets sound awake to glorious Light To Poore thou shew'st thy honey hid'st thy sting The Rich thy Sting but noâ— thy honey see Like Iailour thou doest good and bad newes bring To Soules that in the flesh imprison'd be One must dye euer th' other shall be free Thou that dost Death to thine by dying make The Messenger of such great ioy and glee Direct my Muse in what I vndertake That I may Death discerne ere Death we ouertake What 's Death but a diuorce or separation Of Man and Wife that neuer could agree From Bed and Booâ—d and from Cohabitation The guilty Flesh payes Costs the Soule is free Yet Both ere long shall one another see Freed from foule Sinne the cause of all their strife And shall in Wedlocks Bands reioined be To loue and liue for aye like Man and Wife A holy happy quiet and eternall Life But this I of the first Death vnderstand Lord of the second neuer let me taste This is the way into the holy Land That doth into continuall darknesse cast No mortall Sense did euer see or tast The seconds anguish terrour horrour paine The first is short the second aye doth last Age Sicknesse men to dye the first constraine The Diuels in the second soules and bodies chaine This setteth willing soules from bodies free That soules in bodies holds against their will By this from Bodies weight we quited be That with such weight of sinne the soule doth fill As to the Pit infernall presse it will This takes good men away before their time Lest they be ouer-whelm'd with too much ill That seizeth on the wicked for their crime That leadeth downe to Hell by this to heau'n we clime The first hath onely power in the graue Second in Hell One vs depriues of sense By th' other sense of endlesse Paine we haue Both haue one name yet see their difference Sinne mother is of both In innocence Had Adam stood Death neuer had been knowne But second Adam hath remou'd long sence The sting of this first Death eu'n by his owne Thus from a Plague Death is to Saints a fauour growne Christ meeteth her as Esau on the way And giues a charge vnto her rougher hands No euill against Iacob to assay Thus turnes he to embracements all her Bands Death made by Sinne our mortall foe now stands Our first fast friend to bring vs vnto blesse And though awhile our carkases she brands With vile corruption aâ—d Râ—ttennesse Our soules the whilst abâ—de in ioy and happinesse All first Death gets is Rottennesse and Dust A Body onely in corruption sowne To kill seeds of Concupiscence and Lust That it more glorious after may be knowne Our earthly part thus turneth to her owne But shall againe a heau'nly body rise And as at first be with the Spirit one Which long hath liu'd in ioyous Paradise Waiting till Christ her mortall should immortalize Alas why should wee then be so afraid Heere to endure a little griefe or paine Be it on Racke or Bed so I be laid Safe in my Graue my soule thereby shall gaine Lord grant me Faith and Patience to maintaine Hels last encounter when my Soule is shaken The holy Martyrs did not so complaine Of Paine when Soule was from the body taken As when their Conscience by tentation was awaken This Death though painefull quicke dispatch doth make The second hath eternitie and paine They rightly at Death's horrour quake and shake Where griefes within more than without remaine Whose consciencâ— them more terribly doe straine Than any outward torment they endure Who sees heau'ns most incomparable gaine And can thereof by Faith himselfe secure Is certaine Death can nought but good to him procure For body fraile one like his glorious head For pleasures profits hopes and honours vaine Whereby than eas'd we are more troubled Eternall rest and freedome from all paine Wer 't thou my Soule but sentenc'd to remaine In this fraile body yet a thousand yeeres Oh! how wouldst thou of wearinesse complaine And maladies thy Flesh about her beares And seeke Death as a blessing eu'n with many teares Yea should this life last without tediousnesse Oh! Doe but thinke that as thou more do'st sinne Thou addest more vnto thy wretchednesse For Death at first by Sinne did enter in Who would not leaue these loathsome ragges to winne That glorious shining roabe of Righteousnesse Thou shalt not lose thy Body but thy Sinne Thou it againe shalt meete in happinesse Corruption shall indeede be changed not thy Flesh. As Golden Ore in Finers fier cast Is not consum'd but cleans'd from drosse and tride So substance of the body doth not waste Onely by Death is purg'd and purifide Should Soules heere in their Tabernacles ' bide With all infirmities till Day of Doome How weary would they be of rest denide And wish their Bodies sleeping in their Tombe Vntill the ioyfull Day of Resurrection come So long as heere our Bodies doe remaine They haue like Wooll one tiâ—cture naturall But Death them dyeth all in purple graine To make them Robes for Sprites Celestiall For we in heau'n like Kings and Princes all Shall reigne in new Hierusalem for ay The Graue vs like each side of Red Sea wall From cruell Egypts bondage on our way Doth to the Land of heauenly Canaan conuay As he who for ill-doing lyeth bound Trembles quakes when loosed from his bands He must before the Iudgement Seal be found To giue account for workes done by his hands But he most stout and resolutely stands Whose Conscience him of euill doth acquite So men reioyce or feare when Death commands Them to appeare before the Iudge vpright There to receiue iust doome for things done wrong or right As water-drops which fall in Fountaine pure Die not but are preseru'd incontinent So Bodies perish not but ay indure Onely resolu'd to their first Element Our spirits fly to heau'n whence they were lent As drops of raine which from the heau'ns descend Are all into the wombe of Tethys sent So Saints dead Bodies to Earths bowels tend Whence drawn vp by Sonnes heate to heau'n they re-ascend What is our Life a wind a course to death They that on Earth the longest course can gaine Runne in the end themselues quite out of breath And no more but their courses end obtaine To which they that liue fewer yeeres attaine God here to men doth life like money lend Which at our Day we must pay backe againe As without oyle the Lampe no light doth send So when our humid's spent our Life is at an end As Pilgrim with long trauell wearied Layes downe his Flesh to sleepe in darkest night But Visions houering about his head Do shew vnto his Soule most heau'nly Light And doth with Dreames his spirits so delight He wisheth oft the night would euer last So fares it with the new-deceased wight When in the graue his Body sleepeth fast And Angels haue his Soule in
Abraâ—ams-bosome plac't As Starres of heau'n which first in East do shine Arise till their Meridian they haue past But do from thence as fast againe decline Till they into the Westerne Seas are cast Eu'n so vaine Mortals here are all in hast Till they their highest pitch of strength attaine But that once got they fall againe as fast And downeward to the graue descend amaine Some here a shorter some a longer course obtaine And as hee 's happiest whom the swiftest wind Brings soonest to the Port and hau'n of rest So 's he that soonest in the graue doth find Harbour against worlds stormes which him infest Death doth but like his brother Sleepe arrest The weary wight where he a longer night Himselfe in graue than in his bed may rest And yet no longer than till Christ our Light Awakes vs to enioy for ay his glorious sight To all that labour pleasing is the end The Traueller inquireth for his Inne The hired Seruant when his Yeere doth end The Husband when his Haruest doth beginne Merchant of his Aduentures comming in The Woman when her ninth Month doth expire So Saints of Death haue euer mindfull bin For where 's our Treasure there 's our hearts desire And where our Crowne is laid our eyes do ay aspire Therefore the dying Saints like Swans do sing Foreseeing that they in the graue should rest From Labours and be freed from the sting Of Sinne which here their liues did most infest Why should we with Deaths feare be so distrest When as the Lord of Life himselfe did die That we from sting of Death might be releast Eu'n Sinne the Cause of all our Misery And made Death our first step to true Felicity The truth hereof the sacred Pages seale When that which commonly we dying call They call it sleeping For Christ did repeale The Act of dying by his Funerall Thus Patriarchs Prophets Kings Apostles 〈◊〉 Lie sleeping till the finall Resurrection From Adâ—m to the Iudgement generall All to this faâ—all Lord must yeeld subiection And sleepe sâ—cure and sound vnder his safe protection The Wiseman therefore better doth commend The Day of Death then of Natiuity By that our paine and labours haue an end This the Beginning is of Misery The Lord of Life who Life and Death did try Proclaimeth endlesse Blessednesse to those With rest from labour in the Lord that die Blessed whom he to liue in him hath chose But till their Death from Labour they haue no repose See but how wiser Heathens entertaine This fatall stroke this last necesâ—ity How they on Birth-dayes lowd lament and plaine At Funerals make mirth and melody For that begins this ends all misery No man say they that doth not Death despise Can here on earth enioy true Liberty They onely saw an end of miseries But lo heau'n stands wide open vnto Christians eyes Ah why should Painters limme Death with a dart Time with a Syth before him cuts all downe Death doth but lance and play the Surgeons part Time fells the Corne that 's ready to be mowne Alas what Cruelty hath Death vs showne Thou art but as a Seruant vnto time To gather Fruits which he saith ripe be growne In Wine-presse thou but treadeâ—t out the wine To barrell vp in Tombâ—s that there it may refine As we greene Fruites more difficultly pull Than those we find hang ripe vpon the tree So youthfull Sprites of heate and vigor full More hardly die than they that aged be This is the greatest difference we see Betweene their courses that are short and long Both goe the broad way of Mortality Death like a mighty wind here layes along As weake and hollow Elâ—nes so Cedars stout and strong Who is so strong whom she hath not cast downe Looke all the generations gone and past Their ancient Monuments by Bookes are knowne In Graâ—e their Bodies all to dust do waste The Iewes long-life more eagerly imbrac't As 't was a type of endlesse happinesse But since Christ in his youth of Death did taste All Substances fulfill'd their Figures cease Now happiest he whom Death the soonest doth release Happy though clouds of stones thy head infold Like Steph'ns so open heau'ns shew pure cleare And though a Trance like Pauls so fast thee hold That whether thou without the Body were Or in the Body thou canst not declare Though thus Death doth like sleepe they flesh arrest The ioyes of heau'n shall to thy Soule appeare Not to be vttered Lo they are best By Negatiues not by Affirmatiues exprest No eye hath seene no eare hath euer heard No heart conceiue no tongue that can recite The ioyes th' Almighty hath in heau'n prepar'd For them that here do liue and die aright Oh enter Soule into thy Lords delight This ioy thou canst not in thy selfe containe For thou art bounded that is infinite Who enters shall for euer there remaine And for these finite Cares Ioy infinite obtaine Oh! who can know this Death and be afraid Although amongst the pots thou lie a time Thou like a siluer Doue shalt be arraid With golden feathers which like heau'n shall shine But ah Thus with my selfe I do diuine Without least perill by free Speculation But should Death seize on this my brittle Shrine And offer me to act my Meditation How should I tremble at my houses desolation That which is now familiar to my thought Will bring me then Amazement Horror Feare Alas this battel 's not so easily fought Except Iehouah on our side appeare Didst thinke Death would with Complement forbeare And onely thee delight with Meditation No he will try what courage thou dost beare And seize vpon thy Fleshes habitation It laying waste till all in Christ haue restauration Then as I feele this outward man decay Grant I may strong and stronger grow within And by a constant daily dying may Be arm'd against this strong man enter in That though he seize vpon this man of sinne My inward man may like the siluer Doue That newly hath escap't the Fowlers ginne Fly to her Lord and Sauiour aboue And be embraced in his blessed armes of Loue. Oh! there I shall inioy eternall rest And happy Peace which here I craue and misse And wander further more and more distrest What if some little paine in passage is Which makes fraile flesh to feare Deaths pallid kisse That paine 's well borne that endlesse ease doth gaine And from Sinnes cruell slauery dismisse Sleepe after Toyle faire-weather after raine Peace after Warre ease is most pleasing after paine We all are wanderers weary of our way And hasting to the Graue our certaine home This world 's the Flood which doth our passage stay Till Charons boat to weft vs ouer come Who Life did limit by eternall Doome And times for all things hath established Appoints each Centinel vnto his roome And so the termes of Life hath limited None may depart but by their Captaine licensed Nefarious wretch who with flagitious hand Dares violate
the Temple God did raise A Mirrour here of all his Workes to stand His wisedome to commend and goodnesse praise He that appoints the great worlds nights daies From her Creation to last Reuolâ—tion Determins all thy small worlds workes and wayes Who wilfully then hasts his dissolution Seekes to gain-say his Makers constant resolution The longer life I know the greater sinne The greater sinne the greater punishment Yet if thou Souldier-like art entred in Thou must go on with stoutest hardiment And not depart without commandement Oh lie not downe and thee to rest betake Ensuing ills of liuâ—ng to preuent Though life hath nought that can her loued make Yet giues it no iust Cause that thou should'st it foâ—sake And yet O sinfull man do not desire To draw thy dayes forth to the last degree Vntill the measure of thy sinfull hire Be heaped vp with all impiety Against the day of Wrath and Ielousie Whilst thou this sinfull Body bearst about Laden with Sinnes and foule Iniquity Their numbers more and more increase no doubt Most happy he whom Death the soonest helpeth out Despaire not yet fraile silly fleshly wight Nor let Distrust amate thy manfull heart Nor Satans malicing dismay thy sprite Thou in thy Sauiours meriâ—s hast a part Oh why shouldst thou despaire that certain art Of Christ thy Sauiour Lo in him is grace From thee for euer to remoue Hels smart And that accurst hand-writing to deface No sinnes can be so great but Mercy may haue place How then should any wretched wight be wonne To spoile the Castle of his life and state Is 't not Gods doing whatsoeuer's done In heau'n and earth Did he not all create To liue and die by his eternall Fate Who dares then striue with strong Necessity That constant holds the world in changing state All ought be willing here to liue or die Life Death ordained are by heau'nly Destiny Then witnesse Death that willing I lay downe My Body sure to put it on againe My fleshly Baggage for a heau'nly Crowne My earthly Bondage in the heau'ns to raigne I leaue this Tent of brittle clay to gaine In heau'n a mansion holy spirituall Lo my corruption here I downe haue laine For incorruption pure Angelicall And for a heau'nly Parlour chang'd my earthly Hall Lord this I craue Direct me in the way So shall I certainly attaine my end If well my Part on mortall Stage I play Saints Angels my beholders shall commend My Action God and Christ shall be my friend And when my flesh to Natures Tyring-â—oome From whence it came shall quietly descend It there shall rest vntill the Day of doome And then in heauâ—nly Quire a Singing-man become Sweet Death then friendly let me thee embrace He truly liues that liuing learnes to die Now smiling like a friend I see thy face Not terrible like to an enemy But I with Prayer end my melody Lord grant when Death my passâ—ng-bell doth ring My Soule may heare the heau'nly Harmony Of Saiâ—ts and Angels which most ioyfull sing Sweet Halleluâ—ahs to their Sauiour God and 〈◊〉 FINIS TO thee poore Bird in Cage imprisoned How like am I by Agâ—e visited I cannot vse my horse nor thou thy wing And therefore both sit still within and sing My Muse hath with my Body Sympathie If well I learne to liue if sickâ— to die Of dying young THis world a banquet is we conviues all Where most by Drinke to sinne and surfet fall Who dyeth young is like him that doth rise From banquet ere the wine his wit surprize FINIS a 〈◊〉 frugi a Laban a Eecl 8. 17 a Reu. 21. 1â— b Caâ— 3. 1. c Cant. 2. 8 a Abbeys c. a Death