will not faile For as a Lyon then he will prevaile And then at fifty hee 's a crafty Fox And Lawyer-like gets money in his Box. And so till sev'nty by Industrious paines Woolfe-like hee 's greedy to increase his gaines But after that he feeles his bones to tire Therefore much like the Dog he loves the fire And keeps at home like to the wyly Cat Where he delights to sit to prate and chat Thus doth the Carnall man waste his lifes weeke And seldome doth after true Riches seeke I meane the wealth which beyond Age will last And still endure after this life is past Therefore the Sages That did first ordaine And gave unto each day It 's severall name Did well at first the nimblest Planet place And last of all that of the slowest race To shew that man in youthfull blithfull plight In Grace and vertue should take most delight For painfull age cannot so well hold out As lusty youth yet still should goe about In vertues race and not out of it start Till death doth strike him with his deadly dart Therefore I 'll pray that with the glorious sun I may rejoyce in vertues Race to run And with old Saturne therein persevere So should I well conclude the weeke and yeare Sunday or Dies Dominicus IN the Beginning and the Birth of time God made his glory and his power to shine In framing of the earth and heavens bright And the first day God did create the light ' Before which time there was a confus'd heape 'A formelesse Chaos did together keepe 'A gulfe of gulfes a body ill compaâ—t ' An ugly medley where all difference lackt ' Where th' elements lay jumbled altogether ' Where hot and cold were jarring each with either ' The blunt with sharpe the danke against the dry ' The hard with soft the base against the high ' All all was voyd of beuty rule and light ' All without fashion soule and motion quite ' Fire was no fire the water was no water ' Ayre was no ayre the earth no earthly matter ' This was not then the world 't was but the matter ' The Nurcery whence it should issue after Yet Gods great power did keep this darksome masse And on the waters did his spirit passe ' And he no sooner said Be light but loe ' The formlesse lump to perfect forme 'gan grow ' And all illustred with lights radiant shine ' Doft mourning weeds and deckt it passing fine ' All haile pure lamp bright sacred and excelling ' Sorrow and care darknesse and dread repelling ' Thou worlds great Taper wicked mens just terror ' Mother of Truth true beauties onely mirror ' Gods eldest daughter Oh! how thou art full ' Of grace and goodnesse Oh! how beautifull ' Sith thy great Parent 's all-discerning eye ' Doth judge thee so and sith his Majesty ' The glorious maker in his sacred layes ' Can doe no lâ—sse than sound thy modest praise ' But yet because all pleasures wax unpleasant ' If without pause we still possesse them present ' And none can right discerne the sweets of peace ' That have not felt wâ—rs irksome bitternesse ' And Swans seeme whiter if swart Crowes be by ' For contraries each other best descry ' Th'Alls Architect alternately decreed ' That Night the Day the Day should Night succeed ' So morne and evening the first day conclude ' And God perceiv'd that all his works were good Therefore the learned that each day did name In the whole weekes as I conceive did aime At the great works of God in the creation And so according set the Planets station For first they set the Sunne bright Phoebus hight Who is the fountaine and the spring of light Also the Pots call him by the name Of bright Apollo whose illustrious fame Was very great he was the sonne of Iove He and Diana his deare sister strove Within the Matrix of Latona faire And these two dayes and nights directors are Apollo for his skill in Poetry Physicke and Musique and Divinity Was honour'd as a god by heathen men Such was the ignorance of those times then But why that others call Sol burning hot Flaming bright Tytan my weake judgement 's not Able to shew but sure his mighty power His names doe shew ev'n every day and houre He governes Princes and great men of state And is the Plannet that 's most fortunate He is the dayes bright eye and heart of heav'n For God plac'd him in midst of Planet sev'n And in three hundred threescore daies and five Doth to the period of hâ—s race arrive By him we measure out to us and ours Yeeres ages seasons moneths dayes minutes houres And therefore well plac'd in the front of time But I have him eclips'd in this â—ude rime Therefore I 'll now conclude lest Phaëton like For taking such a taske great Iove may strike Me in his wrath therefore I 'll hast away And speake a little of the Lords blest Day Me thinkes none should make it a scruple why We disagree from Jewes solemnity In keeping of the sacred Sabbath Day They 're in the old and we in a new way They have the old Law and we have the new For state of Christians differs from the Jew Old things are past and new are come in place Then why should we follow the Jewish race Besides our Saviour is the Lord of dayes And therefore for his meritorious praise It s very fit he should a day ordaine His worship and his statutes to maintaine For in this world each Prince his subjects drawes After his lore for still New Lords new Lawes So now new Sacraments new Heav'n new Earth New Testament and Sabbath Day sets forth How we do differ from the Levites law But of the morall we still stand in aw We know that shadowes now are past away Because from death their substance rose this day For now the ceremonies of the Jewes Doe cease yet on this day we alwayes use To rest from labour and vaine idle sport And to the Lords House we should oft resort There both to heare Gods Word divinely taught By learned men and also as we ought There we should pray and sing with hearty cheare And not as some doe sleepe when they should heare Then after Sermon we should call to minde What good instruction we therein did finde Into what parts what doctrines and what uses Was made thereof to checke the grosse abuses Of mans fraile nature and the consolation Weake man doth need to stablish his salvation If I could thus the Lords Day sanctifie Delighting thus to heare sing pray purely And on the Lord set my whole minde and heart That all this day he might not from me part If I could as the Sunne begin to shine From youth to old age in all works divine If I could so distinguish and divide Blind errors wayes from truths bright paths well try'd And well approv'd of God and all good men For graces splendor I
Ocean dares not passe ' Without his license for th' Eternall knowing ' The Seas commotive and inconstant flowing ' Thus curbed her and ' gainst her envious rage ' For ever fenc'd our flowry-mantled stage ' So that we often see those rowling hils ' With roaring noise threatning the neighbour fields ' Through their owne spite to split upon the shore ' Foming for fury that they dare no more ' Also God powr'd the water on the ground ' In sundry figures some in fashion round ' Some squaâ—e some crosse some long some Lozenge-wise ' Some triangles some large some lesser size ' Amid the floods by this faire difference 'To give the world more wealth and excellence ' And though each of these armes how large soever 'To the great Ocean seemes a little river ' Each makes a hundred sundry Seas besides ' Not sundry in waters but in names and tides 'To moisten kindly by their secret vaines ' The thirsty thicknesse of the neighbours plaines 'To Bul-warke Nations and to serve for fences ' Against th' invasion of Ambitious Princes 'To bound large kingdomes with eternall limits 'To further traffique through all earthly Climats ' T' abridge long Jorneyes and with aide of wind ' Within a moneth to visit either Inde ' Most wisely did th' Eternall All-creator ' Dispose these Elements of earth and water ' For sith th' one could not without drinke subsist ' Nor th' other without stay bottome and list ' God intermixt them so that th' earth her breast ' Op'ning to th' ocean th' ocean winding prest ' About the earth a thwart and under it ' For the world's Center both together fit ' For if their mixt Globe held not certainely ' Just the just midst of the worlds Axletree ' All Climates then should not be serv'd aright ' With equall counterpâ—ize of day and night ' The Horizons il-level'd circle wide ' Would sag too much on th' one or th' other side ' Th' Antipodes or wee at once should take ' View of more signes then halfe the Zodiake ' The Moones Ecclipses would not then be certaine ' And settled seasons would be then uncertaine ' This also serveth for probation sound ' That th' earth and waters mingled Maise is round ' Round as a Ball seeing on every side ' The day and night successively to slide ' Seas liquid Glasse round boweth every where ' With Sister earth to make a perfect Spheare ' And yet this Globe which we so much admire ' Seemes but a point compar'd to th'upper Spire ' Sith the least Star which we perceive to shine ' Above disperst in th'Arches Christalline ' If at the least starre-Clarkes be credit worth ' Is eighteene times bigger then all the earth ' whence if wee but substract what is possest ' From North to South and from the east to west ' what doth remaine Ah! nothing in respect ' Loe here O men wherefore doe you neglect ' Heav'ns glorious kingdome Loe the largest scope ' Glory can give to your Ambitious hope ' Loe her 's the Guerdon of Mans glorious peines 'A needles point a Mote a Mint he gains 'A Nit anothing did he all possesse ' Or if than nothing any thing be lesse ' And certainely it is Gods onely power ' That doth uphold and keepe earth's branchy Bower ' For though it hang in th' aire swim in the water ' Though every way it be a round Theater ' Though all turne round about it though for ay ' Its selfes foundations with swift Motions play ' It rests unmovable that the holy race ' Of Adam there may find fit dwelling place ' The earth receives man when he is first borne ' Th' earth nurses him and when he is forlorne ' Of th' other Elements and nature loaths him ' Th' earth in her bosome with kind buriall cloaths him ' Oft hath the aire with tempests set upon us ' Oft hath the water with her floods undone us ' Oft hath the fire th'upper as well as ours ' With woefull flames consum'd our Townes and Towers ' Onely the earth of all the Elements ' Unto man-kind is kind without offence ' Onely the earth did never jot displace ' From the first seat assign'd it by Gods grace ' When God whose word more in a moment can ' Then in an age the proudest strength of Man ' Had severed the floods levell'd the fields ' Embast the Aalleys and embost the Hills ' Change change quoth he O faire and firmest Globe ' Thy mourning weed to a greene gallant Robe ' Cheere thy sad browes and stately garnish them ' With a rich fragrant flowry diadem ' Lay forth thy locks and paint thee Lady like ' With freshest calours on thy sallow Cheek ' That aire and water and the Angels court ' May all seeme jealous of thy praise and port ' No sooner spoken but the lofty Pyne ' Distilling-pitch the Larch yeeld Turpentine ' Th'ever-green Box the Gummy Cedar sprout ' And th' Airy Monntaines mantle all about ' The Mast full Oke the usefull Ash the Holm ' Coat changing Cork white Maple shady Elm ' Through hill and dale ranged their plumed rancks ' The winding Rivers bordered all their Bancks ' With flice-sea Aldars and greene Osiers small ' With trembling Poplars and with Willowes pale ' And many Trees beside fit to be made ' Fewell or Timber or to serve for shade ' The dainty Apricock of Plums the Prince ' The velvet Peach gilt Orenge downy Quince ' Already beare grav'n in their tender Barkes ' Gods powerfull Providence in open maâ—kes ' The sweet-sent Apple and astringent Pear ' The Châ—rry Filbert Walnut Meddeler ' The Milky Fig the Damson black and white ' The Date and Olive aiding Appetite ' Spread every-where a most enlightfull spring ' And every-where a very Eden bring I ' Here the fine Pepper as in clusters hung ' There Sinemon and other Spices sprong ' Here dangled Nutmags that for thrifty paines ' Yearely repay the Bandons wondrous gaines ' There growes th' Hesperian Plant the pretious Read ' Whence Sugar Sirrups in abundance bleed ' There weeps the Balme and famous Trees from whence ' Th' Arabians fetch perfuming Frankincense ' There th' amorous Vine calls in a thousand sorts ' With winding Armes her spouse that her supports ' Here for our food Millions of flow'ry graines ' With long mustachoes wave upon the plaines ' Here thousand fleeces fit for Princes Robes ' In Se'rean forrests hang in silken Globes ' Here shrubs of Malta for my meaner use ' The fine white Balls of Bombace doe produce ' Here th'azure-flowred Flax is finely spun ' For finest Linen by the Belgian Nun ' Here fatall Hemp which Denmark doth afford ' Doth furnish us with Canvasse and with Cord ' Cables and Sayles that winds assisting either ' Wee may acquaint the East and West together ' And dry-foot dance on Neptunes watry front ' And in adventure lead whole Townes upon 't ' Never mine eyes in pleasant springs
the feast of feasts Sabbath of Sabbaths endlesse rest of rests He would this day our soule sequestered From busie thoughts of worldly cares should read In heav'ns bow'd arches and the elements His boundlesse bounty power and providence That every part may as a Master teach th'illiterate rules past a vulgar reach The world 's a Schole where in a generall story God alwayes reads dumb lectures of his glory The world 's a booke in Folio printed all With God's great works in Letters capitall Each creature is a page and each effect A faire character voyd of all defect Heare this dumb Doctor study in this booke Where day and night thou maist at pleasure looke And thereby learne uprightly how to live For every part doth speciall lessons give Even from the gilt studs of the firmament To the base centre of our element The reasons why the Sages on this day Doe place the Planet Saturne to beare sway Are most conspicuous hence I 'll show his birth Coelum begot him Vesta brought him forth He was produced of the earth and sky Being the foundation of the progeny Of heathen Gods as Pluto Neptune Iove And Venus her fairefelfe goddesse of Love The time he liv'd was call'd the golden age For earth brought fruit without the Plowes tillage Men peacefull were and did to rest repose But by his sonnes there much contention rose Ingenious Saturne Spouse of memory Father of th'age of gold though coldly dry Silent and sad bald hoary wrinckle faced Yet art the first amongst the Planets placed And thirty yeeres his leaden coach doth run Yer it arrive where his carere begun He governes Moores Monks and the antient Jewes Decrepid old men and all those that use To worke in Leacher earth or on a grave To show that mens desire is rest to have Therefore the use of this day shall be this To contemplate of heavens glorious blisse You heathen Poets henceforth let be dumb Your fabled praises of Elizium For the Almighty made his blissefull bowers Better far better than what 's fain'd of yours Your's but a shadow and a fabled story But this is perfect reall solid glory For never any eye nor eare nor heart Could see heare or perceive of the least part Of that great glory yet I doe admire How heathen men so highly should aspire For in their fained stories they suppose Strange blessings love on their just men bestowes Great Iove is he that rules the ayre and sky And is adorned with great Majesty In his right hand is the Amalthean horne But in his left thunder and furie 's borne He can command all other heathen gods Rewarding Vertue Vice correct with rods With thundring stormes he makes the earth to shake And in his fury Pluto's selfe to quake But in his clemency he powreth downe Sweet Honey Nectar Vertues head to crowne His palace he doth keepe in royall sort For all the Gods attend upon his court Pallas for wisdome Venus for beauties grace Mercury there for eloquence hath place Bacchus for joy Vulcan the fiery God For zeale for love Cupid hath there abode Pan and Apollo with their musique shrill Doe all heav'ns Court with blissefull pleasure fill Thus are Pandora's or the vertuous blest And live with Iove in a perpetuall rest But whither doe I run out of my story Thus to insist on heathens fâ—ined glory O! let me now with eye of faith behold A glorious city all of beaten gold The walls of Jasper and the gates shin'd bright Being twelve in number each a Margarit The streets and lanes were paved every one With gold inlaid with pearles and pretious stone There is no need of Sun or Moone or Star For Christs bright glory passeth all these far Who sits i' th midst and shineth cleare and bright There is no darknesse nor no dismall night And from Christs throne a stream of water cleare Doth flow as Christall and there doth appeare Upon each bancke the Tree of life to grow Which beares perpetuall fruit there is no wo No griefe nor sorrow nor the dreadfull feare Of death or danger as we live in here This Citie 's breadth and length both equall are Twelve thousand furlongs each it is foure square And there the Saints keep a perpetuall feast With joy and rest that cannot be exprest Thus is this happy place describ'd by Iohn In the last Tract of his blest vision By the most glorious things that we doe know The glorious blessednesse thereof to show Now learn'd Dwines say man by his creation Hath in three places his aboad and station The first is in a narrow darksome place The second 's in this faire worlds mantled face Coelum Empyreum is the last which is In life to come place of eternall blisse Now what proportion this life doth surpasse The life we had in that most narrow place The same and much more to the Saints are giv'n In that most glorious happy place call'd heav'n For this worlds globe compared to heav'n bright Is but a point a pricke voyd of true light So I conclude as this world doth exceed My mothers wombe wherein shee did me breed For beauty pleasure joy delight and blisse So doth that palace far surmount all this And as a living man in wit and strength Beauty and learning bodies breadth and length Doth farre exceed a childe in 's mothers belly So and much more Saints in this royall City Doe far excell men on this earthly stâ—tion In beauty knowledge and in true salvation And as great horror would a Saint be in To come from heav'n to earth to live in sin As a man growne would feare to goe againe Into his mothers womb there to remaine And as the nine moneths there compar'd unto An old mans life is little even so And more Eternity doth passe all time That men here live why should I then thus rime To make conjecture what the learned are Ignorant of and I in wit am bare Therefore I 'll leave to speake of this blest place And view the jewels in this golden case First there 's the presence of the Lord of hoastâ— I meane the Father Sonne and holy Ghost The Fathers Majesty and glorious might And Christ at 's right hand deckt with wondrous light The Spirit in milk white robes of sanctity One God in three and three in unity On either side a quier of Angels sings Archangels Cherubins and Seraphins The soules of righteous men and blessed Saints Apostles Prophets Martyrs Innocents There shall appeare with crownes upon their heads For their victorious acts and worthy deeds These keepe a Sabbath in eternall iest Such glorious joy can never be exprest There 's rest no toyle there 's joy without all paine Peace without strife content that is not vaine There 's safety without feare blisse without end O! that God would my poore soule thither send For here I labour and have seldome peace Content's a rare thing vaine lasts never cease But there I should hold a perpetuall feast Sing such a sacred song as heav'n likes best Weare such a crowne as never should decay Possesse a dwelling that ne'r falls away Fully enjoy God and see his bright face Whose presence onely makes a happy place Therefore the godly say it is small paine Hell torments to endure this to obtaine Therefore I humbly pray I may so here Upon the earth live that I may appeare After my soule hath put off's mortall case Pure and unspotted in this resting place 〈◊〉 should I truly keepe a Sabbath day And in bright glory ever rest for ay 〈◊〉 with the Prophets and Apostles zealous 〈◊〉 Constant Martyrs and our Christian fellowes 〈◊〉 faithfull servants and his chosen sheepe 〈…〉 w'n I hope within short time to keepe FINIS
SACRED POEMS OR Briefe Meditations Of the day in generall and of all the dayes in the weeke Psalme 90.12 Teachus O Lord so to number our dayes ' that we may apply our hearts unto wisedome LONDON Printed by E. Griffin 1641. TO The Right Worshipfull his Honoured and loving Master Sir IAMES CAMBELL Knight and Senior Alderman of the Citie of London one of his Majesties Justices of peace for the said Citie Mayor of the Staple at Westminster President of the Hospitall of Saint Thomas in Southwark and Governour of the Company of Merchants trading into France EDWARD BROWNE Presenteth these fruits of his Poeticall Meditations with his daily prayers to God for increase and continuance of health and Prosperitie in this Life and eternall felicity in the life to come RIght worshipfull I have been very bold My mind to you though rashly to unfold At this time since I meane no more to write Such fruitlesse lines to come unto your sight I 'm bold to use a learned Poets skill Though farre unfit for my unlearned quill Onely to manifest my thankfull hart For what God by you on me doth impart Therefore I pray accept this little Booke Yet I acknowledge t is not worth your looke Because t is framed by unskilfull wit And yet againe the matter that 's in it Would crave inspection of iudicious eyes But that my infant Muse could not devise To frame compose and write such learned Rimes As fit your worth in these most curious times And sacred things which I here take in hand To illustrate which well to understand Declare and fully to describe the same Would ' maze the head of the most learned Braine Then how can I that am in wit so bare In any wise such holy things declare Yet what the learned from Gods word have showne I have presumed herein to make knowne To manifest how I spend my spare time In Poetry although by ragged Rime Therefore because I know you onely are My dearest friend and have of me great care I here present you this my little skill Full of Affection voyd of smallest ill And if you please to read it to the end I hope it shall not justly you offend For at the first when I began to write I did compose it for mine owne delight But when I read it I therein did see A little spark of sacred Poetry Also I have observ'd you doe of late Delight to read more then in former state This did induce me to become so bold My Talent in your lap thus to unfold Prayi g your Worship herein to passe by The faults I doe commit unwittingly For Gods great aid herein I 'll render prayse And of your courteous Candor rest alwayes Your humble and Gratefull Servant EDWARD BROWNE An Acrostick Proem To his kind and Loving Master and vertuous Lady SIR IN this small Booke though rudely I have showne According to my Art and skill Many unfruitfull fancies of my owne Each of them shewes my true good will Sith better pledges I have none Can make thy Gratitude well knowne And I doe hope you will accept this mite More for th' intent then for the thing Because I writ it onely for delight Endevouring thereby to bring Little sweet Honey to the Hive Like to the Bee to show I thrive Rashly herein I doe confesse I take A skillfull Learned Poets quill ' Cause I unlearned am nor know to make Holy Sonnets free from ill Every verse doth show my folly Little worth in Melancholy Charge mee therefore with what is writ amisse And if that any good is done My God of that the onely Authour is Because the Fountaine makes streames run Ev'n to refresh our minds and make us â—lâ—st Like to Gods Saints And thus I ever rest Your Faithfull and Obedient Servant EDWARD BROWNE Praesentatio Gratificationis 25. dic Martii 1640. THis day some say did our Lord God begin This Worlds round Globe to make and to câ—eate And in this moneth comes in the fragrant spring Therefore the learn'd almost in every state Begin their Bookes and Reckonings on this day To shew how pretious time doth haste away Therefore I also though my learning 's small Begin this yeare to shew my thankfull heart My light grew dimme my Oyle was wasted all But Divine Bartas helped me in part For out of his None-such and holy weeke I was faine many flowers for to seek Which I Inserted in my weekly dayes And by a Prick you 'll know my sacred Pelfe Because I would not take unto my praise Anothers worth to my unlearned selfe I borrowed his to make this presentation A perfect and compleat Gratification A Prayer to God OH Holy God Thou knowst my heart is vaine My words are sinfull and my workes profane And men of Bethshemesh because they did Looke in the Ark by thee were stricken dead And Uzza but for staying it upright When it did shake thou there to death didst smite How dare I then presume to write or speake Of holy things being so vile and weake Yet I doe know by thy most sacred writ I must acknowledge the great benefit I have received from thee and thereof talke As I doe stand or goe or sit or walk Therefore I crave of thee assisting might For out of darknesse thou canst make true light To shine and blaze O be thou ever still Guider and framer of my perverse will That thy bright glory may shine in these Rimes To stirre up better wits in after-times To frame compose and make a perfect story Of temporall blessings and eternall glory 19. Psalme ult Let the words of my mouth and the Meditations of my heart be now and ever acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer A MEDITATION OF THE DAY HOw fraile and Brittle is the life of man He that lives longest liveth but a span Our pretious time so vainely we doe spend That as a day it commeth to an end The morning of our life is childish youth The noone time is our Manhood at full growth The ev'ning of our Life is froward Age And thus we walke on in our Pilgrimage The dawning of our life we waste like Boyes In foolish vanities and Idle toyes The middle of our age our strength and might Wee should enforce to serve God day and night That so at last when this lises day shall cease Wee in the Earths cold Bed may sleepe in peace Thus fatall sisters three take daily paine To spin to weave and cut mans life â—n Twaine Kind hearted Clotho spins mans life to strength Discreete Lachesis weaves its bredth and length And cruell Atropos with her sharpe knife Doth cut the Thred of his Age loathed life Loe thus this life is but a summer flower Springs up spreds bravely and sheds in an houre And Proteus-like we oft doe shift our shapes From Kids to Goates from Goates to wrinckled Apes For Mans lif 's water clos'd in Brittle Glasse Sin brought in death and
death as he doth passe Survayes this water weakly wal'd about Then breakes the Glasse so runnes the water out Oh that I could be like the glorious Sun Who doth rejoyce his lightsome Race to run And shineth brighter to the perfect day Then should I likewise in a vertuous way Begin and in the same still persevere Thus should I spend the day the weeke and yeare Of the Morning Light FIrst in the morning when I ope mine eye If it be light me thinkes I doe espie A glimps of Glory But if darksome night Be not orepast then doe I close my sight And musing thinke of that eternall horrour Where is no comfort but dismaying rerrour Then doe I muse on the materiall lights That God prepared hath to helpe our sights The Sun the Moone the Starres and twinkling Tapers That men invent which vanish into vapours And with these Temp'rall lights mee thinks I see That spirituall light hath great Affinity And this Spirituall light 's Illumination From Divine knowledge by Gods Inspiration The heaâ—hens knowledge is much like the light That men doe make to helpe their darkned sight Whereby they know there is a God that hee Doth punish vice Crownes those that vertuous bee The Jewes light 's the Divine and holy Law Which as the sages star their hearts might draw And drive to Christ whom they doe daily see In Types and figures shaddowed to be The Papists Knowledge is most like the Moone Which they doe borrow from the Gospells Sun But Truth 's so wrapped in blind errours lap As clouds their light and shewes their hard mishap But knowledge in our Land is like the rayes Of the bright Sun which shineth at noone dayes Free'd from all foggs and mysts of Eâ—rours vaine And unto all men open cleare and plaine Oh what confused horrour dread and feare Should wee in our distressed bodies beare If but depriv'd of light for a few dayes Wherefore we have great cause to give God praise Not onely for this temp'rall changing light But much more for the glorious Gospells sight Of Vp rising WHen I doe heare the dauntlesse watchfull Cock And that same Bell which rings at five a clock There comes into my mind the fearefull call Of the last Trump which then shall summon all Man-kind to rise out of the earths cold Bed And when that when I doe reare my drowzie head I musing thinke of the most glorious sight Of Saints and Angels in the Celestiall light Oh Lord I pray Gâ—ant I may dayly rise From sins loath'd Bed and foule impieties That I may walke as a Child of the day In vertuous light and in a pious way That at the last when this â—raste flesh shall be Disrobed of corruption and set free From Passions thrall which now in mee are bred I may with joy lift up my troubled head And in a moment in celeshall light Behold the lustre and the glorious sight Of our good God who is in persons three And yet in Essence but one God is hee Of putting on Apparell WHen I array my selfe then doe I muse How in a spirituall habit I should use To deck and cloth my selfe so every day That I might never feare the fatall fray Of the worlds Baites and the fraile fleshes Charmes Which may allure and bring me in the Armes Of Satans power who doth daily seeke Me to devoure that am both poore and weake First on my hart I should fast fix the Love Of God and holy things that are above Then should I gird my Loynes with truths sure cord Which I must gather from Gods holy word Then should I arme my Breast in warlike state With righteous life as with an Iron plate And on my head I should keepe sure and fast Salvation as a Helme that ay will last And for the feet of my corrupt affections I should have shooes of such Divine directions As in the sacred Gospell written are My wayes in Piety thus to prepare Then with good workes take up the shield of faith Which will as the most holy Scripture saith Blunt dull and beat back all the firy Darts Of Satans malice whose aime's at the harts Of poore weake Men thus should I armed bee Against that wrathfull watchfull enemy If that I were thus armed strong before And yet behind were naked thin and poore I thought that I might wounded be behind But to prevent this I should bend my mind To be as watchfull with a restlesse eye As my foe 's carefull quick to see and spie Both where and how he layes his trecherous traynes That so I might frustiate his too great paines By taking in my hand the two edg'd Sword Of Gods keene-cutting and sharpe-piercing word And therewith cutting off this Hidrae's head Which not so pruned would so hugely spread That almost no resistance could be found To bring this great Goliah to the ground If I could dayly thus my selfe adorne And in this habit dresse me every morne Then should I neither dread the cold nor heat Of chilling Poverty or fiery threat Of wrathfull Tyrants neither would I feare Sin death or hell o're me should dominere But I should alwayes be in blissefull plight Well Cloth'd and healthfull as a Child of light Oh Lord I pray thee Cloth me with thy spirit That I may neither feare cold Winters night Nor Summers heat so let me ever be Clothed with Christ my wedding garment's hee Of Mans Labour AS I doe walke abroad my mind 's at strife To see how all men in this mortall life Take care and travell to prolong their dayes Upon the earth by many severall wayes And how Artificers with nimble wit A hundred Rarities compose and fit For sev'rall uses how the husbandman Doth plough and sow and Reape and thresh fan Most like the Ant in Summers scorching heat Who labours hardly for his Winters meat Another he tugs hard against the tide His laden vessell longst a Rivers side The Merchant he doth take great care and paines To venture farre and sometimes gets small gaines The Trades man in his darke shop puts to sale His broken wares with many a famed Tale And preachers they doe cry to beat downe sin Till they be hoarse and little good they win The Magistrate should strive with all his might The guilty to adjudge the wrong'd to right The Scholar he doth set his Braines and wit To get some knowledge though small benefit And thus each man in his peculiar way Is troubled and incombred every day To get provision for this brittle life Although sometimes with envy and much strife Oh happy then are they who now are dead From all these troubles they are ever free'd Yet by this same I can most plainely see What Portion Adam left posteritie That by hard labour and their bodies sweat They all must labour to procure their meat And he that doth not thus for his provide It is not fit on earth he should abide But like a carelesse Idle slouthfull droane Out
declare For if when God made fire for our delight It is so fierce there 's none would if he might Gaine a whole Kingdome hold his hand therein But for one houre Oh then what paine is in The fire of hell To which if I compare The fire we have it seemes but painted ayre Ours is for comfort that is to torment Ours must be fed else of it selfe it 's spent That needs no fuell but doth burne for ay Ours giveth light and shines as bright as day That 's alwayes darke and is in its right place Ours ever shifts and doth ascend apace Ours doth consume and rids quicke out of paine That consumes not once there ne'r out againe Our's soone extinct that never doth abate Hâ—s heat And yet as I did show of late And as Christ saith they shall gnash teeth and shake For very cold will make their bones to quake And as that fire is of such wondrous might So doth that darknesse farre exceed our night Now could I shew the universall paines And all th' eternall torture there remaines How Cerberus doth strongly keepe hels dore That none comes out but may come in the more And how that Charon with dread horror grim Over the Stigian lake his boat makes swim Fild full of soules whom he hath got off shore O'r Sulphry Stix and makes them cry and rore I should but all this while shew paine of sense But there 's great dammage in lost excellence Which is as great as learned men doe show As paine of sense But yet I doe not know How to describe the losse of that bleft sight Of Gods bright glory in celestiall light At thought whereof the damned have a worme Which on their conscience gnawes and makes them mourne And when they thinke of that same heavenly light That they have lost this worme doth give a bite Which causeth them to teare their flesh and haire And if they could themselves in pieces teare Then doe they wish for mountaines hills and rocks To fall upon them with such pondrous knocks That they might kill them which when they deny They doe begin to howle lament and cry And marvell saying what hath our pride got What profit hath glory of riches brought How easily might we have scap'd this place By living well and seeking helpe of grace Oh! if on earth we now could live againe We would feare God alone and count as vaine All other things in the vast worlds round ball And Gods bright glory should be all in all And thus they do repent without amends And still their paine begins and never ends Then cease your talke of Pluto's darksome den That 's but the idle fantasie of men But this is true which in Gods word is showne That hellish paines to mortall man 's not knowne Yet I doe wonder that such learned skill Should so divinely drop from heathens quill For as in Pluto's cave they well have showne Hels torments as in Scripture is made knowne So heavenly blisse in Iupiters high court And in Elizium fields they make report In their prophanest fabled histories By Hercules they shew Christs victories Long before Christ was borne which makes me muse That they should know almost as much as Jewes Who were Gods chosen but where doe I goe This in some other place I meane to show And now that I am thus come out of hell Safe and unhurt from all those furies fell In the last place I did intend to write Of the great benefits we have by night But my dull Muse grew barren thin and bare I therefore borowed his whose fruits are rare ' The night to temper dayes exceeding drought ' Moystens our ayre and makes our earth to sprout ' The night is she that all our travels caseth ' Buries our cares and all our griefes appeaseth ' The night is she that with her sable wing ' In gloomy darknesse hushing every thing ' Through all the world dumb silence doth distill ' And wearyed bones with quiet sleepe doth fill ' Sweet night without thee without thee alas 'Our life were loathsome even a hell to passe ' For outward paines and inward passions still ' With thousand deaths would soule and body kill ' Oh Night thou pullest the proud maske away ' Wherewith vaine actors in this worlds great play ' By day disguise them for no difference ' Night makes betweene the Peasant and the Prince ' The poore the rich the Prisoner and the Judge ' The foule and faire the Master and the drudge ' The foole and wise Barbarian and the Greeke ' For Night 's black Mantle covers all alike ' He that condemn'd for some notorious vice ' Seekes in the Mines the Baites of Avarice ' Or swelting at the furnace fineth bright 'Our Soules dire sulphur â—esteth yet at night ' Hee that still stooping tugges against the Tide ' His laden barge alongst a Rivers side ' And filling shoares with shouts doth melt him quite ' Upon his Pallat resteth yet at night ' He that in Summer in extreamest heat ' Scorched all day in his owne scalding sweat ' Shaves with keene Syth the glory and delight ' Of motly Meddowes resteth yet at night ' And in the Armes of his deare Pheere forgoes ' All former troubles and all former woes ' Onely the learned Sisters sacred Minions ' While silent night under her sable Pinions ' Folds all the world with painlesse paine they tread 'A sacred path that to the heav'ns doth lead ' And higher then the heav'ns their Readers raise ' Upon the wings of their immortall layes And now me thinks I heare the clock doth chime Which doth informe me that it is high time Mee to uncloth and so to goe to bed For this dayes worke hath troubled my weak head Of unclothing HOw vaine a thing it is to vant in Pride Of brave Apparell may be quickly tride For had old Adam never fallen from Blisse Of use of Cloaths wee nere had had much misse And he devis'd but leaves to hide the shame Which on himselfe by his foule folly came And God himselfe when hee did undertake Some brave apparell for poore man to make To hide his shame his liv'ry was but skin Of some poore beast this Adams sin did win Wherefore the man that of brave Cloths is proud Doth as a Begger with a voyce most loud Extoll and magnifie his Rotten Rags Which hide his sores and set them forth as flaggs For all to gaze at and to wonder why Hee should set out his stincking Bravery Wherefore the Godly alwayes did not care What Clothes upon their bodies they did beare So it would keepe them from the heat and cold They were content and I doe read of old The Saints Apparell they arrayed were Was made of Goats skin and of Cammells haire But men are now so curious for their back They 'll Rob and spoyle all creatures ere they 'll lack From one they 'll take his wooll to make them cloth From others skin and
fur nay they 're not loath To take the Excrements of the poore worme Which they into brave Silke and Sattin turne Then doe they begge of fish Pearle for the Neck And find in Sea-sands pretious stones to deck Their sinfull bodies then they take great paines To Digg and delve in Earth for Golden gaines And when they have this borrowed Treasure got About the streets they jet and frisk and trot Provoking others thus to looke on them Deeming themselves better than other men But greater folly than this is not knowne For one to boast of that is not his owne Yet thus have I too oft done and was glad When I brave Cloths upon my body had Therefore I 'll now put off this Pedlers pack Which all this day hath burden'd thus my back Could I as quickly put off my foule sin And in new Robes of Grace my Soule put in As I can cast these filthy Rags aside That from mens eyes my sinfull shame doth hide Then should I be receiv'd a welcome Ghest Of Christ my Saviour to his glorious feast Where Angells Patriarkes and Prophets old Apostles Martyrs and the Saints doe hold A feast of Joy thus should I then be blest In Robes of Glory in eternall Rest Of Sleepe SLeepe is the Image and Picture of Death In which wee seeme sencelesse and voyd of breath The Bed seemes as the Grave in which we lay Our bodyes mould which turnes to dust and Clay And to the Saints death 's truly but a sleepe That doth refresh their minds and safely keepe Their wearyed Soules which when they were awake I meane alive very great paines did take To serve the Lord for which they hated were By wicked men who bended all their care To persecute oppresse and doe them wrong Therefore they doe greatly desire and long To be dissolved and to be with Christ In whom their joy and quiet doth consist Besides Christ warmed hath the earths cold bed For his beloved when he laid his head To rest three dayes therein and hath oft cald Death but a sleepe once to a Jew enthrall'd Foure dayes in grave then did he groan and weepe And said friend Lazarus doth sweetly sleepe And of the Ruler Iayrus his dead daughter He said shee slept which moved some to laughter And holy Martyres went as cheerefully To take their death as in Rose beds to ly Because they knew death to be but a sleepe Which doth refresh their Soules and bodies keepe Safe and unhurt unto that glorious day When they shall rise to live with Christ foray But unto wicked men death is a Terrour Which to remember fills their Soules with horrour If then the thought of death their minds affright How will they be amaz'd to feele his might When he doth strike them with his deadly Dart How loth will then the Soule from body part Because like friends they liv'd on Earth in Joy Well clad well fed and felt not much annoy Now if a man to mortifie one part Of his weake body In such deadly smart Is put unto that makes him groane and cry Oh then what will be the great misery For him to suffer when through every limb He feeles deaths pangs fiercely assayling him First from extreame parts Fingers Feet and Toes Then Leggs and Armes and so in order goes Through every Joynt Veine Muscle Sinew Bone Till at the heart it rests and there alone Like a besiedged Prince his Soule lookes out For helpe of friends whom shee did little doubt Would so forsake her in her extreame need To wit Youth Physick helplesse friends indeed Then doth she greatly feare tremble and quake Expecting hourely when the fiend will take Her wretched selfe And then when shee doth see The flattring Doctor parted with his fee The weeping of his wife the losse of all Jewells and brave apparell that 's not small Griefe and vexation to his wretched mind That all his wealth he so must leave behind Which hee did gather with such griefe and caâ—e To serve the Lord he had no time to spare And lastly now to thinke what will become Of Soule and body how the noysome worme Serpents and Vermin shall take for their food That dainty body which he thought too good To tread on earth or to come in the aire This will almost drive him into despaire But when he thinks his Soule must come before Hearts searching Judge and when he sees the score Of his great sins which his own conscience showes And hath not where to pay for well hee knowes He did not show his faith by living well And therefore doth deserve nothing but hell Which when the Soule doth thinke on slavish feare In wicked men doe bring them to despaire Which causeth them to fret to howle and cry To thinke how blisse they lost in hell they 'll lye For evermore in torments past expression But all this while I have made a digression From what I did intend at first to write It seemes I am misled by darksome night Of bad mens deaths in which they cannot sleepe For hellish fiends their Soules awake doe keepe Therefore I 'll pray to God that he may keepe My Soule and body so that I may sleepe In rest and peace in bed as in my grave And that in Mercy hee would freely save Both Soule and body to that blessed day Of resurrection that in heav'n alway I may with Saints and Angells shine as bright As doth the Sun and praise God day and night Of the weeke THe wisedome of the Lord did first compose The week into seav'n dayes as Moses showes Thereby to teach us how to spend our time In Meditation of his workes divine And in three weekes God hath his great workes showne The first is of the worlds creation In which the power and might of God appeares The next is preservation in the yeares And ages since till this same very houre And the third weeke doth show his love and power In the Redemption of all-fallen mankind But I am weake in body dull in minde So that not one of these I can declare As is befitting for the best that are May come farre short in such a sacred theame Therefore I onely doe intend and meane To shew each sev'rall dayes denomination And therein touch the workes of Gods creation And in this place I now will briefely speake Of mans fraile life in Davids generall weeke For he divides the life of Mortall men Into sev'n parts till threescore yeares and ten And therein I will show how pretious time Is vainely spent each age in one short Rime The first tenne yeares man is a harmelesse child And as a Lamb his life is meeke and milde But after that Goat-like he skips and Joyes In foolish vanities and Idle toyes And so till thirty man 's an untam'd Colt Heady and from all goodnes doth revolt And untill forty hee 's a sturdy Bull His limbes are strong with blood his veines are full But after that his courage
might shun the den Of utter darknesse then I should be blest And keepe a Sabbath in eternall rest Munday or dies Lunae THe next day after God had made the light He spread heav'ns curtaines glorios in our sight ' That Huge broad length that long broad height profound ' Th'infinite finite that great moundlesse Mound ' I meane that Chaos that selfe-jarring Masse ' Which in a moment made of nothing was ' Was the rich matter and the matrix whence ' The heav'ns should issue and the elements ' Now th' elements two twins two sons two daughters 'To wit the fire the ayre the earth and waters ' Are not compounded but of them is all ' Compounded first that in our sense can fall There 's no materiall substance but doth beare Within it selfe fire water earth and ayre And God to each his place hath well assign'd According to its nature breed and kind ' Earth as the lees and heaviest drosse of all ' After his kind did to the bottome fall ' Contrarywise the light and nimble fire ' Did through the crannies of th' old heap aspire ' Unto the top and by his nature light ' No lesse than hot mounted in sparks upright ' But lest the fire which all the rest imbraces ' Being too neer should burne the earth to ashes ' As chosen Umpires the great All-creator ' Betweene these foes placed the ayre and water ' For one suffic'd not their sterne strife to end ' Water as cousin did the earth befriend ' Ayre for his kinsman fire as firmly deales ' But both uniting their divided zeales ' Tooke up the matter and appeas'd the brall ' Which doubtlesse else had discreated all The ayre as moderne and the elder Sages Have fitly parted it into three stages The upper's seated next the fiery vault And by the learned very hot is thought That which we touch with times doth variate Now hot now cold and sometimes temperate But middle Region's far from fire set And therefore very cold and little heat In ayrie clouds God bottles up the raine Which gratifies the Ploughmans toyle and paine The ayre ingenders milke white snow and haile Mist dew and yce in season will not faile In divers vapours their effects are strange But in the ayre they keepe a constant range For in the Summer of a sev'rall kinde They doe produce Frogs Toads and the swift wind Whose whisking beesome doth brush cleane and sweepe The cloudy curtaines of heav'ns stages steepe And sometimes they doe make the earth to rocke To shake and tremble like a weather-cocke And when I doe consider lightnings flash It s rare effects my sense in pieces dash A man was once going out of his dore He saw a fire passing him before Which he did follow to see where 't would goe But he will ne'r trust Ignis fatuus so For he had like so far to lose his way That he could hardly finde it the next day When I doe sometimes looke into the skies Me thinkes I see a hundred prodigies Compos'd of exhalations in the ayre But the true cause thereof none can declare Though by nice will and deepe conceited straines They give a ghesse but 't is not worth their paines For the great God of heav'n sometimes delights From top to toe to alter natures rites That his strange workes to nature contrary May be fore-runners of some misery Such are the blazing Comets fiery star That threaten earth with famine plague and war Three Suns three Moones at once green blew gilt bow Gods judgements and his mercies forth to show But I almost forget the firmament Although it was the chiefe of my intent Their number and their nature here to show And how their whirling Orbs about doe goe Yet of their number many a writer varies Yet most agree that there a ten round stories In severall Orbs they place the Planets sev'n After the fixed Stars and Christ â—â—n heav'n Lastly the highest Orbe of all the â—out Is the first mover which whirles all about But there is none that can relate the solace Or boundlesse vastnesse of th' Imperiall Palace ' Where life still lives where God his Sises holds ' Inviron'd round with Seraphins and Soules ' Bought with Christs pretious blood whose glorious flight ' Yet mounted earth above the heav'ns bright Neither doe I know rightly how to write What waâ—ers are above the heav'ns bright For I too bold will not aske how or why God placed water so exceeding high I must believe it for Gods Word doth show Above the heavens God made waters flow ' I 'll rather give a thousand times the ly 'To my owne reason than but once defy ' The sacred voyce of th'everlasting Spirit ' Which doth so often and so loud aver it Besides when sinfull men did God provoke In Noabs dayes these windowes he set ope And by these Seas drown'd cattell men and beast In this example I 'll sit downe and rest So morne and even the second day conclude And God perceiv'd that all his works were good Now why the Sages when they nam'd this day Call'd it Lucina's day I cannot sae Except it be because her wax and waine Doe cause the waters ebbe and flow againe Faire Phoebe she of all the Planets bright Is most infirme because she borrowes light By Poets she is call'd Diana chast Yet shâ— her love on faire Endymion cast Constant in love she her swift course doth run Throughout the Zode twelve times for once the sun Diana was goddesse of chastity And therefore I doe see small reason why The vulgar should affirme a man on 's backe Within the Moone should beare a Pedlers packe Besides I thinke no woman could be chast If that a man within her were well plac'd Luna doth governe Seamen Fishers Hunters Chast maidens and wise Matrons whose encounters Or unchaste meetings with uncivill men Are never us'd but my unlearned pen Hath so outrun my judgement and my wit The uses of this day I quite forget Besides amazement and astonishment At Gods great workes I am by this day bent Advis'd to learne my waters to divide Of charity free from vaine glorious pride And to distinguish my repentant teares From those for losse of worldly things in feares And as the Moone I borrow all my light From God whose glory in me shineth bright And as the Moone so I in vertues race Should still goe forward though darke be my pace And though by frailty I may sometimes faile Yet godly constancy should e'r prevaile Tuesday or dies Martis ' THis day th' Almighties bounteous Majesty ' willing t'enfeoffe man this worlds Empiry ' Commanded Neptune straight to marshall forth ' His floods apart and to unfold the earth ' And presently the Sea to 't selfe betooke ' Mount after mount field after field forsooke ' And suddenly in smaller caske did tun ' Her waters that from every side did tun ' And hath imprison'd them in bounds of brasse ' Which to this day the
behold ' Th' azure Flax the gilden Marigold ' The Violets purple the sweet Roses stammell ' The Lillye's snow and Panseye's various Ammell ' But that in them the Painter I admire ' Who in more colors doth the fields attire ' Then fresh Aurora's rosey Cheekes display ' When in the East she ushers a faire day ' God not content to have made these plants ours ' Pretious perfumes fruits plenty pleasant flowers ' Infused Physick in their leaves and Mores 'To cure our sicknesse and to salve our sores ' Blew succ'ry hanged on the naked Neck ' Dispells the dimnesse that our sight doth check ' About an Infants neck hang Peony ' It cures Alcydes cruell malady ' If fuming bowls of Bacchus in excesse ' Trouble thy brayns with stormes of giddinesse ' Put but a Garland of greene Saffron on ' And that mad humour will be quickly gon ' Th' inchanting charmes of Syrens blandishments ' Contagious Aire-ingendring Pestilence ' Infect not those that in their mouthes have ta'en ' Angelica that happy counter-baen ' Sent downe from heav'n by some Celestiall scout ' As well the name and nature doth avow'c ' So Pimpernell held in the patients hand ' The bloody Flix doth presently withstand ' And to conclude whether I walke the fields ' Rush through the woods or clamber up the hills ' I finde God every-where thence all depend ' He giveth frankly what we thankly spend ' But th' earth not onely on her back doth beare ' Abundant Treasures glistring every where ' But inwardly shee 's no lesse fraught with riches ' Nay rather more which more our Soules bewitches ' Within the dâ—epe folds of her fruitfull lap ' Such boundlesse mines of treasure she doth wrap ' That th'hungry hands of humane Avarice ' Cannot exhaust with labour or device ' For they be more then there be starres in heav'n ' Or stormy billowes in the Ocean driv'n ' Or eares of corne in Autumn on the fields ' Or Savage Beasts upon a thousand Hills ' Or Fishes diving in the silver floods ' Or scattered Leaves in winter in the woods ' Slate Iet and Marble shall escape my Pen ' I overpasse the Salt-mount Oromene ' I blanch the Brine-quar hill in Aragon ' Whence there they powder their provision ' I 'le onely now embosse my Booke with Brasse ' Dy't with Vermilion deck't with Coperasse ' With Gold and Silver Lead and Mercury ' Tin Iron Orpine Stibium Lithargie ' And on my Gold worke I will onely place ' The Chrystall pure which â—oth reflect each face ' The pretious Ruby of a sanguin hew ' The seal-fit Onix and the Saphire blâ—w ' The Cassidonie full of circles round ' The tender Topza and rich Diamond ' The various Opal and greene Emerald ' The Agath by a thousand titles call'd ' The skie-like Turqisez purple Amethists ' And fiery Carbuncle which flames resists ' But shall I baulk th' admired Adamant ' Whose dead-live power my reasons power doth dant ' Renowned Loade-stone which on Iâ—on acts ' And by the touch the same a loft attracts ' Attracts it strangely with unclasping crooks ' With unknowne Cords and unconceived hookes ' With unseene hands with undiscerned Armes ' With hidden force with sacred secret charmes ' Wherewith he woes his Iron Misteresse ' And never leaves her till he get a kisse ' Nay till he fold her in his faithfull bosome ' Never to part except wee love-lesse loos'em ' With so firme zeale and fast affection ' The stone doth love the steel the steele the stone ' And though sometime some make bate come betwixt ' Still burnes their first flame t is so surely fixt ' And while they cannot meet to breake their minds ' With mutuall skips they shew their love by signes ' As bashfull suiters seeing strangers by ' Parley in silence with their hand or ey ' Nor is th' earth onely worthy praise eternall ' For the rare Riches on her back externall ' Or in her bosome but her owne selfes worth ' Solicits me to sound her praises forth ' All-hail faire earth bearer of Townes and Towers ' Of men Gold Graine Physick and fruits and flowers ' Faire firme and fruitfull various patient sweet ' Sumptuously cloathed in mantle meet ' Of mingled-colours lac't about with stoods ' And all imbrod'red with fresh blooming buds ' With rarest Jemmes richly about embost ' Excelling cunning and exceeding cost ' All-haile great heart round base and stedfast Root ' Of all the world the worlds strong fixed foot ' Heav'ns chastest spouse supporter of this All ' This glorious buildings goodly Pedestall ' All-haile deere mother Sister hostesse Nurse ' Of the worlds Soveraigne Of thy liberall purse ' W' are all maintained matchlesse Emperesse 'To doe thee service with all readinesse ' The Sphears before thee bear ten thousand Torches ' The fire to warme thee folds his heatfull arches ' In purest flames about the floating cloud ' Th' aire to refresh thee willingly is bow'd ' About the waves and well content to suffer ' Milde Zephyrs blasts and Boreas bellowing rougher ' Water to quench thy thirst about the mountaines ' Wraps her moist armes Seas Rivers lakes and fountaines ' So Morne and Evening the third day conclude ' And God perceiv'd that all his workes were good But by this writing I declare my Birth How like a Mole I doe delight in earth Therefore I 'll leave this Trash and haste away And shew how furious Marr doth rule this day Yet it is strange for he is God of war Discord dissention and delights to jar Hee governs Knights Captaines and bloody Souldiers Alchymists Surgeons he rules all disorders In Butchers Serjeants Hangmen the stout theefe Who many times heapes the poore true man griefe And all this day I writ no harme to be In fields in woods in hills that I could see But 't is to show how vainely men doe use Gods creatures good and how they doo abuse Iron and steele they make to kill and slay Hearbs metalls earth cast many men away When dull Physicians void of learned Notions For greedy gaine make poysoned salves and potions And for Golds luster many doe not feare To loose their limbs and last the halter were 'To pick a lock to take their neighbours purse 'To breake a house or to doe something worse 'To cut his Parents Throat to kill his Prince 'To spoyle his Country murder innocents ' Even so prophaning of a gift divine The drunkard drownes his Reason in the wine ' So fale-tongu'd Lawyers wresting Eloquence ' Excuse rich wrong and cast poore innocence ' So Antichrists their poyson to infuse ' Mis-cite the Scriptures and Gods name abuse ' For as a Cask for want of use growne fusty ' Makes with his stink the best Greeke Malmesey musty ' So Gods best Gifts usurpt by wicked ones 'To poyson turne through their contagions 'T is not these creatures but 't is mans amisse ' Hath made Sin mount unto the hight it is
' But as the sweet baite of abundant riches ' Bodyes and Soules of greedy men bewitches ' Gold gilds the vertuous and it lends them wings 'To raise their thoughts unto the raiest things ' The wise not onely Iron well apply ' For houshold turnes and tools of husbandry ' But to defend their Country when it calls ' From forraigne dangers and intestine bralls ' Brave-minded Mars yet master of misorder ' Delighting nought but Battells blood and murder ' His furious coursers lasheth night and day ' That he may swiftly passe his course away ' But in the road of his eternall race ' So many rubs hinder his hasty pace ' That thrice the while the lively Lyquor-God ' With dabling heeles hath swelling clusters trod ' And thrice hath Ceres shav'n heâ— amber Treffe ' Ere his steele wheeles have done their businesse Oh Lord I pray grant I may make such use Of all thy creatures without base abuse That I with temperance may take and eat Wheat hearbs and fruit which are delicious meat And that the love of wine may neere intox My head and minde to make mee catch the Fox And though like Mars many doe me oppose For men and devills may become my foes Grant me such courage I may never feare Any but thee and still move in thy Spheare That having liv'd on earth Godly and well I may with thee in heaven for ever dwell Wednesday or Dies Mercurii GOd having now the Worlds wide curtaine spread About the Circuit of the fruitfull Bed ' Where to fill all with her unnumbred kin ' Kind natures selfe each Moment lyeth in 'To make the same for ever admirable ' More stately-pleasant and more profitable ' He th' Azure Tester trimm'd with Golden workes ' And richly spangled with bright glistring Sparks ' He that to number all the Stars would seek ' Had need invent some new Arithmetique ' And who to cast that reck'ning takes in hand ' Had need for counters take the Oceans sand ' Yet have our wise and learned Elders found ' Foure-dozen Figures in the heau'nly Round ' For aid of memory and to our eyes ' In certaine Houses to divide the skies ' Of those are twelve in that rich Girdle grift ' Which God gave Nature for her New-yeares-Gift ' When making all his voyce Almighty most ' Gave so faire Lawes unto heav'ns shining hoast 'To weare it biar buckled over-thwart her ' Not round about her swelling waste to girt her ' This glorious Baldrick of a Golden tindge ' Imbost with Rubyes edged with Silver frindge ' Buckled with Gold with a Bond glistring bright ' Heav'ns biaz-wife environs day and night ' For from the period Where the Ram doth bring ' The day and night to equall ballancing ' Ninety degrees towards the North it wends ' Thence just as much toward Mid-heav'n it bonds ' As many thence toward the South and thence ' Toward th'yeares Portall the like difference ' Nephelian Crook horne with brasse Cornets crown'd ' Thou buttest bravely ' gainst the Newyears bound ' And richly clad in thy faâ—re Golden fleece ' Do'st hold the first house of heavens spacious Meese ' Thou spy'st anon the Bill behinde thy back ' Who least that fodder by the way he lack ' Seeing the world so naked to renew't ' Coats th'infant earth in a greene gallant sute ' And without Plough or Yoak doth freely fling ' Through fragrant pastures of the flowry spring ' The Twins whose heads Armes shoulders knees and feet ' God fill'd with Starres to shine in season sweet ' Contend in course who first the Bull should catch ' That neither will nor may attend their match ' Then Summers guide the Crab comes rowing soft ' With his eight Oares through the heav'ns azure loft 'To bring us yearely in his starry shell ' Many long dayes the shaggy earth to swell Almost with like pace leaps the Lyon out All clad with flames bristled with beames about Who with contagion of his burning breath Both Grasse and grain to cinders withereth The Virgin next sweeping heav'ns ature Globe With stately traine of her bright Golden robe Mild-proudly marching in her left hand brings A sheafe of Corne and in her right hand wings After the Maiden shines the Ballance bright Equall divider of the day and night In whose gold beam with three Gold rings there fastens With six Gold strings a paire of Golden basens The spitefull Scorpion next the Shale addrest With two bright Lamps covers his loathsome breast And fain from both ends with his double sting Would spet his venome over every thing But that the brave Halfe-horse Phylirean scout Galloping swift the heav'nly Belt about Ay fiercely threats with his flame-fethered arrow To shoot the sparkling starry viper thorough And th' hoary Centaure during all his race Is so attentive to this onely chase That dreadlesse of his dart heav'ns shining Kid Comes jumping light just at his heels unspid Mean while the Skinker from his starry spout After the Goate a silver streame pours-out Distilling still out of his radiant fire Rivers of water who but will admire In whose cleere channell mought at pleasure swim Those two bright Fishes that doe follow him But that the Torrent slides so swift away That it out-runs them ever even as they Out-run the Ram who ever them pursues And by returning yearely all renewes Besides these twelve towards the Artick side A flaming Dragon doth two-Beares divide After the Wainman comes the Crowne the Speare The kneeling Youth the Harpe the Hamperer Of th' hatefull Snake whether we call the same By Esculapius or Alcides name Swift Pegasus the Dolphin loving man Ioves stately Eagle and the silver Swan Andromeda with Cassiopea neere-her Her Father Cepheus and her Perseus deerer The shining Triangles Medusas Tresse And the bright Coach-man of Tindarides Toward th' other Pole Orion Eridanus The Whale the whelpe and hot breath'd Sirius The Hare the Hulke the Hydra and the Boule The Centaure Woolfe the Censer and the foule The twice foule Raven the Southern Fish and Crowne Through heav'ns bright Arches brandish up and downe Thus on this day working th' eight azure tent With Artlesse Art Divinely excellent Th' Almighties fingers fixed many a million Of Golden Scutchions in that rich Pavilion But in the rest under that glorious heav'n But one a peece unto the severall sev'n Least of these lamps the number-passing number Should mortall eyes with such confusion cumber That we should never in the cleerest night Stars divers course see or discerne aright And therefore also all the fixed Tapers He made to twinkle with such trembling Capers But the seven lights that wander under them Through various passage never shake a beam Or He perhaps made them not different But th' hoast of Sparks spred in the Firmament Far from our sense through distance infinite Seemes but to twinkle to our twinkling sight Whereas the rest neerer a thousand fold To th' earth and Sea wee doe more brim behold
heav'n and never lookes abroad ' That crownes not vertue and corrects not Vice ' Blind to our service deafe unto our sighs 'A Pagan Idoll voyd of power and Piety 'A sleeping Dormouse rather a dead Deity ' For though alas sometimes I cannot shun ' But some prophane thoughts in my mind will run ' I never thinke on God but I conceive ' Whence cordiall comforts Christians soules receive ' In God Care Counsell Justice Mercy Might 'To punish wrongs and Patronize the right ' Sith Man but Image of the Almightiest ' Without these gifts is not a man but Beast ' God is not sitting like some Earthly state ' In proud Theater him to recreate ' With curious objects of his eares and eyes ' Without disposing of the Comedies ' Content t' have made by his great word to move ' So many Radiant Stars to shine above ' And on each thing with his owne hand to draw ' The sacred text of an eternall Law ' Then bosoming his hand to let them slide ' With raines at will whether that Law shall guide ' Like one that lately having forc't some lake ' Through a new Channell a new course to take ' Takes no more care thenceforth to those effects ' But lets the streame run where the ditch directs ' The Lord our God wants neither diligence ' Nor love nor Care nor power nor providence ' Hee prov'd his power by making all of nought ' His diligence by ruling All he wrought ' His care in ending it in six dayes space ' His love in building it for Adams race ' Hâ—â— providence Maugre Times wastfull rages ' Preserving it so many yeares and Ages ' For O! how often had this goodly Ball ' By his owne greatnesse caus'd his proper fall ' How often had this world deceast except ' Gods mighty Armes had it upheld and kept ' God is the Soule the life the strength and sinnew ' That quickens moves and makes this frame continue ' God 's the maine spring that maketh every way ' All the small wheeles of this great Engin play ' God 's the strong Atlas whose unshrinking shoulders ' Have beene and are heav'ns heavy Globes upholders ' God makes the fountaines run continually ' The dayes and nights succeed incessantly ' The Seasons in their season he doth bring ' Summer and Autumn Winter and the Spring ' God make's th' earth fruitfull and he makes the earth's ' Large sides not yet faint for so many births ' God makes the Sun and Stars though wondrous hot ' That yet their heat themselves inflameth not ' And that their sparkling beams prevent not so ' With woefull flames the last great day of woe ' And that as mov'd with a contrary wrest ' They turne at once both North and East and West ' Heav'ns constant course his heast doth never break ' The floting water waiteth at his beck ' Th' Aire 's at his call the fire at his command ' The earth is his and there is nothing fam'd ' In all these kingdomes but is mov'd each houre ' With secret touch of his eternall power ' God is the Judge who keepes continuall Sessions ' In every place to punish all transgressions ' Who void of Ignorance and Avarice ' Not won with bribes nor wrested with device ' Sans feare or favour hate or partiall Zeale ' Pronounceth judgements that are past appeal ' Himselfe is judge Jury and witnesse too ' Well knowing what we all think speake or doe ' He sounds the deepest of the doublest heart ' Searcheth the Reins and sifteth every part He sees all secrets and his Lynx-like eye Yer it be thought doth every thought descry His sentence giv'n doth never prove in vaine For all that heav'n earth ayre and sea containe Serve him as Sergeants and the winged Legions That soar above the bright star-spangled Regions Are ever prest his powerfull ministers And lastly for his executioners Satan assisted with th' infernall band Stands ready still to finish his command God to be briefe is a good Artizan That to his purpose aptly mannage can Good or bad tools for for just punishment He armes our sins us sinners to torment And to prevent th'ungodly's plot sometime He makes his foes will nill they fight for him Though then the Lords deep wisdome to this day Worke in the worlds uncertaine certaine sway Yet must we credit that his hand compos'd All in six dayes and that he then repos'd By his example giving us behest On the seventh day for evermore to rest For God remembred that he made not man Of stone or steel or brasse Corinthian But lodg'd our soule in a fraâ—le earthen masse Thinner than water britler than the glasse He knowes our life is by nought sooner spent Than having still our minds and bodies bent A souldier that a season still hath laine Comes with more fury to the field againe Even so this body when to gather breath One day in sev'n at rest it sojourneth It recollects his powers and with more cheer Falls the next morrow to his first career But the chiefe end this precept ayms at is To quench in us the coals of covetize That while we rest from all prophaner arts Gods Spirit may worke in our retired hearts That we down-treading earthly cogitations May mount our thoughts to heav'nly meditations Following good Archers guize who shut one eye That they the better may their marke espie For by th' Almighty this great holy day Was not ordain'd to dance to maske and play To slug in sloth to lash out in delights And loose the reines to raging appetites To turne Gods feasts to filthy Lupercalls To frantike Orgies and fond Saturnalls To dâ—zle eyes with our vain-glorious splendor To serve strange gods or our ambition tender As the irreligion of loose times hath since Chang'd the prime Churches chaster innocence God would that men should in a certaine place This day assemble as before his face Tending an humble and attentive eare To learne his great names dear-dread loving-feare He would that there the faithfull Pastor should The Scriptures marrow from the bones unfold That we might touch with fingers as it were The sacred secrets that are hidden there For though the reading of those holy lines In private houses somewhat move our minds Doubtlesse the doctrine preach'd doth deeper pierce Proves more effectuall and more weight it bears He would that there in holy Psalmes we sing Shrill praise and thanks to our immortall King For all the liberall bounties he bestow'th On us and ours in soule and body both He would that there we should confesse his Christ Our only Saviour Prophet Prince and Priest Solemnizing with sober preparation His blessed seales of reconciliation And in his Name beg boldly what wee need After his will and be assur'd to speed Sith in th'exchequer of his clemency All goods of fortune foule and body ly He would this Sabbâ—th should a figure be Of the blest Sabbath of eternitie That the grand Iubile