as much care expresse In preseruation of you as before Ah no Gods loue encreaseth more and more To such as serue him and his power extends Beyond all limitation to his friends â— grant thou mightst as not vnlikely gather That Archelaus would be like his father A bloody Tyrant for a wicked Sire Mali coruâ— malum ouum Prouerb Leaues his sonne like himselfe a strong desire To be thought apt for imitation Leades children to obserue their parents fashion But yet for all this thou maist rest secure He who hath vndertaken will procure Safety for thee and thine onely be bold And on his goodnesse by true faith lay hold Danger may threaten but it shall not harme Such as are guarded by th' Almighties arme Now was the time that Morpheus with his wand Did charme a silent sleepe on all the Land Only perplexed Ioseph could not rest 〈…〉 any cares lay tumbling in his breast â—he while he thought he should most safety find 〈◊〉 going back to Egypt but his mind Did quickly alter when the Lords command Which bad expressely he should leaue the land To his remembrance came then he thought best Where he now lodged to set vp his rest But that was dasht when being come so neare He did consider an vnmanly feare Should keepe him from his home in maze of doubt An Angell came at last to lead him out Giuing direction he should not abide Neare Archelaus eye but turne aside Into the parts of Galile for there He might securely liue without all feare Ioseph obeyes and now his course he bends To Nazareth where all his trauaile ends Forfully seated there he liues in peace With his soules comfort and his ioyes encrease And this saith the Euangelist was done That there might be a consummation Of what the Prophets told of Christ for he A Nazarite say they shall called be Expositors haue here been much perplext Because they can directly find this text In none of all the Prophets some conceaue That time which doth of many things bereaue The world hath in his reuolution lost Those sacred books where these things were engro'st Chrysost Another before this his sence preferres And doth for Prophets read intâ—rpreâ—â—rs Isidor For Prophets may be thought to say that thing Which men from them by good deduction bring But matter fetcht so farre wee need not vse Or seeke the sacred writer to excuse For holy writ two waies a thing affords Either according to the sence or words Now though we meet not the same words in sound Yet the same sence in Scripture may be found Nazaren signifies one flourishing And doth not Esay call this heauenly King A Rod of Iesses Stem a branch that growes Out of his roote each one that Scripture knowes Isal 11. 1. Knowes this prophetique truth Againe this name Is giuen him that he may haue the same Which his type had before him Sampsons facts Did but foresignifie our Sauiours acts Sampson from barraine parents did proceed And Christ alone was the pure Virgins seed His killing of the lyon did foretell Christ should that roaring lyons power quell Slaughtering his foes euen when he lost his breath shewed Christ should ouercome his foes by death Now of the first we read that he was stil'd A Nazarite to God therefore this child Iudg. 13. 15. That truth and type might fitly both agree was call'd a Nazaren as well as he But properly his name came from the place Hight Nazareth which had the happy grace To giue him education as a bower Most fit to entertaine so sweet a flower Nazareth doth a flower signifie And what place could he better dignifie With his abode then that whose name exprest His nature who of all flowers was the best Alcinous garden or Adonis Bower Was neuer deckt with halfe so rare a flower Those of the greatest beauty are but silly 〈◊〉 Sharons Rose or to the Valleys Lilly This is not like French Flowers in out side braue Which yet within nor sent nor vertue haue No from an outside meane there doth distill Such vertue as the Saints with grace doth fill The Soule a Nosegay is if this adorne it The Lord will take the sent if not hee 'l scorne it O may this blessed flower which now doth grow In Heauens high Nazareth not here below Make vs so sweetly in Gods nostrils smell That we transplanted from the earth may dwell In Heauen for euer and in such a ioy As time cannot weare out or death destroy Flourish with Christ and blisfull Peans sing Vnto the praise of our eternall King FINIS Errata Pag. 3. l. 2. r. an l 25. r. armies p. 10. l. 10. r. Iew. l 27. r. successors p. 13. l. 2. r y'runne p. 16 l. 25. r. thy p. 17 l 17. r. when p. 18. l. 6. r. humane p. 19. l. 20. r. leese p. 31. l 18. r. nonce p. 34. l. 10. r. repurchace p. 43 l. 16. r. Ewe p. 45. l. 14. r yeld p. 49. l. 19. r. kill p. 57. l. 22. r in
Gentiles happier farre Then Abrahams issue whom so bright a Starre Cannot enlighten but his word despise And ' gainst the Sun of glory shut their eyes Mondaies Meditation or the second Canto The Argument The Magi come out of the East Vnto Ierusalem in quest Of the Messias and enquire But meet not there their full desire BEhold while Gideons fleece the Iuyce is dry Iugd. 6. His floore the Gentiles doth it selfe apply To drinke the heauenly dew From Hebers land A countrey farre in the east parts did stand But in what place vncertaine whether Persia Neerer Chaldea or the farthest India Each haue their seuerall authors did send forth Primitiae Gentium Augustin These first fruits of the Gentile whose high worth Makes them thought kings by some I dare not say Only from thence they came from whence the day Breakes and Aurora chases thence blacke night Where Sol first rising shewes his glorious light And guilds the lofty mountaines whence his beames Reflect a brightnesse on the easterne streames Whether these wise men came from Abrahams line Yet not of Sarahs off-spring some assigne Keturah their grand-mother or begot By Baalams successor or t is not Materiall to examine so to lay For firme position were to much to say Whether they were Magicians as some thinke And such who for deepe science chose to linke Their Soules to Satan or Philosophers Morall and naturall or Astronomers To which opinion I assent thus farre Because we finde God call'd them by a starre I list not to examine may 't suffice They haue this only title they were wise Wise men indeed it is true wisedomes lore To seeke for Christ and neuer to giue ore Till we haue found him so did these that came Out from the East would we could doe the same It is a rare thing to be skil'd in arts Abstrusest cunning and to haue all parts That better humane knowledge but to know Christ is more worth then all that art can show And therefore as when Phoebus 'gins to rise The starres ecclipsed lustre hidden lies From eye of mortall So when as diuine Soule-quickning wisedome as the Sun doth shine Each humane science like a petty starre Must vaile vnto it as a ship from farre Spying the Kings ride on the narrow seas When she comes neere though little for her ease Bends her proud head and doth withouten faile In most submissiue manner strike her Saiâ—e See here the ne're enough to be admir'd Attractiue power of Christ by which enspâ—rd To finde their Sauiour out with ioyfull hearts These Magi come from the remotest parts The Sun doth not exhale more forcibly The purest vapours vp the Loadstone nigh The Sympathetique steele makes it not cling More close vnto it then this heauenly King His innate vertue did such loue distill Made their affections cleaue vnto his will 2. King 10. That Sheba's Queene drawne by the bare report Of Salomons faire vertue left her Court For Iudah's countrey may full strange appeare But see then Salomon a greater heere Luke 11. 31. More strange to Christ the comming of those wise Then hers to Salomon we must agnize She was but one alone they many were She but a woman they men she came there Led by the tongue of Fame but they from farre Were guided by the leading of a starre She came to one whose riper yeeres did speake Him growne to mans estate they to a weake And tender Infant She to one that swaid A royall Scepter They to one was laid In a poore Manger She came but to trie The truth of Fame and curiously to spie His state and knowledge in effect meere vanity They to adore their God in his humanity In fine we finde her comming is exprest From forth the South but theirs is from the east Like as the Sun when he doth first display His radiant lustre and with lightsome day Breake from the East and getting in his throne Fixt in the middle of the heauenly Zone Makes his diurnall progresse to the West And then returnes againe into the East So those wise men doe first their iourney gin From out the East nor did they euer lin Till to Ierusalem the West they came And fitly may this occidentall name Be giuen to it since the glorious Sun Of righteousnesse hauing his course runne Did there sit red and bloudy there he died Who for the sinne of man was crucified From thence they Eastward passe and neuer cease Till to their countrey they come backe in peace Of all the parts in the worlds continent The East hath aye beene held most excellent Whether because that fruitfull Paradice Was planted Eastward or that Sol doth rise There in his glory or that the day spring Is made an attribute to heauens great King Luke 1. 78. Hence is it that in Churches when addrest In Prayer to God we looke vnto the East Either because the earths most honoured part Iustin Martyr To the Almighties worship we conuert Or because Paradice which Eastward stood Lost first by Adam's fall and since made good Greg. Nysse By Christ our Sauiour we by looke desire Or cause the Lambe of God which did expire Vpon the Crosse extended to the West Damascen We to behold him looke into the East For many causes which might be assign'd This quarter of the World the East we find In high repute of which the least in worth Is not that such wise men it did bring forth Well doth the title with the place accord Wise from the East for easterne parts affoord Best intellectuals so when holy writ Would Salomon commend for rarest wit This Elogie it giues he did exceede 1. King 4. 30. The best of those which the East parts did breede As if the men which did inhabite there Then all the rest of mortals wiser were Which commonly is so either because Of Phoebus neere vicinity which drawes Grosse vapours thence and by his quickning ray Refines the fluent bloud whose pure allay Giues vigour to the Spirits So we see That Plants by Gardners carefull industry Set that the morning Sun may on them glow Doe soonest ripe and to perfection grow So natures well red secretaries say That in the morne of all times of the day The fairest Pearles are generate and most bright Then shines the gold Excelling Chrysolite Or happely in wisedome they excell Cause our first Parents in the East did dwell And might to their Successors more confin'd Some monuments of knowledge leaue behind How fitly come they from the East t' expresse The rising of the Sun of righteousnesse And with the glad report of this bright morrow Bernard To chase from humane hearts the night of sorrow From thence they come froÌ„ whence the day is borne And Phoebus hides the blushes of the morne That from the place where the day gins to cleare Chrysost Faith the soules day-light also might appeare Where after Adam was create of earth Gan humane bodies
makes knowne Once making Moses his fit instrument Exod. 10. Cymmerian darknesse on their Land he sent And which was worse groping for light as blind Suffred them liue in darknesse of their mind Therfore his sonne that Sun shall now arise To giue them light which doe not shut their eyes Against his splendour for as stories tell When he came thither all their Idolls fell And as we read that Joseph best belou'd Of Iacob from his Fathers eye remou'd By enuie of his bretheren was conuayed To Egypt where by Gods direction stay'd He was a kind of Sauiour to the land In keeping famine out which did command After a seuen yeares plenty so more want Threatning to ruine Egypt which grew scant Of grace and goodnesse Christ a Sauiour came And in great mercy did preserue the same For he the true bread is where he doth dwell All faâ—ine from the soule he doth expell By this time Ioseph whom much care did presse Had gotten all thingâ— in a readinesse And in the couert of the shady night Begins his iourney darknesse could not fright Non attendit verus obediens quale sit quod praecipitur hoc solo contentus quia pracipitur Bernard Him or his charge obedience doth contend How to please God although it sense offend Not into what commanded is it pries But that it is commanded doth suffice Good Ioseph murmures not at the great paine Or the long iourney he must entertaine He staggers not in faith that he doth flie Which must saue others from their misery But as he came from Abraham behaues Himselfe like Abraham in his mind he graues How ready the glad father was to goe When God commanded and should I be slow To execute said he what God enioynes I should want worth to issue from such loynes Mans heart must be like paper cleane and white Wheron the Lord what he shall please may write Or like to waxe well suppled by the hand Be soft and pliant to his iust command We must in all things seeme they good or ill Conforme our wishes to out soueraignes will Faith and obedience stand not to dispute But are still ready prest to execute Our God obedience doth so highly prize That he prefers it before sacrifice 1. Sam. 15. And worthily fot they who with consent A legall sacrifice to God present But other flesh the flesh of beasts doe till In victimis allena caro obedientia vero voluntas propria mactaturâ— Greg. Where we obeying sacrifice our will Thus did good Joseph whom no let could stay No not so long as for the lightsome day And well in the black night did they begin Their trauaile from a place more black in sinne Now gan the day from out the east appeare Whose comfortable light their hearts did cheare And ere the Sun had fully shone an hower They found themselues got safe from Herods power At length in Egypt they arriue what towne Did giue them harbour the text sets not downe Nor will I seeke to know there they remaine Till Herods death did call them back againe All this saith the Euangelist was done To firme that prophecie which said My Sonne From Egypt haue I call'd the literall sence I know concerneth Israel who from thence Was brought by mighty hand yet hath respect To Christ as types doe vpon truths reflect And as Gods people Israel did stay A time in Egypt till the Lord made way For their departure so his blessed Sonne Had for a while his habitation In the same Egypt till the Lord did call him Whom there I leaue to that which did befall him Fridaies Meditation or the sixth Canto The Argument The Kings fierce rage his men of warre The innocents doe massacre Rachel doth mourne her heauy losse And will no comfort in her crosse TIme now which erst did vnto Iudabs King Seeme to moue forward with a lazy wing Made him suspect or rather plainely see The wise men did delude his subtilty And thâ—re was reason for it he that thought To mocke is mockt and rakes but what he brought The law of taliation did require He should meet this euent the sittest hire Nequc enim lex lustior vila Ouid. For fraud is slic deceit and they that cherish Dissembling in their art doe iustly perish God on these men his iudgements doth expresse Iob 5. 13. And takes the wise in their owne craftinesse Now this delusion in the King begets An indignation and in rage him sets When Tyrants cannot by their craft preuaile In a red Sea of cruelty they saile But why O Herod wert thou thus perplext Why doest thou rage or wherefore art thou vext Didst thou not know that Christs birth was diuine Or wert thou blind because the Sunne did shine Didst thou not conuocate from euery Tribe Many chiefe Priests many a learned Scribe And did not they by ancient Prophecy Resolue the truth of this deepe mystery Didst thou not know the wise men came thus farre To worship Christ led by a glorious Starre Thy cheeke should rather blush then thy heart flame And looke red not with anger but with shame That such Barbarians which were farre below thee Should in their zeale to God so much outgoe thee The loue and faith wherewith they were inspir'd Thou shouldst haue imitated and admir'd For vnlesse thou didst altogether shun Prophetique truth so much it might haue won Vpon thy iudgement that by iust compare Of passed things with such as present are Thou mightst conclude this was ' not a delusion Of the wise men but a confusion Which God who sometimes counterchecks a King Vpon thy wicked purpose meant to bring But say thou hadst some iniury receiu'd And by the cunning Magi wert deceiu'd How had the silly Innocents offended That so much misciefe is ' gainst them intended O why is their vniust destruction sought which nere so much as wrong'd thee in a thought Surely should Iordan lend thee all her store It could not wash away the purple gore That hangs vpon thee with thee still shall bide The title of a bloudy Homicide Thou sought'st for Christ but went'st too far about T is faith not furie which must finde him out O foolish Herod which dost thinke t' expell Him that will still be King of Israell Yea King of Heauen and Earth in spite of thee Out of thy poore and petty liberty O wicked Herod and of lewd behauiour Who fearing thy successor hat'st thy Sauiour O bloudy Herod which by the fell death Of harmelesse children wouldst proloâ— thy breath But little admiration it requires That Tyrants seeke to compasse their desires Or found their thrones on slaughtered innocence Pharaoh long since had taught him to dispence With murders of that ranke who to secure His crowne made Abrahams yssue to endure A heauy burden while he did command To drowne their yssue male throughout the land Exod. 1. So did Abimelec the base borne sonne Of that couragious warriour Gedeon Who