have I broke my vows and my promises to hope for thy love or thy gracious pardon But Lord what shall I now do if yet I shall fall into a dispair of thy Mercies I should increase my disloyalâ—y and either deny or despise the power of thy Passion So great was thy love to the Church thy Spouse that thou gavest thy self to sanctifie and cleanse it by the washing of water by the Word My Soul O Christ is a member of thy Spouse be pleased O Jesus so to sanctifie and wash my soul that thou mayst present it to thy self without spot or wrinckle both holy and blamless O thou who hast opened a Funtain to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness do thou wash me throughly from mine iniquity cleanse me from my sir. And Lord as in mercy thou hast given me Chastity of body so give me likewise Chastity of mind and purity of soul suffer not either the flesh or the Devil by their wicked suggestions to seduce me to uncleaness And though I am but a weak and an earthen vessel yet be thou pleased to make me a chosen vessel a vessel of mercy cause me to keep my body holy and to possess it in sanctification and honour and not in the lust of concupiscence like the Gentiles which know thee not O be thou mâ— Father in the grace of Adoption be thou my Brother in thy pitty and compassion be thou my Husband in thy love affection be thou my Jesus in the salvation of my sinful Soul Arm me with constancy against all assaults of carnal imaginations give me modesty in my countenance decency in my apparel civility in my behaviour sobriety in my discourse and contentedness in my condition make me obedient to my Parents respective to my Superiors courteous to my Inferiors loving unto all Let not my adorning be outward of puting on of apparel but give me that wisdom which is from above to be as an ornament of grace unto my head and as chains abouâ— my neck preserve O Christ both my body and Soul in chastity and honour while I am here upon Earth as becometh a Virgin espoused to thy self and when my dust shall return to the earth as it was let my spirit return unto thy self who gavest it and to thee let it sing that new song with the Quire of Virgins before thy Throne for ever and ever Amen A Prayer of a Married Woman ALmighty Lord and everlasting Father who hast been pleased to vouchsafe me the blessings of this life and to give me my desires both in a husband and children be pleased to give me a Thankful heart for these thy Mercies it is thy goodness and not my merit that I have received from thee these blessings of thy bounty justly O justly mightest thou at once deprive me of these comforts because I have neglected my obedience to the one and my care of the other Humbly O my God I confess my failings and am sorry for mine offences Lord be gracious to me thy servant and let me testify my thankfulness in my industrious care to perform my duties Be thou still the Protector and the gracious Defender both of me and mine Bless him whom thou hast set over me and grant that he may dwell with me according to knowledg that so we being heirs together of the grace of life our prayers may not be hindred As thou hast made me a fruitful Vine by the Walls of his house so make me endeavour to be fruitful in good Works and increase in the Knowledg of thee my God Let those Olive branches about my Table be every one like a green Olive in the house of thee my God and trust in thy mercy for ever and ever make me to my Husband a prudent Wife as sent from thee that he may rejoyce with me the wife of his youth And to this purpose set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep the door of my Lips make me a gracious Woman retaining Honour that I may be a Crown to my Husband and a wise Woman labouring to build up my house and family and a vertuous Woman fearing thee Hear me O my God and grant me my Petitions for the Worthyness of him who is our indulgent husband to his Spouse the Church even Jesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour in whose blessed Name and Words I further Pray Our Father c. The Prayer for a Woman with Child MOst Merciful and Gracious God who wilt not turn away thine Ear from those that call upon thee in sincerity and truth Look down with an Eye of pity and compassion upon thy unworthy servants I must confess my sins are very great and so is my danger which is at hand my paines to come will be grievous and my life is now most uncertain Assure me I beseech thee of the forgiveness of all my sins mitigate my fear and sorrows strengthen me with the comforts of thy Spirit confirm me in the Faith of my Saviour and bless all good means appointed for my comfort that in due time I may be a joyful Mother and see the fruit of my body safe sound and perfect without blemish or deformity O Lord I know not how soon my travel will steal on me when I must fight that battle of life and death one drop of thy mercy hath soveraign power to cure all the Wounds of those sorrows Shed therefore O holy Father that drop of grace upon me in that minute when I am to encounter with so stern an adversary strengthen me with patience bless me that I perish not bless the work of my Midwife let not the child yet unborn the babe in my Womb be punished for mine offences but give it growth give it flourishing and â—orm and wheâ— the time is come that thou wilt call it out of this close house of â—lesh where it now inhabiteth to dwell in the open world sanctifie thy creature make it by Baptisme a member of thy Church a Lamb of thy Flock and direct it in the wayes of godliness to its lives end and all through Jesus Christ our Lord in wâ—ose blessed Words I continue to Pray Our Father The Prayer of a Woman in the Time of her Travel O My Lord and my God my heavenly Father my merciful Jesus upon whom I depend in the midst of my Anguish hoping in thy wonted mercies Bow down thine Ear and harken to the cryes of a pained Woman unto thee O Lord do I cry thou art my refuge and my portion in the Land of the living Attend therefore unto my cry for I am brought very low Consider mine affliction and deliver me for I do not forget thy Law all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee in thee I trust who art the living God who art the Saviour of all especially of them that believe I love thee O Lord my strength thou art my Rock and
2. Oh happy harbour of the Saints Oh sweet and pleasant Soil In thee no sorrows may be seen No Cross no Grief no Toil. 3. In thee no sickness ever is No Hurt no Ach no Sore There is no Death nor ugly Devil but life for evermore 4. No damp no mist is found in thee No Cloud nor darksome Night There every Star shines like the Sun There God himself gives Light 5. Thy Houses are of Ivory Thy windows Christal clear Thy Tiles are maide of beaten Gold Oh would that I were there 6. Thy Turrets and thy Pinacles With Carbuncles do shine Thy very streets are pav'd with Gold Exceeding pure and Fine 7. Within thy Gates can nothing Come Which is not passing Clean No Spiders Web no Dust no Dirt No Filth may there be Seen 8. Thy Saints are Crown 's with Glory great They see God face to face They still Triumph they still Rejoyce Most happy is their case 9. We that live here in Banishment continually do Moan We sigh we Sob we Weep we Wail continually we Groan 10. But there they in such pleasure Live and such delight alway That unto them a thousand Years doth seem but Yesterday 11. Thy Vineyards and thy Orchards are Most beautiful and Fair Full furnished with Trees about Exceeding Rich and Rare 12. Thy Gardens and thy gallant Walks Continually are Green There grows such sweet and pleasant Fruit As no where else is Seen 13. There 's Nectar and Ambrosia There 's Musk and Civet Sweet There 's many fine and dainty Drugs lie trodden under Feet 14. There 's Cinamon and Sugar too There Myrrh and Balm abound What tongue can tell or heart conceive The joys that there are found 15. Quite through the streets with silver streams The flood of Life doth flow Upon whose Banks on every side The Trees of Life do grow 16. The trees do evermore bear Fruit And evermore do spring There evermore do Angels sit And evermore do sing 17. There David stands with Harp in hand As Master or'e a Quire Ten thousand times that man is Blest that doth this Musick hear 18. Gods praises there are always sung with Harmony most sweet Old Zachary and Simeon Have not their songs to seek 19. Their Magdalen hath left her moan and cheerfully doth sing With blessed Saints whose Harmony In every street doth Ring 20. O Heavenly frame Jerusalem At length I hope to see Thy glorious Throne and in the same For evermore to be 21. O Heavnely City fair and bright when shall I come to thee When shall my sorrows have an end Thy Joys that I may see Upon the Passion 1. THus died the Prince of Life He That could not die even dyed for me My thoughtful heart Lord shall arise And ponder these deep Mysteries 2. What means his Death that knew no sin Or what my life who live therein Mine was the debt and Death my due Though thou wast pleas'd thy Son to sue 3. Thou Lord wast pleased on him to lay The debt and He the price to pay Thy Gospel-feasts though sweet to me Are the Emblems of His Agony 4. And Oh! how great his Sufferings were Who the Wrath of God man did bear The Father then forsakes the Son And creatures against their maker run 5. Judas betrays Disciples flee Whilst Jews and Romans Crucifie Hereat the Sun furls up his light And clothes the Earth in sable Night 6. The joyless Stars even seemed to say Israel had quenched the Lamp of day The stubborn Mountains they lament The Rocks they are asunder Rent 7. The Graves their sealed doors unclose The dead awakened also Rose The amazed Centurion mourning crys Oh! 't is the Son of God that Dyes 8. Thus these all labour to confess Thy Deity thy Righteousness Enough Dear Lord these offer me Supports for the utmost faith in thee The Souls Farwell 1. FArwel poor world I must be gone Thou art no home no rest for me I 'le take my staff and travel on Till I a better world may see 2. Why art thou loath my heart O why Do'st thou recoil within my Breast Greive not but say Farwel and fly Unto the Ark my Dove there 's Rest. 3. I come my Lord a Pilgrims pace Weary and weak I slowly move Longing but can't yet teach the place The gladsome place of rest above 4. I come my Lord the floods here rise These troubled Seas foam nought but mire My Dove back to my bosom flys Farwel poor world Heaven 's my desire 5. Stay stay said Earth whether fond one Here 's a fair World what wouldst thou have Fair World Oh no! thy beauties gone An heavenly Canaan Lord I crave 6. Thus th' ancient Travellers thus they Weary of earth sigh'd after thee They are gon before I may not stay Till I both thee and them may see 7. Put on my Soul put on with speed Though th' way be long the end is sweet Once more poor world Farwel indeed In leaving thee my Lord I meet Of Mans Life by the Right Honourable the Lord B. 1. THe World 's a Bubble and the life of Man Less then a Span In his Conception wretched from the Womb So to the Tomb. Curst in the Cradle and brought up to Years With cares and fears Who then to frail Mortality shall trust But Limns the Water or but Writes in dust 2. Yet since with sorrow here we live opprest What life is best Courts are but only Superficial Schools To dandle â—ools The Rural parts are turn'd into a den of savage men And where 's a City from all vice so free But may be termed the worst of all the three 3. Domestick cares afflict the husbands bed Or pains his head Those that live single take it for a Curse Or do things worse Some would have children those that have them moan Or wish them gon What is it then to have or Have no Wife But a single thraldome or a double strife Our affections still at home to please Is a disease To cross the Sea to any forreign soil Perils and Toyl Warrs with their noyse affright us when they cease W' are worse in peace What then remains but that we still should cry Not to be born or being born to die All Vanity but Virtue SWeet day so cool so calm so bright The Bridle of the Earth and Sky Sweet dews shall weep thy fall to Night For thou must Die Sweet Rose whose hew angry and Brave Bids the rash Gazer wipe his Eye Thy root is ever in its Grave And thou must Die Sweet Spring full of sweet Days and Roses A Box where sweets compacted lye My Musick shews you have your Closes And all must Die Only a sweet and virtuous Soul Like seasoned Timber never gives And when the whole World turns to Coal Then chiefly Lives The Vanity of mans Life WHat are poor men but quickned lumps of earth A feast for worms a bubble full of breath A looking-glass for grief a flash a minute
A painted tomb with putrefaction in it A map of death a burthen of a Song A winters dust a worm of five foot long Begot in sin in darkness nourisht born In sorrow naked shiftless and forlorn His first voice heard is crying for relief Alas he comes into a world of grief His first age is sinful his youth is vain His life 's a punishment his death 's a pain His life 's an hour of joy a world of sorrow His death 's a winters night that finds no morrow Mans life 's an hour-glass which being run Concludes that hour of joy and so is done 2. How poor a thing is man how vains his mind How strange how base and wavering like the wind How uncouth are his ways how full of danger How to himself is he himself a stranger His hearts corrupt and all his thoughts are vain His actions sinful his words prophane His wills deprav'd his senses are beguiled His reasons dark his members are defiled His hasty feet are swift and prone to ill His guilty hands are ever bent to kill His tongues a spunge of venom or of worse His practice is to swear his skill to curse His eyes are fire-balls of lustful fire And outward helps to inward foul desire His body is a well-erected station But full of folly corrupted passion 3. How slight a thing is man how frail briâ—le How seeming great is he how truly little Within the bosom of his holiest works Some hidden embers of old Adam lurks Which oftentimes in men of purest ways Burst out in flame and for a season blaze Lord teach our hearts and give our souls directions Subdue our passions curb our stout affections And in thy mercy grant this boon to me That I may die to sin and live to thee 4. Our life on earth is a like a thred of flax That all may touch and being toucht it cracks Death is a Kalender compos'd by fate Concerning all men never out of date His days Dominical are writ in blood She shews more bad days then she sheweth good She tells when days and months and terms expire Mesuring the lives of mortals by her squire Death is a Pursuvant with Eagles wings That knocks at poor mens doors and gates of Kings Worldling beware betimes death sculks behind thee And as she leaves thee so will Judgment find thee A Farewel to the World by the Honourable Sir H. W. FArewel ye gilded follies pleasing troubles Farewel ye honoured rags ye glorious bubbles Fames but a hollow Eccho gold pure clay Honour the darling but of one short day Beauty the eyes idol but a damask'd skin State but a golden prison to live in And torture free-born minds imbroydered trains Meerly but pagents for proud swelingveins And blood ally'd to greatness is alone Inherited not purchas'd not our own Fame honour beauty state train blood and birth Are but the fading blossoms of the earth 2. I would be great but that the Sun doth stil Level his rays against the rising hill I would be high but see the proudest oak Most subject to the rending thunderstroke I would be rich but see men too unkind Dig in the bowels of the richest mine I would be wise but that I often see The fox suspected whilst the ass goes free I would be fair but see the fair proud Like the bright Sun oft setting in a cloud I would be poor but see the humble grass Still trampled on by each unworthy Ass Rich hated wise suspected scorn'd if poor Great fear'd fair tempted high still envyed more I have wisht all but now I wish for neither Great high rich wise nor fair poor I le be rather 3. Would the world now adopt me for her heir Would beauties Queen entitle me the fair Fame speak me fortunes minion could Ivy Angels with India with a speaking eye Command bare heads bow'd knees strike Justice dumb As well as blind lame or give a tongue To stones by epitaphs be call'd great master In the loose rimes of every Poetaster Could I be more than any man that lives Great fair rich wise in all superlatives Yet I more freely would these gifts resign Than ever fortune would have made them mine And hold one minute of this holy leasure Beyond the riches of this empty pleasure 4. Welcome pure thoughts welcome ye silent groves These guests these courts my Soul most dearly loves Now the wing'd people of the sky shall sing My cheerful anthems to the glad somspring A pray'r book now shall be my looking-glass In which I will adore sweet vertues face Here dwell no hateful looks no palace cares No broken vows dwell here nor pale-fac'd fears Then here I le sit sigh my hot-loves folly And learn to affect an holy melancholly And if contentment be a stranger then I le nere look for it but in Heaven agen Conclusion BIrth is a brag Glory a blaze Honours earth 's pomp riches a gaze Fame is but a wind Beauty a flower Pleasure a dance the World a bower In Heaven with thee Lord let me be On earth my Heaven 's alone in thee Quatuor Novissima OR Meditations on the four Last Things Death Judgment Heaven and Hell Death CAn he be fair that withers at a blast Or he be strong that airy breath can cast Can he be wise that knows not how to live Or he be rich that nothing hath to give Can he be young that 's feeble weak wan So fair strong wise so rich so young is man So fair is man that death a parting blast Blast his fair flower makes him earth at last So strong is man that with a gaspingbreath He totters and bequeaths his strength to death So wise is man that if with death he strive His wisdom cannot teach him how to live So rich is man that all his debts being payd His wealths the winding sheet wherein he layd So young is man that broke with care and sorrow He 's old enough to day to die to morrow Why brag'st thou then thou worm of five foot long Tho' art neither fair nor strong Nor wise nor rich nor young Judgment The trumpet shall blow the dead awak'd shall rise And to the clouds shall turn their wondring eyes The Heavens shall ope the Bridegroom forth shall come To Judge the World and give the World her doom Joy to the Just to others endless smart To those the voice bids come to these depart Death Iudgment Heaven Hell Depart from life yet dying live for ever For ever dying be and yet dye never Depart like dogs with Devils take your lot Depart like Devils for I know you not Like doggs like Devils go go howl and bark Depart in darkness for your deeds were dark Let roaring be your musick and your food Be flesh of vipers your drink their blood Let fiends afflict you with reproach shame Depart depart into eternal flame If Hell the portion then of sinners be Lord give me