Nor could I be disanimated from these endeavours by supposing Poetry wholly unbecoming Divinity for the first Theology of the Heathen as Antiquity tells us was sung by Linus Orpheus and other succeeding Poets who in a special manner were esteemed their Priests and Prophets but passing by these rather cast an eye at your pleasure on the true and select Worshippers of the One only true God Here 't is easily observable that in both the Jewish and Christian Churches the most ample and cheerfullest gratulations for the manifold and innumerable Benefits daily poured on the whole Creation by his Eternal Majesty together with the most worthy Praises of both the Essential Infinite Perfections and Excellencies of the Divine Nature and also of its communicated Vertues and Transplantations of Goodness to and in all rational Beings particularly Humane nature were ever esteemed an essential and most peculiar part of Divine Worship and the celebration thereof principally performed in Psalms Hymns and spiritual Songs This in brief may be a competent Apology for at least the kind of my assays to dress Divinity in Poesie tho not perhaps for the quality of my Attempts to wrap so noble and high-born a Creature in such swadling Clouts as are the inventions and composures of an unfortunate and flagging Fancy And yet those homely productions may serve a little to display the admirable Beauty of Providence in the most wise disposition of things viz. one in order to the advancement and commendation of the good and Glory of another and all to the good and Glory of man Lord Deputy of the World but still with most humble Subordination to the Glory and good Pleasure of the supreme Lord of Lords who is both Alpha and Omega the one only absolutely first Beginning and ultimate End of all things visible and invisible for the Beauty of this sensible World consists chiefly in a well-proportioned variety gradually proceeding from lesser to greater Perfections from gross and heavy Earth to the thinner and more active body of Water from water to more pellucid and spirit-like Air from Air to Fire the subtillest and most vigorous of the Elements from Fire to Light the most nimble and purest of sensible Beings Were the World all Sun or Stars 't would not be the Ten Thousandth part so beautious as now a parcel thereof is Earth the dulness and opacity of the one as Opposites use to do setting forth and amplifying the beauty and splendor of the other And the Earth it self is never so beautiful as when dedala Tellus as Lucretius speaks almost in his first strains arrayed in her Spring Coat of divers Colours that which is sad and grave mightily setting forth and commending her gay and flowry parts Nor is it the least Glory of the Sun Moon and Stars that one Star differs from another Star in Glory Even so in the World of Spirits is there the like gradation in a most proportioned variety of Perfection from the spirit of Plants which is educed out lives with and dies with its subject containing only the powers of vegetation there is an assent to the spirit of Animals which is likewise educed out lives and dies with its subject but besides the powers of vegetation contains moreover the faculties of sense From the spirit of bruit Animals there is another assent to the intelligence of man unitable and actually united with matter but in her self and most genuine operations immaterial and immortal a rational mind vertually comprizing both the vegetive and sensitive souls from the spirit of Man at length the ascent is to Angels noble intelligences abstracted from all matter and material conditions From Angels the last ascent is to the Father of Spirits an Infinite Intelligence absolutely abstracted as to all act and possibility not only from all matter and material but from all finite conditions an eternal and immensible Sea of Perfection of which all created Perfections are essentially dependent derivations and compared with which were they all sublimated into one quintessence the same would be infinitely less considerable than the minutest drop of a Bucket in competition with the whole material and visible Ocean Amongst the Angels as we are assured from the sacred Oracles there is a great variety as to superiority and inferiority of Order and Office so by all rational inference must there be a diversity of degrees of Perfection answerable to their respective Orders and Offices But in that part of the intellectual World which comprehends men and humane society he that runs may read the greatest variety both in body and mind of natural and acquired Perfections and as vast a difference of happiness in the action and exercise of either as great might I say almost as of Faces All which variety abundantly declares the infinite fulness and fecundity of the supreme Fountain For every good giving and every perfect gift of what nature and quality soever how mean and contracted or how large and noble soever it be cometh down from above from the Father of Lights with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning And tho there are diversitits of Gifts and diversities of Operations yet they all flow from one most Simple Infinite Spirit of All-Wise Goodness which gives and manifests in the World the lesser Wits not only for an agreeable ministration to the lower and more scanty apprehensions but likewise as foils to set forth and commend the lustre of the more large and nobler capacities So that Readers of both sorts the sum of all is this You which are of the meaner and more contracted parts may read these with gratitude to Heaven for providing you such suitable food And you which are of the more large and nobler endowments may read likewise and bless Heaven in a more ample manner for its amplier and more magnificent diffusions of goodness to you than to others so both and all together may contemplate admire and adore the Infinite Wisdom of the Divine Providence in its so excellent contrivance of the whole system of the sensible and intellectual World to be its own most beautiful Picture by a wonderful commixture of Light and Shade in and throughout all its parts that each one should serve to the good and Glory of each other and all together reflect the Image of the immortal Glory Which one only Most worthy End Heaven grant that we may all eternally answer in our respective capacities Farewell SERMON I. The Subjects Kingdom On Matth. V. 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven BLEST are the minds inrich'd with poverty For them a Kingdom waits above the Sky Laid here in grace which as a pledg begins That Glory which compleats them after Kings Their infant Stature in their own Conceit Makes them the men in Heavens measures great VVhich still delights to give the humble Grace But thunder-strikes with frowns the Mountain Face Making God rising Herod's openly Egregious proofs of brag'd Divinity The Voice of
owe this your immortal Frame Eternal King thy Royal Excellence Transcends the world's whole vast circumference It 's Scepter rules the Heavens in its Hand It holds the pond'rous Globe of Sea and Land Filling beyond the Empyreum high The boundless deserts of Immensity Glory and Beauty ever thee Infold As some incorruptible Cloath of Gold The Sun and Moon great Luminaries given To Beautify the outward Courts of Heaven VVith all the Stars bespangling blackfac'd night Are brightish shades of thy primeval light No more to that than what dark nights permit In putrid Sticks to play the Hypocrite Or in Glow-worms can come in splendor near A Summer Solstice highest in its Sphere VVith this thy Royal Palace flows alone VVith this thou cloathest thy blest self and Throne O! strong ey'd Eagles dare not it behold T would blind the Cherubim were they too bold Unvail'd to gaze on tho in proper place The brightness of the Beatifick Face VVhat tongues of men or Angels can express Thy Kingdom 's unconceived Gloriousness Tho shadow'd out and glim'ringly descri'd By Heaven's most magnificent outside It 's Glorious Host all with great Letters Write God in their Frontispiece by their own Light Their Light shows his which never knew to rise Wax Wane Eclipse and never setting dies Their Order his each motion of them tend To that which none but he that made can mend Nor Solve the least Phenomena of it By their Romantick Whirli-pools of Wit He Rules them all with Law which by consent Unanimous they all Obey content To move on their own Centers as they were First bad like Fishes in a Sea of Air By no informing Life of Reason Sense Nor outward assisting Intelligence Old Sages dreams except that mind profound Which every where and no where can be found Piercing unseen all things which we may call The only truly Universal Soul This first these mighty Machins did display Keeps still in well-tun'd motion since that day No clash no jar who this Contemplates hears The Pythagorean Musick of the Spheres Which speaks great God of Peace the Harmony Of thy most Wise Celestial Hierarchy And of thy Universal Monarchy Their vig'rous Vertues shew their Makers strength Which knows no height or depth no breadth or length How cheerful goes the Sun Like some Bridegroom Advancing forth of his attiring Room Adorn'd with Gold and Gemms on every side Burning to meet the Lovely sloathful Bride Whom Bedded Moon and Stars by his lent light Revel and Dance out the Ensuing night Nor knows their Cheer decay but each days Sun Doth like a Wine-refreshed Giant run His Race no stop his Labour loves no Rest That all may with his Life-full Heat be Blest From their Harmonious Courses time begun And seasons with their various Tempers sprung Day into Night Spring into Autumn dyes With these and after dead with these arise Besides their common Influence and light The Stars in Martial Mode his Battels Fight Who calls them all to Muster by their Names And of their force a dread Militia Frames Witness thou Ancient River Fam'd Kishon Thou Gibeon and thou Vale of Aijalon They March in Order at his bare Command And at his word ' midst their Carreers they stand Beneath these Glorious Globes next thou spread'st out What a rare Orb of Immixt Fire about Or in the Ample hollow of the Moon Which Astronomick Hawks would spy out soon Were not its Nature so Refin'dly good Not to be seen felt heard or understood No Thou great Wisdom which o're all dost reign Created'st nought in Natures Frame in vain The Liquid Heaven of Expanded Air A spacious Tent Magnificently Fair Three noble Stories compassing Earth's Globe Stupendious Frame rooft with a Starry Robe The low'rmost Room where Winged Creatures Fly Hath hanging Waters for its Canopy In which the Architect hath lay'd the Floor And Beams of his Etherial Chambers o're Wond'rous Geometry these without fear On Waters Lean Waters on Fleeting Air. There March the Clouds which the great King of Kings Rules as his Chariots Wheel'd with swift Winds On which he Rides Triumphant when Descends wings To work his Judgments and his Mercies ends Hence roar dread Might thy great Artillery When thou speak'st Thunder from the Flaming Sky Tho mostly conduits thorow which thy hands Make glad with Streams of Fatness Thirsty Lands O! the unseen Divinest Majesty Vouchsaf'd in Shining Clouds to Humane Eye Like Doves and Eagles with their outspread wing They hover light and Glorious Angels bring Courtiers of Heaven to represent the mind Profound which no quick Lynceus's Eye can find Who by his Ministers thus oft appears Sometimes in Flames sometimes white subtil Airs As Stars Fire Air by motion do his will So heavy Earth obeys by standing still Lo how it stands on it self firmly bas't The World's fix'd center by deep wisdom plac't That poiz'd with its own weight ' midst fluid Air Can fall no way O hand which plac'd it there Unless quite cross to Nature it should soon Fall upwards Mountains tumbling to the Moon O thou whose Throne 's above the lofty Skies In Glory unapproacht by mortal Eyes If we descend beneath the silent Cells Of all the Dead thy boundless Self there dwells We find thee in vast Treasures without end Which nought but Avarice can comprehend Art thou not in the Mother Waters deep Near to the Region's confines where no sleep Allays the restless pains of Damned Souls In blackest darkness who with horrid Howls Ring doleful Knells to their Eternal Death Which ever Lives whose pangs are still in birth Or could we with the mornings wings take flight To th' utmost Sea swift as a Dart of Light Thy right Hand in a thought us apprehends Which far beyond all tracts of Sea extends 'T was thy out-stretched Arm which cloath'd the Globe Of Earth with Sea first as a water'd Robe Then a wav'd belt wonder of wisdom made For maintenance of Universal Trade Betwixt all Lands with Law it Ebbs and Flows Which all Eyes see how no grand Sophy knows It 's Tow'ring Floods at thy rebuke are lay'd And fly at thy loud Thunder's Voice afraid As in just Noah's days when for mens sins To Clouds dens'd Air Sea Treasure-house of Springs Thy fury let an uncontrouled way To make the Universe one Shoreless Sea Waves 'bove the tops of Hills lift their proud head At thy Command at thy Command they fled Aw'd all by thy rebuke's Majestick Grace With haste away to their appointed place And tho they now like Mountains rise again Fall down like Vallies to a spacious Plain Their bounds are fixt by thine Almighty hand Which rein's their rage with nought but cords of Sand That they shall ne're return to drown the Land Through spungy bottoms they occultly creep Into the Mother VVaters silent deep Great Treasure-House still teeming VVomb of some Clear pleasant Fountains whence sweet waters come Through strange Meanders percolated from The Native saltness of the Oceans VVomb Or who knows
Sin Reason dethrones its self Sense without fear Usurps the Throne wild Passions domineer The Will yields freely her Imperial right To the tyrannic Lusts of Appetite O Chaos of Confusion whence such Pride Do Masters lacquey whilst their servants ride And Kings make up their subjects humble Train Of captive Vassals to confirm their Reign Awake the Earth's great Monarch will he have Ought but the Title of a Royal Slave Let him be King of and in Man to none Subject but his great Lords Eternal Throne Of whom he holds his Diadem in Fee By whom Kings reign and Princes do decree Knock off his Chains let him to purpose know Himself the rightful Lord of all below So shall the people of the Air Sea Field Pay humble Homage and due Tribute yied For hold they not of thee their breath and lives From whom mans Throne its Origine derives Their eyes wait all on thee thy copious hand Fills all their mouths with good by sea and land Thou giv'st them meat in season they rejoice To gather it when thou conceal'st thy voice They mourn in silence when thou hid'st thy Face Their beauty falls and all their goodly Grace When thou withdraw'st thy breath their spirits flye And they resolved into ashes dye And should thy Pow'r one moment but suspend Its act whole Nature makes a sudden end Heaven and distant Earth would soon come near Each Star drop down from its transparent sphere The Moon would cease to yield her various light And Sun himself be darkned into night The Fire for want of heat would chill to death The Air breathe out its last in one groans breath Mountains would skip away like frighted Rams And all the little Hills like fearful Lambs VVater and Earth would be again commixt As when no order was in Nature fixt The Elements confus'd in one rude Mass Yes all would swift into prime Nothing pass Nor were it hard that then thou should'st renew This ruin'd Theatre to publick view VVhose Word could in a thought bring on the stage The peaceful worlds most happy Golden Age Thy Majesty in all thy works renown'd Beyond all time sends an amazing sound How when he frowns the earth distracted shakes As with a strong Convulsion groans and quakes And rends with grief at what his fury can To unrelenting Rocky-hearted man The smitten Mountains smoak belch out and burn As if they would all into embers turn But what art thou fierce Aetna which dost raise VVith flaming Rivers the Cicilian Seas To them which the consuming fire did rain On Sodom's and Gomorrah's sinful Plain And they but puny sparks to that great lake Of Flames prepared for the damned's sake There burn yet never burnt the godless sp'rits Of evil men and Angels which the lights Of Nature Grace and Glory would despise Beyond redress with bold contemptuous eyes But we whilst being lasts Immortal King VVill thy great Names exalted Praises sing VVe thy Delight and thou our Joy shalt be In us thy Glory and our Bliss in thee Glory to God the Father Son and Sp'rit One boundless Fountain of Eternal Light As ever 't was before all time begun So is and ever shall when time is done The End of the Second Part. OF GOD IN THE CREATURE PART III. THus sung these Nymphs but as the clearest day Is not without some passing Clouds so may And often doth the most Celestial Mind This side the Moon molesting passions find Passions in bounds moving to proper ends Commence not Rebels but are Reasons Friends Friends to Devotion what diviner proves Than holy raging holy mourning loves Such mudless Floods fill'd and all day opprest The holy God-mans unpolluted breast Stoicks are stocks or else 'twixt them and Gods 'T is hard to find out any real odds No They 'r above by their grave Senate's voice God's calm by Nature they by gen'rous choice Egregious Pride vaunt men an Apathy Not found in Angels Immortality They joy when we do well then no doubt weep To see us buri'd in Lethargick sleep So these dear Twins from joy to sorrow turn To think how Vice triumphs and Vertues mourn Some whiles a profound silence occupies Their lips and looks then tears flow from their eyes PHILARETE speaks At length Philarete alas our age Exil'd from Converse to a Hermitage Good God! why might not vertue sometimes fear An Inter-Regnum of thy Royal Care Seeing her vanquisht self so trodden down And her proud Rival circl'd with a Crown THEOPHOBE To say the world in a blind Atom-dance Stumbled into its beauteous form by chance More Phrenzy speaks than that without a hand Sweet David's Psalter should be writ in Sand Nor is it less to think 't is left to lye Without its Makers over-ruling eye Rich Sheba's Queen without sight or report Of the wise Jew might see him in his Court Such Beauty shows the Lord's Magnificence Its constancy his watchful Providence When Nature in a Sea floats there and here There needs some constant Pilot at the Steer PHILARETE All this is plain but that a special eye Is fixt on men dumbs all Philosophy 'T would rather speak a Goddess Fortune blind To raise the base depress the noble mind THEOPHOBE Philosophy must grant that active love Which on the dark Abyss did gently move To hatch the World and now with tender wings Kindly protects the Universe of things Leaves not their Lord Compendium of them all For making whom it did a Council call Of the most wise Three-One a clear presage Of some dear Offspring in its own Image This were to null the Laws of all wise Love And make it like the cruel Ostrich prove Whose Iron Bowels leave her harmless Egg To wait the crush of every chancing Leg And yet indeed Philosophy can't sound The depths of Providence which know no ground Much more exceeding shallow humane brain Than shells fall short of the unfathom'd Main Shall men explode a Being without end Because no finite can it comprehend Question the Ocean too you may as well Because you cannot hold it in a Shell Question a real Sun you may as soon Because not to be lanthorn'd at high-noon This knew the ancient Hero's and the more For adverse fate did meekly this adore Making their Reason when they saw it fail In these great deeps to strike to Faith the sail By Fortunes looks 't was never understood How to discern the vicious from the good For that bright Saint the man of Gods own Heart Had both of smiles and of her frowns his part PHILARETE Yet they complain'd their Faith fail'd to behold Vertue in rags and Vice in vests of Gold Yes famous singers of the inspired Quire Not with a common but Seraphick Fire THEOPHOBE Their Faith recoil'd yet trembling till it whole Return'd like Magnet-needles to the Pole It shook not fell as by a strong surprize The Fort of Life and Spirit swoons not dies Such conflicts Sister bring forth happy fruits As well-set Trees by storms get firmer
light When Counterpois'd with Glories matchless weight THEOPHOBE And whil'st a Pilgrim look what pleasure brings A various mixing good and evil things The Glory of a Picture still is made By due Commixtures of the Light and Shade So Vertue 's Father by a frown a while Adds much indearing sweetness to his smile When too much freedom makes her to contemn Or less respect his Royal Diadem Nor would the Gemms wherewith her self is Crown'd Be much esteem'd were they as Pebbles found 'T is Rarity and hardness to obtain Which raise their worth and amplifie the gain PHILARETE Experience tells as Evils are best known By presents so are Goods by absence shown And tho full Stomacks Princely Tables slight Yet Hunger whets the dullest appetite THEOPHOBE When he whose Lips are Fair beyond all men Sollicited his Spouse ' gen and agen Stood at her door till dews his head did fill And thence down on his Rosy Cheeks Distil Her love like to the Ignis-fatuus light When most pursu'd then most doth take its flight Alas fair one she hath put off her Vest 'T is too much pain how shall she now be drest The more he wooes the nearer is at hand The more doth she at unkind distance stand But when disgusted he withdraws O then He 's more then Fairest of Ten Thousand Men. His absence brings him near his anger proves More lovely than his most obliging Loves With careful looks with dropping languid Eyes She walks with pitious Importunities Did you I pray my best-beloved see O how I burn O bring him unto me At length he turns how welcome think you may As to the Polar Climes the wished day After a tedious night to see he 's proud His fair-one looking through a Rorid Cloud Absence Revirginates their chast Embrace And brings the Flower of their Love in place Thus the All-wise disposer for Delight Makes sow'rs to serve to Vertues appetite PHILARETE No bodied Vertue 's pure but by commerce With Earth contracts much noxious Sordidness Which unpurg'd of corrupts consumes her wealth Of Beauty Vigour and her Treasure Health THEOPHOBE Therefore her great Physician oft designs Her Potions of Cathartick Medicines Which cannot work without some great regret Proceeding from relucting Natures let And if more stout then stronger Revulsives Must take the place of gentle Purgatives PHILARETE Sometimes in Divine fulness she Exceeds THEOPHOBE Yes therefore oft in vig'rous health she Bleeds O wise Physitian lest her high-flown tide Of Blood should ferment to the worst of pride Which gently oft repeated much restrains The force of lapsed Nature's swelling Veins PHILARETE Ah Moral Vertue but a splendid sin Except the Deities true fear doth bring Thee in the way to rightly apprehend Thy worthy Object only worthy End Thou well becom'st thy name Theophobe Vain vain without thee were Philarete THEOPHOBE The Royal Singer Chaunts the Divers States Of Just and Unjust with their Divers Fates Which when together view'd the good complain Without Just Cause the Impious boast in vain PHILARETE I wish your plainest Sense of it to hear The Sun walks high then let us disappear THEOPHOBE Thrice happy man whose Divine Soul defies Infernal Paths of wicked Policies Abhorring when seduc'd there to abide Where Worldlings in Triumphant Chariots Ride And dreads to rest in Atheists Sweet-sleep Chair Or herd himself to thick Assemblies where Hardy Blasphemers Scornfully Proclaim Contempt to God reproach to Heavens Reign But Heavens Law is Heaven to his mind Where he more than Hyblean Sweets doth find This he Studies witness all ye which fly Minutes on Down-Wings to Eternity All day it is his brightest Sun so far As Sable Night and then his Brightest Star Blest Soul when Fields and Woods Rejoyce to see Thy florid state as of a Fruitful Tree Which some Experienc'd Planters skilful Hand Hath made near to the Watry Trenches stand Where Fertile Streams convey Sap to its Roots With Vital Spirit that of Num'rous Fruits Fair Off-Springs in due time shall still be found To Bless with plenteous falls the bearing Ground Its leaf no Autumn knows but vernal Pride Adorn its Aged Limbs on every side Thus the Blest Saint Planted in Holy Soil Grows by Celestial Dew not Earthly Toil Water'd with constant Showers from above Which Pregnant with Ethereal Spirit love To Gemm forth pleasant Fruits of Various kinds Of Divine Grace enriching Heav'nly minds His Leaves external goods which Beautify And shrowd the fair Fruits of his Piety No unkind Sun shall Burn no Winds so Shake Or roughest blustring Tempests from him take But that his Boughs hold what does best suffice For noble Vertues fittest Exercise Till prosp'ring more and more he grows so high To have his florid top above the Skie As for the vicious vip'rous brood of Hell A divers direful fate hath them befell The most high Thunderer of wrath shall blow A furious Whirlwind on them below To pluck them from their Contumacious Roots And toss like Chaff or lightest Husks of Fruits The Air 's unstable sports which every blast Drives from their scarce known place and at the last By Heaven's mighty force of Justest Ire From Earth to restless Flames of endless Fire Then when the Judg comes in a shining Cloud With Myriads of Angelick Troops aloud Sounding with mighty Trumps a gen'ral call Awake ye dead arise and stand forth all The Judg the Judg how will these Miscreants The Radient Crown of his Imperial Head Their trembling Joynts an horrid Palsy fills Whil'st they beg shelter of the Rocks and Hills Dying to see thick Legions of Saints bright In Sunbeam Armour of Meridian Light Who with United Votes applaud and hum Those miserable Caitiffs final doom For now the All-wise Arbiter approves The goings of his precious harmless Doves In publick presence when black Belial's friend Is Sentenc'd to an endless doleful end She said and rose then hand in hand they past To darker Shades no Star could shut so fast Their shapes flow'd into Light seeming to be Like what clear Nights present the Galaxie I and my Friend with Joy returning gave The Glory whence poor men such Visions have Glory to God in the Highest on Earth Peace good will towards men Hymnus Matutinus OR A SONG to be Sung or Said at the first Day-break I. O Living Sourse of Holy Heat Tho I am little and thou great Tho thou between the Cherubims dost sit And I among Pot-sheards yet me admit And to this end my Breast inspire With a most Chast Serafick Fire To Sing thee with the Morning-Stars so Bright True God of God Eternal Light of Light The Blessed Day-spring from on high Which to the world-brought'st a new Birth Of Light and Life whil'st it did lye In darkness and the shades of Death II. Thou that hast healing in thy VVing Let thy Day-Star of Grace now bring A Joyful Morn to my benighted mind And let its course a happy Progress find Till thy blest Sun more powerful Beams Break forth in