to their equipage But may I draw the veil and not deserve T' have one eternal on my visive nerve 'T was not long since thy fiery-pointed eye Did sparkle with consuming Majestie And is it all confin'd comprised all Within the circuit of this gellied ball 'T was not long since thou breath'dst in us our souls And since thy breath did kindle burning coles And do we dare thy nostrils heark O wonder He cries whom erst I 've heard to roar in thunder 'T was not long since such glory Moses drew From see'ng thy back-parts none his face could view And can we see thy face do not w'implore Brandish destructive glory th'row each pore 'T was not long since at thy commanding word The world sprung out of nought like Jonah's guord And since at Sinai's mount did Israel crie Let not the Lord speak to us lest we die And is the mighty Counsellor so weak And he that gave the tongue can he not speak And must their glories all be understood To be wrapt up in humble flesh and blood A Series of wonders which nor men Nor Angels can nor comprehend nor pen Therefore as Angels humbly veil at it Their Wisdoms crowns let us our crowns of Wit That Spirit who conceiv'd thee he can teach How to conceive a Wonder of this reach By him my soul a knowledge of thy worth Brings forth as easie as thou wert brought forth Hence then let 's fetch our Epoche and call This blessed day the birth-day of us all What did our carnal birth boot us this morn Redeems us who condemned were ere born O might I now by vertue of thy birth Be born anew 't would adde to this days mirth And th' Angels who did at thy birth rejoyce At mine in singing would lift up their voice Blest Childe that met'st the heaven with a span Yet in a span art couch'd that dost contain Th' earth in measure Lord yet 't is thy pleasure To be contained in an earthen measure The heav'n of heav'ns cannot contain thy grace Nor art thou straiten'd in a little place Come then take up my heart and until death O make my brest thy blessed Nazareth On the murther of the Innocents Matth. 2. 16. Then Herod when he saw that he was mocked by the wise-men was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem from two yeers old and under according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise-men 1. GOod Babes of whom I may say true For Christ ye did an off ring fall And di'd for Christ ere Christ for you Although none could his love forestal Blest Infantry your Sov'raign's tasters To him of Herod's cup of Malice Ere Christ to finish his disasters Drank deep and free the final Chalice Blest Innocents with whom the case thus stood First circumcised then baptiz'd in blood 2. Sweet Saplings who to spell the Branch Fall subject under Herod's rape VVhose Boureauxes cut and blanch And rob you of your juyce and sap You got blest Cyons by this craft And you may bless curs'd Herod's knife Be'ng hence transplanted y' are ingraft And bourgeon on the tree of life Where each Herodian cicatrice doth bloom Like Aaron's rod so may you bless your doom 3. Curs'd Fox Hell with thy brains did club Thus needlesly to back thy claim But could not blinde rage spare thy Cub Must he fall too before thy aim Foxes use prey abroad but thou Although unwittingly at home Ambitious madness asks not now Whose't is thou prey'st upon or whom Just since thou hast no bowels that thy son Should fall amongst the rest a slaughter'd one 4. Thus Pharaoh like our greedy * The Arms of Rich. 3. who slew his brothers children Hog Or of the kennel with this Fox Who more ador'd Anubis dog Then the plainness of Isis ox Once fearing Israel's increase Enjoyn'd each one to drown each male Till Isr'el groaning for release Their prayers to their God exhale Till he descends and in one fatal morn Slew each Egyptian's and the King 's first-born 5. But you whose doctrine like the crabs Swims backward ' gainst the stream of Truth Speak In what Lymbus are these babes Or all the Isra'litish youth Say In what fold of Purgatory Purg'd in what streams of fire or water Are these Lambs whom this Fox did worry Or dog slew what can fancy flatter Name me what canonized Saint and Martyr Annex'd this truth unto the Scriptures Charter 6. Peace Rachel peace do not deplore The murther of thy children seeing They 're not yet are they not no more And than thou gav'st have better being VVeep not thy buds so soon do bleed Almost as thou didst them disclose They should have grown here amongst weed Now flourish with their Jesse's rose Let Herod grieve for his son's death and weep Thou hast no cause then do not sigh so deep On John the Baptist's being beheaded Mark 6. 27 And immediately Herod the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought and he went and beheaded him in the prison 28 And brought his head in a charger and gave it to the damsel and the damsel gave it to her mother 1. THrice-happie morning-star that didst fore-run The Sun of righteousness his neer approach As that Postilion precedes the Sun And ushers to the world his glorious Coach Blest Prodrom who by th' art of Philip 's wife Didst Christ fore-run in death as well as life 2. Thrice-happie Jacob's Shiloh's Prolocutor Blest Mercury to Jacob's glorious Star Our Saviour's Harbinger the Gentiles Tutor To shew their expectation was not far Who in a purer stream then Jordan's flood At last baptiz'd thy Baptism with thy blood 3. Curst Herod who as John Elijah's spirit Had by a gracious influence bequeath'd So thou as by possession didst inherit Thy father's rage which here on John was breath'd Hadst thou no Trophee to adorn thy birth But th' Baptist's head no triumph but such mirth 4. Bloody Herodias that wert so rough To recompense Iohn's zeal with such requitals Was not thy Musick spirited enough Not joyn'd in consort with the Baptist's vitals Never was Musick of so gross a crime Arraigned guilty since old Iubal's time 5. Vile Wretch who thus wouldst make rash Herod's oath A Pander to a hot incest'ous Bed Neither did Thomyris that famous Goth As thou on Iohn's insult on Cyrus head Vile Monster thus to nustle up thy daughter Ev'n from her tender yeers to blood slaughter 6. Wretch'd Damsel thou whose too too active feet Were onely swift to shed the harmless blood Of th' innocent ev'n so a dancing Fleet Waits for her prey while 't wantons on the flood Ev'n so a Hawk doth quaver in the air Before she souse so danc'd thy wicked pair 7. Blest Iohn as was Elijah so wert thou Into a wilderness by fury banish'd Both forc'd by women both pursu'd by vow Though both not in a fiery Chariot vanish'd Yet herein thou an equal
Ere night Sun-burnt so bright As thou by suff'ring neer The righteous Phoebus here Thus grew'st acquainted Thus Sainted He of thy shame partook thou of his glory Blest change beyond conceit or story Thy Cross each wise Invention Stiles thy Ascention 5. Laverna now No longer hath thy vow But he alone hath thy belief Whose inn'cence suffers with thee as a Thief This craft He thee hath taught To rob hell of her aim Though Death not of her claim Not to redeem esteem For thou giv'st Christ the praise thy self the shame Though Dismas doth blaspheme his name And ev'n in death pants His wicked taunts 6. Peace Satan's martyr Though Christ nor law nor charter Hath broke the Scriptures have not slumber'd Which have foretold that Christ must thus be number'd But if Th' hadst been no Thief Christ had t' appease their pride With Barabbas thus di'd In equipage Of rage But now thy theft 's in grain thou dost contract Blood to 't while thou approv'st their act And while thou shouldst condole Dost vex his soul 7. Didst never read Good thief lift up thy head With th' eye of faith look and condole The Brazen Serpent on you cursed pole The grief Thou wert a Thief Did wound his soul more fierce Then nail or spear can pierce How for thy deeds He bleeds His bloody sweat sweat through each gracious pore Claims but unfeigned tears no more His giving up the ghost But sighs at most 8. Thy Scripture's Lord Thy gracious Record That shining light which through the dark Directs us in our race unto that mark But this Thy passage is A circumstance more ample For precept then example We finde this one Alone Whose late repentance Christ in death vouchsaf'd Although thy wisdom hath me taught This Scene not to prorogue Till th' Epilogue On the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Cnrist Matth. 28. 5 And the angel answered and said to the woman Fear not for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified 6 He is not here for he is risen as he said Come see the place where the Lord lay 1. ARise my active soul and run Keep measure with you dancing Sun Who seems as weary of his Sphere As thou to be confined here Look how his sprightly beams do spark So David danc'd before the Ark. How he descends his Chariot he in this Worships Christ's rising as the Persian his 2. But why doth Phoebus mount his head So soon up from Aurora 's bed The tother night when we my soul Our Saviour 's Passion did condole The frighted Sun forsook our clime Two hours before his wonted time And therefore now the sooner gilds the heaven By two hours time to make his course up even 3. But how rid Satan and his Legions In triumph th'row th' infernal Regions The Sp'rits which Christ out-cast did come With Songs of triumph on his Tomb All mankinde was proscrib'd whom death Did in conceit to hell bequeath Oh how death gloried that all now was safe And hell in triumph wrote his Epitaph 4. How did the Devil Man upbraid That Christ so weakly was betraid And he who took not Angels seed But Abraham's fail'd in the deed And by that seed spurn'd to his grave Whom he in mercy came to save That now the God of life was dead this mirth Had balm to cure the wounds made by his birth 5. But Satan at the third days dawn Christ now hath re-assum'd his pawn Thoughtst thou on his t' insult as once Thou proudly didst for Moses bones Thy two days triumph 's like the story Of the Persian pris'ners glory So thought the Gazites Samson safe till day When he arose and bore the gates away 6. Descend damn'd sp'rits as you began Howl on The death of great God Pan At this Christ's conquest we may call Your ruine Satans second fall Come King of terrours yeeld thy trophies On Heroes Souldiers and Sophies Unto our Saviour for thou art undone Thy Triumph 's but an empty Skeleton 7. My soul that Christ was born nay di'd Did not so much quench Satan 's pride But when he rose this blessed morn Hell was confounded Death forlorn Were 't not for what this day brings forth The rest had lost that solemn worth Hence on this day let no foul spirit dare T' ascend the Regions of our earth or air 8. Lord as by thine I am assur'd My bodies rise shall be procur'd So let my soul feel 't here begin Her resurrection too from sin Lord 't is too much she 's thus confin'd But is she buried in this kinde Oh raise her up if thus thou please to do My heart my bodies Sun shall triumph too On the Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Psal 24. 8. Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in 9. Who is the King of glory even the Lord of hosts he is the King of glory 1. YE blest immortals Divide your glorious portals Who not dilates The everlasting gates While that the King of glory mounts his throne Though by his own Here nor receiv'd nor known We rather worry The blessed Lamb of glory Your Wisdom knows him God's eternal Son 2. His work is ended Nought partial or suspended Blest Angels too He purchas'd hath for you A nature fix'd which seem'd before unfinish'd And of a worm Though here he took the form It since he di'd Is so much glorifi'd His Godhead 's neither clouded nor diminish'd 3. 'T is now no Shrine T' his Godhead more divine His glorious flesh He needs not now refresh With food or rest from hunger or from labour And if he here Shone on the mount so clear As if the Sun With rays his coat had spun How brighter shines he now than on mount Tabor 5. Since Christ so clear Shines in his Manhood's Sphere That at its graces Ye Angels hide your faces See in the Trinities transparent myrrour How he 's instal'd And in his robes impall'd How he 's renown'd And by his Father crown'd With gracious Majestie and awful terrour 5. At his return The Pearlie gates do burn Jerusalem Shines with each kinde of Gem The new Jerusalem with glory burnisht Nought here is built With superficial gilt But all in gold The Citie is inrol'd All thus against his blest Ascention furnisht 6. Of Precious stones Are her foundations Her Pearlie streets Do brandish beaming sheets Reflecting from the Lamb 's most glorious face Here 's constant noon No need of Sun or Moon Our glim'ring Globe Deck'd in his azur'd robe Here an Eclipse were to the lowest Grace 7. How are we blest That have so sweet a rest Got by the care Of such a Harbinger Who all things can command all consummate The way to heaven He hath made plain and even And what with thorns Was choak'd his grace adorns With rose-beds makes wide heav'ns narrow gate 8. As Olivet Some say retains as yet Thy foot
deter How long that Quaere wilt suspend Whether the world shall have an end Come let thy judgement and thy mercy Finish at length that Controversie Come come away our panting hearts are drumming At thy approach and yet thou seem'st not coming 4. Haste Lord descend thy Saints to gather And to resigne them to thy Father What wilt thou lose by that thy tender 'T is no surprisal or surrender Thou ' lt be the King of glory still For who dares to oppose thy will Safe in thy Eden grows the tree of life Thou now not doubtst of Adam or his wife 5. But stay my soul what canst thou meet Thy Judge with clean prepared feet Art thou not naked or art cloth'd As one to such a Lord betroth'd If so go meet thy coming Groom Thy wedding-day's the day of Doom But Lord we build wed feast we vaunt and jet As 't were but now thou saidst But th'end's not yet 6. As morning-light precedes the Sun Let grace thy glory here fore-run For glory never there will come Where grace hath not prepar'd the room Give grace Lord and with that the sinew Of strength and vigour to continue Thou hast been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and begun to do But seem'st 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too 7. O let not Hell upbraid thy power As his that 'gan to build that tower He could not end Finish at length My Citadel with mighty strength Yet faith and hope faint joys are sory Till grace be swallow'd up of glory As grace like Orphah leaves me when I die Let Ruth-like glory fill my Naomi 8. Blest God I know we ought to pray Thy kingdom come each day by day And should thy coming damn us all We durst but it a mercy call Thy time dread Lord 's the best and thou Long-suff'ring art of old and now O let thy grace make way for glory then Thy kingdom come thy will be done Amen On the Joys of heaven after the day of Judgment 2 Cor. 2. 9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1. GHess now the Scenes of ev'ry age Upon one Stage Re-acted and all shifted clean Both Stage and Scene Each hath his pay and wafted home With Go or Come To act a better part or worse With bliss or curse Both play'd have to my Fancies eye A Tragi-Comi-Comi-Tragedy 2. As heav'n Astronomy confines To Zones and Lines And with conceited Poles supports The azure Courts And th'row its fancied Zodiack Can Titan track And takes heav'ns length and breadth if bid As th' Angel did Their Jacob's staff no less can do Then if they had got Jacob's ladder too 3. Yet all this serves but to advance Gilt Ignorance So heav'ns joys by blinde devotions Are cloath'd in notions Which onely gild our Nescience With seeming sence Them we are forc'd to ghess by pleasures And earthly treasures Since though the Turkish Alcharon Describes their Par'dise ours can be by none 4. But could our Merlins by discerning And Lynx-ey'd learning Who can the starry Alphabet In language set And though the clouds should blot their book Can th'row them look Could they define the blessed mansions B'yoâ—d these expansions I 'd love their Art Divinity Should then be handmaid to Astronomy 5. As on their Babel of Conceit They mount heav'ns height So though its beauty and dimension Befools Invention Transcends the Zenith of all mancie Of Art and Fancie Yet since that faculty of soul Doth more inroll Then 's seen or heard we ghess those joys Though far above our knowledge wish or choice 6. To call them Riches were not high But beggerly To call them Honours were a vile Inglorious stile To call them Pleasures were a gross And tedious gloss These Joys by myriads of pitches Exceed such Riches Though by such names the blessed Spirit Describes those joys which now the Saints inherit 7. Since no man th' heavens ever knew By Art or view Though some the Stars boast to describe By name and tribe As if when first the heavens were They had been there And knew them all as well as he His silver skie Not knowing these so plain and even Who can define the non-apparent heaven 8. Lord since more then I can conceive I must believe And far beyond my Fancies scope I still must hope Grant what 's conceived by my youth Agree with truth And whatsoever doth out-stretch My Fancies reach She at forbidden fruit not glance But flag her wing in humble Ignorance On the Torments of Hell Luke 16. 22 And it came to pass that the begger died and was buried and was carried by the angels into Abrahams bosom The rich man also died and was buried 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments and sees Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom 24 And he cried and said Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame 1. POor souls whom endless flames do scorch Since that the earth flam'd like a pendant Torch Since at the Trumpets final sound Our Jericho's high walls fell flat to ground And all was burnt What Verse hath tones Sufficient to accent forth your groans 2. Should all the Poets adde each Fury And of the Muses Nine make up a Jury And beg their Verdict to define Hell 's miseries they must the Suit decline Should they exhaust their Helicon And these should drain their Styx and Acharon 3. Let Wit excite her fruitless strife To limn Eternal Death unto the Life And in a Synod call the Quire Or Arts all served but to paint a fire Fire which but makes the brain to sweat As void of true description as of heat 4. Reader let thy Orpheus-like Fancie Descend to Hell in some conceited Maney And with brisk Nectar oil the mouth Of tortur'd Dives which is parch'd with drouth All he could say how Furies wreak Their rage would be I know not what to speak 5. Aetna's to this an idle tapor Vesuvius a thin incensed vapor Or as the Pyramids whose spires Mount onely in proportion'd shapes of fires No fire to these is worth a name Even Sodom's but the shadow of this flame 6. And what need Poets feign a Styx Or Acharon since floods of tears here mix Into a Sea which wildly lurks In darkness and confused water-works Which all Hydrography no better Can quote then Xerxes th' Hellespont could fetter 7. But cannot Dives from These drench His thirst-parch'd mouth and burning liver quench No fire and water here are both One element which flaming streams do froth Both having purg'd the world so gross Meet in Hell 's furnace to consume the dross 8. Lord since Hell 's pains exceed conceit Each gloss on them 's a naked counterfeit Our Fancies still have some remorse Let us the
I aside Might wander if thou hadst not been my guide 5. And as the earth held by thy secret hand Hangs in the air There is no thred or hair Supports the smallest dust or grain of sand So while some wonder how it is they fall To me 't is strange Lord how I stand at all 6. Blest God that took'st me from my mothers womb My heritance Here is not worth a glance In length and breadth all but a Tomb For as th' hast wean'd me ever since my birth So still th' hast wean'd me from my mother earth 7. Yet though my friends have thrust me from my right As from their nest The Eagles do devest Theirs who can't dare the sun by sight Yet this is still my glory in all things Th' hast born me th'row as 't were on Eagles wings 8. Wealth is no needful adjunct unto grace If riches are The true undoubted stayre That lead to glory Jacob 's case In purchasing his blessing were but poor For he liv'd mean while Esan swell'd with store 9. The blessing stood not in the promis'd land So much indeed As in the promis'd Seed Bequeath'd by Isaac's blessing hand God's right-hand-blessing's seldom clods of earth But such as fear invasion plagues nor dearth 10. Yet here each birth-right's not a Type of heaven As Canaan was T' Abraham 's seed but as Th' earth 's curs'd oft as a curse 't is giv'n But seldom for w' are oft deceiv'd in ghessing The Earnest or th' Appendix of a blessing 12. Lord be 't all as thy wisdom hath decreed Since th' art my portion I fear no such extortion I pass by all and bid God speed Let them go view their Landskips while that I Do with a better birth-right please mine eye Job 7. 20 I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men 1. LOrd I have sin'd O weighty words what more Could Hell if it repentant were deplore It could but say VVe merit thus to die Ev'n so do I confess ev'n so have I. Yet though my sins do bear an equal bulk VVith some of Hell's unequal is our mulct 2. Lord I have sin'd to tell how much there wants A sea of Ink as many Pens as plants Grow on the teeming earth and sheets as large As are the heavens to contain the Charge As many Items to the Charge amount VVhich none but thy Arithmetick can count 3. Lord I have sin'd what shall I say O brief Yet full expression of sin and grief Thus humble Penitents vent much in little VVhile Pharisees yet vent their frothy spittle In self-applause But in my grief this clause I 'll onely vent and then sit down and pause 4. Lord I have sin'd when not in life and function VVhat time or age can plead a free dis-junction Not childhood for sin soon outgrew that age And prov'd a Graduate in my Pupillage So that I justly may lament that sin And I were born unseparable twin 5. Lord I have sin'd Nay sleep that locks my sence Can hardly bat that bold intruder thence Corruption still her centinel doth keep What Lullabee can rock her watch asleep Poets may feign at will but she nor weighs Dull Morpheus nor his bunch of leaden keys 6. Lord I have sin'd but if I once were clear VVhen wheels about that same Platonick yeer That I might hope when my now-tainted duty Might innocent appear in perfect beauty O for that Anniverse to set me free Hence would I fetch my blessed Epoche 7. Lord I have sin'd but were I free where 's found That happie and no less then holy ground O might I know the place there would I raise And dedicate a Temple to thy praise But thy blest winde that breathes at list his grace Can breathe his Zephyres here in ev'ry place 8. Lord I have sin'd and for my Irritavies If thou shouldst not vouchsafe me true Peccavies I still should sin let others use their mind My El'gies burthen still shall be I 've sin'd And since I can't weep for each sin till death I 've sin'd should be the burthen of each breath Mark 7. 21 For from within out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts adulteries fornications murthers 22 Thefts covetousness wickedness deceit lasciviousness an evil eye blasphemy pride foolishness 1. IF could some Delius with divided hands Sound the Seas depth and on his souls recorder Imprint the wracks huge rocks and heaps of sands Which there lie scatter'd in confus'd disorder This could he do by Natures's strength or art Yet none could sound the bottom of the heart 2. Should some Ship-master make's fore-split the Probe Of Nature's secrets and so bring to view Land to make up a perfect earthly Globe Which Drake nor Kit Columbus never knew Yet as in the great world so in his own He must confess there 's yet much land unknown 3. The heart 's a Sea for depth like Sodom-lake Dead thick gross in it will sink no good Th' hearts land 's unknown wherein what monsters make Their hides and dens few yet have understood The centre may be purest earth yet th' heart The bodies centre 's the corrupter part 4. Our heart-strings are the cords of vanity Their caverns are the devil 's lurking-holes No fit Triangle for the Trinity An habitation more fit for moles Their cauls the veils of damn'd Hypocrisie Thus is sum'd up man 's wretched Majestie 5. If thus the Sun within our firmament Into a Meteor degenerate If thus the King within our continent Let 's sin and lust usurp his Royal state If thus corrupted be the bodies leaven How shall we manchets be prepar'd for heaven 6. Whe'er Hell be in th' earth's centre I suspend But in man 's centre 's couch'd an Hell of sin Nor do so many lines to th' centre tend As in a wicked heart fiends make their Inne Which yet most know no more then can be found Where Arethusa windes beneath the ground 7. Lord shew me in the Mirrour of thy Law The horrour of my heart by bright reflection In that thy Glass there falshood is nor flaw Though wickedly some scorn its true direction And whip the Tutor for his discipline Yet Lord direct me by that Glass of thine 8. Oh daign my heart with graces to perfume And th'rowly purge it from each noisome vapor Whose rank infection choaks each neighb'ring room And strives to damp my soul's aspiring tapor O make my heart-strings Lord thy cords of love So mine according to thy heart shall prove 1 Pet. 4. 18. If the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear 1. IS then with fraud The way to heaven straw'd And is it granted that our race Is scattered with caltraps ev'ry pace Which if but trod on pierce us to the ankles And more no wound they give but rankles So that it seems a venter At all to enter The way to heav'n's not dam'd with trifling burs But block'd and barricado'd with demurs 2.