and quiet times would owe But to the Valour which subdues his Foe O daring conqu'ring Virtue 't is we prize As this claims Glory as its just desert Shelves Sands and Tempests are the Exercise And Honour of the skilful Pilots Art. Who boasts a Virtue that was never tri'd Is a stout Seaman by a Fire-side Great Praise we to our wise Creator owe Who tho he hath not which he eas'ly could Made all things sweet and smooth to make them so Gives us the pow'r all Earth he made not Gold But gives th' Elixir which can do as much Turning course Stones to pure Gold by its touch On the Rain that fell in June 81. after a long Drought from the beginning of April begun in my Iourney WHilst gracious Lord thy Creatures all around Give thee what praise they can shall Man be found The only sensless dull and silent Thing Shall he be mute whilst ev'n the Fields do sing Their pleasedness is in their Colour seen How soon the parched Earth looks fresh and green The thankful Corn its head doth humbly bend Flow'rs and Herbs sweet Odors heaven-ward send The chearful Birds which in all Weathers sing And thereby chide and shame Mans murmuring Now use their utmost Art and strain their Throats To warble forth their sweet melodious Notes The duller Beasts hear this and straightway they As dancing to this Musick Frisk and Play. A noble gratitude they teach whilst for these showrs They thankful are whose benefit is ours And what shall we who more receive than they And more can render shall not we repay Those thanks to which the lower Creatures all As well as our Creator do us call And both we disobey and both we wrong If we with all the rest joyn not our Song Since they by us their Praises send to Hea'vn By us who know all good Things thence are giv'n And who with Speech and Reason were indu'd First to conceive then shew our Gratitude Wherefore I do adore that Providence Which these enriching Showers doth dispence That to the languishing and parched Earth And dying Grain and Herbs gives life and birth The thirsty Fields which could no moisture get From Springs or Rivers are refresht with wet In such a way as would mirac'lous seem Did not the commonness abate esteem What makes the Vapours to ascend on high And there condense to Clouds that fill the Sky What makes those hollow Clouds strong to contain Within their Wombs vast Treasuries of Rain And what supports them when thus weighty grown To keep them from a sudden tumbling down Justly we may applaud justly admire The Chymistry of that Coelestial Fire Which from salt Seas fresh Vapors doth extract Like thanks and wonder doth that Art exact Which makes the Clouds to hover as they fall And breaks and parcels them in drops so small Which on the Earth whilst gently they distil Revive those Fruits which Flouds and Spouts would kill Thus Lord thy Works thy Glory do proclaim Both Heav'n and Earth conspire to praise thy Name Ev'n every pile of Grass and every Show'r Which makes that Grass to grow doth shew thy Pow'r No less they shew thy Bounty to us all On whom thy Sun doth shine thy Rain doth fall How wondrous is that Bounty which renews Daily those Gifts which daily we abuse Mercy is thy delight O teach us more To imitate that Mercy we adore And whilst the Earth improves the Sun and Rain Let us not still receive thy Gifts in vain Let warmth and softness in our Hearts be wrought And holy Fruits unto perfection brought Such Fruits as may our Benefactor please Who sends these Gifts and greater Gifts than these He gave his Son his Son did shed his Blood By goodness God designs to make us good And this design his Goodness doth pursue Whilst he affords the rich and heavenly Dew Of 's Word and Grace to quicken and renew Our thirsty Souls O God thou art all Love On this alone we live here and above This doth preserve that Life which first it gave From this the comforts of our Life we have This now gives Grace and Glory hath prepar'd By this we Work from this have our reward And since this Love with blessings fills our days Lord give us Hearts as full of Love and Praise Such Hearts as may direct our Hands and Tongues To pious Actions and to grateful Songs And as each Moment brings from God above Mercy through which we live and breathe and move So Lord let every pulse and every Breath And every action praise Thee until Death Which stops that Breath our Souls shall thither raise Where love's our Life and all our Work is praise And what Crowns all where Death shall not destroy This blessed Life of Love and Praise and Joy. On a Cross with a Crown upon it in Burton betwixt Lancashire and Kendale Sept. 18. 80. THis day in Riding through a Town Upon the Cross I saw a Crown Which straightway brought unto my mind What we in Holy Writ do find That Christ did first his Cross sustain Before he was advanc'd to reign And this is every Christians case Who wins the prize must run the race Our selves we first must well behave E're modestly Rewards we crave Bearing the burthen of the day E're we receive the evening-pay And Conquer in our Christian fight Before we have to Triumph right And many sorrows undergo Before the Joys of Heav'n we know Lord to thy Orders I submit Confessing they are just and sit Reason doth teach us and thy Word The Servant 's not above his Lord By Patience and Obedience he To Glory went and so must we But since thy Grace alone doth send Help in the way bliss in the end Such measures of this Grace impart As may both give strength and desert Lord furnish me with pow'r and skill To do and suffer all thy Will Make me but willing to obey And what commands thou pleasest lay Make me but able to abide And how thou wilt let me be tri'd Lord help me so thy yoke to wear Help me my burdens so to bear That when they shall be both laid down I may receive a glorious Crown On the sight of Furness Fells Iune 19. 71. OFT have I seen a barren Mountain shroud Its lofty head within a liquid Cloud There at its will thus height still makes things proud Quaffing up Vapours which had else been Rain Drinking all up yet sending nought again But still a barren Mountain doth remain Whilst humble Valleys which do lye below Waiting till Heaven its kindly Dews bestow In Corn and Wine in Milk and Honey slow Thus greedy proud impatient minds that crave Still more and more from Heaven or nothing have Or yield no Fruit of whatsoere it gave Whilst humble Souls by silent patience Which strongly wooes soon get great blessings thence And thither still return their recompence On the Parting of Ways in a Iourney I Often as I Travel find Divided ways
Iohn Rawlet B. D. Died Septemb r 28 th 1686. Aetat 44. Poetick Miscellanies OF M r JOHN RAWLET B. D. And late Lecturer of S. Nicholas Church IN THE TOWN and COUNTY OF New-Castle upon Tine Et prodesse valent delectare Poetae A verse may find him who a Sermon flies And turn delight into a Sacrifice Herbert LICENSED Novemb. 22. 1686. Rob. Midgley LONDON Printed for Samuel Tidmarsh at the King's-Head in Cornhill near the Royal Exchange 1687. An Epitaph on the Reverend and truly pious Mr. Iohn Rawlet B. D. made by his sorrowful Friend I. M. RAwlet's Remains lodge in this humble Cave As he was free from pride so is his Grave But Virtue needs no Pyramids It s worth Bribes not the Heraulds pains to blaze it forth As Diamonds shine by their own native Rayes And Phoebus his own glittering beams displays So great deserts are their own Monument No Tomb no Epitaph's so eloquent Whilst others therefore their proud Marbles boast He rests with greater honour but less cost On his Divine Poems REader expect not here the filth of th' Stage Poems that please but more debauch the Age. His chaster Muse such heavenly strains doth sing As Angels chant to their Immortal King. By such pure harmony he tun'd his heart In the Coelestial Choir to bear a part THE CONTENTS AN Epitaph on the Reverend and truly Pious Mr. John Rawlet Pag. i On his Divine Poems ii An Invitation to the Holy Communion with directions c. Pag. 1 On the Holy Communion 4 Another Poem of the same 6 Directions for receiving the Holy Communion 8 For early rising on a Lord's-day Morning 11 Morning Thoughts 13 Directions for the Evening 16 On Whitsunday 18 On Ascension 23 On Divine Love. 25 On Death 30 Midnight Meditations 46 A description of True Prayer 51 How to get and keep a quiet mind in all Conditions 53 A Preservative against Temptations 57 On Solitude 59 The sum of our Duty 68 Whilst I was hearing Musick 70 On a great Thunder and storm June 1. 1671 72 Calmness in a Storm c. 74 On the Rain that fell in June 1681. 77 On a Cross with a Crown upon it in Burton 83 On the sight of Furness Fells 86 On the parting of ways in a Iourny 88 An account of my life in the North. 90 Paraphrases Of Palm 19. 57. Thou art my Portion O Lord. 94 Of Psalm 39. 6 7. 96 Luke 11. 14 c. 101 Of Seneca ' s Thyestes Act. II. 103 A Plain Paraphrase 104 His first Epistle to Lucilius 105 His 70 Epistle 109 Of Horace's Ode 22. 128 Martial's Epigram lib. 1. 6. 132 Inscriptions and Epitaphs For M. M. upon her recovery at Antwerp 133 Written on Dr. Patrick's Devout Christian given to a Friend 135 An Epitaph designed for William Banks Esquire 136 On A. M. a tender Infant 138 On Bishop Wilkins's Picture 139 True Beauty 141 On my own Picture 142 AN INVITATION TO THE Holy Communion WITH DIRECTIONS FOR THE Due Receiving it HArk we are call'd O friends Away away All things are ready make no more delay Are all things ready and shall only we For whom they are prepar'd unready be We that forbidden Fruit did long to taste Shan't we when call'd to our Lord's table haste When food provided is which will restore The blessedness our eating lost before Let us then hasten and this Call obey 'T is with the Prince that we must dine to day Whose Sacred presence calls us to prepare And fit our selves Hast must not banish care Hither approach all fair and clean within From the defiling love of every sin All bath'd in purest streams of hallowed tears Which help to wash our stains and drown our fears The Souls first dipt in this preparation flood Are fit for farther cleansing by Christ's blood Repentance is a second innocence Joyn'd with resolves for new obedience Draw nigh with faith and holy love adorn'd And deep humility which though it 's scorn'd By blinder mortals is in Gods own Eye The Souls true beauty richest gallantry With ardent longings come enflam'd to tast The deepest sweets of this divine repast The grace and comfort here diffus'd abroad And on the well-prepared Soul bestow'd Beg him to fit you thus who did invite You hither for both meat and appetite Do come from him and by the hand that spread Our Table must our Souls be furnished And when in th' Wedding garment we are drest With humble boldness to this Sacred feast Let us approach this wondrous banquet where The Master of the Feast becomes our cheer ON THE Holy Communion THE Son of God made Man his life laid down To save our Life to purchase us a Crown He bore the Cross and that we might retain The memory hereof he did ordain His Sacred Supper as his Churches Feast When he bestows upon each humble Guest Those greater blessings which he represents By Bread and Wine the outward Elements He doth himself in this familiar way With Pardon Grace and Glory too convey To such who whilst by faith they these receive To him themselves entirely back do give Thus is a Marriage union finisht and Christ and the Soul linkt in a mutual band Thus at one Feast we mingle griefs and joyes Christ's death and our own Nuptials solemnize And if indeed our Faith and Love herein Are with Repentance joyn'd if we for sin Sincerely grieve sincerely plight our Troth In Heaven we shall enjoy the fruits of Both. ON THE Holy Communion OUR blessed Lord who loved us and gave Himself for us us by his death to save That this his love and death might never be Forgotten hath ordain'd a feast when we With grateful hearts should still record his love And to blest purposes his death improve Oft let 's remember then and praise our Lord At 's Holy Table where he doth afford To worthy Guests Peace Pardon Grace and Joy Pleasures that satisfie but never cloy And let us still set Jesus in our sight In all our actions by this Copy write That our dear Lord beholding us may find His Sacred Image in our Life and Mind Thus let us with great Zeal and Holy strife Christ's death remember imitate his Life So shall we grow in grace till from this state Our Lord to Glory shall his friends translate Then shall we be where blessed Jesus is And feast with him in perfect endless bliss DIRECTIONS FOR RECEIVING THE Holy Communion CHrist calls us to his Table but who 's fit In such an High and Holy place to sit Only the Souls that are adorn'd with Grace May here in presence of their Lord take place Such whom the knowledge of his wondrous love To deepest sorrow for their sins doth move Who place on him their Love and Confidence And render a sincere Obedience To all his Laws who make God's Love their Treasure Preferring it above Wealth Honour Pleasure Who do in Charity with all Men live And those who wrong them from their
Heart and Mouth may give thee praise As in thy Temple keep there residence Within my Soul and never part from thence Till I am fram'd and fitted by thy hand A Pillar in God's House above to stand ON Ascension Day ART thou ascended blessed Lord on high And do I on this earth still grovelling lye In muddy sensual fading pleasures drown'd Where pain and grief horrours and Hell are found O pity dearest Lord some pity take On a poor fainting Soul for thy names sake Help Lord Lord help to thee I lift mine Eyes Stretch forth thy helping hand and make me rise O raise my sinking Soul above the Mud And dirt of low delights which Flesh and Blood Relish and crave Let my exalted mind It's pleasures in thy Love and Service find But ne'r let that seem pleasant to my taste Which grieves thy Spirit and doth my Conscience waste Keep my Soul mindful of its heavenly birth That it may Heaven-ward tend wean'd from this Earth By all my falls upon this slippery Ground Grant that I nearer may to Heaven rebound And let all streams of comfort here below Up to the Fountain lead me whence they flow Let Faith and Love and Longings raise my Heart Up to the blissful place where Lord thou art Let my chief joy spring from this Faith and Love Till I ascend to thee and joyes above Divine Love. WHose Soul is once betroth'd can ever he From that engagement disobliged be The hearts which love unites in loyal bands Are chain'd as fast as by their tongues and hands Even thus am I in heart engag'd my mind Is firmly fixt but on no Female-kind The blessed Jesus is my Lord my Love He is my choice from him I 'll never move Away then all you objects that divert And seek to draw from my dear Lord my heart Go Riches Honours Beauty Bravery go Tempt these mean Souls who nothing better know That uncreated Beauty which hath gain'd My ravisht Heart hath all your glory stain'd His loveliness my Soul hath prepossest And left no room for any other guest Cease then with knocking 's to assault my Door Disturb not my repose attempt no more These gates which to the King of Glory be Made to fly open and to none but he For him I sigh I wishly look and long To be releas'd from this ensnaring throng Of poor bewildred Mortals from whose sight My Soul doth meditate a nobler slight Into the Regions of eternal Joy Where nothing shall her blessful peace annoy There 's her own home her Country 's there above That blessed Land of Life of Light and Love There my dear Friends fled hence with God are blest Thither are swiftly hasting all the rest There lives my Lord and there I long to live He gave these longings and himself will give Hast then pale Death accomplish my design Thou that break'st others wedlocks finish mine This naked breast strike with thy sharpest Dart The sweetest Cordial to a fainting Heart Release my pained Soul from this dull clod Of prisoning Earth and take her to her God That there she may her Nuptials solemnize Where neither Sin nor Death shall spoil her Joys Lord hear these groanings and some pity take On a poor gasping Soul which for thy sake From earthly home Freinds Joys and all would part To be with thee for ever where thou art O make me meet for this Translation and Then on this happy message death command In the mean time Lord shew thy self to me Till thou shalt please to take me up to thee So to mine Eyes thy glory still display That they may never look another way So let me taste the sweetness of thy Love That no allurements may my mind once move Quicken my longings and encrease that flame Which Heaven-wards lifts the Soul from whence it came Let flames of holy Love all others burn And opposition into fewel turn Let thy Sun-beams on a dark heart shine clear All our earth kindled fires will disappear In thee now let me find so much of Rest As may with more impatience fill my breast Till fill'd with thee the pains of love increase Till they shall in a full fruition cease So seize on me that we ne're more may part Till thou shalt take my Soul Lord keep my heart And dwell in me till I with thee shall dwell This Earth with thee is Heaven without thee Hell. ON DEATH I. TEll me some kind Spirit tell How comes death so terrible Thou who art already fled in triumph say Why the embodied Soul is so in love with Clay By what strange Magnetisms woo'd She so adheres to Flesh and Blood That fate must force her from that dull abode Or she would groveling lye Th' eternal Tenant of Mortality The wretch whom a malignant Fever fires And at each pore in liquid flame expires Cold death's refreshing hands to shun Doth to th' unkinder Doctor run For Juleps Blistrings and Phlebotomy And other medicinal Artillery The Fever 's vanquish'd and the Man is free But all this stir and torment only gains The priviledge of being rack'd again by these Or the severer pains Of sorne more merciless Disease Had not the Patient better fled to ' a Tomb Th' Asylum which distempers give but where they never come II. Old age it self which one would guess Should with a kind of lust Lye down and sleep in Dust Does yet the grand fatigue of life caress And gapes for its last dregs with unextinguishable Thirst When the dull eyes spirituous fire is lost Like cooling Metals fixt by Winters Frost When the bald Head depopulate and bare Looks white like some smooth Globe of Ice And of its once fair flourishing spring the Hair All that remains will not suffice The mighty summ to count To which the numerous Years that have gone or 't amount Yet even this feeble piece of Hums and Ha's That 's but the Monument of what he was Doth with his Cordials and Elixirs treat To make his wearied Pulses beat With momentary heat Still he abhors the dismal thoughts of Death Still on his guard he stands And fain he would defend his breath 'Gainst the great Conquerour's stroke though but with Crutches in his hands III. Strange Riddle of mysterious desire That Man should hope his vital fire Should Vestal prove and ne're expire That he should wish th' Eclipsed beams Like Arethusa under ground might stray In a decrepit Body's dark inglorious way And never disembogue their shining streams Into the glorious Ocean of inexhausted day Is this the Reason which we so much boast That sure unerring Guide No less our safety than our pride And would this have us in a tempest ride And endlesly be tost When one kind Shipwrack would convey us to our native Coast A coast where we might pleasure taste High with the gust of all peril past Where a perpetual spring of bliss Blooming in all the rich Luxuriancies Of never withering Ecstasis Satiates but does not cloy The ravish'd