in you To whom a part is due We wish your Buckland house a Palace were That we might see you there For since the time that you went hence away We not our selves enjoy In losing you we lose our better part And now we have no heart Or quick'n us with your presence as before Or else we languish and can live no more To the no less honoured Lady the Lady P. SOmewhat I owe unto your honoured Name But cannot pay it yet you may not blame The Poet but your self as cause of it Since that your worth is far above his wit And either you below your self must fall Or else want his Encomium for all That he may say or write in your just praise Will but eclipse your Sun and cloud its raies 'T is true he knowes you not which is his grieâ— But by report and that hath made you cures Of all your Sexe within your Hemisphere There 's none in competition will appear Your vertues raise you to so high a state They may admire but hardly imitate You need not blush as if this were too high To write the Truth I hope's no flatterie Now Madam if you please to cast a look Or spend some spare time on this little Book And in it any thing that 's good do view Then challenge it for it belongs to you What 's vain or worthless in it that decline And pass it by I challenge that for mine To the eminent Scholer and Honor of our Church Dr. HAMMOND ALthough the times forbid you now to preach In publick yet your learned Writings teach Us how to live in these unhappy daies How we should upright walk in slipperie waies You are our Oedipus and do untie The knottiest points in all Divinitie Such is the power of your judicious pen It stops the mouthes of all gainsaying men The Presbyter is routed and undone He flies the field since you the day have won At last your greatest Work you have put forth But I 'm not able to express its worth So excellent it is and like good wine Commends it self it needs no bush of mine Go on t' instruct the world and with your light Shine out to guide us in the darkest night Of ignorance and Error which will soon Unless prevented make us grope at noon To the truly vertuous and his most esteemed Cousin Mrs. M. B. A Learned woman the an humble too May for a Miracle amongst us go She 's Mistris of all Arts and of one more To shew so little of so great a â—tore That woman which hath more then common worth Seldom wants tongue enough to set it forth But she that knowes much with Sobrietie Is somewhat like unto the Deitie Veild o're with humane flesh which seems to be God manifested yet a Mysterie Much more she is indeed then she 'l appear Her inside 's Velvet when her outside 's hair Like to a vessel full of precious wine Or like unto a rich concealed Mine The vessel makes no noise but pierce it then Iâ— liquor yeilds that chears the heart of men The Mine conceal'd though rich no profit brings But once discovered is a prize for Kings A miracle a Mistris of all Arts A mysterie made up of all choice parts A vessel fil'd with Nectar a rich Mine All these you are though you all these decline And make your self more then your self to be By letting us not half your merits see Thus Jacobs Vision is made good to you When e're you sleep you may the Ladder view Reaching from earth to heaven made without hands At foot whereof Humility there stands Knowledg above upon the highest round All other Graces like the Angels found Ascending and descending up and down To court you here a while and there you crown This makes us somewhat jealous and to fear Lest by this Ladder they attempt to bear You soon to heaven and leave us in the night Of ignorance when we have lost our light Stand still in our Horizon then we pray Like Joshuahs Sun and double make our day For you impart a greater influence here Then when you shall be fixt i' th' highest Spheer To the Right Honourable the Lady M. C. WEalth Honour Vertue once combin'd To make one perfect of the female kind At length they met with you and did protest To go no further but set up their rest Within your armes those now that mean to share In them must borrow what you please to spare You superrogate and there doth lye Such store of them in your rich Treasurie That you may well afford so much as will Some meaner persons in good measure fill The after droppings of a Catarackt Will raise the lesser brooks that water lack't The gleanings of your Vintage will go neer To make small Vessels run o're once a year Thus unto others you enough may give Yet in all fulness you your self may live Upon his losing his way in a mist I Thought I could not go astray So perfectly I knew the way Yet in a Mist I miss'd it and Err'd now on this now on that hand And till the fog was by the Sun Dispell'd I in a maze did run And ride as if'twere Fairie ground Or that the Puck had led me round So whiles I want a heavenly light The day 's to me as dark as night Which way I go I cannot tell Whether it be towards heaven or hell But this I know that there is odds I tread the divels track not Gods For Gods way strait and narrow is The divels broad and hard to miss O Sun of Righteousness then shine And soon disperse this mist of mine Lighten the darkness of my mind That I the way to heaven may find To two Parties going to Law about small matters LOok how the steel forceth with several knocks Fire from the flint into the Tinder-box So do you smite each other till you force Gold from your own into the Lawyers purse O how like foes they brawle on either side And yet like friends your money they divide Leaving you bare as an Anatomy All that you get you may put in your eye And never see the worse then take from me This Counsel freely and without a fee Agree between your selves and make an end Do you to him he to you condescend Thus whiles you both unto each other yeild You 'l both o'recome and losing with the field To an envious and malicious person WHy envi'st thou thy Neighbour canst thou tel Is 't 'cause in Wealth or worth he doth excel That will not make thee richer then thou art Nor him the poorer but t will vex thy heart That will not make thee better nor him worse But blessing bring on him on thee a curse Or why malignest thou thine enemy Is'â— 'cause he hath done thee some injury That will not mend the matter but incense Him to a second and more high offence Adding of wrong to wrong O then be wise And do him all the good thou canst
special use him takes And his select companion makes The godly man most humble is There is no godly man but this Let me cast down my self among The ordinary common throng And with Paul make it my beliefe That I of sinners am the chief In lowlinesse of mind let me Think that all others better be So shal I with the Publican Be the more truly Christian And God to his immediate Attendance will me separate Thus the most high wil not disdain To make the lowest one of 's traine And he that doth himselfe abase Shal be prefer'd to highest place Psal. 8.4 What is man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of man that thou visitest him LOrd what is man that thou So mindful art of him Or what 's the Son Of man that thou the highest heaven didst bow And to his aide didst runne He is not worthy of the least Of all thy mercies at the best Man 's but a piece of clay That 's animated by thy heavenly breath And when that breath thou tak'st away Hee 's clay again by death He is not worthy of the least Of all thy mercies at the best Baser then clay is he For sin hath made him like the Beasts that perish Though next the Angels he was in degree Yet this beast thou dost cherish Hee is not worthy of the least Of all thy mercies hee 's a beast Worse then a beast is Man Who after thine own Image made at first Became the divels sonne by sin And can A thing be more accurst Yet thou thy greatest mercy hast On this accursed creature cast Thou didst thy self abase And put off all thy robes of Majesty Taking his nature to give him thy grace To save his life didst dye He is not worthy of the least Of all thy mercies one 's a feast Lo man is made now even With the blest Angels yea superiour farre Since Christ sat down at Gods right hand in heaven And God and man one are Thus all thy mercies man inherits Though not the least of them he merits Psalm 37.16 A little that a righteous man hath is better then great riches of the ungodly THe wicked rips Earth's bowels up to find Treasures to fil his mind Layes heaps on heaps and riches gets great store For all that he is poore Because he carries that about him which Forbids him to be rich A greedy mind that ne're can be content With that which God hath sent But by ungodly waies graspeth more gold Then 's hand or house wil hold And what he thus hath got with care and pain He fears to lose again His conscience on the wrack is all the while It wil not let him smile Or merry be since many a bitter curse Helps to fil up his purse And what by fraud or force he compasseth Shal vanish with his breath Or if unto his heire his wealth descends He lavishly it spends Consuming that in few yeers which was not In lesse then an age got Thus goods ill gather'd many times we see The owners ruine be But the condition of the godly 's such In little he hath much And though that his possâ—ssions be but smal Yet his content is all He is as rich as Crassus though but poor 'Cause he desires no more If to his mind his state he cannot fit He frames his mind to it And dines as wel upon a piece of bread As if on dainties fed As merry when he water drinks his fill As those that wine do swil As warm in poore John Baptists Camels hair As those that scarlet wear His conscience clear from sin in peace doth rest And that 's his daily feast Thus he being rich i' th' midst of povertie Nor fears nor longs to die Psalm 38.4 My iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me NO leprosie can be compar'd to sinne It doth so spread Without within 'T is at my heart and 't is gone ore my head No part is free from top to toe 'T is here 't is there above below Nor doth it only spread through every part 'T is heavy too And on my heart Like lead it lyes so that I cannot do The good I would the weight 's so great That under it I sink I sweat Some fools indeed whose hearts are hard as flint And neck 's as steel Take pleasure in 't And run away with 't yet no burden feel But sport make of it every day And with it as a feather play VVhiles they make light thereof O let me fear And it avoid As if it were The greatest plague by which man is destroyed The heaviest burthen that will crack My heart strings and even break my back And since I feel it such a ponderous thing A way I find That ease will bring And from this plague this burthen free my mind Upon thy back Lord let it fall That 's strong enough to bear it all PSAL. 56.8 Put thou my tears into thy bottle TO value tears I now begin Since thou Lord dost provide A bottle for to put them in That none should fall beside One drop will raise a sinner from a swound What pity 't is to spill them on the ground I spill them when I spend them on Vain trifles Worldly losses They are not worthy of a groan Much less a tear Such crosses I rather should rejoice in since they prove The tokens of my heavenly Fathers love When from the Limbeck of mine eyes My tears for sin distil That Aqua vitae thou dost prize And with 't thy bottle fill O let my tears for my sins only fall That so thy bottle may preserve them all Then of them Lord a Cordial make Against sins poisonous sting Which when my heart with grief doth ake May comfort to it bring Last a Collyrium make of them which may Take all the soreness of mine eyes away Psalm 73.35 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee HAve I not many things in heaven and earth Besides thee that are worth The having and desiring Have I not Some friends some riches got Some honors too and may increase my store Of all these three yet more Excuse me then my God if that I pray And covet somewhat else for to enjoy Besides these earthly there are things in heaven Which for my use are given The Sun and Moon and Stars which do dispense Their light heat influence Angels and Saints to whom in my distress May I not make addresse Excuse me then my God if I repair To these sometimes as objects of my praier Yet when I think a little better on these things I find there 's none That can compared be to thee for friends They are for private ends And do me courtesies because I do Courtesies for them too But thou a faithful friend wast unto me When by my sins I was thine enemy For Riches they are subject to decay And quickly fade
away Honours are bubbles which the breath of men Blowes in and out agen Nor those nor these any true vertue have Body or soul to save But thou my Riches and my honours art That savest both and dost from neither part The Sun Moon Stars are goodly creatures yet As they rise so they sâ—t The Saints â—riumphant happy Creatures are But â—now not how I fare The Angels glorious yet but finite seeing They have from thee their being Thou art my Sun which only I adore Who once didst rise from deaâ—h to set no more Thou art all Saints in one they have from thee Alone their sanctiâ—y Thou art the Angel of the Covenant And wilt not let me wanâ— Thou mad'st me with thy word and with thy blood Redeem'dst me none so good So great as thee in earth or heaven abides And therefore I desire none besides Psalm 80.12 13 14. Why hast thou then broken down her hedge that all they that go by pluck off her grapes The wild Boar out of the Wood doth root it up and the wild Beasts of the field devour it Turne thee again thou God of Hosts look down from heaven behold and visit this Vine COme Lord and look how thy poor Vine lies wast Her hedg is broke down every hour And if thou dost not make the greater haste The Wild bore will her grapes devour Come Lord thine aid we crave Come quickly her to save Lord 't is that Vine which thy right hand hath planted And fenc'd about for thine own use But she alas too long thy care hath wanted And little fruit she doth produce Come Lord thine aid we crave Come quickly her to save Her Sprigs are dry the holy Sacraments Are stopt or run not free to all Her Watch men disagreeing make her rents So wide she doth to pieces fall Come Lord thine aid we crave Come quickly her to save Under her shade we did securely rest And comfort we did take in it But now we pine away with grief opprest To see her in th dust to fit Come Lord thine aid we crave Come quickly her to save Our hearts are broke our Harps unstringed be Our only Musick 's sighes and groans Our Songs are to the tune of Lachrymae W' are fretted all to skin and bones Come O come Lord Jesus Quickly come and ease us This is the last and worst Age we live in For the most righteous go to wrack Then set an end unto these dayes of sin And misery thy help we lack Come O come Lord Jesus Quickly come and ease us Punish the men are settled on their Lees And at our suffrings make a sport But lift the hands up that fall down the knees That feeble are do thou support Come O come Lord Jesus Quickly come and ease us Bind up our wounds and pour in oyl wine Give Cordials to our heavy hearts Make up the mounds once more about this Vine Repair her breaches on all parts Come O come Lord Jesus Quickly come and ease us Psalm 91.11 12. He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes They shall bear thee up in their hands left thou dash thy foot against a stone HOw dear to God is man That he his mercy should enlarge To this poor span And thus to charge His Angels to keep every limb of him Such are his strict commands To them that they are bound to bear Him in their hands Secure from fear Of dashing but his foot upon a stone If they so careful are To keep his foot from hurt they have Much greater care His soul to save And it int' Abrahams bosom they convey Did we poor Creatures know How much unto their watchfulness And care we owe We would express Our thanks to God and his name praise alwayes For highly honouring us With this rare priviledg to be Attended thus By Angels he The greater makes to serve the less O bless The Lord for this and pay To these pure spirits reverence due That so they may Ne're forsake you Do no vile action which may these displease Or cause them to retard Their wonted aid each wicked deed Raiseth their guard In time of need Live so that they may you attend to th' end Psalm 95.7 8. To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts A DIALOGUE Between GOD and a SINNER Sinner MAy I not this day take my pleasure And hear thy voice O God at leisure One day wil break no square men say And wilt thou be more strict then they O give me leave now to rejoice And hereafter hear thy voice Thy voice which doth to vertue call And to repentance summons all But that I do not love to hear It sounds harsh discords in my ear Whilst I am in my youthful blood When I grow old it may be good To take thy counsel and attend Thy will when I draw neer my end Then 't will be time enough I trust To be temperate chaste and just Till then I hope thou wilt dispence With my want of innocence With my sports and wickednesse I know Lord thou canst do no lesse Then hear my Prayer at the last For thou thy faithful word hast past To pardon me when ere that I Shall implore thy clemency The theif upon the Cross did find Thy mercy the same gracious mind Thou still retainest may I not then Expect to find the like agen I am resolv'd what ere comes on 't To hazard ev'n my soul upon'r God Bold sinner do not thou presume Upon my Grace a sweet perfume Or pleasing Sacrifice doth from A late repentance seldom come Canst thou believe that tree 's ought worth That not till winter fruit brings forth Or wouldst thou be content thy wife Should play the harlot all her life And at the last shou'd tender thâ—e Her love and service when that she Through age and sickness over worn Is most unfit to serve thy turn Judg then thy self if thou wouldst be So served as thou servest me Thou'dst have her to thy self alone Before her youth and beauty 's gone I must thy love and service have VVhen thou art dropping in thy grave VVhen thou art lame or impotent Then thou wilt be a penitent Fool not away thy soul with this Presumption for the high way 't is To hell a double danger lyes In such late conformities For that man that doth delay To hearken to my voice to day VVill be to morrow more unfit And have his eare quite deaf to it Each cranny there will be fast barr'd And his heart will grow so hard Through long continuance in sin That not a word can enter in Although I call and call again He is still deaf 't is all in vain Besides should he knock at my door When he is dying not before He shall perceive it then too late Fast lock'd will be my Mercy Gate Because my Justice will not bear That I should his Petition hear Who would not hear my voice at
of right it doth belong They that are strangers to the Covenant And saving faith do want This holy Well disdain As if it no more vertue did contain Then Abana and Pharpar which Can hardly cure a scab or itch Much lesse the spreading leprosie of sin Which sticks so close within That nought can cleanse the same But th' Aqua Vitae which from Christs side came Go then my soul and drink thy fil See from his heart it doth distil What though thou very poor and wretched art In it thou may'st have part For t is the beggars bath As much as t is the Kings and he that hath A mind for to be cleans'd indeed May use the same as he hath need Mal. 3.17 They shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels YOu that of godlinesse do make a mock And those that are religious jeere As if they were your laughing stock Know that ere long God wil appear To judge this wicked world and then They wil be found to be the only men Though now you tread them underneath your feete And no more reckoning of them make Then of the dust that 's in the street The time shal come when God wil take Them for his richest Jewels and Prize them as 't were the signet on 's right hand Yea to your shame and wonder he will raise The value of them above all That you can think is worthy praise Or whatsoe're thou precious cal Gold is but drosse Pearls pebbles are To what they shall be there is no compare And how can it be otherwise when they Derive their lustre from his face Not Sol himself shines at mid-day With so illustrious a grace For every grace which they have here Shal be a glory in the highest sphere I care not then how I am vilified Or what the world doth make of me Let men at pleasure me deride So that I may Gods Jewel be For though I now am trampled down Hee 'le make me up a diamond in his Crown Matth. 6.19 20. Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where theeves break thorow and steal but lay up for your selves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeves do not break thorow nor steale GIve o're your greedinesse much-worms give o're And trade no more For Apes and Peacocks and such petty toyes Are nt for boyes Men that have reason and religion too Scorne so to do They count that voyage to be lost that brings No better things For all the treasures of the earth will not Make a man happy if they could be got Some think the Indies to the King of Spain Bring little gaine And that our seventh Henry was more wise Them to despise Though offered to him this we know that Prince Is poorer since And notwithstanding all his golden mines He stil declines For all those treasures that are fetcht from far When home they come are strait consum'd in war What private man can then his riches boast He that had most Amongst us when our troubles first begun Is now undone And he that since of thousands is possest Though kept in 's chest Fast under lock and key may soon be brought Not worth a groat Thus fortunes wheele is turning up and down To day 't wil smile on thee tomorrow frown Who then of this worlds wealth would guilty bee Since that we see No certaintie in riches can be had That man is mad Who seeks to hedge the Cuckoe in and stay What wil away For riches wings unto themselves do make And their flight take Like th' Eeagle towards heaven none can hold Or clip their wings though they be made of gold Be wise and lay up treasures that are sure And wil endure In spite of fraud or force Heavens the place The treasures grace When all your temporal estates do perish This stil shal flourish How much it doth all earthly goods excel I cannot tell But this I can assure you there is none Can bring it under sequestration Travel by Sea or Land go where you will 'T is with you still It costs you nought the Portage nor will make Your Back to ake No burthen 't is but full of ease and joy In the convoy Nor Soldier nor Pirate can it force Or make divorce 'Twixt you and it Once fix it in your heart And make much of it it will ne're depart But grow from Grace to Grace and never cease For to increase Bringing forth fruits of Piety and Love Making us move Fast towards our Center Heaven until our soul Knock at the pole And enter into that eternal rest With all the Blest Society of Saints and Angels this When all is done the only treasure is Matthew 10.16 Be ye wise as Serpents and harmless as doves NExt to the Angels Man created was In knowledg and all parts he did surpass The other Creatures yet is such a fool â—ecome by sin that he may go to School â—o birds and beasts the little Ant and Bee â—oth thrift can teach him and good husbandry the Serpent wisdom the Dove innocence â—hat to avoid this to give no offence That to prevent dangers before they fall And this not to revenge a wrong at all How farre is man to seek in both these kinds He by too sad experience daily finds Into a world of mischiefs he doth run Undoing others and himself undone Some Serpents craft he hath but not the love The candour and the mildnesse of the Dove That hath took wing long since and fled away Nought but the Serpents sting behind doth stay Malice enough to be reveng'd but none Of the true wisdome of the beast that 's gone My God who didst both these at first instil In Dove and Serpent let it be thy wil T' infuse them both in me that I may live So innocent as no offence I give To others and so prudent too that I May not to injuries exposed lie Matth. 11.19 Behold a man gluttonous and a winâ— bibber a friend of Publicans anâ— sinners WHy should I think to be From calumny or slander free When I see men afford No better language to my Lord My Lord though free from sin Free from detraction hath not been If to a feast he come He is a glutton called by some If wine he drink O then they crie He is a drunkard presently If he converse with common people then He 's friend to Publicans and sinful men My God since thou didst bâ—ar Such vile reproaches I 'l not fear The like nor be asham'd By wicked men to be defam'd It is the Godlies lot A blessing rather then a blot Their tongue no slander is They kill me when they kiss VVhen they revile I 'm ne're the worse VVhen they commend me 't is a curse Their commendation is a sign that I Too much with their ill courses do comply Let them then do their worst
this life of mine To be my own but thine Not I but thou dost live In me who for me Lord thy self didst give It was thy love that made thee dye for me It is my faith that makes me live in thee Phil. 3.13 14. I count not my selfe to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the Mark for the prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus THis ilfe is like a race Where every one 's a Runner and the prize A Crown of Glory Heavens the place Where the Mark's set before our eyes I who have not as yet Scarce run out half the way must not sit down And think I 've done enough but sweat And labour hard to get the Crown Nor may I cast an eye Behind to see how many I 've out run But with the foremost I must vie And better end then I begun For if I fail at last When I have gone the greatest part o' th' Race Or give off when the worst is past It will be much to my disgrace Nor is that all but then Another man shall take my crown from me And I with the faint-hearted men Out of the Lists quite cast shall be O Lord do thou annoint Me with thy oil of Grace from top to toe In every lim and every joint That I may never weary grow But persevering in My course with vigorous and active strength May be so happy as to win The Goal first and the Crown at length Heb. 13.14 Here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come MAn is a Creature loves society And cannot long alone be well Hence God made Eve that she Might with him dwell From these two sprung A numerous family That to a City grew ere long And that impli'd strength and stability But see how soon this City came to nought Being destroy'd with its own weight And by division brought To ruine strait Then how can we A City have that 's strong Or permanent It cannot be What 's made with hands should e're continue long The best is made with lime and stone how then Can that which is compact of such Frail matter last yet men Are frailer much Those men that make This City are all cast In moulds of Clay and do partake Of earth themselves such vessels cannot last Nor they nor yet their City can endure Many mishaps there be will end them To perish they are sure None can defend them Each little thing To pieces breaks their frame A very wind a breath will bring Them to that nothing whence at first they came Yet whiles their worst part crumbles to the dust And falls to ashes in their urn Their souls immortal must To God return That God hath made A City without hands For them which ne're shall fail nor fade Unmoveable its vast foundation stands A most magnificent and glorious place Which they that see 't can scarce set forth Or give it half the grace As to its worth There God keeps Court Millions on either side Of Saints and Angels do resort To wait on him this City's wondrous wide The least of all those many Mansions therâ— Our greatest Cities far transcend Each one 's a Kingdom which shall ne're Admit of end This then alone Requires our chiefest care In seeking it for there is none On earth's round ball that can with it compare On this lets fix our thoughts to this aspire To this let all our actions tend Be it our sole desire There to ascend For all our bliss God hath reserv'd above Our happiness there seated is There is our Treasure there must be our love James 2.20 Wilt thou know O vain man that faith without works is dead HEark vain man hark what the Apostle saith And do not boast so much of thy great faith For though 't were able mountains to remove 'T is nothing worth unless it woâ—k by love Love is the life of it 't is thaâ— alone Which quickens it or else 't is dead 't is none That man who breaths not at the mouth a jor Whose heart no motion hath whose pulse beaâ—s not We say is dead the like we â—ay infer Concerning faith that 's dead which doth not stir If it be living 't will be active too What the heart thinks mouth speaks the hands will do Let others shew their faith if that they please Without their works while I shew mine by these First my Religion shal be pure and then Peaceable if it be possible with men Forgiving wrongs giving what I can spare To those that want and in distresses are I wil be feet to th' lame eyes to the blind Helpful to all and unto none unkind If thus my faith be qualifi'd I shall Approve it to my self to God to all 1 Peter 5.7 Casting all your care upon God for he careth for you COme heavy souls opprest that are With doubts and fears and carking care Lay all your burthens down and see Where 's one that carried once a tree Upon his back and which is more A heavier weight your sins he bore Think then how easily he can Your sorrowes bear that 's God and Man Think too how willing he 's to take Your care on him who for your sake Sweat bloody drops pray'd fasted cry'd Was bound scourg'd mockt and crucifi'd He that so much for you did do Will yet do more and care for you Rev. 20.11 12. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it from whose face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no place for them And I saw the dead both small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works HAd I the Art in painting like to him Who did the day of Doom so lively limn That when a Heathen Prince beheld the same With terror struck a Christian he became Thus would I set it forth unto your eye The Heavens should put on a sable dye Mask'd with the blackest vail of thickest clouds Which to the Sun Moon Stars should be as shâ—owds To muffle them in one continued night Not once affording the least spark of light Hiding their heads as sham'd or griev'd to see The horrid sins of men which then should be Made manifest and naked to the world And the dire plagues that on them should be hurs'd From this sad object let your eye retire To th' other side and see the earth on fire The Sea all bloud the Throne of God on high Whereon he sits in glorious Majesty Legions of Angels him surrounding there Millions of men that newly raised were Out of their Sepulchres by his command To hear their final sentence trembling stand Below the Divels in the various shapes Of hideous
monsters and heâ—◠〈◊〉 wide gapes Casting forth flame of 〈…〉 thick smoak Enough to blot out hâ—avâ—◠〈…〉 to choak As soon as God hath said Ye Cursed go Int' everlasting fire the Divels lo Are ready strait and drag them down to hell Where they in torments infinite must dwell But since Apelles skill I want to make This Picture right I shall be bold to take A Copy from the Pencil of Saint John As here I find it in his Vision I saw saith he a Throne both white and great Of God Almighty 'T was the Judgment Seat Mysterious in the colour which was white 'Cause Justice should be innocent and bright Not like to Herods Throne that was dy'd red With blood of Infants which he massacred Nor sullied o're with falsehood and with wrong But like the milky way clear all along As white for colour was this stately Throne So great for quantity whereby is showne The greatness of the Judg that thereon sits Past th' apprehension of the greatest wits For such is his immensity none can His measure take beyond the reach of man No Power then his Justice can withstand Whose power doth both heaven and earth command For earth and heaven there shall be found no place When he appears they both flee from his face His face the fight whereof is heaven alone And joyes beyond imagination I saw saith he the dead both great and small Stand before God the Judg impartial His judgments are a great deep into which All fall alike the poor as well as rich The small as great there not a cobweb lies Through which huge sinners like to greater Flies A passage force while lesser stick behind As prisoners and no way t' escape can find Not a net there in which the lesser fry Of sinners like to fishes may espy Holes to slip out whiles that the greater be Intangled without hopes of getting free No this great Judg doth smal and great convent Before this highest Court of Parliament From which are no Appeals but all must rest Irrevocable be they curst or blest There 's no resisting the stiff knee must bend And the stout heart from his high thoughts descend And listen to its doom You shall see there Great Alexander quaking stand for fear He who the world once conquer'd and did weep For want of more now in a hole would creep And give that world which he had conquered For one small corner in 't to hide his head And all that wealth he got to clear the guilt Of all the blood which his vain glory spilt There shall you see that Absolom the fair Who hanged was in his proud dangling hair Confounded stand expecting when to hear A heavier judgment thundring in his ear Condemning him to hang in hells hot'st fire 'Cause to his fathers Throne he did aspire There shall you see King Ahab who by 's wife Rob'd Naboth of his vineyard and his life And that lewd woman Jezabel his Queen 'Mongst many of her Sâ—x shall there be seen And for her Witchcrafts pride and painting sent To Pluto's Court to have her punishment There shall you see Doeg who in pretence Of holy vowes did work no small offence For by his malice he with Saul so wrought That more then fourscore Priests to death he brought There shall you see the Sodomites that burn'd In Lust unnat'ral and to ashes turn'd By fire from heaven but now the Lord shall send A fire from hell to burn them without end There shall you see those three presumptuous men Core and his Complices appear agen Who for their striving against Moses and 'Gainst Aaron too do stigmatized stand To all posterity as th' earth before So now hell gapes to swallow them once more There shall you see Uzziah though a King Condemned for his Incense Offering And taking on him the Priests function Whereto he had no right nor unction There shall you see Antiochus the Great Who did commit that Sacrilegious feat In robbing of the Temple doom'd to pains Proportioned to his unlawful gaines There shall you see that glutton who did fare Deliciously each day and purple wear Suffering poor Lazarus to starve the while Begging himself now in an humble stile But for a cup of water to asswage The furous flames that on his tongue do rage And justly shal that tongue such torments bear Which pleas'd it self so much in dainty chear There shall you see that Phocas who did slay Mauritius his Master to make way For his Ambition to ascend the Throne Descend into the deepest dungeon Of Belzebubs black Vault perpetually To suffer pains for his damn'd Treachery There you the Traitor Judas shall behold Who his dear Lord for thirty pieces sold There you shall see those Prophets that pretend To inspiration and uncall'd ascend The Pulpit venting of old Heresies And most abominable Blasphemies Under the notion of new lights these shall To utter darkness be condemned all For I beheld the Bookswide opened were Another Book the Book of Life was there Laid open too infallible Records Wherein were written all the deeds and words And thoughts and names of men which shall be read In publick then and they be punished Or else rewarded with great woes and joyes According unto all their works and wayes Upon a Snake in a Garden of Flowers having stung one that trod upon him unawares WHo thought this Snake would e're have found An entrance into this inclosed ground Or that a Serpent here should hide his head Under this sweet and flowry bed But 't is no newes for long ago It was the Divels trick man to entice A greater Serpent made his way into A better Garden Paradise And ever since there is no place Of pleasure which we would impropriate But that therein the Serpent shewes his face Though we discover him too late We see him not before we feel That we by his envenom'd teeth are bit And when Achilles like w' are hurt i' th' heel We seek for Balsom to cure it Better it were if we took heed How to avoid the Serpent e're he stung So should we feel no pain nor medicine need But safely sit our flowers among Whiles we securely take delight Amidst our many sweet and fragrant flowers The divel Serpent turnes and doth us bite And with sharp pains our pleasure sowrs Let us look then before we leap And timely seek the danger to prevent Leâ—t we in stead of joyes do sorrowes reap And when it is too late repent Upon Divine Love HOw strong is Love what tongue expresse it can Or heart conceive since it made God a man How strong is Love which made that God-Man dye That man might live with God eternally Lord let this love of thine my heart inspire With love again as sparks rise from the fire Thy love 's a Sun give me a beam from thence Which may both light and heat alike dispence Light to direct others the surest way That leads to heaven and everlasting joy Heat
of a Dove To fly unto the bosome of our Love There we should rest securely from all harmes Embracing and embraced in his armes But what is this behold another sight Two men or Angels rather clad in white Angels Leave gazing thus ye men of Galilee For this same Jesus you shall shortly see Returne again in the same manner as You now beheld him hence to Heaven pass He 's gone but to prepare for you a place Against the time that you have run your race Leave wishing too for wishes will not raise You to the mansions of those endlesse joies Where he resides but let your thoughts all bend In heavenly conversation to ascend Follow his holy steps for so you shall Have your Ascension bodie soul and all Apostles We thank you for your counsel and obey This having said they all depart away Th' Angels to heaven th' Apostles homeward went Expecting when the Spirit should be sent And they endu'd with power from the Lord To save the world by preaching of the Word Upon all Saints day SUch honour have all the Lords Saints that we Keep this day holy to their memorie And reason good for they examples are To us in life and death of vertues rare For though all vertues in some measure met In all the saints as lines i' th' center yet Some special grace in every one did dwel Wherein each one the other did excel Thus Abram for his Faith was most renown'd Job for his singular Patience was crown'd Moses for Meeknesse did all men surpasse Elias for his Zeale most famous was David is for an Upright heart commended Josias for a Tender heart transcended John the Evangelist for Charity And John the Baptist for Austerity Saint Paul for his Humility surmounted When chief of sinners he himself accounted And least of all th' Apostles though indeed For pains and parts he did the rest exceed Peter for Penitence the prize doth bear Who for his sinne shed many a bitter teare Now as their life to us serves for a light So is their death most precious in Gods sight By that we learn to live by this to die By both we come to immortality Since then they are such happy guides wel may We solemnize at least one annual day Unto their honour yet not guiltie be Of superstition or Idolatry When we observe this day we do no more Then reverence them as Saints not them adore God's the sole object of our invocation They but the pattern for our imitation And 't is our prayer alwaies on this day That we their godly living follow may Til we with them at last come to partake Of joyes unspeakable for Christ his sake Whiles thus we celebrate this festival None can us justly superstitious cal To Christ A Poem of Hugo Grot. Sil. lib. 1. p. 10. Translated O Christ which art the head of every thing From whom a better life then this doth spring Thy Fathers measure yet unmeasured Whom whiles that he himself contemplated In his high mind he streams forth light of light And sees himself in 's equal image bright Like whom the world and the worlds guardian man Was made but O he suddainly began To be rebellious his high honour lâ—st And prest with crimes which him most deerly cost Becoming guilty of the greatest pain In this state lay and had for ever laine But that thy Father his case pitying did Give thee who with himself before wast hid Under concealed light eternal love Unto his Church did him to mercy move His truth by dreams he wil reveal no more Nor visions by his Prophets as before But willing now a living Law to make And lasting league with men lo thou didst take A mortal body and a man-like face Yet not begot the way of humane race By filthy lust but thou conceived wast By power divine born of a Virgin chaste Though thou no purple hadst to cloth thee then Bâ—ing newly born nor bands of armed men To compasse thee about and be thy guard Yet Citizens of heaven keep watch and ward And divine Anthems sang about thy stal More royal thus then any Princes Hall The beasts and shepherds thee incircled there Poor but far happier then all Kings they were In that they knew thee thou a new come guest Wert by thy heaven to earth made manifest The Magi stood amaz'd a starre to see Ne're seen before how great say they is he That 's born to honour whom new stars appear Yee â—erie signes of heaven your light forbear Forbeare ye wandring stars and Charls his Wayne To guide the Passengers upon the Maine For through the various waves of things below And life's uncertainties this Star doth show The way not that which unto Babylon brings Proud in the Courts of her Arsâ—oian Kings Nor to the Palaces of Tibur stout Nor to Jerusalem's turrets but points out The Cottages of Bethlehem and the door Of shepherds tents Jewes seek your King no more Amongst the Cornets and the Trumpets sound And th' Arms wherewith mans furie doth surround Himself ye know not wretches as ye be How neer a thing to heaven is povertie How sweet to suffer tel the Parthians now Goe tel the Romans tel your Herod how Hee 'll make the blind to see the lame to walk Hee 'll make the deaf to hear the dumb to talke Hee 'll heal all plagues and sicknesses with ease By 's word not herbs and calm the raging seas Thousands he wil with little food sustain Himself long time with none and raise again The dead make water wine at his command And walk upon the sea as on dry land Let them whom jewels deck let Martial men Try if they can perform the like again These my poor Christ can doe nor doth he cure Bodies alone but minds of men make pure Purges their brests that are possest with sin And heals the plague-sick world which we live in Thus a right way he takes whiles those that stand And mightie are he puls down with his hand Those that are weak and fallen he erects But look what stirrs i' th' heavens What strange aspects And strife of things Whiles so great good in thee Is recompenc'd with hateful crueltie Not by the Sythian or the barbarous men Of Affrick or the north Pole Citizen But by good Abrahams off-spring who alone Of all the nations was thy chosen one Such mischiefe black ambition can do Whiles't being incens'd with pride and hatred too It rages under faigned piety A simple fate thou didst not perish by But as a thief thou di'dst though innocent To undergoe our sin and punishment The sins of all the world did lye on thee Since Adam ate of the forbidden tree From that first hour to this they prest thee all On us those bonds on us those blowes should fall Those sharp black thorns should prick our temple veins The Sergeant should us drag to endlesse pains The nails should pierce our hands the spear our side And we without delay