glore To thee knee-bowd before thy face I fall Come help O help now I begin to call Most holy mighty high and glorious God! Most mercifull most gracious and kinde Most Ancient righteous patient and good Most wise most just most bountifull of minde Infuse thy grace enlarge thy love in mine Confirme my faith conforme my will to thine Eternall One Beginner unbegunne Thou first and last Heavens founder and Earths ball Container uncontaind Father and Sonne Thou All in All unruld yet ruling All Great Light of lights who moves all things unmovd Hearke help and heare for Christs sake thy belovd Sole Soveraigne Balme come heale my wounded soule Which fainting fals under thine heavie hand Regard my plaints remit mine errours foule Let mercy far above thy justice stand Be thou my Heaven place Heaven within mine heart Thy presence can make Heaven where e're thou art Come challenge me come claime me for thine owne Plead thou thy right take place in my possession Lord square my steps thy goodnesse may be knowne In pard'ning each defect of my transgression Arrest my sinnes but let my soule goe free Baile me from thrall let sinne deaths subject die Lord wing my love with feather'd faith to flee To thy all-burning Throne of endlesse glory Mercie is thine for mercy is with thee Lord write my name in thine eternall story O! help my strength farre weaker than a reed Accept my purpose for the reall deed The good I would alace I can not do The ill I would not that I follow still The more thou citst me I grow stubborn too Preferring base corruption to thy will For when thy Sprite to serve Thee doth perswade me The World the Flesh and Satan they disswade me What should I say no gift in me is left To doe to speak to think one godly motion Lord help my wants for why my soule is reft Twixt feare and hope 'twixt sinne and true devotion Faine would I flighter from this lust-lymd clay But more I strive the more I faster stay Lord with the sonne forlorne bring me againe And cloth me with the favour of thy face The swinish husks of sinne I loath and faine Would be thy childe adopt'd the childe of grace Thy Lambe was kill'd for my conversions sake Of which let me some food and comfort take Thy glorious Hierarchy and Martyres all Rejoyce at the returne of a lost sheep Lord in that number let my portion fall That I with them like melodie may keep So with thy Saints my happynesse shall be One and the same as they are blest in Thee Yet whilst I pause and duely do consider Thy will my wayes thy righteousnesse mine errours I cannot plead to flie I know not whidder So grievous are the mountains of my terrours My sinnes so ugly stand before thy face That I dare hardly claime or call for grace What am I in thine eyes if I could ponder But brickle trash compos'd of slyme and clay A wretch-worne worme erect'd for sinne a wonder Whilst my souls treason is thy judgements prey I have no health nor truth nor divine flashes So wicked is this Masse of dust and ashes Lord stretch thine arme put Satan to the flight Exile the world from me and me from it Curbe thou my flesh beat down my lusts delight Rule thou my heart my will guide with thy Sprit Infuse encrease confirme here from above Thy feare thy law in me thy light thy love So shall I through Heavens merit onely rise And kisse thy soule-sought Sonne thy Lambe thy Dove For whose sweet sake I shall thy sight surprise And lift my hope on his redeeming love Blest be the price of mine exalting good Who payd my ransome with his precious blood In Thee I trust Lord help my wavering faith And with thy merits my demerits cover Dispell my weaknesse strengthen my faint breath Renew my life and my past sinnes passe over Be thou my Pilot guide this barke of clay Safe to the Port of thy coelestiall stay Grant me obedience to thy blest desire Instruct my minde environe me with ruth Cleanse thou my heart with flames of sacred fire Fraught with the fulnesse of thy saving truth Build up mine Altar let mine offerings be Faith feare and hope love praise and thanks to Thee Lord spare me for his sake whom thou not spard For my sake even for him from Thee above Was sent down here and slaine O! what regard Bore thou to Man to send thy Sonne of Love To suffer for my guilt the fault being mine But ah good Lord the punishment was thine Thy love great God from everlasting flowes To everlasting Mans reach onely brings Forth the Creation but thy love forth showes From all eternitie eternall springs Of light unsearchable then praise we Thee That ere time was ordain'd our time to be God made all things and God was made a Man All things he made of nothing but come see Withoutten man all things the truth to scan Had turnd to nothing for from one degree God of himselfe made all things and what more He would not all things without Man restore He was of God begotten all things made And borne of woman all things did renew For without man all things had been a shade So nothing well without a Virgin true Thus God and Man conjoynd in one we feele Life of our life and soule of our souls wâ—le What was he made and what hath he made us I pause with joy with silence I admire This mystery I adore who can discusse That goodnesse great sprung from so good a Syre Can reason show more reasonable way Than leave to pry where reason can not swey The Sonne of God behold was made a Man To make us men th' adopted sonnes of God By which he made himself our brotherthen For in all kindes he keeps our brotherhood Though Judge save sinne and Intercessour see He brothers us we must his suppliants be With what assurance then may we all hope What feare can force despaire or yet distrust Since our salvation and our endlesse scope Hangs on our elder brother Christ the Just He 'le give us all the good which we desire And pardon all the sinnes on us engyre The burden of our miseries he bore And laid his merits weight on our sick soules A kindnesse beyond reach his goodnesse more Engross'd his name for us in shamefull scroules O! wondrous love that God should humble thus Himself and take Mans shape to rescue us He who in heavens was admirable set Became for us contemptible on earth And from the Towre of his Imperiall state Imbrac'd a Dungeon for angelick mirth And chang'd the name of Majestie in love To shelter us with mercy from above What eyes for grief should not dissolve in floods Whilst our vile sinnes procur'd his wofull paine He sought our well unsought when we in woods Of wickednesse lay wallowing amaine And daily yet by sinne distrust and strife We crucifie
twisted branch Which on thy roote my hopes must humbly twine For in thy sap my sin-galld wounds I 'le quench No balme of Gilead to that Balme of thine O! better things than Abels blood it speaks It saves the world and Mans salvation seeks How sacred were these teares fell from thine eyes When for Jerusalem thou wept so sore Mercy did plead deploring their disease For pitties sake thou didst their well implore A kindnesse passing love when for thy foes Thou wept and cryde for prophecying their woes That spikenard oyle which on thy feet was spred Doth represent to me that bloody balme Which on the crosse from thy left side was shed To slay the power of sinne make Satan calme O! let that oyle by grace sinke in my soule To heale my sores and cleanse mine errours soule Breake downe the rock of my hard flinty heart Let moisture thence ascend to my two springs The head contains these Rills let them impart Signes of contrition godly sorrow brings O! happy stoods of ever-springing joyes That in the midst of weeping can rejoyce When pale remorse strikes on my conscience sad Mov'd with the lapse of my relapsing sinne Faith flees above and bids my soule be glad Where mercy enters judgement comes not in One sigh in need flowne from a mourning spirit Thou'le not reject being cast on Jesus merit Come gracious God infuse in me full grace Wrought by thy Sprite my souls eternall good Let mercy plead 'gainst justice Lord give place The way is thine my right rests in Christs blood Come pardon my misdeeds release my smart Then quicken me with a relenting heart Whilst I conceive mans frailnesse weake by nature How wretch'd he is how prone to fall or sinke Of all thy works the most rebellious creature Clog'd with ingratenesse ever bent to shrinke What thing is man think I thou shouldst regard him And with a crowne of glory to reward him Thus pausing too on long eternall rest That boundlesse time which no time can containe How rich thinke I these soules be and how blest In time strive here that endlesse time to gaine Strivethen poore soule to claime and climbe this Fort For faith and violence must force Heavens Port. O Lord how wondrous is thy powerfull love Whose mercies farre above thy works excell Who can thy secret Cabine reach above Or sound these deeps wherein thy counsels dwell When thou for man turnd man and suffer'd death To free slaine man from thy fierce judgements wrath Thy wayes are all inscrutable to Man For who can dyve in thy profounding love Whose kindnesse is unspeakable and whan We would most comprehend we least approve Thy wayes thy works so farre excell us men The more we strive to know the lesse we ken To look on Heavens rich star-imbroidred coat That Cannopy of silver-spangled skie The glorious firmament clear without spot The Sphearick Planets as their orders lye The worlds two lamps erect'd with mareveilous light And Elements which blinde our dazeling sight Darknesse and light all quarters and their Climes The rolling Axletree supporting All The Airts and seasons in their severall times This ovall Orbe fenc'd with a glassie wall These revolutions from proud Planets fall Portending Comets Mans prodigious thrall The rolling seas against the stars that swell Their reeling tides their turnes and quiet rest These Creatures and hudge Monsters therein dwell Nought here on earth but that shape there 's exprest Their exhalations earths concavities And shoare-set bound all wonders to our eyes These phisnomies of men their variant faces Show the Creators wisedome in creation Not one like other in forme nor in graces Manners condition qualitie nor station O strange Mans frame should thus all times be showne By gifts and Vults divers'd yet clearly knowne These birds aetheriall glyding fowles that flee To court the clouds alwhere the aire about Which nest the Rocks steep walls and springing tree Whose names and kindes none yet could all finde out Each keep their office set by natures stamp And live and die within thy boundlesse Camp That influence which man beast hearbs and trees Draw from the silver Phebe of the night The signes coelestiall aspectives to disease The Starres so different in their glorious light Time that was creat first and last shall be And ev'ry creature in their own degree How marveilous great art thou almighty God! Who by thy word wrought all and it was done Thou spreadst thy works the Heavens and earth abroad No part left vaste that can creation shunne O! what is foolish man the childe of lust That should not in this great JEHOVAH trust Dull are my senses any way to think My blind capacitie can well conceave The supreame providence by natures wink And bound his boundlesse pow'r unlesse I rave Like who can once exhaust the Occean dry No more can I in his great grandure pry A king command'd a Philosophick man To shew him what was God and what his might He strove and faild and said He could not scan That greatnesse which excelld best Natures light The Pagan king admird and yet this wretch Confess'd there was a God in power rich To show us there 's Deitie all things ascend And mount aloft as vapour smoake and fire The trees grow upward waves when tost transcend All birds and fowles aetherially aspire So words and voices still their ecchoes raise And man whose face is made on heaven to gaze There 's nought but worms and beasts which sight the ground But all denote their great eternall Maker Yet man wretch'd man is earth ty'd and fast bound To things below whereof he 's still partaker Nay worse then beasts he 's choak'd with worldly cares And kills his heart with greed his soule with snares What are the humours of our foggy braines But stupid thoughts conceiv'd of doubts and feare Best pregnant wits suspition quells their straines The wise the worldlings have their Emblemes here A shadow without substance I finde man Nay worse than Baalams Asse the truth to scan He sinne reprov'd yet never sinn'd himselfe But wofull man can both rebuke and sinne That which his words most hate becomes the shelf Whereon his inward lusts fall deepest in Mans lips are snares his lips both false and double His tongue a sting begets both shame and trouble O heavie lump the carcasse of disease O Masse of ill the Chaos of corruption O Microcosmos of infirmities O rotten slyme the pudle of inruption I mean mans stinking flesh who can expresse The worst its best is but base filthynesse A plunge of carion clay a prey for wormes A faggot without mercy for Hells fire A gulf where beats sterne deadly boystrous stormes A whirlewinde for Airts of each attire Wherein combustion sprung from contrare wills Makes thoughts arise like waves surpassing hills And what 's our beauty but a flash-showne show For when at best its filthy vile and base The nose the mouth our
THE GUSHING TEARES OF GODLY SORROW CONTAINING The Causes Conditions and Remedies of Sinne Depending mainly upon Contrition and Confession And they seconded with Sacred and Comfortable passages under the mourning CANNOPIE of TEARES and REPENTANCE MATTH. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted PSAL. 126. 5. They that sow in teares shall reape in joy By WILLIAM LITHGOVV EDINBURGH Printed by ROBERT BRYSON ANNO DOM 1640. At the expences of the Authour TO THE TRVLY NOBLE MAGNANIMOVS AND ILLUSTRIOUS LORD IAMES EARLE OF MONTROSE Lord GRAHAME Baron of MURDOCK c. Illustrious LORD IF gratefull duetie may be reputed the childe of reason then doubtlesse my choisest wishes and best Affection must here fall prostrate before your auspicuous and friendlie face fast chayned in the fetters of obedience Flatterie and Ingratitude I disdayne as hell And to court your Lo with elegant phrases were indeed as much as who would light a Candle to light the Sunne Your Noble and Heroicke Vertues light this Kingdome and who can give them light For as the Aurore of your honoured reputation is become that Constantinopolitan Hyppodrome to this our Northrene and virgine Albion so lykewise the same singularitie of worth hath raised your auspicuous selfe to be the monumentall glorie of your famous and valiant Predecessours iustly tearmed THE SWORD OF SCOTLAND Your morning of their Summers day hath fullie enlarged the sacred Trophees of their matchlesse memorie best befitting the generositie of your magnanimous minde That as the GRAHAME from long antiquitie being the most ancient surname of this unconquered Nation so they your old aged Ancestors have left a lineall construction of their Valour and Worthinesse to bee inherent in your most hopefull personage which God may long continue to you your Race and your Posteritie My humble request pleads the continuance of your favour that as your late renowned Grand-father and Father were unto mee both friendlie and favourable proceeding from their great goodnesse not my deserts so expect I the same from your tender bountie which hitherto beyond my merit hath beene exceeding kyndlie manifested For the which my prayse and prayers the two sisters of myne Oblation rest solidlie ingenochiated at the feete of your conspicuous Clemencie This present worke in its secret Infancie was both seene and perused by your Lo but now enlarged polished and published I have done my best though not my uttermost The discourse it selfe runneth most on the causes conditions and remedies of sin and they sharply linked in generalls and particulars The whole substance of my labours sealing vp the happinesse of a sinners conversion to God under the mourning Cannopie of Teares and Repentance The lynes are plaine yet pithie and although the subject may carrie no loftie nor Poëticke style yet themanner the matter the Man and his Muse are all and only yours and I left theirs onlie to serve you and your noble disposition Accept therefore my good Lord both the gift and givers minde with the same alacritie as I offer them in Love and humilitie which being shelterd under your pious and prudent Patronage shall enforce mee to remaine as I vow ever to be whilst I have being Your Honours most obsequious and most observant Oratour WILLIAM LITHGOVV The Prologue to the Reader THou mayst peruse this worke with kynde respect Cause none my good intention can controule The style may not the subject beare defect Some Painter will the fayrest face drawe foule Excuse myne age if faultie blame my quill Defects may fall and not fayle in goodwill My Muse declynes downe styde her loftie straynes And hoarie growes succumbing to the dust Old wrung inventions from industrious paynes Draw to the grave where death must feede his lust Flesh flye in ashes bones returne to clay Whence I begunne there must my substance stay Goe thou laborious pen and challenge tyme For memorie to all succeeding ages In thy past workes and high heroicke ryme And pregnant prose in thryce three thousand pages Yet dye thou must and Tyme shall weare thee out Ere seaven tymes seaven worne ages goe about But Vertue claymes her place and prostrate I Must yeelde due honour to her noble name Shee taught mee to take paynes it s done and why To make her famous in her flying fame A Sculler may transport a royall Queene As well as Oares and both their safeties seene Trust mee my paynes contend for to bee playne No style Poeticke may this subject clayme Touch but Vermilion you shall see a stayne No fiction may averre a sacred Theame Nor dare Panthoas Cynthias herball flowre Be seene nor spread till rolling Phoebus lowre Then read misconster not but wisely looke If I divinely keep a divine stile Which done thou mayst take pleasure in this booke An Infant from devotion bred the while Like treatise I before neere wrote excuse This new borne birth from mine old aged Muse See! here in generals thou mayst observe The cause of sinne sinnes remedy salt teares Where sharpe particulars for repentance serve To blazon wickednesse and wicked feares What here is done to thee to me to all May be apply'd as each one findes his fall Yet who can stop base Critick tongues to carpe For Atheists shall and Epicures repine So scoffing fooles on strings of scorne will harpe To see this myte a part of mine engyne But silly Gnats worse bred then Berdoan beasts I slight their spight my Muse in Sion feasts Would thou contend with me who best should write On choice of Theames selectâ—d between its twaine I could abide thy censure take delite In thy defects to censure thee againe Since thou sits dumbe and cannot bite but barke Peace hold thy peace else show me thine owne wark But zealous eyes may come come and come soone To read this Task if pleasd Lo I have done To the godly and good Christian a fellow suppliant in Christ WILLIAM LITHGOVV THE GVSHING TEARES OF GODLY SORROW SPring sweet coelestial Muse launch forth a flood Of brinish streams in cristall melting woes Rain-rill my plaints then bath them in Christs blood Let pearling drops my pale remorse disclose Sink sorrow in my soule divulge my grief Who mourns and mourns in time shall finde relief I can not reach to what my soule would aime But help good God my weaknesse and support My bashfull quill O! teach me to disclaime My self and cleave to thy all-saving Port Touch thou my heart so shall my lips recoile Thine Altars praise to sing sins utmost spoile Thrice blest is he who mournes he shall rejoyce Whilst godly sorrow shall encrease his joy Lord heare my cryes remarke my weeping voice Blesse thou this work let grace my heart imploy That what these Tears aford in this plain storie May tend to my souls health and thy great glorie Great Son of the great God fulnesse of time Whom Heavens applaude whom earth fals down before The promis'd Pledge whom Prophets most sublime Foretold to come our Lord the Son of
excrements we know And breath stinke worse than beasts of any race Nay sweetest things that ever time made faire They loathsome grow unlesse the use be rare The soule except'd when I consider all Gods workes and Creatures Man is onely worst The rest sublunary succumbent fall Mans â—ly blest or else for ever curst All things as servile serve for mediate ends Save Man whose wage on joy or woe depends Lord what am I within this house of clay But brickle trash compos'd of slime and dust A rotten fabrick subject to decay Which harbours nought but crums of wretched lust And if a guest of one good thought entreates me I barre it out to lodge the ill that hates me Impietie and custome scale my Fort To rule my minde like to their blinde desire Will head-strong helpes corruption keeps the Port The hands and feet set eye and tongue on fire Then Eloquence breaks forth a subtile foe To trap the object working me the woe Why cause affection begets opinion Opinion rules the World in ev'ry minde Then sense submits that pleasure should be Minion To base conceit absurdly grosse and blinde Thus fond opinion self loves halting daughter Betrayes my scope commits me to sinnes slaughter Then judgement falls and fails and reason flees To shelter Wisedome in some solid breast They leave me both left loaden with disease Whilst frailty fastens sorrow on my creest Delite contracts despite despyte disdaine Thus threefold chaind their furies forge my paine My best companion is my deadly foe Sin is my Consort and would seeme my friend Yea walks with me where e're my footsteps goe And will not leave me till my journeys end The more I flee the faster it cleaves to me And makes corruption labour to undoe me There six degrees of sinne in man I finde Conception first and then consent doth follow The thirds desire that turns his judgement blinde The fourth is practise ragged rent and hollow The fift is flinty keeps fast obduration And last the sixt lulls him in reprobration Mans owne corruption is the seed of sinne And custome is the pudle of corruption Swift head-strong habit traitour-like creeps in And blows sinnes bellowes to make more inruption Nay the worlds example sinnes strong secourse Makes both the object and the subject worse How many foes hath man within without him Within lurks concupiscence vertues foe Without the world which waits and hangs about him Both ghostly and humane to worke his woe Last comes the conscience judge-set to accuse him And verdict given then terrour would confuse him Thus man is ev'ry way tost to and fro Like Tunneise balls when banded still rebound All things have action Nature rules it so The secret sprite of life these motions bound Their being honours God who gave them being But Man fals back from him gave reason seeing And yet to quench these fires remorse creeps in And brings contrition with confession crying Faith flees before pleads pardon for our sin Then ragged rottennesse fals down a dying For repentance and remission of sinnes Are two inseparable sister twinnes Most have no tears for sinne but tears of strife To plead malicious pleyes and waste their meanes On Lawyers tongues that love their envious life And what like partie loose the Cormant gleanes Their cause and charges lost O spightfull pride They spend at last the stock they had beside Like to the Mouse and frogge which did contend Which of them should enjoy the marish ground The Kyte as Judge discuss'd this cause in end And took them both from what they could not bound So Proctors seaze on Clyants lands and walls And raise themselves in their contentious falls They 're like to Aesops dogge who had a bone When through a flood he swim'd fast in his head Where spying his shade he lets it fall anone To catch the other lost them both indeed So spitefull men and greedy well it s knowne In seeking others state they loose their owne Thrice blest is he who knowes and flyes like men Since greed begets oppression or debate And though Deceivers play Politicks then To make their wrongs a right to raise their state Yet forth it comes no subtiltie can close it For time and truth will certainly disclose it They thinke to hide their faults by craft and plots To blynde Gods eyes as they inveigle man O strange what villany their soule besots That dare 'gainst truth the traitour play and than Deceive themselves by a deceitfull way Which tends to death and make them Satans prey Then there is nought but once will come to light No sinne so close but God will it discover No policie can blinde Almighties sight Nor fault so hid that he will once passe over Unlesse repentance draw his mercy downe Thy darkest deeds shall be disclos'd eftsoone Behold Jonah from Joppa when he fled And would not stay to do the Lords direction Clos'd in a ship and hid yea nothing dread Yet found he was and swallowed for correction And Paul for Damas bound to persecute His Saints was stroke yet sav'd his drifts refute Looke to Cains murder how it was clear'd And Davids blood-shed with adultrie mixt Remarke the bush whence Adams voice appear'd And Israels thoughts when they their Maker vext Then he who made thine eyes and gave them sight Can he not see who gave thy seeing light It 's not with God as men Gods ev'ry where In Heaven and earth Gods presence filleth all In Hell below his Justice ruleth there All things must to his omniscience fall Man knows but as he sees and in a part But God doth search the reynes and try the heart How swinishly alas have I then liv'd Nay who can say that I have liv'd at all Whilst buried else in sleep in sloth or griev'd With fals-forgd cares conglutinating thrall To tempt my loving and most patient God I have contemn'd his mercy mock'd his rod There 's nought so smooth and plaine as calme-set seas And nought more rough when rag'd by stormy winde The lead is cold as yce or Winter freize But when been firde its scolding hote we finde Theirne is blunt till toold and edge be put And then most sharpe to stobbe to shave or cut So patient God is loath and slow to wrath His patience is as great as great his love Long suffring he deferres to threaten death Till our grosse sinnes his just drawn-judgements move And then his anger stirr'd it burnes like fire Consuming man and sinners in his ire Next pause I on the momentany sight Of mans short life that like a shadow flees Much like the swiftnesse of a Faulcones flight Or like a bird glydes by our glancing eyes Then marvell I how man can harbour pride Or wherein should his vanitie confyde To day he 's stout to morrow laid in grave His lookes alive are plumd like variant feathers Been throwne in dust he turnes to earth a slave And as he breaths
here Be thou my Pilot safely loofe and steere Conduct me straight to thy Coelestiall Port That in the Sabboth of eternall rest My soule may reigne And with the Angels court Thy face with joyes that cannot be exprest Where all content in fulnesse of rich pleasures Shall them attend in overjoying measures Who here within this Domicile of dust And boggy baggage of a stinking lump Would stay to eat the excrements of lust And feed on filthinesse that rotten stump Nay none but Abjects holy Ones rejoyce To be dissolvd make happynesse their choice But some heart-sunke in worldly greed and cares Would build their Paradise in this base life And by extreames involve them selves in snares Hating the truth in falshood spend their strife And what envy can not accomplish they Will make extortion all their hatred swey Can thou forgivenesse crave for thy misdeeds And will not first forgive anothers wrongs How can thou pray or thinke thy prayer speeds When in thy heart thou malice keeps and long To be revengde This is no Christian life To pray and praise when sunke in spite and strife Away with envy malice pride and hate Let not the Sunne go downe upon thy wrath Live to the Lord and live in holy state Love one another there 's the marke of faith Live and live holy whom thou serves regard He 'le come and come in haste with thy reward Then be not Spider-like that doth exhaust It selfe in workes of little use and time Nor like the Indians rude absurd devast That will give gold for glasse rich gemmes for slime And precious stones for toyes and trifling things Which strangers bring knives whistles beeds brasse rings All smell of greed though not of perfect wit Then hang not downe thy head for lack of trash Let Craesus be thy Lydian Mappe he 'le fit Thy greedy humours with a falling dash All which are shades of floating vanities Mans onely constant in unconstancies Shall rich Saturnia with her cramming gold Deceive my heart and move my minde to swell Or with false lookes vaine hopes to me unfold To snare my thoughts which vertue may expell A figge for worldly baits a tush for greed For being poore I me rich in having need And why 'cause povertie that is so light As being weigh'd in ballance with the winde Doth hang aloft Then can not seeme no weight Nor dare to sit as sad on my free minde Say if it should it were some fainting thought Would me deject for povertie is nought Then all my riches is content I see A stock more sure than Wealth can Worldlings lend Poore was I borne and as poore must I die Unlesse good luck a chest to death extend Get I a sheet to wrappe up my dead bones I 'me richer far than gold or precious stones Seven foot of ground and three foot deep I crave The passing bell to sound mine obsequie Gold lands and rents the living world I leave Else if I smart by streames by flouds or sea Then shall some fishes belly be my grave No winding sheet my Corps shall need to have But stay what passion thus diverts my minde Dust shall to dust and earth to earth returne If I can here true peace of conscience finde What losse what trash what crosse can make me mourne For when laid low and having lost this frame My soule shall mount to Heaven from whence it came The soule it is of heavenly substance fram'd Breathd in at mans nostrils by his Maker A sprit invisible Gods image nam'd With whom of Essence infinite partaker Will mem'rie knowledge faculties divine Are my soules socialls reasondo confyne Will is to rule and knowledge to conceave And memorie a locall power assumes Knowledge as chief makes understanding crave A league with love whose worke true blesse resumes Lo there 's the fruit of this coelestiall mould Which never here shall rot nor hence grow old Then teach me Lord to count my slyding dayes That I to wisedome may my heart apply So shall thy statutes guyde my slipprie wayes And circumspection all my actions try Who knew his date of life and might attaine it Would learne to live well else he would disdaine it We 're apt to note the lives of other men But not our owne selfe-love our sense divides Like two ships under saile and one course ken Both sailers think each other swifter glides Than their owne ship So we can check and show The lives of others and our owne misknow Our haires growne gray our desires then grow greene And after earthly things we hunt amaine We love this world so well as oft it s seene That we are dead with grief ere death hath slaine Us with destruction Age would faine be young To nurse the serpent that his soule hath stung Man lives like him who fell into a pit Yet caught a grippe by a branch'd tree and hung Above his head a hony Combe did sit Whence his deep appetite delight had wrung Below two gnawing wormes razing its roote The treefals downe and greed devourd the fruit The pit our grave the Tree this mortall life This hony combe vaine pleasures of the world Two gnawing wormes the speedy thiftu'ous strife Of night and day wherein our dayes are hurld Timeclouds our light the glasse is runne we fall Downe to the dust where death triumphs o're all Then darknesse covers Man he mouldring rots Earth gluts him in her wombe away he goes His better part resumes one of two lots No shade nor sepulchre can it enclose It either mounts above or falls beneath There is no midst can stop or stay its path Each course is violent faith conquers Heaven By force and wrestling in the way of light VVhich strait is and few enter Most are driven Downe to the gulfe of ever-sorrowing night That way is broad where numbers numberlesse Fall in earths Cell plungd in cursd wofullnesse Such as the life's so frequently the death The Divels deceit prolongs us in delay Then wouldst thou flee that pestilence set faith Against temptation Runne the happy way That leads to life Make thy confession cleare And beg for peace then mercy will draw neare Yet ah how fraile am I how weak how wretchd That even my conscience trembles at my cace Alas poore sleeping soule how art thou stretchd In drousie dulnesse void of good and grace Pluck up thy selfe condole confesse convert And strive to stand although thy steps divert The Compasse stands not solide to the Pole Though with the Loadstone any point is touchd But hath some variation we controle To the East or West as hourely is avouchd So none of our best deeds though touchd with grace Points God amaine deflection marres our pace Which made Saint Paul ingenuously confesse That by himselfe he nothing knew nor could Be thereby justify'd 'cause his digresse Was judg'd by God the Loadstone true that would Point forth each point and yet forget forgive The least the maine the guilt for
word and they posternall blanks The light here shines with them doth darknesse lye Or shall the truth in foppish relicks rest That were to Britaine an Egyptian pest But stay O stay long have I liv'd and liv'd To see their blindnesse in dejections fall I know their wayes and at their lives have griev'd They pierce our wills and we their projects thrall Is any under Sunne so well acquainted VVith them as I whose body they tormented They wish that Malaga had burnt me quick As doom'd I was so by Spaines Inquisition Whose tortures ah fast to my bones doestick And vexe mesore with pangs of requisition Great God avenge't confound them and restore Me to my health for I le debord no more Lord give me grace of all things to praise Thee Who never leaves thine owne left in distresse Thou first discoverd then deliver'd me A worke of love beyond my hopefulnesse I sought thou wrought then did enlarge my life Free from destruction last from Papall strife Now to observe my method I le returne To square construction with deploring Saints Then here 's my rule I le both rejoyce and mourne For teares bring joy when mercy crownes complaints The just man sinnes seven times a day and I Full seventy seven times may each houre descry Oh! if mine eyes like Arathusean Springs Fled Greece to Syracuse could yeeld three Fonts One to bewaile originall sinne stings The life of nature the other ah amounts To actuall trespasse the last and worst comes in To consuetude a deadly dangerous sinne Yet as the Malefactour when set free From death and pardond his heart is overjoyed Or as the Prisner set at libertie Which long before he never had enjoyed So Man when freed from sinne and Satans clawes His soule triumphs and loves religious lawes A â—hipwrackt man cast on some planke to seeke The safe set land which got how glad is he So shipbroke sinners in some stormie creek Of sinfull seas and sterne iniquitie Beene free to coast the shoare of grace and landed More greater joy than theirs nev'r soule commanded A wandring sonne long forraniz'd abroad In Parents hopes left desolate or slaine Yet when returnd and shaken off the load Of strangers rites how they rejoyce amaine So Saints so Heavens so Angels joy when changd One sinner turnes who long from God hath rangd These teares at Babell spent on Tigris banks Where Euphrates salutes that stately station Sowre-set Hebraick plaints powr'd forth by ranks Of mourning Captives banishd from their Nation And Sions face O sad Judaick songs Wailing for sinne and sterne Chaldean wrongs None of their teares were lost they pierc'd the heavens Whence kinde compassion free deliv'rance sprung God from his deoperculate Cherubins â—mbracd these feares his chosen flock had stung Then Mordecais sackcloth Queene Esthers woes Wrought Hamans death made Israel to rejoise Thus teares and pale repentance brought reliefe Though once exyld see now they 're back-reclaimd The least construction bred from godly griefe Begets like mercy mercy stands proclaimd At Heavens court gate for Christ the trumpet sounds And bids all sinners come he 'le heale their wounds VVho pleads for peace shall mercie finde with God The oyle of grace shall oyle their stinking gores All fatigating soules griev'd with the load Of sinne may come whose case remorse deplores For sanctify'd crosses all just Mens troubles Are not prest sorrows Mercy comfort doubles I never finde affliction fall on me VVithout desert for God is true and just Nor shall it come and without profit be For God is good as mercifull I trust Then welcome all afflictions sent from God He whom he loves he chastens with his rod VVho loves his childe administers correction And keeps him under awe cause of complainers Yet notwithholds kinde Natures best affection But curbes his will to rectifie his manners Much more Gods love abounds cause we are fraile And playes the Jayler then becomes our baile He lets us fall that he may raise us up And though we sinke we can not headlong drowne By gentle stripes he represents the cup VVhich Christ drunk of our patience for to crowne As Peter sunke then shrunke was twice recall'd So if we sinke or slyde we are not thralld The love of God is free his mercy gracious There 's no constraint binds God to pittie man But of free will would make our soules solacious To glorifie his goodnesse if we can But apprehend by faith what he hath done For us through Christ his onely righteous Sonne Man pondring on his momentany dayes May well conceive the brevitie of time From which extract he should contract the praise Of him who hastes to short the sense of slime And if it were not for his owne Elect He would prolong the day and speed neglect What is this age of ours much like a span Yea like the water buble shent as swelld Even as the glyding shade so fadeth Man Or like the morning grasse soone sprung soone quelld Nay like the flowre which falls then rots ere noone So melt our dayes and so our dayes are done And yet what are our dayes the longest liver As one man once I saw seven score yeares old Nay diverse six score health was such a giver Of lengthning time ere they returnd to mould And yet a dreame whose larger halfe of life Was spent in sleep the rest in toile and strife Oh! if ambitious men their ends were showne That like the froth do beat on rocks of death That shadow short from a fled substance flowne Much like a dreame so vanisheth their breath Then would their deeds forbeare to tyranize The Just might live and offer sacrifice But ah their thundring spight liket'a storme thuds And boasting men would thereby God upbraid The light they scorne and in Infernall clouds Would smother vertue with a sanguine spade Is not this Christian world with bloud o'rewhelmde Their swords with strife their heads with hatred helmde See! godlesse Tyrants tyrannizing still And scourging Saints themselves they scourge with shame Like Nimrod they gainst Heaven will have their will Though justice in sad judgements plague the same At last behold where they themselves sojourne Their threatning swords back in their bosome turne When Dionisus for tyranny had fled He kept a schoole in Calabria eight yeares At Montecilion opposite indeed To Sicilie which he at last endeares A king to turnea schoolemaster was strange But back to turne a King a rarer change In this our age what kings have beene dis-thrond Detect'd cast downe last banish'd from their bounds I could recite and where th' injust were crownd And Princes headlong hurled from their grounds Pryde fosterd spight with them the Ulcer brecks Which gored the harmelesse broke ambitious necks Would God mens choler could with patience lurke To blunt the edge of anger and to curbe With Job their passion let forbearance worke The stress'd Athenian suffring Not disturbe Times meek-fac'd calmenesse prosperous in peace With which no