for the frames Yielding such fruit as few have born but he Zealous for Heaven where he in Glory reigns so his Losses turn'd to be his Gains ¶ On Christ's Death MY God my God turn not to night my day Shall Mans black Crimes be Darts my heart to slay Must my dear blood on sinful dust be spilt To pay his debt and wash away his guilt My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Must I come from a Diadem to Death Leaving my joys in sorrow spend my breath Must I that am coequal with the Father Be crucifi'd that man may comfort gather My God my God c. I that e're now was cloath'd in state of Glory Am now in Rags of Flesh to tell my story I that fill ev'ry place in spight of danger Yet I in fear was cradled in a Manager My God my God c. To Egypt I compelled was to fly I am the Life yet I my self must die I am the sole Dictator of the Law Yet must be subject now and stand in aw My God my God c. 'T was I that both the Earth and Heavens made But working now at Joseph's homely trade Children of men I have ye ost exempted Can binde the Devils yet must I be tempted My God my God c. I made the World of Nothing Man of Dust Yet I have hungred and have been athirst I am become Life to the Lunatick If God can die Nature may well be sick My God my God c. Must I that keep the Keys of Death and Hell Pay visits now where griefs and terrours dwell Must Kings be made the subjects of their scorns And wear instead of Stars a Crown of Thorns My God my God c. My Senses all extreamly are agriev'd My eyes beholding whom I have reliev'd Mine ears with hearing lewd blasphemous Taunts Instead of Hallelujahs sung by Saints My God my God c. Smelling I finde my nostrils streight grow full O' th' evil scent of some corrupted skull My Taste is chang'd with Liquor like my Thrall Sower and bitter Vinegar and Gall. My God my God c. My Feeling with the Spear that pierc'd my side That man might live I thus was crucifi'd At length my Father heard me bad me die But nothing fear sor he himself stood by ¶ An Hymn By St. Ambrose and St. Augustine OUr tongues O God thy praise record We thee consess our Soveraign Lord. To thee Eternal Father all Who dwell on Earth do prostrate fall To thee the Angels at all hours To thee the Heavens and heav'nly powers To thee with voice incessantly The Seraphins and Cherubs cry Thou Holy Holy Holy one Of Sabbath Lord and God alone Fill'd is the Earth the Heavens the Skie With glory of thy Majesty The bless'd Apostles glorious Quire The Prophets whom thou didst inspire And all the White-rob'd Martyrs sing Eternal praise to thee their King The holy Church does loudly sound Thy blessed Name throughout the ronnd Of the whole Earth confessing thee Father of boundless Majestie The same is dutifully done To thy sole Venerable Son And to the Holy Ghost that arms The Soul with consolating Charms Thou Christ hast Kingly Glories won Thy Father 's dear Eternal Son Thou man to free from endless pain A Virgins womb didst nor disdain That death subduing didst unlock Heav'ns Realms unto thy faithful Flock On God's right hand thou fit'st as bright As in thy Father's radiant light Our Judge to come thou art esteem'd Thy servants therefore help redeem'd With thy most precious blood and make Us with thy Saints of Bliss partake Lord save thy people in distress Thy Heritage vouchsase to bless Rule and exalt them without end Our dayly blessings thee attend Thy glorious Name we magnifie From age to age eternally This day sweet Lord we now are in Preserve us from committ'ng sin Have mercy on us Lord efface Our sins with thy Coelestial grace Let mercy on us Lord be seen As in thy self our hopes have been Lord I have fix'd my hopes on thee Then let me ne're confounded be ¶ On Christ's Cross. CAn we spell Chris-cross row and yet not read That Christ for us was dead How he himself did humble unto death Loosing his life to give us breath But now he shines in the Coelestial Frame And hath receiv'd a Name To which all knees shall bow and tongues shall say This is the Lord we must obey He that doth disregard the Cross of Christ Of Happiness hath mist Destruction is his end his glory shame But happy he doth love the same I will not hate the Cross nor yet adore Any but he it bore I 'll not blaspheme the Cross because t was dy'd With his rich blood was crucifi'd Rich beyond price for when that blood was spilt It cleans'd a world of guilt It bought mankinde for when Christ's blood was flown As Lord he call'd us all his own Wherefore I will not worship any one But my dear Lord alone Take up my Cross and bear my Cross I will I 'll love it and embrace it still But to adore my Cross I will not dare All knees should that forbear In reverence to his Name all hearts shall bow With pious Zeal as mine does now Christ never wanted crosses scoffs and scorns His ways were strew'd with thorns Then may we judge by his most sacred birth He 's cross'd wants crosses here on Earth ¶ The Cross. Then let us count all things as loss And Dung compared with the Cross. This is the Figure of that Tree That bore the fruit of life for me The Emblem of Humility Express'd in him did on it die To it was nail'd the God of Life Who did in Love to end our Strife God had one Son who had no sin But all his Sons have crossed bin ¶ The Resurrection HE 's risen now behold the stone is gone Which late was rolled to inclose the Son Had the weak Jews so little wit or grace To trust to that when he fills ev'ry place Earth is his foot-stool yet he dwells on high Holy his Name himself 's Eternity ¶ The Ascention HOw nimbly and with what a quick ascent Heaven was scal'd by the Omnipotent But one days speedy journey surely then Sinners are sots that won't be happy men ¶ An Adoration to the Lord of the Sabbath BEhold we come dear Lord to thee And bow before thy Throne We come to offer on our knee Our Vows to thee alone Whate're we have whate're we are Thy bounty freely gave Thou didst us here in mercy spare And wilt hereafter save But oh can all our store afford No better gifts for thee Thus we confess thy Riches Lord And thus our Poverty 'T is not our tongue or knee can pay The mighty Debt we owe For more we should than we can say Far lower than we bow Come then my Soul bring all thy powers And grieve thou hast no more Bring ev'ry day thy choicest hours And thy great God adore
What here thou Viewest is the Gravers Art A shape of man Only the Outward part Peruse the booke therein more plainly read Vera effigies Samuelis Speed F.H. Van Houe fec What here thou Viewest is the Gravers Art A shape of man Only the Outward part Peruse the booke therein more plainly read Vera effigies Samuelis Speed Prison Pietie OR MEDITATIONS Divine and Moral Digested into Poetical Heads On Mixt and Various Subjects Whereunto is added A PANEGYRICK TO The Right Reverend and most Nobly descended HENRY Lord Bishop of LONDON By SAMUEL SPEED Prisoner in Ludgate London Despise not this 'cause in Confinement writ Prisons improve the gifts of Grace and Wit For Before I was aflicted I went astray but now have I learned thy Statutes LONDON Printed by J. C. for S. S. and sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster 1677. TO The most Reverend Father in God His Grace GILBERT By Divine Providence Lord Arch bishop OF CANTERBVRY Primate and Metropolitan Of all ENGLAND May it please your Grace USe hath become a Custome for Writers to shroud their Pens and Parts under the Patronage of some Honourable and secure Protection by which my Lord I am emboldened to supplicate your Graces favour my Attempt carrying with it these two Reasons to mitigate my Presumption First that these my Ejaculations and Meditations being Divine they pretend a Title to your Graces Cognizance with whose most learned Name being presented to the world they will undoubtedly sinde an Acceptance among Pious and Judicious Readers The other Reason is That since your Grace was acquainted with my deceased Grand father Mr. John Speed the English Chronologer and laborious Genealoger the Author and this his Enchiridion he humbly hopes may obtain your favourable Aspect For which causes I am apt to promise to my self a fair Interpretation though they are the Issues of my Retirements in a Prison since from the like place Almighty God by a Miracle did redeem St. Peter and our Blessed Saviour deigned to love poor Lazarus though in a low condition though I write from a Prison to the Palace of England's renowned Metropolitan it is however to testifie the zeal I have for your Graces merits May your Honours as your hours increase in this Age may your glorious Memory be admired in futurity And when your Grace shall exchange your Terrestâ—…ial Theatre for a Coelestial Throne may a Crown of Glory to eternity adorn your Vertues which is and shall be the continual Prayer of Most Reverend Learned and most Pious Patron Your Graces Most devout most humble and obsequious Servant SAMUEL SPEED To the DEVOUT Christian Reader LOndon's too late and fatal Judgments the Plague and Fire having made me uncapable to manage my Affairs with the like success as formerly some Creditors severe as well as covetous forced me to a Confinement in Ludgate where the bet ter to employ my time I have compiled and composed this Manual of Meditations which consists of Psalms Hymns and Divine Poems In which act of Contemplation I made my Prison my Paradise being so transported with Raptures that I banish'd from my memory all thoughts of my Affliction And as I found great satisfaction in the writing I hope the Reader will finde the like in the perusal for in it are variety of Subjects especially such as are extracted from the Psalms that book which may properly be called the Heart of the Bible and is therefore most fitly placed in the middle as the Anatomy of the Soul the Epitome of the Law and the Expositor of the Gospel the Register Enchiridion and Summary of the Holy Scriptures And as the writing thereof hath been delightful so certainly in Confinement no pleasure can exceed a serious especially if Divine Study no Companions can be better than divine Books nor can any time be better spent than in contemplative Devotion Therefore since this life is as it were a Fair and while the Fair lasteth there is to be bought in it any thing that is necessary if we suffer the time of the Fair to slip away it is in vain to expect another Wherefore before the time be past which the Lord of the Fair and the mercie of thy Maker hath allowed be studious to perform Repentance that thou mayst procure Pardon be diligent to gain Grace that thou mayst obtain Glory It is reported of Alexander the Great that when he came to besiege any place he caused a burning Light to be set up and then made proclamation that so long as the Light burned he gave his Enemy time to seek for mercie by surrendring themselves and the place but if within that time they did it not the Sword should destroy them all Now what is mans life but a burning Light and so long as this Light continues God gives us time to make our peace with him and to provide for our future safety but this Light being once extinguished before we draw neer to God by Repentance and Conversion those two fabricks of Salvation what remains but a sudden and an eternal destruction Therefore since we have filled God's bag with our sins let us likewise fill his bottle with our tears Wherefore when we waste our time we ought not to complain for the want of time but rather to follow the example of that holy St. Ignatius who when he heard a Clock strike would say There 's one hour more now past that I have to answer for Latimer rose usually at Two of the clock in the morning to his Study and Bradford slept not commonly above four hours in the night and in his bed till sleep came his Book went not out of his hand He counted that hour not well spent wherein he did not some good either with his Pen his Study or Discourse these Worthies well weighing that truth which Seneca asserts Time that is consumed idly is rather spilt than spent Contemplation is the life of the Soul and the Christians best Companion in his solitude but a contemplative life without practice is like unto Rachel Jacob's Wife beautiful bright-sighted but barren It is good therefore to have Rachel's beautiful face to be seconded with Leahs fruitful womb By Contemplation and Consideration Solomon got much of his Wisdom as appeareth by his Ecclesiastes which by some is very aptly called Solomon's Soliloquy St. Basil left his friends and acquaintance retiring himself into a Wilderness that he might the more devoutly serve God and delight himself in holy Meditations And St. Hierome comforting a young Hermit bad him look up to Heaven and take a few turns in Paradise by his Meditations assuring him that so long as he had Paradise in his minde and Heaven in his thoughts he should not be sensible of his Solitariness Nor is Contemplation onely delightful but also profitable by taking the meditation off from vain Imaginations idle Company profane Discourse and obscene Songs all which are too frequent in a Prison and tend not onely to the corruption of good
Handmaid am but of a short time and too weak for the understanding of thy Judgments and Laws Although a man be never so perfect among the children of men yet if thy Wisdom be not with him he shall be of no value O send her out therefore from thy Holy Heavens and from the Throne of thy Majesty that she may be with me and labour with me that I may know what is acceptable in thy sight for she knoweth and understandeth all things and she shall lead me soberly in my works and preserve me in her power So shall my works be acceptable by Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory World without end Amen The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and the price of Wisdom is above Rubies HOLY RULES FOR The Devout Christian. IF thou art learned be also pious for Learning sanctified is an Ornament to Grace but Learning corrupted is an Advocate for the Devil Call to minde and oftentimes examine thy self accounting thy thoughts thy words and deeds especially after much business discourses pastime c. Silence is commendable in things that appertain not to thee to the end thou mayest the better call to minde the sufferings of a crucified Saviour If God hath blessed thee with an Estate relieve thy Brother and so live as having little yet possessing all things For remember that Meat Drink and Cloath are the Riches of a Christian and since Christ gave himself for thee well may'st thou give some Fruits of thy labour unto his Let Death be oftentimes the subject of thy Meditations yield thy self wholly to God If thou art poor and hast nothing to requite him with but thy prayers and thy self yet if thou givest thy self to his disposal thou then givest all thou hast The Apostles left their Ships and their Nets The poor Widow gave only her two Mites to the poor mans box and she was preferred before a wealthy Croesus He easily despiseth all things of this world that doth but remember he must die In open Assemblies use not ordinarily all spiritual things lest thou shalt be thought to be singular except thou may'st edisie others and by thy example stir them up to the like On all occasions prefer the glory of God and his service above all things Be a comfort to the Afflicted reconcile Dissentions visit the Sick and the Imprisoned and forget not to relieve the Poor and needy Above all things have servent love for love shall cover a multitude of sins Fast one day in each month or oftner if the strength of thy body will bear it and remember to distribute thy Alms for Fasting and Alms are the wings of Prayer If perturbation or discontents arise in thy minde apply thy self to Prayer Go not to thy rest in wrath lest thou givest the common enemy to mankinde an opportunity to surprize thee Beware of immoderate Cares lest you dishonour or deny God for such cares are 1. Needless 2. Bruitish 3. Bootless 4. Heathenish 1. Needless What need we care when Our heavenly Father knoweth we have need of these things And saith Be careful for nothing but let us cast our cares on him for he careth for us 2. Bruitish Consider the fowls of the air and ravens that he feeds they toyl not 3. Bootless and in vain Which of you by taking thought 〈◊〉 one cubit to his stature or peny to his estate 〈◊〉 4. Heathenish For after all these things the Gentiles seek Repent dayly let not the Devil have the Flour of thy age and God the Bran. The Spirit of Prayer is far more pretious than Treasures of Gold and Silver Despise not the Ministers of Christ for Christ is the Word and they are his Embassadors God requires we should mortisie our lusts for Prayer without that is the service of a Hypocrite Sin bringeth shame and sorrow but Piety hath the portion of everlasting joys Let us cloath our selves with Righteousness it is the safest Armour against the darts of Satan The two Roads that lead to Heaven are Innocence and Repentance Sin is the Christians greatest sore and Repentance his surest salve who then would want the rare Jewel of Repentance since If ye seek ye shall finde An Alarm to the Drowsie PErmit not sluggish sleep To close your waking eye Till you with judgement deep Your dayly actions try He that his sin as Darling keeps when he to quiet goes More desperate is than he that sleeps Amidst his mortal foes At night lie down prepar'd to have Thy sleep thy death thy bed thy grave DIVINE ADVICE TO THE Devout Soul THy Soul is spiritual and thy Body is flesh make not then flesh of thy spirit for an habitual familiarity with corrupt lusts perverts it into the basest flesh God hath made man a lovely Creature do not then make thy self a Monster He dignified thee at first to glorifie thee at last Then let not Carnality deprive thee of thy Blessings With thy sins God will not own thee then tremble to think who it is will take thee If by Lust thou hast lost the sence of Honour and Glory study to recover it by Grace Thy Soul is immortal cannot die thy Body is mortal must die Let not then thy Body be preferred above thy Soul Thy Body hath but a lease for Life then let not a Moment be preferred before Eternity Study not to satisfie thy Body and neglect the salvation of thy Soul It is madness to seek for an unreasonable welfare for the body and thereby eternally ruine both soul and body For so the immortal is made damnably mortal and dies to bliss and the mortal miserably immortal ever living to wo. Remember thy Soul is the noble part of Humane nature wherefore to set thy affections on Earth is infinitely below thee such is thy Nobility Thy Arms are the Minde and Will which were created to embrace Mercie Truth Justice Charity c. and all the Vertues of a heavenly life Thy Body is servant to thy Soul let it tread upon the Earth for that is likewise its subject Let not then the Soul which is the Soveraign of the body set its heart upon that Earth on which its subject sets his foot In thy Soul is the Image of God let it not then be stained with the similitude of beast Let Reason not Sense direct thee a Rational will not the appetite of a Bruit He that lives a negligent and careless â—…ife does what he can to outdo the Deâ—…il in his own undoing For God hath given him Reason â—…nd his depraved nature acts against 〈◊〉 If thou wouldst be in eternal bliss act like man but appear like God for Heaven hath no room for beasts If a wicked Spirit hath deformed thee let an holy one transform thee Every child of God should maintain his Father's likeness that he may enjoy his inheritance Thy Soul is the Spouse of God the great Creator is its Husband no Creature is worthy
Curses of the Wicked 175 D On Dives 3 A Dialogue 6 A Dialogue 11 On Death 23 On a Death-bed-Repentance 25 The Dream 39 On Disturb'd Devotion 46 On Death 70 A Dialogue 71 Death Man and Grave 73 A Dialogue in three parts 79 The Dream 81 On the Day of Judgement 91 A Dialogue in three parts 103 The Divine Inquest 108 Delights of the minde 139 On Death 141 On Darkness 151 Degrees of Love 158 On Drunkenness 165 On Desperation 185 E On Envy 34 On Enmity 38 The Evenings Ejaculation 12â—… The Extasie 138 F Of Flesh 75 The Free Prisoner 95 Faith's Mystery 97 On Formal Duty 125 The Flower 150 On Food 152 On Fatherly Affection 180 The Free Giver 182 The Friendly Advice 183 G On a glorious Soul 29 On Gods presence 53 Of God 67 God is Love 69 Of Grief 70 The Grave 76 To God the Father 100 Son ibid. Holy Ghost 101 The Godly Garden 106 On Greatness and Goodness 107 God and Caesar 114 Gabriel and Mary 115 To the God of Heaven 150 Gabriel and Zacharias 161 On Worldly Gain 162 Gloria in Altissimis or the Angelical Anthem 180 On the Gospel 181 H On the Hypocrite 31 On Humility 50 On Hypocrisie 53 On an Hour-glass 56 An Hymn 62 On Honour and Valour 84 On the Holy Trinity 102 On Humane Frailty 124 On Heaven 142 On Hell 143 The Holy Innocents 156 I On Judas his Treason 13 On an Israelite 26 On Ingratitude 45 An Infant 76 On the Judgment 98 On St. John's day 110 Judeth's Prayer 115 Judeth and Holosernes 117 Judeth's Song of Thanksgiving 119 On Judgment 141 Jeremiah's Lamentation 145 On Justice and Mercie 151 I would but cannot 153 Jesus wept 162 K On Knowledge 42 Knots 93 L On Lazarus 4 On Luxury 37 The Litany 85 Of Life 113 On Love and Hatred 151 On Life and Death 154 On the Lord's Prayer 182 M On Meditation 1 Of Mirth and Mourning 8 Of Mortality 18 On Memory 25 On the Mariner 26 On Magnanimity 44 On Mortality 47 On St. Michael the Archangel 87 On Man and Wife 94 On Mans Creation 121 The Mornings Ejaculation ibid. On Mercy 130 Martha and Mary 162 N Natures Delight 74 The New Birth 157 O Oppositions 88 P The Penitents Praise 5 Of Poverty 17 On Patience 19 Of Presumption 22 On St. Peter's Enlargement 48 On Prosperity 49 On Pleasures 54 On Perfection 57 On St. Paul's Conversion 83 The free Prisoner 95 The Petition 97 On the Pharisee and Publican 99 The Power of Prayer 114 Advice to Prisoners 126 On Peace 129 Prayer for Peace ibid. The Penitent 131 St. Paul's Petition 133 On Pride 145 On St. Peter's Perjury 163 On Pusillanimity ibid. On Persecution 170 Praises to God 176 A Panegyrick to the Right Reverend and most nobly descended Prelate Henry by divine Providence Lord Bishop of London 186 R On a Rose Tree 59 The Resurrection 65 The Remembrance 69 On Repentance 89 S The Souls Soliloquy 2 Spiritus Sanctus 10 On Shame 27 On Supplication 35 On Sin and Sorrow 47 The Souls search 48 Salve for the Sick 56 On Sighs and Groans 93 On Sunday 96 The Shepherds Dialogue in three parts 103 The Souls Alarm 106 The Souls Yearnings 108 The Sinners Tears 110 The Swine 131 The Soul Awaked 132 The Salutation of Saints 144 On Sin 147 The Seeker 155 The Steward ibid. On the Spring 164 On Science ibid. The Sick mans Ease 167 On Singing of Psalms 168 On little Sins 169 On Sleep 172 On Sloath 184 T On the Tree of Knowledge 12 The Thanksgiving 78 On Tinder 84 On Thoughts 88 On the holy Trinity 102 Of Thoughts 105 On Tears 122 Time's Travel 160 On Temperance 170 V On a Vsurer 15 On Vice 52 On Vain-Glory 128 The Voyage 153 W The Warning 1 On a Wicked man 19 On the Wilful Impenitent 28 The Wish 112 On the Worth of Wealth 125 The Widows Mite 160 On Worldly Gain 162 ERRATA PAge 21. for the Tree of Life read On the Book of Life p. 68. for He it is that gives us Peace read He it is that gives us Peace in line 4. observe these points are omitted J. ES. u. To my MUSE FOrbear vain Muse thy subject is too high Thy Saveraign rather is the Deity The God of all the World whose dreadful Name Strikes an Amazement in whole Natures frame God! what a fright the very sound hath made My Soul into a Ravishment is laid I must repent my rashness when that 's done Let us consult how thou shalt journey on First let thy Meditations milde and meek Direct thy Heart to teach thy Tongue to speak And from those pious thoughts my Muse distil Those Fragrants may befit an Angels Quill Consider thou dost boldly dare t' aspire To do the duty of an Holy Quire Nay of a Quire of Angels blest who bring Joy to themselves and Duty to their King Then since thy Task is great thy Work sublime Invoke Apollo to assist thy Rhyme Call the nine Muses to inspire thy heart That every one with thee may bear a part So to preserve your duties from decay Striving to Love to Sing and to Obey 'T is not an easie or a common thing For Peasants to approach an Earthly King Then how much study is to be acquir'd When God the King of kings must be admir'd Yet thou presumptuous Muse although confin'd Makest attempts I hope because thy mind Tikes a delight in a Poetick Air Converting every Poem to a Prayer The Task is great too great for grave Divines Angels and Saints best sing 〈◊〉 lines First let thy Pen in Helicoâ—… be 〈◊〉 Soar not too high because thy Wings are clipt PRISON-PIETY OR DIVINE POEMS ¶ The Warning ALl idle thoughts from hence depart Let none but what are pure in heart Draw neer and those tun'd with an Air Supposing ev'ry page a Prayer ¶ On Meditation IN Meditation let Devotion be The Hand-maid to the Hearts Soliloquie The Eagle casts her eye upon the Sun So Contemplation doth her courses run Fixing the minde upon no Object less Than the bright Beams o' th' Sun of Righteousness Or else unto those Birds aspiring rare The Soul contemplative I may compare Of whom King David worthily attests That by the Holy Altar build their Nests â—…o Meditation's said in holy Story â—…o build her Nest about the Throne of Glory â—…his Bee of Paradise all days and hours â—…ucks Honey from the choicest Garden flowers By Contemplation I with God can talk In Mansions of Eternity can walk Then O my Soul what mak'st thou here below Where nought but thorns do spring and weeds do grow Where nothing thrives but loose unlawful Tares Watered with Tears and nourished with Cares Then mount my Soul from this terrestrial Bubble This heap of Sin and wilderness of Trouble Mount to the Land of Promise where thy Wings Shall Consorts finde of Angels and of Kings Though present Habitation Here is given Yet let thy Conversation Be in Heaven
¶ The Soul's Soliloquy COme Holy Ghost our Souls inherit With Beams of thy Coelestial Spirit Inflame our Hearts we thee desire With Sparks from thy Coelestial Fire Thou the anoynting Spirit art Who dost thy Seven-fold gifts impart Thy holy Unction from above Is Comfort Life and Fire of Love Enable with perpetual Light The dulness of our blinded Sight Cherish and cleer our soiled face With the abundance of thy Grace Keep far our Foes give Peace at home Where thou art Guard no ill can come Teach us to know the Father Son And thee of both to be but one That through the Ages all-along This may be our endless Song Praise to the Almighty merit Father Son and Holy Spirit ¶ The Enquiry TEll me my Soul where doth thy passion bend Doth it on Heaven or things on earth attend If worldly Objects do thy Reason guide Thou mayst desire but not be satisfi'd If thou dost Beauty love it is a shade But Righteousness doth shine and never fade If worldly Wisdom 't is but as a blast But heav'nly Wisdom doth the World outlast If earthly Riches they have wings and fly But heav'nly Gems do last eternally Estates on earth do as in shipwracks reel In Heaven's harbour are no thieves to steal All thou canst compass here is trifling store In Heav'n are Crowns laid up for evermore Would'st thou have Honour which the World depaints What Honour can be greater than the Saints Or is it Pleasure 't will thy Soul destroy The Just shall enter in their Masters joy But tell me farther what is 't thou wouldst have Both Heav'n and earth on this side of thy Grave Away vain fancies ye are Vertues moth Pitty 〈◊〉 the promise of them both These lustful thoughts lead thee to splendid folly But if thou wouldst be happy then be holy ¶ On Dives SEe with what splendor Dives sits at meat With choice of Dainties courting him to eat His Habit Purple and his Lâ—…nnen fine As if drest up on purpose here to dine How the Spectators look and seem to say There 's too much store provided for one day How many wretched Souls do beg for Bread Whilst this same Glutton hath his Table spread With all varieties And thus they show Their envy But alas did they but know And well consider what his wants are then They'd pity him as if the worst of men His Talent's rich on earth there 's none above it But he wants Grace and Wisdom to improve it All his Estate is but a mighty spoil He hath a Lamp but that Lamp hath no Oyl He hath a Soul but what doth that embrace Vain worldly Lusts the opposites to Grace His House shines gloriously but when all 's done He hath the Star-light but he wants the Sun A Friend to Vice and Vertue 's mortal hater Having the Creature but not the Creator This world 's a Torrent of false Joys the boat Is his vain life doth on it dayly float His Silver Anchor is as weak as Sand Nor can his Gold conduct him safe to Land But rather sink him to the Misers Cell There to inhabit where damn'd Spirits dwell Can he be worth your envy then forbear Rather in pity shed a Christian tear If he be happy May it be thy will O Lord that I be miserable still Give me thy Grace although I 'm clad in Rags Let Vice attend the Miser and his Bags ¶ On Lazarus THe wicked Worldling spends his time in laughter Having his Heaven here his Hell hereafter Contrarywise the good man whilst he 's here Lives as in Hell to sigh and shed his tear But when to Heaven he hereafter flies God wipes away all tears from off his eyes Though here he suffer scorn the worlds annoy Yet He that sows in tears shall reap in joy The Rich man hath his good things in this life Lazarus evil things slights scorn and strife But meets at last with what he here doth miss Eternal joy it is the poor mans bliss Whilst Dives lies as if with Scorpions stung Wishing for Lazarus to cool his tongue That Lazarus who whilome lay before The gilded Postern of the rich mans door Begging some mean remainings of his table Dives rapt up in Silks and costly Sable Glutted with sumptuous food and choice of wine Hath neither time nor ear for them that pine The very kinder Dogs in pity then Licked his Sores thereby instructing men To Love and Charity Observe the end Angels upon the Begger did attend He dies and they to Abraham's bosom fly Leaving him there to all Eternity Whilst Dives striving others to excell When here tormented is in flames of Hell Thus Worldlings ride in pomp to Hell's hot Nest And Penitents in Tears swim to their Rest. The Penitents Praise LOrd now the time returns For weary men to rest And lay aside those pains and cares Wherewith we are opprest Or rather change our thoughts To more concerning cares How to redeem our mis-spent time With Sighs and Tears and Prayers How to provide for Heav'n That place of Rest and Peace Where our full Joys shall never wain Our Pleasures never cease Blest be thy love dear Lord That taught us this sweet way Only to love thee for thy self And for that love obey O thou our Souls chief hope We to thy mercy fly Wheree're we are thou canst protect Whate're we need supply Whether we wake or sleep Either to thee is done By night we through our eye-lids peep As if the night were gone Whether we live or die Both we submit to thee In death we live as well as life If thine in death we be Glory to thee great God One Co-eternal three To Father Son and Holy Ghost Eternal Glory be ¶ Angel and Man A Dialogue Ang. LIsten Oh Sinner I shall make it plain Mankind is wicked altogether vain Nature instructs the bruâ—…ts to bear in mind A friendly consort to each others kind But Man more monstrous than of bruitish hue First preys on them then doth himself undo Devouring Widows houses in his way Pretending Piety seems oft to pray Will with himself and sins oft-times be vext When as his zeal is only a pretext Their very Prayers do themselves condemn As Citizens o' th' new Jerusalem They would appear whenas their chiefest care Should be to crave a Pardon for their Prayer Man What glorious Creature can a tongue rehearse May be compar'd to Man the Universe Is subject to him all things with applause Pay Homage to him and obey his laws God did not from the Angels nature frame His own he took the seed of Abraham Man hath his saults which causeth melancholy Even ye Angels God doth charge with folly Ang. Well have ye said therein we do agree For we are charg'd with such vain things as ye We are your Guardians so to direct Ye safely sleep we Watchmen do protect So great a truth it is no more but thus They are well kept that are secur'd by us And from the
Piety And Trismegistus this assertion brings Religion is the ground of publick things God did not cast man out of Paradise That man might make another by advice Be therefore wary during time and leisure 'T is dangerous to take delight in Pleasure For 't is a Syren doth deceive us all It gives us dainties but they 're mix'd with gall The Pitch and Tar of Sin so close do cleave That Pleasure waiteth only to deceive Riches seem pleasant things to banish Care But are at best but an intangling Snare Our Meat and Drink when taken with excess Breaks forth to Surfeitings and Drunkenness Silver and Gold seem pleasant things yet they Like thieves from God do steal our hearts away That man that loveth pleasure shall he poor But God's right hand hath pleasures ever more ¶ On an Hour-Glass AS I in haste did through a Chamber pass I had almost destroy'd a Christal Glass With fear affrighted I too soon believ'd That I had broke it thereupon I griev'd But how much time more pretious than that sand Have I neglected and with ready hand Pursu'd my solly being round beset With sins yet I not thinking of regret Though that but Christal I my self condemn But minde not Time though every hour 's a gem The thought of breaking that did me affright The other 's minded not though lost outright That were but casual if it had been done But with consent my pretious Time hath flown A better Hour glass may be had for cost But Time ill-spent is once and ever lost For toys our griess can finde a certain leisure But have no vent for an unvalued treasure Lord let that Hour-glass for its service win me Not that stands by me but shall be within me Teach me to number so my days that I Right soon my heart to wisdome may apply ¶ Salve for the Sick WHenas some sharp Disease shall visit me I sear with pain I shall impatient be For I am Cholerick by nature made By temper tender apt to be afraid And such a stranger unto sickness am 'T would prove a Lions conquest o're a Lamb. O whither will my minde with wavering sail When a Disease shall over me prevail O whither will my giddy fancy stride When a Distemper's the unstable Guide Wilde-fire will sit upon my burning tongue When with a Feaver every Sense is stung Wherefore O Lord if it disclose my shame Let it give no dishonour to thy Name Teach me the Art of Patience whilst I 'm well That when grown sick that Vertue may excel In that day let me not assistance lack Lighten my burthen or improve my back In God I 'll trust when Life hath spun its length For In the Lord is everlasting strength ¶ On Perfection IN Humane life there no perfection can Be said to be an attribute of man Lust and the Senses have a constant Jar The Flesh and Spirit do maintain a War Against each other man may make his moan He perfect is in Imperfection None but the Lord that Badge of Honour wears But man may gain it with his Prayers and Tears Cannot enjoy it here but he must fly Where it is crowned with Felicity They are Coelestial plants or flowers both Of Paradise not of Terrestrial growth The best in this his Pilgrimage doth hault Like Jacob with one leg 't is Natures fau't Though we have many tongues as Paul are apt To climb like him till i' th' third Heaven wrapt Though we with Moses have in Egypt sought For all the Learning the Egyptians taught Though we as Ezra did should understand Each Article of every Command Within the Law of God Though eloquent In Scripture as Apollos we indent Too far with Sin and Satan that our care Hath no perfection but a perfect snare We are but Scholars here to use our Arts In pious duties to improve our parts The clearest Christian hath some soil or spot Noah with Drinking did himself besot Peter with Perjury eclips'd his fame And with Dissimulation Abraham With loud Contention Paul and Barnabas The Psalmist truly doth express the case The sons of men are so profusely prone None perfect are nor none good no not one The Vertue that a just man hath doth lie In Pious works and in Humilitie The Author to the Hebrews quotes the name Of many Worthies blemish'd in their fame Gideon an Ephod made and that let in Idolatry he Israel made to sin Had many Wives to nourish his designe Of Lust and with those Wives a Concubine Barak although a Souldier waxed faint Sampson a strong and a couragious Saint Defil'd himself with Strumpets Wretched fate Made Jepthe rash and Inconfiderate David was tainted with two horrid sins Murther Adultery as if two twins Or brethren both have his great honour checkt Samuel observ'd his Children with neglect No Prince or Prophet but his weakness had Virtues have opposites in things are bad Yet they were men that did with God accord And were most highly honour'd by the Lord Faithful to God obedient to his Law That Chrystal perfect is that hath no flaw Shew me a Garden that 's without its weeds I 'll yield man perfect by his words and deeds Yet let us not upon their errours play The Righteous man offendeth every day And if the righteous scarcely can be sav'd It plainly shews whole Nature is deprav'd Wouldst thou of a Perfection have thy share Repent like them for now they perfect are ¶ On a Rose-tree 'T Was in September I observ'd a Tree That then bore Roses stranger 't was to me Others of like kind round about it grew Yet all were barren and those not a few The Gardner kindly did the reason give In May 't was closely clipt that it might thrive And bud in Autumn Lord had I been kept Curb'd in my tender years whenas I slept Secure from punishment my life had been Grey in its Youth and when grown aged Green He that intends to win the happy Race Must learn in tender years to grow in Grace ¶ The Christians Alphabet AN Angel good Satan himself can make But the Apostles true bid men beware Christ had his Paul the drowsie to awake Daring even Death it self such was his care Earnest in zealous works did sharply tast Fortunes ill will in stripes of cruel measure Great was his troubles he did oft forecast Honour for God in counting Death his treasure In Prisons frequent from the fight o' th' Sun Kill'd oftentimes and yet he did revive Lashes five times he had forty save one Menacing terms did frequently receive Night and day in the deep and shipwrack'd thrice Once was he ston'd and three times beat with rods Perils came often cold he was as Ice Quips oftner came than did his days by odds Render he did his thanks to God for all Such was his holy love and fervent Zeal Though first he was a persecuting Saul Undoing such as bless'd the Commonweal Wreaths crown his head because he was a Tree Xactly good too pretious
are they that thirst for Righteousness They shall be fill'd more than we can express Bless'd are the tender mercifus of minde They that in mercy give shall mercy finde Bless'd are the pure of heart their Sanctitie Shall lead them to the Holy Deitie Bless'd are peace-makers they shall make abode As Children with their Father and their God Blessed are they that suffer in a cause That 's just their suffering is their applause Blessed are they that persecuted are And when relivers do no venom spare When Disconcent sets all things out of frame Patience is Physick Prophers us'd the same Of Angels MY Soul in thy Devotions always say O God my God Lord hear me when I pray Let not or Saint or Angel though sublime Share of that honour which is due to him For if you give not God your Heart your All You Caesar rob to pay your Tythes to Paul Nor ought we to the Saints to shew neglect As if the objects of our disrespect Dives in his distress cry'd out for water To Abraham a Saint It is no matter We know what Dives was and will forbear To follow him that ran into a snare ¶ Of Christ's Passion FRom Circumcision to the hour of death Alas sad sate Christ's Passions still kept even with his breath Such was his state He first was in a Manger wrap'd In dangers nurs'd and often scap'd As he of Graces had the richest store So likewise he Of Tears of Sweat of Blood and yet much more Could not be free For Emulation then was understood As now it is 't was dangerous to be good And he that seeks for Peace 'mong men Shall finde it But the Lord knows when On St. Paul's Conversion SO shin'd that glorious Sun upon this Saint That falling down he did both fear and faint It was the Light of God that shin'd whose weight Might sorely press coming from such a height Encompass'd round so that he could not â—…lee From that same vo ce Why persecut it thou me From that same date St. Paul's Conversion came And he grew Master of a shining Fame ¶ On Christ's Praying CHrist in the Garden prays enclos'd with Trees And earnestly importunes on his knees That Cup might pass but see his Son-like skill In praying Father if it be thy will From whence I learn the duty of a Son It is to say Father thy will be done ¶ On Honour and Valour HOnour and Valour being once at strise Which should atchieve most glory in their life Honour did much went on would not give o're Valour flew boldly on and did much more The World 's uncertain Honour he was beat Yet Valour 's head must serve for Honour's seat ¶ On Tinder TO Tinder like each strike That Satan gives My Soul receives With ev'ry Match a Catch My Soul does get When he doth hit Hereafter I will flie Temptations all so shall My Voice be rightly tun'd and apt to say I 'll worship none but God and him obey ¶ The Litany O God the Father God the Son That made and did redeem each one And God the Holy Ghost look on us miserable sinners By thy most bloody sweat and Cross By thy pretious death and loss By thy ascending up from dross Good Lord deliver us In all our troubles time of wealth In time of sickness or of health In Deaths sad hour which comes by stealth Good Lord deliver us We sinners do beseech thee Lord To prosper and increase thy Word Unto thy Church good Rules afford We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to endue All Ministers with knowledge true That we with profit may it shew We beseech thee c. That Grace and Wisdome may increase That Wars and Jarrings all may cease That we thy people may have peace We beseech thee c. That it may please thee to bestow On us thy servants here below Hearts that shall praise for what we owe We beseech thee c. That it may please thee be the way For their return that do each day Deceive themselves and go astray We beseech thee c. That it may please thee by thy hand To strengthen those aright do stand Others to raise by thy command We beseech thee c. That it may please thee succour those That grief and tribulation knows When persecuted by their foes We beseech thee c. That it may please thee to preserve Captives in danger like to starve And from Childe-bearers not to swerve We beseech thee c. That it may please thee to desend The Fatherless and to the end Thy blessings to the Widows send We beseech thee c. That it may please thee pity all And keep our Enemies from thrall Fetch home their hearts that from thee fall We beseech thee c. That it may please thee to defend On us the kindly fruits that grow Be God and friend unto thy foe We beseech thee c. That it may please thee to forgive Our sins that we upright may live According to thy Word and thrive We beseech thee c. O Son of God we pray thee hear O Lamb of God do not forbear To look in mercy on each Tear We beseech thee c. After our sins O do not us regard Nor after our iniquities reward Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Let us pray Our Father c. ¶ On St. Michael the Archangel WE praise thee Christ among the quires Of Angels who thy voice obey That art the life of Heart-desires Thy Father's Power and shining Ray. Whole myriads of heav'nly Peers Fight for thy cause in close aray But Michael who thy Standard bears The Cross of Safety does display He the pernicious Dragon threw Into the flames of Hell's Abyss The Captain with his Rebel-Crew He thundred from Coelestial Bliss Under this Prince let 's every one Against Pride's Captain combat so As that the Lamb may from his Throne Crown Glories upon us below To God the Father God the Son And to the Holy Ghost in Heaven As hitherto it hath been done Let Glory evermore be given ¶ Oppositions GOd is light and sin is dark God lives above and sin beneath God is just but sin 's a Shark God is Life and sin is Death God is Heaven sin is Hell God is fair and sin is foul God saves many that rebel Sin 's Damoation to the Soul Adam in Paradise did stand Angels in Heaven by God's command But sin doth with a gilded Dart Not only tempt but wound the heart God doth entreat the Soul by love Sin with deceit the Soul doth move Sin laid the corner-stone in Hell Sin made this World a Monster swell In all to God 't is flatly opposite It wants the good of Vertue and of Light ¶ On Thoughts STill I am thinking thoughts that are not good They are as common as my food And do increase like Beans in mud As thick as any Wood. Suppose I harbour some that do
will rectifie my course Grant me that Grace which breedeth true remorse ¶ On Life and Death THe life I live on Earth uncertain is Being attended with a certain death Which will produce eternal Bane or Bliss Waiting the expiration of my breath It doth behove me then to have a care How I my short and pretious time do spend Left I through sin be trapt in Satan's snare Griefs then beginning when my life doth end Lord grant as Life and Death do here begin My Life may be to grace my Death to sin ¶ The 〈◊〉 AWay fond Youth Vertue is hid in Truth Your Vanities can no contentment bring Alas give o're Thy pleasure 's but a sore Honey at first but in the end a Sting Seek not in vain So to augment thy pain Such is thy grief that nothing surer is Fond Youth give ore Woo not a festring sore When thou hast found thou 'lt wish that thou didst miss Love not this world but minde the things above In seeking so thou shalt finde love for love ¶ The Steward IT is not much I have yet I have more Than some that live more splendidly than I. Although I am not rich I am not poor But have enough to vanquish penury All that I have is lent me and I must Give an account to God how I do use it Or if I hide it up and let it rust Or by miss spending wastfully abuse it It had been better I had poorer been Than ti'd a slave in chains of gold to sin Lord grant my Talent so on me bestown May be employ'd as thine and not mine own ¶ The Coelestial Painter O Thou most holy God of Bliss Who paintst the Heaven's centre cleer In burning brightness fair address With goodly lights as doth appear Who on the fourth day didst ordain The fiery circle of the Sun And for the Moon an order set And Stars their wandring course to run That thou might'st give the Nights and days Divided bounds to keep them in As an allured mark to know How duly all the Months begin Illuminate the heart of man Wipe out the soulness of the minde Cast down the heaps of our misdeeds The bands of guilt do thou unbinde Grant this O holy Father most And eke the Son equal to thee Together with the Holy Ghost That reigns in all Eternity ¶ The Holy Innocents HAil you sweet and building flowers Whom when you life began to taste The enemy of Christ devours As whirlwinds down young Roses cast First Sacrifice to Christ you went Of offered Lambs a tender sort With Palms and Crowns you innocent Before the sacred Altar port Glory O Lord be given to thee Whom the unspotted Virgin bore All glory to the Trinitie From all both now and evermore ¶ To the Divine Creator O God which diddest man create And hast alone all things assign'd The Earth to bring forth savage Beasts And creeping things each in their kind Great bodied Creatures are ordain'd By thy great Word and Will to live In times and seasons man to serve To whom they all subjection give Put from thy servants far away What to uncleanness may allude It self in manners to suggest Or in our actions to intrude Give us the recompence of jovs And yield to us thy graces free In sunder break the bands of strife Confirm the bands of Unity ¶ The New Birth A Multitude of Creatures do agree To give their Documents to wretched man As Emblems and Examples whereby he May learn to write himself a Christian. The Eagle casts her bill the Ass his hair The Peacoak 〈◊〉 is plumes the Snake his skin And shall not Man a Creature far more fair Renew himself by shaking off his fin Old fins retain'd do fester as they lie To the new man belongs felicity He that would clear himself from worldly stain To sin must die to life be born again Die to the flesh and if you would inherit Eternal life be born then of the Spirit This is the Birth a Christian should prefer For being born of God he cannot err Lord let thy Grace my idle thoughts subdue That I may change the Old man for the New ¶ Degrees of Love IF I a Creature love it may not know The Channel whence my flood of Love doth flow But God knows all mens hearts and will approve Of love to him for God himself is Love If I a Creature love it no regard May have to make amends God doth reward But when my kinde affections do intrude The Creature answers with ingratitude If I a Creature love that Creature may Be captious peevish making me its prey The love of God exceeds the love of men For loving him I 've love for love agen A humour too may make a Creature fly me But loving God I have him always by me If I a Creature love that very thing On which I dote may prove to me a sting But to love God brings comfort joy and ease For he 's the everlasting Prince of Peace If I a Creature love my care must be For that but God will Angels charge with me If I a Creature love my hearts desire Is all inflam'd but with Terrestrial fire But loving God my Soul and Senses feel The holy flames of a Coelestial Zeal If I a Creature love for face parts limb That moves God dwells in me and I in him If I a Creature love it doth not know All my affairs God knows whate're I do If I a Creature love it doth deceive me If I love God he 's ready to relieve me If I a Creature love much pain and grief Attend but loving God I finde relief If I a Creature love we both must die But God gives life to all eternitie If I a Creature love I oft behold Those slights and faults which make my love grow co'd But if on God I firmly fix my love The love of God doth make my love improve He is so good so noble rich sweet fair Mighty and wise so exquisitly rare I 'll court his love as he hath taught with Prayer ¶ Bad at Best MY Practice gives the lye to my Profession I give too large a rein unto my Will I do not grieve enough for my Transgression But do delight in contemplating ill I wish for Heav'n but tread the path of Hell I love the day but more the deeds o' th' night Little I have yet that I use not well I covet much but covet not aright Good deeds ill done run clearly 'gainst the byas Wishes and words are winds our deeds must try us My ways are evil sin doth too much attend them Open mine eyes O Lord and I shall mend them Time's Travel THe uberous womb of Time since its creation Innumerable issues hath brought forth Of strange and of prodigious generation And glorious things of beauty and of worth It 's never barren but is ever breeding Unwonted forms and various shapes of things It was it is and will through time succeeding Continue