But why O Lord wert thou thus poorely borne Why didst thou make thy selfe to be a scorne To after Ages Was it to conceale Thy Deity from Satan or reueale Thy vnexampled goodnesse vnto man The like whereof since time and place began To circumscribe our actions was not knowne Nor shall vnto succeeding age be showne As Israels King did once his habite change 1. King 22. When he wagde warre ' gainst Syria and did range The field in strange disguise So Christ our King Whom an vnbounded loue from heauen did bring To fight gainst hellish Syrians and by armes To giue vs freedome from death-threatning harmes Exchang'd his habite for bright Maiestie Clothing himselfe with base infirmity If some great King put on his royall Crowne And regall ornaments he may be knowne But if his Kingly dignity he hide In vile aray he may passe vndiscried So had our kingly Sauiour cloth'd with light As with a garment come at first in sight He would haue then beene knowne vnto his foe And none haue dar'd once to exchange a blow That he might therefore come vnto the fight Vnknowne this King of Israel had him dight In strange aray A Stable was his Throne A Cratch his Cradle His attendance none With hunger thirst disgrace and pouerty Our Sauiour couered his diuinity Loe here full low he in a Cratch doth lie Who sometimes on the winged wind doth flie Esai 66. 1 And he whose throne is heau'n whose footstoole earth Hath but a sordid Stable at his Birth O had not man layne miserably defil'd In sinnes polluted Stable this faire Child Had found a better lodging but 't was fit That he which is our food the sweetest bit That euer mortall tasted should be laid In a poore Manger since it may be said Men were turn'd worse then beasts and therefore they Bernard To be refresht as beasts that feede on Hay The ancient Prophets had foretold of yore That Bethlehem was the place whereas ybore Should the Messias been the learned read The word to signifie the house of bread Whether because for fruitefulnesse and food It as a store-house to the countrey stood So ' mongst the ancient Romans Sicily Horreum Italiae Tully Was sometimes called the barne of Italy Or because Christ true heauenly bread indeed Whereon our soules and not our mouthes doe feed Was there brought forth so fathers moralize Hierom. Gregory Indeed from him all bread that doth suffice Our soules and bodies is deriu'd he giues Corporall bread by which the body liues Doctrinall bread he also doth affoord And this we call his holy heauenly Word Bread Sacramentall in which we receiue Spiritually the Giuer and conceiue A blessed vnion made in a strange fashion By Faith and not by transubstantiation In fine celestiall bread he doth dispose At his eternall Table vnto those Which are his Seruants whose delicious tasting Shall giue our bodies an immortall lasting In Iosephs time the come of Aegypt land Genes 41. Was without number like the Ocean sand Bethlem had greater plenty at Christs Birth For heere was bread to nourish all the earth And of more blest continuance those full cares In Pharaohs countrey lasted but seuen yeares Leane famine then tooke place our Bethlehems store As inexhausted lasts for euermore There the Aegyptians when they wanted Cates Were faine to buy them at excessiue rates Heere Bread like to the Prophets Milke and Wine Esai 55. 1. A man may purchase without price or coyne And therefore as all nations in their neede To Ioseph came for corne whereon to feede So let all people vnto Bethlehem haste And seeke out the true Ioseph which is plac'd By the celestiall Pharaoh o're the earth To furnish men with corne against the dearth Threatning the soules destruction who will giue If they but aske enough for them to liue Heere and heereafter where they shall be fed In an eternall house of liuing bread Thrice happy Bethlehem thou blest house of bread On whom the Sunne of glorie first did spread The comfortable beames of his man God Vnited nature and there made abode But O more happy they within whose heart Faith giues him second birth and will not part With this blest store I would our soules might be The Bethlehem of his Natiuity But ere this can be so we must put on Mystically such a condition As that place had first Bethlehem did seeme But little in extent lesse in esteeme The least of Iudahs thousands So must we If we expect a blest renascency Micah 5. 3. Of Christ within our soules or would inherit The purchase of his all-sufficient merit Be meane and little in our owne esteeme How great how good soeuer we may seeme In others iudgement euery Christian knowes That Christ a Lilly is but such as growes In the low valley of an humble minde Cant. 2. 1. Not on proud mountaine tops and as we finde Flouds run not vp steep cliffs but through low groūds Conueigh their current So his Grace surrounds With a sweet streame of goodnesse only those Which like low bottomes humbly doe dispose Themselues to that blest moisture we must then If we would haue our Christ the best of men Spiritually borne in vs all agree To be a Bethlehem in humility Againe we must be storehouses of bread To feed the hungry he that doth not spread A wing of mercy on the poore shall finde Christ will not house them there the supple minde Like pliant waxe loues gentle fire must soften Ere he imprint his seale and we must often Eccles. 11. 1. Cast our bread on the waters if we looke That he which humane nature on him tooke To saue the world while here we liue on earth Should haue within our hearts a second birth Now was the Scepter tane from Iudahs hand Nor 'twixt his feete sate he who did command The Lawes coerciue power an argument Gen. 49. 10. The promis'd Shilo was already sent Blind Iew which dazeled with abundant light Sit'st like a dull Aegyptian in the night Of soule-deluding error could record Of ancient Prophets make thee giue thy Lord No better welcome wilt thou yet denie This firme vnquestion'd truth obstinate eye Shut vp in wilfull blindnesse let the place Where Christ was borne the time when from the chase This cloud of darkenesse looke not still in vaine For thy Messias who till all againe Turne into Chaos shall no more be sent What time for want of faith thou shalt be shent And sentenc'd to destruction if in time Thy teares like Iordan wash not out thy crime But as when Moses was in Aegypt borne Exod. 2. He was of his owne mother as forlorne Cast out into the riuer and there found By Pharaohs daughter who from being dround Preseru'd the Infant and with tender care Brought vp this foundling as her wombe had bare That goodly Hebrew So was Christ bereau'd Of a glad welcome by the Iewes receiu'd By the now happier
said Let not your minds with terror be dismaid Almighty God whose I reioyce to be Hath sent me to you on this embasie The honour which you lately did his Sonne Hath so much fauour from his goodnesse wonne That knowing you are bent to vndertake A dangerous iourney he desires to make The hazzard knowne vnto you Iuda's King Herod I meane is rather any thing Then whaâ— he seem'd vnto you his pretence Of worship when in that close conference He brake about the Infant was a wile Both you and him the better to beguile For in his heart he plotted long before To wash his hands within the purple gore Of his lâ—e blood and chose for this intent Your simplenâ—sse to be his instrument Meaning when he had seru'd his turne to reaue You of your dearest liues striuing to leaue A president vnto posterity Of an vnmatâ—â—â— vnheard of tyranny Be mindfull of â— â— words and take good heed How you returne to Herod rather speed Into your Country bâ— some other way For no â—â—alâ— danger waits vpon delay This said he quickly vanisht out of sight And they fell to their rest that rest of night No sooner did the grav-eyed Morne appeare And by her blushiâ—g â—hew the Sunne was neare But to their â—ourney they themselues addresse And mindfull of the vision which did presse Their memories afresh they leaue the rode Which leades to Sâ—â—em though the tract were broad And ride through laâ—es and by-waies till at last The confines of â—udea they are past Secure from danger their post-haste they stay And trauaile on at leasure by the way Discoursing with ioy not to be exprest How highly they were in that iourney blest Ere many daies their Country smoke appeares And they in peace at hoâ—e liue many yeeres I cannot leaue this part of history Till I haue shewed a vsefull mystery Herod by the vnanimous assent Of Fathers doth the diuell represent They then which by Gods mercy are set free From bondage worse then Egypts slauery Satans oppression must abhorre such bands And take good heed they fall not in his hands The silly Bird hauing escap'd the net Farre from the fatall place herselfe will get The Lambe which from the Wolfe hath got away Will no more venture from the flocke to stray If by the Gospels Starre we once are brought To Christ let vs by no temptation wrought Turne backe to Herod but forsaking quite The workes of darknesse in Gods Word delight Indeed I know we are to trauaile farre To our owne Country in this world we are 1. Pet. 2. 11. But strangers he that liues the longest age Doth waste his life in tedious pilgrimage Heauen is our happy home and we must striue Though close by hell we passe how to arriue Vnto that blessed Harbor by the way Remouing all such rubs as would vs stay But let me tell you lest we chance to stray Our iourney thither lyes another way 'T is not the too-too common road of vice Which is the passage vnto Paradice Ah no the path which vnto blisse doth lead Matth. 7. 13. Is straight and few they are that doe it tread Then onely then another way we take Immutatio viae emendatio vitae Eusebius Emissenus 1. King 13. When of our vicious life a change we make Like as the Prophet which was sent to cry Against that Altar of impiety Set vp by Ieroboam had command Not to goe backe vnto his natiue Land By the same way he came the like haue we VVe must our old waies leaue and speedily As we new creatures are new wayes enquire Such as may bring vs whither we desire He that by sinne hath left heauens vsuall track Must by repentance a new way come back Hast thou walkt on in lusts impurity Returne another way by chastety Didst thou with pride a stately march maintaine Another way humility regaine In auarice didst thou delight to moue Returne another way and walke in loue Did sharpe contention make thee trudge to Law From that misleading path thy feet withdraw And striue to liue in peace Did thy heart range In vsuries wilde maze O let it change Though much against thy natiue constitution With good Zacheus to a restitution In fine if we wander from truth or stray Neuer so little from the narrow way We â—isse our path and so abberring rome From the right way should leade vs to our home And therefore as the trauailer in doubt Which way to take with heed doth looke about To spie some house or person which may be A helpe to him in his perplexitie And neuer leaue enquiring till he know Which way he must decline and which way goe So if yee be in doubt which path to hold With Salomons faire Spouse get to the fold Where shepheards keepe their flock of them enquire Cant. 1. 8. And they will satisfie your iust desire Then hauing found it keepe it with delight And neither turne to the left hand nor right So shall ye find what euer may betide In your way thither 't will you safely guide To your owne Country where you shall possesse More good then heart can thinke or tongue expresse Thursdaies Meditation or the fifth Canto The Argument An Angell is to Ioseph sent To tell him Hérods foule intent He with his charge to Egypt flies And there remaines tiâ—l Herod dies NO sooner had the Magi left the Land Of Palestine but He which hath command Of all that know a beeing and can see Things plotted with the greatest secrecy And easily elude them diâ— intend To Herods proiect a vaine fruitlesse end God can though man be crafty to deuise Infatuate the Counsels of the wise And free his children from what may annoy them Though malice ioyne with cunning to destroy them So Pharaoh who from Israel will not part Wants of his will yet for it feeles the smart Consilium diuinum dum deuitatur impletur humana sapientia dum reluctatâ—r comprehenditur Greg. So Saul who practiz'd Dauid â—â— confound Did himselfe fall and Jsh 〈…〉 s sonne was croun'd So Herod who did seeke â—â— haue depriu'd Christ of his life did find â—imselfe short liu'd Thus Gods decree while hund doth take effect And humane wisedome wâ—ile it striues is checkt Now were all humane eyes shut vp in sleepe But such whom care or paine did open keepe When a blest Angell Angels are prepar'd To be to Gods Elect a surer guard Then mortals can be vnto Ioseph came Sent to that iust man in Iehouahs Name Whose Sun-like presence had so bright aray That it made mid-night to excell mid-day Yet the good man fearelesse because vntainted And with such apparitions pre-acquainted Expected the euent when thus made bold The Angell did his Embasy vnfold O thou which from the Lord such grace hast won To be the Foster-father of his Sonne And husband though thou liuest more like a brother Vnto that euer blessed Virgin Mother Looke well vnto thy charge the Wolfe
doth warch With bloody mind both Lamb and Eue to catch That he may prey vpon them therefore take The tender Infant and his Mother make Co-partner in thy flight to Egypt flee There 's roome and safety for thy Charge and Thee There plant thy habitation and remaine Till thou mayst safely venture backe againe Which safety when the time shall once afford I le be a Messenger to bring thee word This message ended backe the Angell goes When presently good Joseph doth dispose Himselfe to Gods command that very night With his deare charge he 'gins to take his flight But though such haste Ioseph made to be gone Wee 'll stay a while and meditate hereon That woman in the vncouth Wildernesse Reuel 12. Whom neere her time the Dragon did distresse One thinkes doth represent the Church another Not much amisse the blessed Virgin Mother Indeed the Dragon suits with Herod well And Mary is the womans paralell The story tells vs that the woman fled The Dragons furie when deliuered So was the blessed Virgin glad to flie With her young Babe from Herods cruelty The Dragon there stood ready to deuoure The Child when he was borne and euery houre Herod did gape for newes that he might slay The blessedst Infant euer yet saw day Yet Child and Mother both escaped there So Christ and Mary both preserued were As Moses guarded by Gods mighty hand Came safely of from the vniust command Of persecuting Pharoah and became A mighty Captaine in Iehouahs Name To quell the pride of Pharoah and set free The Hebrewes from Egyptian slauery So by Gods prouidence did Christ escape From Dragon Herods mouth which wide did gape To swallow him aliue that he might be Vnto his people in captiuity A mighty leader and the power quell Of Sinne and Sathan of the Graue and Hell And so in fine his Israel safely bring From bondage worse then vnder Egypts King Finally when the Dragon did perceiue Hiâ— force against the woman vaine did leaue To persecute her yet did iâ—ly burne In indignation and his fury tâ—â—ne To warre vpon the remnant of her seed Hoping to meet therâ— with succesfull speed So Herod frustrated of his desire Suffers his heart to burne in flaming fire Of furious rage and will needes wreake his spleene On silly infants but this shal be seene More largely in the progresse of this story Christs flight a while keeps back the Infants glory Like as a gardner when he spies a plant Full of faire hope fit elbow roome to want As nigh some ouerspreading tree bereauen Of the Suns heat and the fat dew of heauen With care remoues it to another place Where it thriues mainly in a little space So when the Lord his Sonne that plant did see Plac'd to neare Herod that farre spreading tree Yet fruitlesse therefore worthy to be feld Lest the vnholsome shadow death should peld To the neare neighbouring plant his powerfull hand Doth now transplant him to another land He that in flight our refuge is heere flies He that assists vs â—gainst our enemies Auoids the furie of his mortall foes And like an exile into Egypt goes That in such kind of dire calamities He might with vs the better sympathize Our Sauiour Christ without a Gyges ring Could haue obscur'd his person from the King Or had he pleas'd what euer was intended Gainst Herods malice haue himselfe defended He that by fire did his Eliah guard He that an host of Angels had prepar'd Elisha to secure he that did saue Daniel from Lyons Lazarus from the graue Had it seem'd good could heere haue gon as farre And quail'd the force of Herods men of warre But he chose rather to sepose his might And to expose his person vnto flight Either to shew what he himselfe doth say He came no worldly Scepter here to sway Ioh. 18. Or else by his example to declare The Church for persecution must prepare Or it may be to teach vs that the Lord No extraordinary will afford When we haue ordinary meanes at hand By which we may withdraw and quit the Land To worke our safety or to teach in fine Vs personall persecution to decline So Moses fled from Pharaohs cruelty So Dauid from his sonnes impiety So Paul no safety being in the Towne Was in a basket by the wall let downe That he might scape the danger so againe He fled from Salem fearing to be slaine So Polycarpe in persecutions heat Did by aduice for a while change his seate Eusebius So Athanasius did often flie From that blood thirsting Arrian tyranny So when Iustina Valentimans Mother Socrates scholaslicus Her rage against S Ambrose could not smother He fled from Millaine Chrysostome like fate Drew from Bizantium to shun the hate Eudâ—xia bare vnto him Christ our Sauiour When past an Infant had the like behauiour So when the Pharises a counsell tooke Against his life their presence he forsooke Mat. 12. 15. Luk. 4. Iohn 8. So when the Nazarens malicious will Would throw him headlong from the City hill He left the place so when with fell despite The Iewes did seeke to stone him from their sight He hid himselfe to make this truth more plaine He giues this as a precept to remaine To all succeeding times when tyrants hate Shall rather seeke your liues then your estate Out of one City to another flie Mat. 10. 23. And saue your selues from their stâ—rne cruelty This is to be like cunning Serpents wise Mat. 10. 16. When innocence of Doues will not suffice But we must know our Sauiour â—led not death Mortem distulit non fugit Chrisost Out of a feare to leese his vicall breath Onely for this cause he did now foreslow it That afterwards he better might bestow it He meant to lay it downe as a rare gift Of his owne bounty not by Herods drift By his freewill he did intend to die Morietur non vinculo necessitatis sed proposito voluntatis Fulgen. And not out of a fore'd necessity But seeing thou wouldst haue thy Sonne O Lord To flie wherefore to Egypt so abhord Can that to thy belou'd safe harbor giue In which thy Israel did in bondage liue Haue the Egyptians those plagues forgot Thou didst impose vpon them Will they not Study reuenge Or may not Ioseph feare If Egypts King of his arriuall heare He shall be taken for an Hebrew Spie And by some vncouth torment forc'd to die O let not flesh and blood expostulate With Gods determination or debate The matter any further God who drawes Honey from Heâ—lock with the Bee can cause Each place that is to serue vnto his will And safety raise euen from those would kill The time was once when his almighty Hand Threw plagues apace on the Egyptian Land The worst of which wherewith they were annoi'd Was when their first borne issue was destroi'd To recompence this losse he sends his owne And by his bounty his great loue
makes knowne Once making Moses his fit instrument Exod. 10. Cymmerian darknesse on their Land he sent And which was worse groping for light as blind Suffred them liue in darknesse of their mind Therfore his sonne that Sun shall now arise To giue them light which doe not shut their eyes Against his splendour for as stories tell When he came thither all their Idolls fell And as we read that Joseph best belou'd Of Iacob from his Fathers eye remou'd By enuie of his bretheren was conuayed To Egypt where by Gods direction stay'd He was a kind of Sauiour to the land In keeping famine out which did command After a seuen yeares plenty so more want Threatning to ruine Egypt which grew scant Of grace and goodnesse Christ a Sauiour came And in great mercy did preserue the same For he the true bread is where he doth dwell All faâ—ine from the soule he doth expell By this time Ioseph whom much care did presse Had gotten all thingâ— in a readinesse And in the couert of the shady night Begins his iourney darknesse could not fright Non attendit verus obediens quale sit quod praecipitur hoc solo contentus quia pracipitur Bernard Him or his charge obedience doth contend How to please God although it sense offend Not into what commanded is it pries But that it is commanded doth suffice Good Ioseph murmures not at the great paine Or the long iourney he must entertaine He staggers not in faith that he doth flie Which must saue others from their misery But as he came from Abraham behaues Himselfe like Abraham in his mind he graues How ready the glad father was to goe When God commanded and should I be slow To execute said he what God enioynes I should want worth to issue from such loynes Mans heart must be like paper cleane and white Wheron the Lord what he shall please may write Or like to waxe well suppled by the hand Be soft and pliant to his iust command We must in all things seeme they good or ill Conforme our wishes to out soueraignes will Faith and obedience stand not to dispute But are still ready prest to execute Our God obedience doth so highly prize That he prefers it before sacrifice 1. Sam. 15. And worthily fot they who with consent A legall sacrifice to God present But other flesh the flesh of beasts doe till In victimis allena caro obedientia vero voluntas propria mactaturâ— Greg. Where we obeying sacrifice our will Thus did good Joseph whom no let could stay No not so long as for the lightsome day And well in the black night did they begin Their trauaile from a place more black in sinne Now gan the day from out the east appeare Whose comfortable light their hearts did cheare And ere the Sun had fully shone an hower They found themselues got safe from Herods power At length in Egypt they arriue what towne Did giue them harbour the text sets not downe Nor will I seeke to know there they remaine Till Herods death did call them back againe All this saith the Euangelist was done To firme that prophecie which said My Sonne From Egypt haue I call'd the literall sence I know concerneth Israel who from thence Was brought by mighty hand yet hath respect To Christ as types doe vpon truths reflect And as Gods people Israel did stay A time in Egypt till the Lord made way For their departure so his blessed Sonne Had for a while his habitation In the same Egypt till the Lord did call him Whom there I leaue to that which did befall him Fridaies Meditation or the sixth Canto The Argument The Kings fierce rage his men of warre The innocents doe massacre Rachel doth mourne her heauy losse And will no comfort in her crosse TIme now which erst did vnto Iudabs King Seeme to moue forward with a lazy wing Made him suspect or rather plainely see The wise men did delude his subtilty And thâ—re was reason for it he that thought To mocke is mockt and rakes but what he brought The law of taliation did require He should meet this euent the sittest hire Nequc enim lex lustior vila Ouid. For fraud is slic deceit and they that cherish Dissembling in their art doe iustly perish God on these men his iudgements doth expresse Iob 5. 13. And takes the wise in their owne craftinesse Now this delusion in the King begets An indignation and in rage him sets When Tyrants cannot by their craft preuaile In a red Sea of cruelty they saile But why O Herod wert thou thus perplext Why doest thou rage or wherefore art thou vext Didst thou not know that Christs birth was diuine Or wert thou blind because the Sunne did shine Didst thou not conuocate from euery Tribe Many chiefe Priests many a learned Scribe And did not they by ancient Prophecy Resolue the truth of this deepe mystery Didst thou not know the wise men came thus farre To worship Christ led by a glorious Starre Thy cheeke should rather blush then thy heart flame And looke red not with anger but with shame That such Barbarians which were farre below thee Should in their zeale to God so much outgoe thee The loue and faith wherewith they were inspir'd Thou shouldst haue imitated and admir'd For vnlesse thou didst altogether shun Prophetique truth so much it might haue won Vpon thy iudgement that by iust compare Of passed things with such as present are Thou mightst conclude this was ' not a delusion Of the wise men but a confusion Which God who sometimes counterchecks a King Vpon thy wicked purpose meant to bring But say thou hadst some iniury receiu'd And by the cunning Magi wert deceiu'd How had the silly Innocents offended That so much misciefe is ' gainst them intended O why is their vniust destruction sought which nere so much as wrong'd thee in a thought Surely should Iordan lend thee all her store It could not wash away the purple gore That hangs vpon thee with thee still shall bide The title of a bloudy Homicide Thou sought'st for Christ but went'st too far about T is faith not furie which must finde him out O foolish Herod which dost thinke t' expell Him that will still be King of Israell Yea King of Heauen and Earth in spite of thee Out of thy poore and petty liberty O wicked Herod and of lewd behauiour Who fearing thy successor hat'st thy Sauiour O bloudy Herod which by the fell death Of harmelesse children wouldst proloâ— thy breath But little admiration it requires That Tyrants seeke to compasse their desires Or found their thrones on slaughtered innocence Pharaoh long since had taught him to dispence With murders of that ranke who to secure His crowne made Abrahams yssue to endure A heauy burden while he did command To drowne their yssue male throughout the land Exod. 1. So did Abimelec the base borne sonne Of that couragious warriour Gedeon Who
as much care expresse In preseruation of you as before Ah no Gods loue encreaseth more and more To such as serue him and his power extends Beyond all limitation to his friends â— grant thou mightst as not vnlikely gather That Archelaus would be like his father A bloody Tyrant for a wicked Sire Mali coruâ— malum ouum Prouerb Leaues his sonne like himselfe a strong desire To be thought apt for imitation Leades children to obserue their parents fashion But yet for all this thou maist rest secure He who hath vndertaken will procure Safety for thee and thine onely be bold And on his goodnesse by true faith lay hold Danger may threaten but it shall not harme Such as are guarded by th' Almighties arme Now was the time that Morpheus with his wand Did charme a silent sleepe on all the Land Only perplexed Ioseph could not rest 〈…〉 any cares lay tumbling in his breast â—he while he thought he should most safety find 〈◊〉 going back to Egypt but his mind Did quickly alter when the Lords command Which bad expressely he should leaue the land To his remembrance came then he thought best Where he now lodged to set vp his rest But that was dasht when being come so neare He did consider an vnmanly feare Should keepe him from his home in maze of doubt An Angell came at last to lead him out Giuing direction he should not abide Neare Archelaus eye but turne aside Into the parts of Galile for there He might securely liue without all feare Ioseph obeyes and now his course he bends To Nazareth where all his trauaile ends Forfully seated there he liues in peace With his soules comfort and his ioyes encrease And this saith the Euangelist was done That there might be a consummation Of what the Prophets told of Christ for he A Nazarite say they shall called be Expositors haue here been much perplext Because they can directly find this text In none of all the Prophets some conceaue That time which doth of many things bereaue The world hath in his reuolution lost Those sacred books where these things were engro'st Chrysost Another before this his sence preferres And doth for Prophets read intâ—rpreâ—â—rs Isidor For Prophets may be thought to say that thing Which men from them by good deduction bring But matter fetcht so farre wee need not vse Or seeke the sacred writer to excuse For holy writ two waies a thing affords Either according to the sence or words Now though we meet not the same words in sound Yet the same sence in Scripture may be found Nazaren signifies one flourishing And doth not Esay call this heauenly King A Rod of Iesses Stem a branch that growes Out of his roote each one that Scripture knowes Isal 11. 1. Knowes this prophetique truth Againe this name Is giuen him that he may haue the same Which his type had before him Sampsons facts Did but foresignifie our Sauiours acts Sampson from barraine parents did proceed And Christ alone was the pure Virgins seed His killing of the lyon did foretell Christ should that roaring lyons power quell Slaughtering his foes euen when he lost his breath shewed Christ should ouercome his foes by death Now of the first we read that he was stil'd A Nazarite to God therefore this child Iudg. 13. 15. That truth and type might fitly both agree was call'd a Nazaren as well as he But properly his name came from the place Hight Nazareth which had the happy grace To giue him education as a bower Most fit to entertaine so sweet a flower Nazareth doth a flower signifie And what place could he better dignifie With his abode then that whose name exprest His nature who of all flowers was the best Alcinous garden or Adonis Bower Was neuer deckt with halfe so rare a flower Those of the greatest beauty are but silly 〈◊〉 Sharons Rose or to the Valleys Lilly This is not like French Flowers in out side braue Which yet within nor sent nor vertue haue No from an outside meane there doth distill Such vertue as the Saints with grace doth fill The Soule a Nosegay is if this adorne it The Lord will take the sent if not hee 'l scorne it O may this blessed flower which now doth grow In Heauens high Nazareth not here below Make vs so sweetly in Gods nostrils smell That we transplanted from the earth may dwell In Heauen for euer and in such a ioy As time cannot weare out or death destroy Flourish with Christ and blisfull Peans sing Vnto the praise of our eternall King FINIS Errata Pag. 3. l. 2. r. an l 25. r. armies p. 10. l. 10. r. Iew. l 27. r. successors p. 13. l. 2. r y'runne p. 16 l. 25. r. thy p. 17 l 17. r. when p. 18. l. 6. r. humane p. 19. l. 20. r. leese p. 31. l 18. r. nonce p. 34. l. 10. r. repurchace p. 43 l. 16. r. Ewe p. 45. l. 14. r yeld p. 49. l. 19. r. kill p. 57. l. 22. r in