shed his innocent Blood The Promise would be still perform'd His God could make it good For his Obedience God doth give Him Isaac back again A sign that he by Christ should live And in his Grace remain VI. Vpon Joseph and his Mistress Gen. 30. TO Potiphar a Man of War Young Joseph for a Slave was sold And was so just unto his Trust His Master never him controull'd Now Joseph's Mistress void of shame Upon him cast a lustful Eye And without fear unto him said I prithee Joseph with me lye O impudent why not content With what by Marriage was thy share How confident how void of grace Does this thy motion thee declare To modest Wives thou art a shame Who all such wickedness decry And all such Harlots will exclude And banish from their Company But would he be and do as she With shameless Face did him desire No Sacred Story to his Glory Says he from her did soon retire For which a false and treacherous part She did to innocent Joseph show Since her lasciviousness he hates She into Prison will him throw Therefore a cry she instantly Did feign pretending she was Chaste Alas said she he 'll ravish me Come come to my relief make haste Thus Joseph ' cause he faithful was Did grief indure most wrongfully While Potiphar his Wife adores For her pretended Honesty But into Prison Joseph's thrown As guilty of Disloyalty With Fetters bound for Crimes unknown Yet soon advanc'd to dignity VII Upon Joseph and his Brethren Gen. 42.43 WHen Joseph's Brethren had him sold and into Egypt he was gone They went home and their Father told An evil Beast had slain his Son This did they ' cause their evil deeds He to their Father us'd to tell Who Vice corrects but hardly speeds Though by so doing he means well They likewise hate him for his Dreams Scorning he should above them be Pride always runs men to extreams And envies those that rise more high Yet Joseph up at last is set Made next to Pharaoh in the Land The Cross to Dignity 's no let The purpose of the Lord shall stand A Famine makes them hunt for Bread Distrest they come to Joseph's Door What Men despise when they are Great They 'll not disdain if once grown Poor To Joseph now they cringe and bow And give him both the Cap and Knee The haughty looks the Lord knows how To bring unto humility Joseph looks strange and speaketh rough He charges them with being Spies Oh! ye are served justly now Remember your poor Brother's cries Falshood and Theft he to their charge Doth lay to mind them of their Sin Imprisons and sets them at large To shew his Dream fulfill'd had been At last he tells them who he was He kisses and forgives them too Tells them the Crown he got by th' Cross There 's none but Christ the like can do VIII Vpon Moses in the Ark of Bull-rushes Exod. 2. THY Mother when she saw thy Face Concluded thus of thee A Man above the common Race Of Men my Son will be Therefore when she no longer could Thee in her Bosom hide To save thee from the Tyrants wrath An Ark she did provide Compos'd of Bulrushes wherein Being put she down thee laid Upon the Rivers brink in hope That God would send thee aid Soon after Pharaoh's Daughter came Unto this very place She sees the little Ark and sends Her Maid it to uncase When opening this Rushy House She there a Babe doth spy Thou weptst her Bowels yearn and she Bewails thy destiny Thy Sister comes and tells her she A Nurse for thee will call Who thy own Mother is what could More happily thee befal This Child said she nurse thou for me And Wages thou shalt have His Mother now Becomes his Nurse Nought kills when God will save Being now grown up he comes to Court Where owned as the Son Of Pharaoh's Daughter he Respect And Reputation won And Moses call'd because he was Taken out of the River Who in his early years began His Brethren to deliver IX Upon Moses and the Burning Bush Exod. 3. WHen Moses kept his Fathers Sheep At Horeb he did see What made him quake a Bush on Fire Which could not burned be He saw the flaming with amaze But whilst he view'd this wonder There suddenly from thence proceeds A Voice much like to Thunder Moses thy Shoes thou must unlose Thou stand'st on Holy Ground The Lord thy Father's God is here Who doth with Grace abound I 've heard and seen and long have been With Jacob ' s groans affected For help they crave and I will save From Egypt mine afflicted Out of this Land I them will bring In Canaan they shall dwell Their Cause I 'll plead I will them lead Because I love them well I thee will unto Pharaoh send For their deliverance By Signs and Wonders done by thee My Glory I 'll advance Doubt not nor be at all dismay'd To go before the King Free from all danger I the Lord Thee safely back will bring Moses now saw the real cause The Bush was not consum'd He knew where God made his abode Fire rather there perfum'd Moses and Aaron then to Court Upon God's Message go And bid the King set Israel free The Lord will have it so X. Vpon the Plagues of Egypt Exod. 7 8 9 10. WHen Moses unto Pharaob came To him he did this Message bring The Lord saith Let my People go To serve me with mine Offering But he refus'd he will not hear God therefore on him Plagues did send Yet still he turned a deaf Ear And God with Plagues his life did end He turn'd their Waters into Blood From whence a Plague of Frogs did spring Which over-spread the Land and came Into the Chambers of the King He still rebels God next sends Lice And swarms of Flies in all their Coasts To make them know none can withstand Jehovah the Lord God of Hosts He 's hardned still the Murrain next Infects all Cattel in the Land With Boils and Blains God next them plagues Magicians cann't before him stand To this succeeds a Plague of Hail With Thunder mixt and Flames of Fire Yet all could not prevail the King Performs not what God doth require He will not yet let Israel go The Locusts next by Gods command Are sent to eat up all green things Who instantly devour the Land The Heart of Pharaoh still is proud He yet refuses to obey God them incompasses about With horrid darkness night and day He still persists till in one Night Egypt's First-born the Lord did slay Which put them all in such a fright That Pharaoh bid them go their way XI Vpon Pharaoh and his Host drowned in the Red Sea Exod 14. WHen Pharaoh had let Israel go And they were marching to their place He soon repents his doing so And calleth back his Act of Grace Then furiously he them pursues Resolving he reveng'd will be For all the mischiefs he had felt
with Lies ' Cause God they did not fear To them his word was like a Sword He need do nothing more Vengeance o'retakes them and they dead Are carried out of door Great fear from hence falls upon all They the Apostles dread Since God even by their word alone So soon strikes sinners dead Let this a warning be to all That they avoid a Lie But speak the truth in righteousness And in sincerity Lest such a sudden dismal Fate Do unto them befal As unto these two happened God's Justice can reach all XXXV Upon the Stoning of St. Stephen Acts 6 7. Chapters STephon was a Man of mighty Faith Who many Wonders wrought The Doctrine of Christ his Lord With Pow'r the People taught His Spirit and Wisdom was so great He his Opposers foil'd Which made them so malicious they Would not be reconcil'd False Witnesses they then set up His Life a way to take Who swear that he blasphemously ' Gainst th' Law and Temple spake He to the Councel's led by those Who ' gainst him did combine His Face when he began to plead Did like an Angels shine Having their leave he then begins And shews how God did lead Of old his people Israel And them delivered But coming close and charging them With guiltless Blood they cry Out all at once Let 's him condemn For he shall surely die Mean while he looks up stedfastly To Heaven and there sees stand The Son of Man in glory great Placed at Gods right hand Out of the City then he 's cast And stoned till he dies But Stephen ev'n to the very last Like a true Martyr cries Lord lay not to their charge this sin My Soul receive and keep He gain'd the Crown of Martyrdom And then he fell asleep XXXVI Upon St. Paul 's Shipwrack Acts 26 27. chap. SAint Paul was sailing unto Rome When lo a storm arose Which was so fierce and violent They could it not oppose The Men were much affrighted since They saw no hope at all They fear destruction on them will Inevitably fall St. Paul them comforts and assures Though they in danger are Yet all shall save their Lives for so God did to him declare The storm more furious grows and all Their labour doth confound At length the Ship in pieces breaks By being run a-ground Each Man then for himself shifts so By skilful swimming and The broken pieces of the Ship They all come safe to Land Having this danger thus escapt They are on Malta thrown And there by the Inhabitants Much kindness had them shown But when St. Paul had gathered sticks To make a Fire at Land A Viper came out of the heat And fastened on his Hand Whereat the people look on him As he a Murderer were Who though he had escap'd the Sea Yet vengeance follow'd there But when they did observe that he Receiv'd no hurt thereby They quickly change their minds and now He is a God they cry Vpon Death CAn he be counted Fair Who withers at a blast Or he be Strong one breath of wind Into the Grave can cast Can he be counted Wise Who knows not how to live Or can he be a Rich Man call'd Who nothing hath to give Can he be reckon'd Young That 's feeble weak and wan So Fair so Strong so very Wise So Rich so Young is Man So Fair is Man that Death Even with one parting blast Blasts all his fair and dainty Flow'rs And makes him Earth at last So mighty Strong is Man That with a gasping Breath He totters falls and then bequeaths His boasted strength to Death So Wise is man that if With Death he once do strive His Wisdom never can him teach How he one Hour shall live So Rich is Man that when He once his debts hath paid His Wealth 's his winding-sheet wherein Even he himself is laid So Young is Man that when He 's broke with care and sorrow He 's old enough this very day That he may die to morrow Why brag'st thou then thou Worm Who art but five Foot long For thou art neither Fair nor Strong Nor Wise nor Rich nor Young Vpon Judgment THE dreadful Trump shall blow The Dead awak'd shall rise And then unto the Clouds they all Shall turn their wandring Eyes The Heav'ns shall opened be The Bridegroom forth shall come To Judge the World and to bestow On all the World her Doom Joy it shall be to th' Just To th' Wicked endless smart To those the blessed voice bids Come To these it bids Depart Depart you must from life Yet dying live for ever For ever you will dying be And yet you will die never Depart from me like Dogs With Devils take your Lot Like Devils all depart from me Because I know you not Like Dogs like Devils go Go cry and howl and bark Depart and into Darkness fly Because your deeds were dark Let yells and roarings be Your Musick and your Food The Flesh of Vipers and of Toads Your Drink shall be their Blood Let Devils you afflict With scorn reproach and shame Depart depart away from me Into Eternal Flame If Hell the Portion then Of wretched sinners be O Lord give me my Hell on Earth Lord give me Heaven with thee Vpon Heaven WHen I do contemplate The New Jerusalem Wherein there is reserv'd for me My Crown my Diadem Oh! what a Heaven of Bliss My Soul by this enjoys All on a sudden I am wrapt Into the Heaven of Joys Where there are Troops of Powers Of Virtues Cherubims There Angels and Archangels are With Saints and Seraphims Who still are singing praise Unto their Heavenly King Their Songs and Hallelujahs they For ever to him sing Where joys are full and pure And are not mixt with mourning Where they continue without end From which there 's no returning No Theft nor Cruelty No Murder harbours there No hoary headed Care afflicts Nor yet no sudden Fear No pinching Want is there No griping fast Oppression Nor Death which is the just reward Of the first Man's transgression But dearest Friendship Love And Everlasting Pleasure Do there abide continually Without decay or measure Fulness of Riches Joy And Comfort sempiternal Excess yet without surfeiting With Light and Life Eternal Vpon Hell HEll is beyond all thought A state sad and forlorn No mortal Man can here relate The Pangs that there are born These Burnings cann't be quencht No not with tears of Blood No mournful groans nor doleful sighs Will here do any good Nay all that can be said T' express the pain of those In Hell comes short they are enwrapt In Everlasting woes For Time there finds no end And Plagues find no exemption Their cries admit no help for from That place is no redemption Where Fire lacks no Flame Therewith the Flame to heat To make their torments more severe Their miseries to compleat Where wretched Souls for ever To tortures bound shall be Where they shall serve a world of years Yet never shall
be free Where nothing's heard but yells And groans and woful cries And where the Fire ne're abates The Worm there never dies That Worm which ever gnaws And tears their Bowels out The Pit upon them shuts its Jaws It 's terrible no doubt But where this Hell is plac'd My Muse must needs stop there Lord shew us what its horror is But never shew us where Scripture Hymns and Songs upon several Occasions turn'd into Common English Verse With some others The Song of Moses when Pharaoh and his Host were Drowned in the Red Sea Exodus 15. Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel this Song unto the Lord and spake saying I To the Lord will sing for he Triumpht in Glory so The Horse he and his Rider down Into the Sea did throw The Lord 's my Strength and Song and he Is my Salvation My God he is I 'll him prepare An Habitation My Fathers God he is also I will exalt his Fame The Lord he is a Man of War Jehovah is his Name He Pharaoh's Chariots and his Host Into the Sea hath cast And his choice Captains Drowned were At i th' Red Sea they past The depths them hid to th' bottom they Sunk down even as a Stone Jehovah thy Right Hand in power Most glorious is alone Lord thy Right Hand in pieces dasht Those that against thee rose And in thine Excellency Great Thou hast o'rethrown thy Foes Thou didst send forth thy wrath which as The stubble did them waste Together gathered were the waves Even with thy Nostrils blast The Floods stood upright as an heap The depths in mid-sea rose The Foe said I 'll pursue I 'll catch I will the spoil dispose My Lust on them shall filled be My Sword draw out will I My Hand shall them again possess Or spoil them utterly Thou with the wind didst on them blow The Sea them covered They in the mighty waters sunk As if they had been Lead Lord who 's like thee among the Gods Who 's like thee glorious In holiness fearful in praise In doings marvellous When thou didst forth thy Right Hand stretch The Earth them swallowed The people whom thou hast Redeem'd Thou hast in Mercy led Thou by thy strength shalt guide them to That Holy Seat of thine The Folk shall hear and fear and grieve Shall they of Palestine Then Edom's Dukes shall be amaz'd And Moab's mighty men Trembling shall seize away shall melt All Canaan's dwellers then Fear upon them and dread shall fall By thy Hands mightiness They shall lye still as doth a Stone Until the People pass Until thy People Lord shall pass Which thou hast purchased Till thou hast them brought in and in Thy Mount established The Mount of thine Inheritance O Lord the place wherein Thou hast prepar'd thy Sanctuary For thee to dwell therein Lord which thy Hands established Jehovah he shall Reign For evermore through Ages all For ever Sovereign For Pharaoh's Horse and Chariots And Horsemen down they went Into the Sea Jehovah then The Sea upon them sent The waters of the Sea on them He turned back in haste But on dry Land i' th' midst o' th' Sea The Sons of Israel past And Miriam answered them Sing to the Lord for he excels In glorious renown He hath the Horse and Rider both Into the Sea cast down Samson 's Triumph over the Philistines when he had slain a thousand with the Jaw-bone of an Ass SAmson rejoice be fill'd with mirth Let all Judea know And tell the Princes of the Earth How strong an Arm hast thou How has thy dead inricht the Land And purpl'd o're the Grais Thou hadst no weapon in thy Hand But th' Jaw-bone of an Ass How does thy strength and high renown The glory of men surpass Thine Arm hath struck a thousand down With th' Jaw-bone of an Ass Let Samson's glorious name endure Till time shall bring forth One Whose greater glory shall obscure The glory thou hast won David 's Lamentation over Saul and Jonathan And David lamented with this Lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his Son 2 Sam. 1.19 THE Beauty of Israel is slain Upon the places high How are the Mighty fallen down In Gath this never cry Nor tell 't in Streets of Askelon Lest Philistines rejoice Lest Daughters of th' uncircumcis'd Make a triumphant noise Ye Mountains high of Gilboa Let there be never Dew Let neither Rain nor Fields again Of Offering be on you For there the mighty One his Shield Receiv'd disgraceful foil The Shield of Saul as he had not Anointed been with Oyl The Bow of Jonathan turned not Back from the Blood o' th' slain From fat o' th' Mighty and Saul's Sword Returned not in vain Lovely and pleasant in their Lives Were Saul and Jonathan And in their death and latest breath Was no division They swifter were than Eagles far They Lions did excel In strength O weep ye over Saul Daughters of Israel Who did in Scarlet you array With deckings manifold Who did on your Apparel lay Rich Ornaments of Gold O thou my Brother Jonathan I am distrest for thee A pleasant kind Companion Thou hast been unto me Thy love to me was wonderful Past that of Women far How are the Mighty fall'n and how Are lost the Men of War The Prayer of Jonah to the Lord his God out of the Whales Belly Jonah 2. I to the Lord in my distress Did cry and he gave ear Out of Hells Belly cryed I And he my voice did hear Into the deep i' th' midst o' th' Sea O Lord thou didst me cast The Floods me compast all thy Waves And Billows o're me past Then did I say I utterly Cast from thy sight remain Yet to thy Holy Temple I Will once more look again The waters even to the Soul Did me incompass round The depths me round inclos'd the weeds About my head were bound To th' Mountains bottoms I went down Earths Bars did me beset Yet Lord my God thou broughtest my life Up from corruptions Pit When as my Soul did faint in me The Lord remembred I Even then my Pray'r came unto thee Into thy Sanctuary They their own mercies leave that do Mind Lying Vanities But with the voice of giving thanks To thee I 'll Sacrifice The thing the which I vowed have To pay I will accord Because alone Salvation Proceedeth from the Lord. Conclusion O Holy Holy Holy Lord Th' Almighty God alone Which was and is and is to come Who sittest on the Throne Thou Glory Honour and great Pow'r Lord worthy art to take For thou mad'st all they are and were Made for thy pleasures sake A Poem upon Death and Judgment THE Day of wrath that dreadful day Shall the whole World in Ashes lay As both the Psalms and Sybils say What horror will distract your mind When the strict Judge who should be kind Shall have few venial faults to find The last loud Trumpets wondrous sound Shall through the cleaving Graves rebound And wake the Nations under-ground Nature and Death shall with surprise Behold the Conscious wretches rise And view the Judge with frighted Eyes Then shall with Universal dread The Sacred Mystick Roll be read To try the Living and the Dead The Judge ascends his awful Throne But when he makes all secrets known How will a guilty Face be shown What Intercessor shall I take To save my last important stake When the most Just hath cause to quake Thou mighty formidable King Mercy and Truths Eternal Spring Some charitable pity bring In Storms of guilty Terrors lost Forget not what my Ransom cost Nor let my dear bought Soul be lost Thou who for me hast felt such pain Whose precious Blood the Cross did stain Let not thy Death and Birth be vain Thou whom avenging Powers obey Remit my Debt too vast to pay Before the last accounting day Surrounded with amazing Fears Whose load my Soul with anguish bears I sigh I weep accept my Tears Thou who wast mov'd with Maries Grief And by absolving of a Thief Hast given me Hope Oh! give Relief Reject not my unworthy Prayers But free me from those dreadful Snares That hungry gaping Hell prepares Oh! let thy Bloud my Crimes Efface And fix me with those Heirs of Grace That thou dost on thy Right Hand place From that Portentous vast Abyss Where Flames devour and Serpents Hiss Call me to thy Eternal Bliss Prostrate my contrite Heart I rend My God my Father and my Friend Do not forsake me in my end Well may they Curse their second Breath Who rise to a severer Death Thou Great Creator of Mankind Let sinful Souls compassion find Could we divide a Moment to the Eye We should see Life the Moment that we die And Faith does fully that defect supply For though my Body Dies it is not I. FINIS