Tyrants In the Red Sea sterne Pharaoh dy'd and in Christs blood was drown'd that cursed Tyrant Sinne. 45. Gods Image Likenesse breedes love and therefore God did make Man as his Image that he thence might take A deare occasion in deepe love to fall With his high Lord whose grace surmounts to all 46. Of Divine Precepts How good is God! whos 's every sweete command Doth with the soules and bodies safety stand Whose true and happy preservation lies In antidotes of vertuous exercise But vice is like a worme that Canker sets Into the Bone and harder Conscience frets 47. Of Repentance Put not Repentance off till thou beest old For such Devotion heartlesse growes and cold Nor ere shall that man for a wise one passe That layes much treasure on a tyred Asse 48. On Worldlings Like Gideons troopes which off the Captaine cast For bending Beast-like to the ground to tast The Crystall River is the wretched crew Of Worldlings which with downe-cast mindes pursue Their wretched treasure that like water flowes By course and from them with a murmure goes 49. On the same Rich Worldlings are poore Snakes sustain'd alone With shining dust and downe to basenesse throwne 50. Prosperity perilous King Saul his sonnes and other Chieftaines more Fell under wounds upon Mount Gilboa And when in high prosperity we soare Well may we feare a downfall and decay For honours Bubble swelling ne're so high Breakes with a pricke and out the winde must flye 51. Affliction profitable A fishes Gall blind Tobit cur'd and so Bitter affliction lends us light to know The World and all its fashood that in lieu Of promis'd Roses sticks our breasts with Rue 52. On the same The higher that the Deluge rose More upward did the Arke ascend So in the deepest waves of woe More Heaven-ward our affections tend And sad affliction oft doth prove A beaten path to joyes above 53. Paine before pleasure Vigills and Fasts to joyfull feasts make way And Earths short paines to Heav'ns long Holiday 54. Of Riches Like Sparrowes Dung that seel'd up Tobits sight Is wealth whose love our soules becloudeth quite And with pollution so belimes her wings That heavily she mounts to heavenly things 55. Ioseph in Prisan to Pharaoh's Butler at liberty Whilst we in Prison fettered lay Our loves were fast and thou didst say Thou surely wouldst if ever grac't Againe relieve me but thou hast Let slip thy promise and my paine Though Pharaoh's Cuppe thou holdst againe Thus Royall favours Sunne-shine makes In Dunghill mindes ungratefull snakes Of Libertines in office set And cuppes make men their friends forget 56. On Tobias his Fish The Entrailes of this Fish once laid on fire Caus'd all infernali Spirits to retire So a zeale-burning heart the fiends doth quell And a good liver feares no bugges of Hell 57. The Devills child the Devills lucke Iudas that did the Khapsacke beare Like a false-hearted Souldier The bloody colours did forgoe Of his deare Lord to serve his foe For helish pay yet in the close Had not one crosse to helpe his woes But with his empty bagge by 's side Was hang'd and broke and poorely dy'd 58. On Avarice Greedy Gehazies snow-white Leprosie Fairely resembleth foulest Covetize That makes men lame to workes of Charity And hoares our haires ere age their colour dyes 59. A false World This crooked World is serpentine And poysons doth with pleasures deale Just as the Snake doth brightly shine Yet banefull venome doth concile So one faire fruit deform'd us all Whence all our lives like leaves doe fall 60. Of Religion Religion is a golden chaine to binde With tenne strong linkes all Adams stubborne kinde 61. On Saint Stephen stoned Some men are beaten to this world but here 's One that was battered to the heavenly spheares Whose prayers faster than the stones did fly Vollyed for entrance to the opening sky Nor did poore halfe-dead Isaac more rejoyce To see the Ramme and heare the Angels voyce Than Stephen did to see the Lambe once slaine For our sins guilt with his triumphant traine Well might he joy that was within a small Stones cast of Heaven whence treasured blessings fall 62. Pride and Humility Mountaines their tallnesse loose but vallies grow Higher by ruines on their bosome cast And climbing pride comes tumbling downe below But humble goodnesse will reach Heaven at last 63. Divine Wisedome Moses his reall Serpent had the power Those other made by Magicke to devoure And Gods transcendent wisedome doth containe All others knowledge as a boundlesse maine Which never Creature strove to passe but fell Short in his Voyage lost in darkest Hell 64. Ignorance the Divels foole The Divell in darke ignorance delights And as sterne Nahash once the Gileadites Right eyes required so endeavours he Knowledge to quench and arts dexterity 65. Of Mahomets Religion Like to that thousand-slaying Asses jaw Which Sampson brandisht is the sencelesse Law Of Mahomet which more weake soules hath slaine Than th' Alcaron doth witlesse words containe 66. On Iacobs wrestling Iacob that Esau had supplanted first With confidence well fortify'd now durst Encounter with an Angell and doth beare The blessed prize away though lam'd he were Yet no discomfort could him hence dismay Sith such maim'd souldiers shall have heavenly pay 67. On the same Iacob went halting that he might not fly Farre from his Lord that loves such company 68. Mans life in the lapse On Tigris banke when once Tobias sate Of slippery life he well might meditate Which faster than that swiftest river flowes With downe-right course to death nor Eddy knowes 69. Of the Pillar of Salt the remainder of Lots Wife What object 's this that doth assault my sense With feare the monument of her offence Who with good Lot did from lewd Sodome goe Yet for apostacy was pillory'd so Warning us all to season with this Salt Our ranke affections and avoyde her fault 70. Of a Carnalist How like is he a wanton life that leades To hoary Iordan that the flowery meads Clippes in his progresse yet doth swiftly tend To the dead sea and makes a bitter end 71. Seths Pillars Seths famous Pillars that inscribed stood With Learning and Religion scap'd the floud For though both Gold and Silver feele decay Faire knowledge may be clipt nere washt away 72. Of Drunkards Drunkards are like to leaking shippes and in Great danger to be sunke in seas of sinne 73. Worldly pleasure As Ioab Amaziah did embrace And stabbe together so with flattering face False pleasure courts us but with paine the whiles Wounds whom she wooes slaughters when she smiles 74. Not too fast Swift as a sylvan Roe was Asahel Yet overtooke by Fate he wounded fell In following Abner For in veyle of night Close by the ground flyes death and puts to flight The bold'st pursuers and from life of grace Too frequently they fall that honour chase 75. To an Epicure Thy belly is thy God thine appetite All thy Religion which with tooth and
Those twinkling eyes that did allure To sordid lust now droppe the pure Pearle of Contrition and that haire That wandering Cupids did ensnare And wav'd its pride in every streete Now humbly licks her Saviours feete And from those blessed roots derives Vertue more worth than thousand lives To cleanse thy stain'd affections then Still weepe and wipe kind Magdalen 19. A beame of comfort God that his splendour did to Moses show From Aegypt fled will sure with comfort so Shine upon those that gladly bid farewell To lust whose lightnesse keeps us darke as Hell 20. On the two theeves crucified with our Saviour As Iew and Gentile did his life oppose So here two Theeves our dying Lord enclose These true to falshood gasping here for breath Doe yet invade the King of life and death The one wiâ—h worst of weapons playes his part The other robbes him of his dearest heart Both on the bloody Characters doe looke Of life yet one but saved by the Booke That as in Moses bush with Raies divine Sees in the thorny Crowne some glory shine And hangs not faster on the fatall wood Than his soule cleaves to her eternall good Strange Thiefe that thus by vertue of his vice Broke loose from Hell and stole to Paradise 21. An unfruitfull Reader Who reads Gods Word not following it in deed Is like a sounding but an empty Reed 22. Sects in Religion While Sects are wrangling Sathan doth contend To make them all their vertues treasure spend Iust as while Clients strive the Lawyer takes Their Metall but no chaine of Concord makes 23. To London in time of Pestilence London when I behold thy Ladyes goe So Bedlam-like with Naked armes and show Shoulders and breasts like Maremaids all behung With golden toyes and precious stones among And when againe the roaring boyes I see Put women downe with manlesse luxury Still to be fashion-sicke and drinke and sweare And rage as if they Stygian Monsters were I wonder not to see thee blacke with woe Sith high-built Cities lye in dust below For crimes lesse bold and having drunke thereby Deepe cuppes of vengeance thou wilt pledge or dye 24. The Arke and Dagon Afford not sinne one corner in thy heart Sith all 's too little for so great a Lord That will not for the whole accept the part Nor will his Arke and Dagon ere accord Whose head and hands at th' entry of desire Cut wisely off nor suffer sinne entire 25. On Palestine My sighes out-pace my tongue when I would tell How this fam'd Region which did all excell In pleasant fruits and typ'd the happyest place Is now a Den of Barbarisme so base So stript and ruin'd that with grapes and graine It scarce a flight of Locusts can maintaine Ah cursednesse of sinne that thus to Gall Turnes milke and honey and empoysons all 26. The motion of sinne Sinnes motion 's various and her Zenith well We terme presumption but her Nadir Hell 27. Marke the end Iacob held Esau by the Heele and so Should every man that feares his Maker doe Not stroke the head of sinne but apprehend His rugged foote and marke his fatall end 28. Nebuchadnezzars Image moraliz'd Like this Kings Image with the head of gold Th' ambitious seemes and makes a lofty show Of wisedome but his latter end behold And you shall see the proud aspirer goe On earthen feet whose frailty will not beare Their master out from danger or from feare 29. An old sute God not with silken robes old Adam clad But skinnes of Beasts the most contemned weare To shew that he who Princely Empire had Having defac'd Gods Image did appeare More like to beasts and through his teares might see His blinded soule and bodies misery 30. Our Saviours first Miracle applyed Iesus that Water turnd to Wine Will turne our penitentiall brine To Nectar and our bitter moanes To sweetest joyes Celestiall tones When our white Soules unto this Lambe Shall married be and Heavens frame While fiery Angels clearely sing An endlesse wedding peale shall ring 31. Pride not unpunished King Ezechias in a boasting sort Shew'd all his Treasures and was punish'd for 't For Pride falls with a vengeance on our backs And high Clouds scatter when the Welkin cracks 32. Good Workes The stones whereof Gods Altars framed were Must be unwrought so pious deeds should be Not mixt with ostentation but sincere For wisedome shines in such simplicity 33. Heaven and Earth As from one Maker Heaven and Earth proceed So some resemblance doe they hold indeed For as the Boreall parts of Heaven include Most Starres and of the greatest magnitude So doth our Northerne Hemispheare below More of the continent and Ilands show Than doth the South Thus Heaven and Earth accord And so were men in goodnesse like their Lord Or like his quire of Angels there would be Through the whole World a compleat Harmony 34. The soules twylight As Sea and Earth I view but with mine eye Nor Elementall fire nor aire discry So know I men and beasts but cannot so High God and holy Angels reach unto For ah by Adams fall my knowing part Seemes dasht and duld'd against a stony heart 35. To Princes Ye Royall guides that 'fore your people goe Thinke on that Meteor in the Wildernesse Which Israel led for airy honour so Still floates and flits but sooner vanishes 36. Eminent Examples The obvious actions of the great that strike Our sences to the quicke are not unlike Those varied Rods which Jacob once did leave Before his Ewes what time they should conceive For after such impressive objects goe The sheepish vulgar which few precepts know 39. Poverties priviledge Ierusalems great Chiefes are forc'd away By Babels Monarch when meane persons stay And as a prey to the hellish Tyrant are Rich Worldlings when poore starvelings better fare 40. A Boaster A Boaster's but a glorious Monster and Extends a tongue farre larger than his hand 41. To Pride If silver from superfluous moysture growes Like that which drops from every Driuells nose If gold be but the dregs of earth and stones Though ne're so pretious but her barren bones If flaunting silkes rich scarlets daintiest furres Be but Beasts excrements which man abhorres Then Pride thou' rt odious and thy Students be Scarce able to commence to mans degree 42. On Iosephs Cloake The Snake his slough the Dove her plumes doth cast Whose innocence and prudence hold we fast As Joseph left his garment yet retain'd A jewell which once lost is ne're regain'd Thus stone-cold chastity farre off doth flye And Lust assumes the Cloake of modesty 43. On Nebuchadnezzar Deposed What Object 's this of pitty or of feare Great Babels Monarch picking Sallets here With Hawke-like Tallons and a Horse-like maine That lately did a gemmed Crowne sustaine 'T was farre from lo ftiest Royalty to slide To such subjection but illusive pride Ioyes in such Gambolls jeering when she brings Scepters to Bables and does foole the greatest things 44. Death of
but the brest infect 153. Of Death Death as a Clocke the Destinies have set That still points at us with a fleshlesse hand And more than hourely strikes too sencelesse yet His warning blowes we list not understand 154. Diffusion of goodnesse For Iacobs and for Moses sake Laban and Pharaoh both were blest For our peace-loving Lord doth take Delight in gentle soules to rest Whose goodnesse doth like th' Altars fume Spread sacred sweets but nere consume 156. Of the same Sweet vertue like the humid morne doth give Her due to all that in her compasse live 157. Meditation of mortality The Mariner that best his Barke doth guide Sits at the Sterne and he that would provide For his soules safety to the end must fly Of life in thoughts of fraile mortality So shall he bring his vessell to the Cape Of his best hope and wrackfull vengeance scape 158. No peace without piety Ionas once gone from God on sea or ground Nor calme of peace nor shine of comfort found But vainely aiming at contentment is Like a faint Souldier that his rest doth misse 159. Workes of Charity The meale and oyle that did Elias feed Nere fayl'd nor will a charitable deed Though oft repeated make the giver poore Whilst Heaven keepes Angels to supply his store 160. To Lavolt a fauourite Moses into the aire light ashes threw And forthwith did a heavy plague ensue So if dust that thou art thou soare too high Sad vengeance will deject thy vanity Iust as that golden Calfes fine ashes were In water cast and worthlesse did appeare 161. Birds of prey hardly reclaimed Achan was stoned for a wedge of gold That stucke too fast in his ill-bent desire But stony hearts their barren brests doe hold That wealth by stealth and lawlesse shifts acquire 162. Of incineration As Daniel did by strewing ashes find The juggling Priests deceite so in thy mind And memory the wholsome ashes cast Whereto the fates will sift thy flesh at last And the false foot-steps of the world thereby Thou shalt race out and guilefull trickes desery 163. Of the same Let not fraile red and white delude thine eye For the Ash-colour is the surest dye 164. Of the externall sences Who shuts not up his sences with a guard Lyes open to the fate of Ishbosheth Who having left his pallace gates unbarr'd Sly treason entred and le ts out his breath So shut these portals then that Sathans skill Picke not the Locke nor sins intrusion kill 165. The duty of meditation Those beasts that serv'd for legall sacrifice Were such as chew'd the cud but men more wise Should thankefully record and meditate Of his high power that did all create Else lesse perhaps than things with hoofe and horne They God adore and th' universe adorne 166. A troublesome world This World resembles Labans house wherein Good Iacob nought save trouble found and sin But having left it by the Angels scale Takes heavenly heights and slights this earthly vale 168. Of concord God many of each sort of creatures made As of birds beasts and plants but of mankind His wisedomes depth the first foundation laid Onely in two and those as one combind That all remembring how from one they came Might with the bent of love at union aime 169. Of Regeneration As Moses put his shooes off so must we Our foule desires that hope our Lord to see For like our loose affects and would Be so kept under lest they grow too bold 170. Of Divine contemplation Christ shin'd in glory upon those that went To Tabors toppe with him and so when we By contemplation make our high ascent 'Bove worldly cares through which we dimly see God lights us with his splendour and displayes His pretious beauties with propitious rayes 171 Israels Shepheard upon the mountaines Our Saviour oft in mountaines did abide To preach or pray but knew no height of pride 172. Generall disobedience The most men though no Kings I may compare To Saul who did the lustiest cattle spare Of Amalek for so the lives we save Of brutish passions though command we have To slaughter them so crosse we are to Gods Iust Lawes and even with our selves at oddes 173. To Asia Blest Region where my sacred Saviour walkt And God with man in flowery Eden talkt I reverence thy soyle preferring thee The worlds fourth part before the other three Though vast America against my straine Swell with proud hills of gold and high disdaine 174. Of abstinence Daniel by abstinence disperst abroad Those steshly vapours which becloud the mind And saw thereby the misteries of God More cleerely than the rest of humane kind For fasting that lusts fervour doth allay Makes us as Eagles sharpe and apt to pray 175. Holy violence Iacob that rugged Esau's heele did hold Taught us thereby some rigid course to take With hatefull sins and plucke them if we could From us by th' heeles that head against us make 176. Away prophane Those Beasts were to be ston'd that came but neare That Mount where God in terrour did appeare And men that in Gods Temple dare present Their beastly lusts may feare like punishment 177. Of the Starre and the stable upon our Saviours Birth-day Me thinkes the Stable and the Starre I see The one above the other here below Which two my Saviours severall natures show His Man-hood namely and his Deity 178. Double Victory As Daniel first destroy'd the Idoll Bel And then the Dragon so if first we quell The Idoll of our flesh we quickely shall Make Sathan fly and downe like lightning fall 179. Of humane life If life be but a thread then why may not Sharpe misery be th' needle death the knot 180. Of solitude Our Heavenly Saviour passing all degree Of humane sanctity went oft apart To pray and found such solitude to be A fit companion for a single heart 181. Of Traitors Like odious Toades are trait'rous Male contents That from faire day-light hide their foule intents And in the Denns of mischiefe dormant sit Till night but then their blacker venime spit While with their harsh ill-boading sounds they breake The aire and peace of Kingdomes where they speake 182. Of Bablers Like the Caldean troopes that downe did breake Ierusalems high Walls are those that speake Much to small sence and violate thereby The bounds of reason mounds of modesty 183. The Objects of reproofe The stone that Daniel Writes of did not smite The Idolls golden head nor silver brest But carthen feet so heavy blame doth light Not on mens rich deserts with honour blest But at poore errours reprehension flyes And stones to death the slight'st infirmities 184. The fall of fortitude Rich golden Vessels pale and sickly grow If not well furbusht with a painefull hand So men of noblest metall fall below Their worth by sloth or as meere cyphers stand And by their dulnesse making others mount To Honour are themselves of no account 185. Preparation for the Sacrament Mens hearts are like
hard waxe which fiery zeale Should soften ere they take the heavenly seale 186. Keepe within compasse Wild Esau rang'd the fields but Iacob still Kept home so Gods indeared Servants will Themselves in compasse of a Conscience hold But impious fooles are straglers from the Fold 187. Earth to earth In Peru lives the Foxe-like Cincia which Kind nature doth with a strang bagge enrich Under her belly plac'd to which in feare Her stragling young ones hast to hide them there Th' all feeding Earth the like maternall part Performes to us which when the fatall Dart Of death affrights and strikes us downe for sin Sets ope a grave and takes her off-spring in 188. The worme of Conscience Sinne like a Serpents egge in dunghill laid Of soule corruption to each heart convay'd And hatcht with hot desires of greedy sence Becomes a Worme and gnawes the Conscience 189. Of tongues Our tongues are not of bone but flesh to shew Our words should not be harsh but gently flow 190. Good preachers Gods favourites When Salomon the sacred Temple built God favour'd him nor knew he then the guilt Of what might vexe him sinfull vanity So those that Gods deare Church doe edifie Keeping sin under are in high regard With him that Crownes his workemen with reward 191. Gods feare with true fortitude Gods feare made Moses bold to goe To that sterne Tyrant Pharaoh Not trembling at his harsh replyes For when the Lord of earth and skyes Is lodg'd once in a faithfull brest What earth-quake dare his roome molest 192. Of zealous alacrity That God that did the Israelites command To eate with eager hast the Paschall Lambe Now wills when pious workes we take in hand That we with nimble zeale performe the same For he that Heaven incessantly doth move Admits no sluggish soules to rest above 193. Poore and rich The Shepheards quickly with their Saviour were But the three Kingly Sophies came from farre To shew than poore men are to God as neare As fortunes Sonnes that rich and potent are For pride which made both men and Angels erre Oft waites on wealth and leades to Lucifer 164. Of Prayers Prayers are lively sparkes that mounting flye From fire of zeale and penetrate the skie 195. A Crowne for constancy In Aarons vesture sumptuous to behold Betwixt small sounding bels of shining gold Pomegranates stood which native Crownes doe beare And in the utmost skirts these placed were To shew that good workes which pure bells expresse Shall in Heavens Court be Crown'd with happinesse When in a course of constancy they have Reacht the Lands-end of life the finall grave 196. The Divels temptation Sathans temptation seemes the steele That striking on our hearts of stone Makes lust to sparkle yet we feele Oft cooles our hott'st devotion 197. Avoid Sathan Good Abra'm drave the noughty fowles away That seaz'd upon his solemne sacrifice So the fould fiends temptations when we pray Should we expell from th' Heavenly exercise And plucke up for the Lords sake of the soile The thornes of care that grounds of goodnesse spoile 198. Of perseverance in piety Those yoaked Kine that drew the Arke unto Beth-shemesh though their Calves did bleat apace Did to their journies end directly goe So when Christs yoake upon our neckes we place Though our fond lusts importune us to stay Yet hold we on and keepe the heavenly way 199. To Fewlove a turbulent Church-man What Devils horne compells thee canst not Preach Of what thou nere wilt by example teach Good life and manners but thou needs must be Braying against the fruites of Sanctity As bounteous almes set prayers and the like Whereat thou dost with points of Doctrine strike This 's not to build up but edge tooles to throw 'Mongst ignorants and wound their weaknesse so 200. Of Hypocrisie Hypocrisie like Ieroboams wife Walkes in disguise and rather acts a life Vpon this trifling stage of vanity Than leads one that her manners may discry For though an outward forme they beare Plucke off her Maske and oh the Devill 's there 201. The choice of a wife When Adam soundly slept God Eve did make And when our fond desires are least awake The sound est course it is a wife to take For he that shootes love from a wanton eye Though on a faire match he may hit thereby Yet fouly erres from th' white of chastity 202. Of Confession Confession deales with sinnes as Ioshuah With the five Kings i' th Cave of Makeddah That from darke hollow hearts where vices raigne Brings them to judging light and sees them slaine 203. The blood of our Lord. Thy vitall blood sweete Saviour doth asswage Our feaverous sinnes though hot as Hell they rage Within our flesh In sultry Aegypt so Dire plagues decrease when Nile doth over-flow 204. Wisedome without measure As Moses Serpent did the rest devoure Gods wisedome fooles our knowledge foyles our power 205. On bad Patrons Some Patrons worse than those our Saviour scourg'd Out of the House of Prayer which he purg'd From sinne for those i' th' Temple onely sold But these will sell the Temples selfe for Gold 206. Portions for Gods Children The doores that to Gods Oracle did lead Of Olive were with Cherubs garnished Whose mysticke wood fat plenty did imply As the carv'd worke Celestiall dignity Both which their portions are whose hearts entire Ope at Gods knocke and shut out lewd desire 208. Heaven hardly entred Of new Ierusalem truths Scribe doth write That her twelve pearly gates stand opposite In Walls whose Bases are twelve jemmes entire To shew that men from all parts shall aspire To his faire City equalled by none Yet hardly make their way by Pearle and Stone 209. To a vaine Babbler Thy prayers are so tedious that they bee Long ere they reach to Heav'n too high for thee 210. Spirituall bondage When Zedechiah must to Babel goe They blinded him and heavy Chaines did throw Vpon him so when ignorance doth shut Mens eyes and indevotion fetters put On their affects how quickly are they gone To th'horrours of infernall Babylon 211. A happy Convert A yongster going to the Stewes did meet By chance a dead mans Coffin in the street Which courage-quelling sight a mortall blow Gave to his lust and tooke impression so That he returnes a Penitent and drawes His loose affects up to strict vertues Lawes O wholesome spectacle through which he sees Folly in grosse and sinnes deformities 212. To an Apostate That thy loose tongue is so prophanely bold To carpe at sacred truths I wonder not That heare how much thy zeale hath taken cold And sanctity the falling-sicknesse got 213. Celestiall comfort The fire that in few minutes should have turn'd Three Children into ashes onely burn'd Their bonds asunder but when once that flame That shall dissolve the Worlds unwildy frame Sinnes chaines shall loosen and dull flesh refine We shall as Eagles soare as Angels shine 214. On the ten Lepers in the Evangely Ten Lepers cleansed were one