cloathed sit At thy beloved Saviours glorious feet I cannot but admire that bounteous grace That takes such sinners to so sweet a place Yet when I think what floods of tears below From thine even almost drowned eyes did flow How oft thou bath'dst thy Saviours feet and then With thy torn locks didst wipe them dry agen I should have wondred if that place had bin Too good for such a soul t' have lodged in Tears mixt with faith such power in heaven do bear That they can place the greatest sinners there Vpon John 20. 13. Epig. 2. MAry her buried Lord she thought had lost Yet see how dear this small adventure cost Her tender heart mark how she wept and prai'd To know but where her breathless Christ was laid But thou my sencelesse soul Oh dreadfull word Canst loose the presence of thy glorious Lord Days without number yet scarce find a tear To witnesse that thou once didst hold him dear Ah my vile heart if thou thy Christ didst prize As Mary did thou wouldst have Maries eyes Vpon Mark 16. 9. and John 20. 17. Epig. 3. SEe here what links of comfort meet to crown Her drooping head who but even now powr'd down Such streams of tears no mortall eye must see Their raised Lord till first his Mary be Blest with the Vision till those eyes that wept So much for grief as much for joy have leap'd Nor is' t enough to feast her eyes alone With this glad sight hee 'l use her lips upon A glorious Message to his Brethren she Shall an Apostle to the Apostles be Themselves he means shall see the truth ere long But they shall owe it first unto her tongue So carefull is our gracious Lord that those That mourn for him shall not by mourning lose James Apostle Vpon Acts 12. 2. cum Mat. 20. 21. Epig. 1. GReat James the first of all the twelve I think Thou of thy Saviours bloody cup didst drink But grieve not at it 'T was the readiest way To gain that room for which thou once didst pray Who holds it now let bolder tongues report This onel ' I know thou didst bid fairly for 't Vpon James and John the two sons of Zebedee Epig. 2. GOod God what odds 'twixt these two brethren lyes This first that last of all the Apostles dies This an untimely bloody death abides That in a gentle quiet slumber glides Out of the world if he at all be gone From hence and must not rise again anon Both sued indeed mov'd with a like unfit Ambition on their Lords two hands to fit And undertook in lieu thereof to sup Their parts with him of his unpleasant cup This had a share but that for reasons best Known to his Lord 's reserv'd for longer rest How little is it Lord that we can know Of men by what betides them here below Some die for Christ and those that do not so Are oft as dear to him as those that do To will to die for him though 't do not come To pass in his account is Martyrdome Vpon both the Jameses Epigr. 2. NEither of the Jameses ever was in Spain They had their tasks elsewhere that did detain Their pains and persons Paul indeed we know Had a design into those parts to go Which if he did not execute the blame If any from his troubles onely came Which kept him back not from his changed mind Which firmly still to serve them was enclin'd Yet how it comes to passe I cannot tell But Paul that had deserv'd of them so well Is laid aside and James receiv'd alone To be the Patron of that Nation Yea not content with this through blinded zeal In points of Faith from Paul they do appeal To James his doctrine as if heaven's had made Him to be judge of what the other said And that his purer Comments must give light To those more doubtful texts that Paul did write But fools they one day to their cost shall know That one same Spirit in both their pens did flow And that these wretches that dishonour Paul Shall that day find no friend of James at all August 1. AVgustus name this Month inscrib'd doth bear A name that still is sweet to every ear Sweet for the peace he gave the world for though At his first entrance Seas of Blood did flow Ore all the earth he stopp'd the deadly spring And golden rest into all lands did bring But that which made him most unparallel'd Is that his reign the Prince of peace beheld The Feasts of August 2. AVgust the twenty fourth to Bart'lemew The twenty ninth's the headless Baptists due Bartholomew Apostle Epig. 1. HOw is it Lord that there 's no mention made In all thy book of what was done or said By this thy great Apostle other men Of meaner rank and gifts thy sacred Pen Finds time to speak of but of him alas There doth not one bare word distinctly passe Was it to teach us that those Tapers are Not ever of most worth that brightest glare That deep-fraught souls lie always snug and low Whilst empty hulks loom big and lofty show Or is' t enough that thou hast let us see A proof in some of what the others be Men bring not all their wares to open test A few found right give credit to the rest Lord we submit and by the things we hear Of Peter judge what all his brethren were Vpon Luke 22. 29 30. Epig. 2. IT is not much great Bart'lemew indeed That of thy works and labours we do read But this we from thy Lords own mouth do find That thou a Throne and Kingdom hadst assign'd As well as John and Peter had whose pains The holy Text so punctually explains And who will think that servants labors came Short of his Mates whose wages is the same Vpon Acts 5. 12. Epig. 3. INto the Temples Porch the twelve withdrew And thou amongst the rest great Bart'lemew There you all preach and work such mighty things As no man else dare think of equalling What thou distinctly dost I do not hear But of one stamp 't is sure your actions were So great and glorious as did justly strike A fear in all men to attempt the like Some souls thou winst I doubt not too for who Can think such gracious words in vain did flow From thy blest lips as yet indeed they be But like the windfall's to the loaden tree Thy work lies further off where heavens intend Whole Nations to thy powerful voice shall bend The Circumcision's Peters charge but thine God knows how many Regions shall confine John Baptist beheaded Epig. 1. YOu that for love of outward peace or gain From preaching all the truths of Christ refrain That dare not touch the times nor lance the sore Of States and Courts which ranks more and more That see the great ones run themselves to Hell And damn their souls with sins too palpable Yet you stand dumb the while and will not go And tell
beams had over-run That men did need a Star to find the Sun De eadem Epig. 3. VVHat 's this my God these Magi say That they have seen thy Star to day Have all men then their proper Stars On which in secret characters Discern'd alone by skilful eyes Are writ all humane destinies Or was there some peculiar sign Engrav'd upon this Star of thine On sight whereof these men could tell The birth of Judah's King so well Or was 't a more celestial beam From whence this radiant lustre came Was it thy Spirit and not their skill That did this heavenly light enstill Thy Spirit was present Lord we know But doubt whither Art concurr'd or no However if such Arts there be That lead their followers unto thee And of thy Birth and Kingdom show Happy are they that use them so And happy Arts if such there be That lead their followers unto thee Let self-wise Zealots all contemn And vainly fear to practise them Yet if I may learn thee thereby Lord teach me such Astrology St. Pauls Conversion Epig. 1. SEe here my soul what power thy Saviour hath He who so late destroy'd now builds the Faith Who would dispair that this example see Thy God my soul may do as much for thee De eadem Epig. 2. GOd hath forgiven thy sins blest Paul we know Yet he with thine own rod will scourg thee though None did pursue the Name of Jesus more And for that Name none is pursu'd so sore A fruitful soyle thy rage did light upon Thou gav'st some death's and suffredst many a one Thus God at once a pattern made in thee Both of his Justice and his Clemencie Vpon the light that shone round about St. Paul as he was travelling to Damascus Act. 9. 3. Epig. 3. I Thought sweet Saviour thou hadst sent this light Not to deprive but to restore the sight Of this rash Zealot whose offence alas Not malice to thy truth but blindness was Yet Lord no sooner he these beams descries But ' stead of being cur'd he lost his eyes What Paradox is this my God may then Thy rayes be look'd on by no mortal men Must we have eyes from thee as well as light Else midst of day shall we be wrapp'd in night Or is' t thy way of cure unless we be First stricken blind canst thou not make us see If so our selves Lord at thy feet we cast Do what thou wilt so we may see at last Decollatio Caroli Vpon the Scotch Insurrection and the black consequences thereof Epig. 1. SCotos in Greek black darkness doth import With us a Scotchman and there 's reason for 't For those black deeds that Hell would hardly own The Scotchmen first began to set upon England indeed matur'd the horrid Plot But the first rise thereof was from the Scot. Vpon Mat. 18. 8 9. If thine hand or thy foot offend thee c. Epig. 2. OUr Lords mild counsels only did extend To th' eye and hand and foot that did offend But our new Doctors more profoundly read To save the Body lopp'd away the Head Blest Artists may their trembling hearts be sure At their worst throwes to meet with such a cure Vpon the Proverb that stiles the King of England King of Devils Epig. 3. DEvils I believe when they rebell'd had spight Enought ' have thrown th' Eternal Godhead quite Both from his throne and being But their sin Met with a Power that curb'd those suries in And so abridg'd their guilt But our black brood Found none to Heavens unfathom'd counsel stood That durâ—t oppose their crimes but curst have done That which those Devils but only thought upon And therefore their foul sin as far exceeds The others as intents come short of deeds Februarius TO Princely Numa's gift my name I owe Who by Egeria taught that men below By their continued trespasses incense The heavenly Powers to hurle their judgments thence Chose this my Month to be a time wherein With annual purgings they might cleanse their sin And from those Rites which in that language cary The name of Februa ' call'd me February Christians yet stile me so but oh the shame Th' have lost the practice though they keep the name The Feasts of February 2. MAry on Februs second 's purify'd guide The fourteenth day young Valentine doth The four and twentieth is Matthias guift All but Leap-years and then the twenty-fifth Purification of the blessed Virgin Epig. 1. BLest Mother of the Blessedst Seed that are The pregnant womb of teeming flesh did bear What new black staines be these thy soul have dy'd That thou hast need now to be purify'd Art not thou she bright Virgin whom ere while The tongue of Angels full of Grace did stile Art not thou she who lately from above Ore shadowed was 't by that all-hallowing Dove Art not thou she from whose thrice happy womb Repleat with mercies all our cleansings come And can there yet blest Mayd such reasons be Why these vain Rites should be apply'd to thee I know not Lord what these thwart runnings mean Can fulness want or grace be stil'd unclean Can other terrene brutish Pigeons do That which thy Dove could not attain unto Or he that freed the guiltful world from blame Could he not cleanse the womb from whence he came Far be such impious thoughts these Rites infer No want of power in them nor grace in her They were apt springs rich streams of grace to yeeld And she a Vessel easy to be fill'd Only th'unnurtur'd World that could not see Blind that they were this hidden Energie Must be convinc'd by formes we 're often fain With outward showes rash censures to restrain 'T is to be pure that most availes indeed Yet to be thought so is no more then need Ad Mariam Epigr. 2. I Cannot tell the Substance self being by Why these vain shadowes should be priz'd so high 'T is that blest Babe whom thy glad armes enclose From whence both thine and all our cleansing flows This Ritual Law no other use pretends But to adumbrate what from him descends And is superfluous now unlesse it be To shew how well the type and thing agree Or that the Worlds weak eyes were yet too dim Unless 't were through a veyle to look on him Blest Mayd thou no such medium's want'st indeed Whose eyes undazeled on his beams do feed But we whose weakness cannot brook the Sun By shadowes best discern his motion Epigr. 3. I Apprehend Bright Maid no reason for 't So God-like pure as we believe thou wert Why thou shouldst these mysterious Rites apply Thy spotless self yet more to purify Unless perhaps as some affirm there be A new found Acme in Divinitie Like unto that which in another sense Grammarians call the more then perfect tense I know not how their dreams they can assure But this I know thou' rt either more then pure Or these Mysterious Rites Bright Mayd to thee That wert so pure before superflous be
them to their faces what they do Look on our John if he this path had trod He might have kept his head but wrong'd his God Vpon Mat. 14. 9. Epigr. 2. HErod hath sworn and John must lose his head A poor man would be loth to have it sed That he had broke his Oath but Kings must stand Upon their honour here at any hand But who blind Tyrant bad thee swear at all Wise men would weigh what mischiefs may befall Before they ventur'd on so rash a vow Which if it must be kept thy children now And Mothers throats are not secure nor ought So vile but if she lists it must be wrought But plead not Conscience he that daily lies In lustful sheets will swallow perjuries Revenge the Prophet first in prison threw Whom now vain-glory and indulgence slew Vpon Mar. 6. 2. Epig. 3. BAte Herod but his incest and there 's none Will be a greater follower of John He hears him gladly and observes him too And many things accordingly doth do But here he sticks with this he cannot part Hypocrites will have something neer their heart Some lust or other which they prize before Their souls and him whom all good souls adore What profit is' t my Saviour to have gone Half way with Herod in Religion To be near heaven as that poor Lawyer was If I stay there and do no further pass Oh root out every sin which I possess Or 't is but vain to think of happiness September 1. NAme not this Month but let your thoughts withall Those old Mosaick mysteries recall Which in this sacred number couched lie And chalenge from us a solemnity Seven in a Christians mouth should never come But his quick soul should run ore all the sum Rehearse a short couch'd Catalogue by rote Of all the sevens which Holy Writ doth note Every small hint and word suggested brings A godly man in mind of heavenly things The Feasts of September 2. SEptember's twenty first is Matthew's right Great Michael doth in twenty nine delight Matthew Apostle Epig. 1. YOu 'l say Excise men seldome come to good Who by extortions gaine their lively-hood Yet see what Christ can do our Matthew here Was such a one yet 's saved I do not fear Let none condemn th' employment mercy can Of such a Vermine make an honest man Epig. 2. OF all the Gospels Matthew's onely writ In the Hebrew tongue as if he purpos'd it Meerely to save that Nation whom before With harsh exactions he had poll'd so sore And 't was a large amends we grant indeed For Earthly chaff to give them heavenly seed Epig. 3. GOod God what change is here our Matthew that Erewhile at the receipt of Custome sate And was so vile a wretch that none except The Divel himself a worser Conscience kept Is now become a Saint yea counted fit In one of the Apostolick chaires to sit Nor stayes he at this height but first of men Is chose his Saviours life and death to pen Which he discharg'd so well that now they fear Not to affirme an Angels hand did bear A part in the employment as if none Of humane race could write such things alone So soon he past through both extreams of late Almost a Devil and now an Angels Mate Michael Archangel Epig 1. AT Moses Barre if sinful men were try'd No flesh alive would ere be justified But him in mercy God hath lay'd so low That Devils themselves his burial do not know They strive indeed to find it out and faine Would bring him from his putrid Urne again To judge the World if they might have their will Moses should live and Christ be buried still But our Archangels powerful hand alone Nulls all their search and keeps his grave unknown Even so great Prince let him still buriedly For if he rise the whole wide world must dy Epig. 2. Ad Schismaticos quod Michael non sit Christus T Is no created Angel this you say But Christ the Lord whom holy Church to day Honors for that great combat which of old He with the Divel 'bout Moses corps did hold But tell us then what were those men the while That say he durst not that foul fiend revile What is' t that great Messias durst not do Who made the Devils and shal condemn them too Or whom doth God with his blest Spirit infuse That such harsh words of Christ their Lord will use Choose which you 'l hold or 't was a Creature this Or what th Apostles wrote were Blasphemies Epig. 3. Vpon Revelat. cap. 12. DIvels have their Prince and so have Angels too Monarchick power all creatures yield unto These fought in heaven this with desire to teare The woman thence but that to keep her there But rest poor Creature with thy Babe secure The Dragon is not able to endure Thy Michaels strength whom God hath arm'd to be A Prince and Guardian to thy seed and thee Rest happy Church and though this Serpents tail Over almost half the starres of heaven prevail To throw them down yet be not thou affright For whose defence such hosts of Angels fight October 1. EIght is the Gospels number on this day Our buried Lord triumphing broke away From Death's strong holds whom she suppos'd sh 'had ty'd There fast enough for ever to abide That day till he ascended hence he still Met and inform'd his Brethren with what skill They in and out before his Church should go That day his Spirit in streams of fire did flow Into the Apostles bosomes and between Their knees to sit like cloven tongues was seen That day the Lord for all his Churches weal To his belov'd Disciple did reveal In Pathmos Isle a gracious sight of all Those changes which hereafter must befall His wearied Spouse till She at last do come To feast it with him in the wedding room In memory of all which things his will Is that this Eight day shall be honored still Throughout the world till he us all remove To keep an everlasting Eight above The Feasts of October 2. OCtober's eighteenth day on Luke doth wait Simon and Jude are pleas'd with twenty eight Luke Evangelist Epigr. 1. THat you may see that Galen's Pupills are Not all such Atheists as reports declare Reade those two books that Luke's sweet hand did pen In this the Acts of God in that of men And tell me whether the Church ere had a man That wrote more truths then our Physitian To these if you demand my Faith I flie And say here 's my Religio Medici Epigr. 2. LVke the belov'd Physitian 's styl'd a name At which would God our Tribe did chiefly aime Let others scrape for wealth but let us be Deservedly belov'd as well as he Let us still wait upon our Patients side Take such account of all things that betide Their sleeps their wakings coolings heats and all Those very nauseous excrements that fall Bear all their wayward moods speak still so fair Give
sin Prince Peeres and People all at once might flie Like Manaoh's Angel to those joyes on high who 'le now hereafter charge the Popish rabble Of shaveling Priests to be uncharitable Who would at their own charge kind soules convey Their Enemies to Heaven so near a way Andrew Apostle Epig. 1. ANdrew having found the Christ brings Peter in True Converts still strive others souls to win Nor lose they by 't for grace is such a thing The more men spend the more their waters spring Like Christ his loaves whereof the more do share The fuller still the emptied baskets are Or like the widdows oyle which never stayed Till she an end of pouring out had made A sparing hand here makes the Owner poor They that do dole most out have most in store Vpon John 1. 38 39. Epig. 2. ANdrew enquires where Jesus dwelleth he Answers him truly he must come and see 'T is not the hearing of the eare O man That is enough to make a Christian Unlesse thou come to Christ and with thine eye Of faith survey the place where he doth lie Thousands have heard his own sweet mouth to tell Where his abode and yet are gone to Hell But none e're came to him that went away And perisht in his sins another day Epigr. 3. Vpon the Scots Arrogating Saint Andrew for their Patron SCotland we grant feels Andrews powerful hand But 't is to punish not to guard their land Their King their God their Souls and all they 'll sell For a few pence and run themselves to Hell But this sad curse their Saint on them hath laid That they shall still be poor for all their Trade December 1. MEthinks this Moneth to Sinai sadly leades And in our ears the ten Commandments reads Those ten sad words which none e're kept and none E're broke but 't was to his own destruction Sad words indeed but that this Month before It doth expire brings in a Saviour One that doth keep them from us and doth bear That death himself which our sad souls did fear O happy Advent that hath power to make This yoak so easie now to undertake That takes all dread from these ten words away And turns our Serpent to a helping stay Which way so e're we look this Number now Hath no more threatning wrinkles in its brow Look upon Christ and this tenth Month will bring Him clad in flesh to be our offering Look on the Law and all the thunder 's gone And it hath nothing in 't but light alone Thus thou my God can'st make December snow With more sweet joyes then verdant May to flow December his Feasts 2 DEcember's twenty first is Thomas Fee The twenty fift is Christ's Nativity Stephen upon the twenty sixt they stone The twenty seventh's assign'd to aged John The twenty eight by Herods cruelty At Bethlehem the poor Innocents did dy Thomas Apostle Epig. 1. THy faith was weak it cannot be deny'd Such doubtings are not to be justifi'd When such a cloud of Witnesses do meet To clear a truth then Thomas not to see 't Is willful blindness which doth not admit Of any just excuse to cover it But yet blest Saint when by thy Lords consent Thy hands had felt those holes the nails had rent And that the spear had made within his side Then never man with greater fervour cry'd My Lord my God O happy happy tongue That feelingly so sweet an Anthem sung Thomas thy failings they were great indeed But thy great faith I 'm sure did more exceed Epig. 2. THomas had not thy failings been so sad Our Faith had not so firm a footing had Thy weakness is our strength and by thy fall W' are now so setled as no tempest shall Unfix our holds or make us doubt again O God what cannot thy great power attain Who mak'st thy Saints miscarriages to be An Antidote to all Posteritie Well may we by their graces look to win That do become such gainers by their sin Epig. 3. Vpon John 20. 21. THomas 't is true thy late dead Master stands Before thy eyes thou feel'st his side and hands Such is his grace and now beleev'st indeed But 't is weak faith that such strong proofs doth need Blessed are they whom lesser means will draw To rest upon that Christ they never saw Thou dost not want thy wages but their Faith No doubt my God a double portion hath Christmas Day Epig. 1. Vpon Luke 2. 7. STruck with a new Instinct me thinks I spy The Beasts before thy manger prostrate lie And strait cry out Lord now 't is true indeed That which we in thy Holy Book do read The Oxe and th' Asse their Masters crib do know But Israel thine own people do not so Epig. 2. Vers eod There was no room for them in the Inne VVHo'd think that Davids heir in Davids town With child should find no lodging to lay down Her precious burthen but poor creature must Into the stable with the Beasts be thrust But thus in common Inns t' hath always bin They thrust out Christ whilst Ruffians vaunt within Epigr. 3. Vpon Luke 2. 8 9 10 11. VVHy didst thou send thine Angel Lord to tell Poor Shepherds first of this great Miracle The birth of thy Messias which had bin News for the stateliest Courts to have gloried in Was it to show that in these heavenly things Poor Swains oft get the start of mighty Kings Or was 't because that he whose birth was told Himself was the great Shepherd of the fold And 't was but meet that such as Shepherds were The birth of the great Shepherd first should hear Or wouldst thou have these Shepherds know that Lambe Of God was now brought forth whom it became Them to look after more then all their own A Lamb that whosome're doth wait upon They are kept safe by that same Lamb they keep The Shepherds are preserved by the Sheep Whether this or that induc'd thee Lord to show This grace to these poor men I do not know But this I know they 've seen such things to day As never men beheld before but they Go happy Shepherds leave your flocks and hie To Beth'lem where your Infant Lord doth lie And when you have view'd his sacred person well Spare not aloud what you have seen to tell Write volums of these things and let them bear The title of the Shepherds Calender This I assure you never shepherds knew With all their studies half so much as you Saint Stephen Epig. 1. THy name great Stephen doth a Crown denote And thou indeed a goodly Crown has got The first rich Crown that ever Martyr ware That witness to his glorious Master bare Christ by his sufferings past into his Throne And thou the self same-way to thine art gone Where thou now reignest with him O happy man That by one Combat such a Kingdome wan Had I great Saint that learned Graecian's skill And could drop golden raptures from my quill I 'de
De Fastis Anglicis SIVE CALENDARIUM SACRUM THE Holy Calendar BEING A treble Series of EPIGRAMS upon all the Feasts observed BY THE Church OF England To which is added the like Number of EPIGRAMS upon some other more especiall Daies which have either their footsteps in Scripture or are more remarkeable in this KINGDOME Composed by Nathanael Eaton Doctor of Philosophy and Medicine and Vicar of Bishops-Castle in the County of SALOP LONDON Printed by H L. and are to be sold at Kings Colledge in Puddledock 1661. To the Sacred Majesty of his Dread Soveraign CHARLES the Second by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defendor of the Faith c. Nathanael Eaton Doctor of Philosophy and Medicine and Vicar of Bishops-Castle in the County of Salop upon the knees of his Soul most humbly Dedicates himself and these poor Fruits of his vacant hours Sancti ad Regem Epig. 1. SLayne first by Pagans malice and of late Murthred again by the Fanatique hate Of false-nam'd Christians we have none to Unto thus twice destroy'd Great King but the Thou art our Earthly Saviour and alone Must either give a Resurrection Unto our buried names or we must ly For ever dead to all Posterity Do it great Prince and as three Kingdoms now Unto thy healing Scepter justly bow So shall the Saints in Heaven oblig'd engage Themselves alike unto thy Clientage Author ad Regem Epig. 2. THy Grandsires Rescew from the Pouder blow Thy Martyr'd Fathers dismal overthrow Thine own strange Fortunes how thou fellst and then Beyond all hopes regain'dst thy Throne agen These are my Muses Theames and unto whom Should then Dread Leige her high flown Poems come But to thy Sacred Self whose House is still The only Subject of her laboring quill For all sh ' hath writ besides considering what Relation now the Saints to thee have got And what hereafter thou to them shalt beare When you shall all fill up one glorious Spheare May in a sence Great Prince be said to be Written alone upon thy House and Thee Author ad Regem Epig. 3. Well doth our Church Dread Liege acknowledg thee The great Defender of her Faith to be Whose paines have prov'd so fortunate herein That even seduced souls again begin To tread th' old Pathes th' had wandred from and own Those Doctrines which before they rayl'd upon Thy word 's now grown their Canon they do Not what their Creed but what thou guid'st them to The Books that want thy stamp how pure so e're Are laid aside by them as not sincere Popish and Damned are the names they cast On all things which thy censure have not past But what 's approv'd by those sweet eyes of thine Is entertain'd as Perfect and Divine 'T is this great King now makes me crave thine aid Because I know whatever I have said Upon this holy Subject though it be Such as is vouch'd by all Antiquitie Yet if thy Test it do not undergo The partial Reader will scarce judg it so The Holy Calendar Janus ad Lectores COme sinful Christians look and learn of me To draw Religion out of Poesie Who knows but what the clearer beams of day Could not informe you Ethnick darkness may My face you see a double aspect bears At once surveying past and future years The things long hence to come my searching eyes And those rak'd up in silent dust descryes Times winged self that flyes all sight beside From me his subtile footsteps cannot hide Be this your rule so shall your heedful care Shun future crimes the past your tears repair The Feasts of January 2. ON Janus first the Lord they circumcise The Magi's Star upon the sixth doth rise The five and twentieth Saul converted 's made A tiller of that field he wast had laid Upon the thirtieth day the Rebel Crew At his own Door the Royal Martyr slew New years day Epig. 1. 'T Is custome Lord this day to send A gift to every vulgar freind And shall I find no gift for thee That art the best of freinds to me There 's nothing which my thoughts survey My life my soul the light the day But they are all by gifts to me And shall I find no gift for thee Yea Lord behold I hear conferr My life my soul and whatso me're Thy liberal hand hath given to me Back as a New-years gift on thee Say'd I gift ah 't is not so Alas both Men and Angels know That all these things thy Christ hath bought And therefore I can give thee naught Circumcision Epig. 2. T Is not a partial cleanness pleaseth thee Thou Lord requir'st a total puritie Yet circumcision the primordive signe And badg of this renewing grace of thine Notes the subjection of some sins alone With others it holds no proportion What means this Lord it cannot be that thou Shouldst an imperfect righteousness alow That so men slay their lusts thy zealous eyes Will winck at all their other vanities Only thou wouldst informe us that this sin More then the rest is rooted deep within Runs in the veins and cannot be withstood With lesser grief then we can lose our blood 'T is a mother sin from whose hell-gendring wombe Thousands of horrid wickednesses come And hence it is that thy unerring Writ Them sinners stiles that these foul crimes commit As though however other men may stray Yet none indeed did sin but only they 'T is the root of all sins else kill this they dy But nourish this th' encrease and multiply And this is it indeed thy wisdom meant To note unto us by this Sacrament That those that have but this one sin represt Are in effect got free from all the rest Cleanse my foul heart O Lord from every sin In pledg whereof O circumclse my skin De eadem ad Christum Epig. 3. VVHy circumcis'd they Lord thy skin On which there was no soyle of sin It was we that did the crime commit And must thy Body smart for it Was ever such a Method found By Proxy for to cure a wound Was ever such a Surgeon known For others health would lose his own 'T was thus twixt thee and us indeed We sinn'd and thou alas didst bleed Thou bled'st for us O! who can hear Thou didst so and not shed a tear A tear ingrateful could we weep Oceans of tears as vast and deep As those great Seas whose flouds are roul'd Betwixt the new found world and old They would not all suffice to pay On drop of what thou bledst to day Epiphany Epig. 1. A Star this day my Saviour preacheth thee To show what lights thy Preachers ought to be Hereafter all would shine like Stars but oh How few endeavour here so bright to show De eadem Epig. 2. IN great Eclipses Stars are seen to shine Such an Eclipse my God was never as thine No wonder if a Star did rule the day The Sun disrob'd of all his splendor lay Such shades of night his
the holy Elements are blest By the Priests powerful lips though nothing there To outward sense but Bread and Wine appear Yet doth there under those dark formes reside The body of the Son of Man that dy'd This what bold tongue soever doth deny Gives in effect even Christ himself the ly Yet this whoe're too grosly doth maintain Pulls his ascended Lord from Heaven again A middle course 'twixt those two rocks to steer Is that becomes the Christian Mariner So to beleeve the Ascension as to grant His real Presence in the Sacrament Yet so his Real Presence there to own As not to make void his Ascension Epig. 3. THe grave and hell were both subdu'd nought In those dark coasts was further to be wrought Heaven yet barr'd up her Azure gates to win An entrance there and bring his ransom'd in Our Lord ascends and with a powerful hand Throws ope those clasped doors that did withstand Our dear acquir'd admission Happy day Wherein we by a new and living way His flesh the vail have found a means into The holy-holy place assur'd to go What shall our joys henceforth retard when Hell And death and heaven are all atton'd so well Whitsunday Epig. 1. LOrd I would fain thy bounteous grace admire Which gav'st thy Spirit this day in flames of fire But cannot do 't if that same fire of thine Which fill'd their glowing bosoms fill not mine Fain I would of those cloven tongues relate Which this day on thy dear Apostles sate But cannot speak alas as I should do Unless one of those tongues be given me too None Lord can love nor praise thee well but those On whom thy self both fire and tongue bestows Epig. 2. YOu that despise all humane helps whereby Men are prepared for the Ministry And boast you have the Spirit enabling you Better then all their Books and Arts can do Be not deceiv'd fond men 't is more to be Fitted for such a work then you can see Those whom the Holy Ghost doth thus inspire He comes to them in tongues as well as fire Show us but them and wee 'l allow your call If not we heed not your vain brags at all Epig. 3. DIvided tongues made Babels building cease But now thy Zions buildings do encrease That was a curse the fruit of sin but this One of the Churches greatest blessings is Had not that gone before no need had been T' have had this other mercy given in But such was now our state that onely that Could cure the plague which first the plague begat Trinity Sunday Epig. 1. THree and but one and one yet branch'd in three I know not Lord how this strange thing can be But 't is no matter what blind worm I know So I can but beleeve that it is so Epig. 2. TAke heed ye bold enquirers how ye pry Too much into this sacred mystery 'T is safer to beleev then search too far Into those truths that so transcendent are The eyes that gaze too long upon the Sun Are often stricken blind ere they have done Epig. 3. TEll me ye Atheists that beleeve no more Then what your reason fathoms that vast store Of rouling waters that doth daily flow Into the Ocean whither doth it go What Cisterns do those big swoln streams maintain That every tide are emptied in the main What dark instinct compels the churlish steel The loadstones undiscerned force to feel Or if you will ever vulgar things survey Those which you taste and handle every day Take me the seeds of every plant and tree Of every herb and flower that grows and see If when you have ript them open you can find A reason why they bring forth such a kind And not another where that virtue lyes That such a form and taste and smell supplies So proper to it self that nothing well The same except it self can parallel Hence let your serious thoughts reflect agen On the strange Fabrick both of Beasts and men Their bones their veins their arteries and all Th' essential stamps they bear and casual The colour of their hair their eyes and skin The extent their age and stature's bounded in And tell me whether your quick-sight can read The ground of all these wonders in the seed Poor Skepticks in these common things below The furthest that your utmost skill can go Is only to discern that thus they be But why they 're thus alas you cannot see Yet with th' Almighty you are grown so bold That though you in his Holy Word be told That that one ever blessed Essence is Distinguish'd into three Hypostasies And that those three Hypostasies abide Still one same Essence undiversified Yet is it not enough for you to know That thus it is unless we further show You why and how it can be thus and bring Some proofs besides his Dixit of the thing But go to you Blasphemers if there be No other way to clear this Mysterie Unto your staggering Faith but sense be sure One day though then 't will be too late a cure Your very eyes shall see and seeing pine The glory of the Trin-une Vni-trine April 1. ROmans this Month to Venus did assign From whom their Prince Aeneas drew his line Her Aphrodite from those white froths they call Which gave their Goddess his original And the Month April 'T is a nobler wombe From whence our Princes high descent doth come Nor is' t from spurious froaths but Seas that we May draw we think her Etymologie Put all together froaths with Seas compare View what both Princes what their mothers are And if the odds with Venus still remain Let her the guidance of this Month retain But if our Marie have a juster right Let her assume the place of Aphrodite The Feasts of April 2. ON Aprils three and twentieth George bestrides His warlike steed and ' gainst the Dragon rides The twenty fift to raise our wonder more The winged Lyon's voice is heard to roar Saint George Epig. 1. SEe here in Georges Portraiture a true Description of what Christians ought to do No civill warrs no brothers blood imbrues His righteous hands he no such foes pursues The cross his Engsin is his Faith his shield His sword the Scripture his own heart the Field His enemy the Dragon him alone He thinks it worth his while to set upon O God that we who George our champion call Save such as these would fight no fights at all Epig. 2. WOuldst thou a combat undertake wherein Thou might'st be sure the victory to win And with it gain a Kingdome too then fight Saint Georges duels let thy opposite Be the red Dragon and on him be sure Thou both the one and th' other shalt procure For none ere fought with him but won the day And none ere won but bore a Crown away Epig. 3. VVHether George a humane creature were indeed Or but an Embleme of that promised seed Whom God of old had set apart to tread Upon the conquered Serpents
such good words as may remove despair From their sad thoughts which kills as much or more Then all their sickness cast in still such store Of seasonable advice as may dispose Them for a better life then that they lose Yet ever be at hand to recommend Such congruous medicines as through Grace may tend To their recovery that when all is done We may get love though little else be wonne Epigr. 3. ANd why great Luke did Ancient times assigne An Oxes form to such a soul as thine A soul that breathes such heavenly streynes as well Might fit an Angell's glorious tongue to tell Was it because thy holy book begins With a relation of those offerings Which in Abrah's course were now to be Perform'd by old religious Zachary Or was 't because thou more then all the rest Thy Saviours doleful Passion hast exprest Who like an Oxe was to the slaughter led And di'd to ransome sinners that were dead Or was 't thy self and not thy books that were Decipher'd by this Oxes character The Oxe we know doth fitly represent The lab'ring Pastor in his government And this apt embleme truly could not be Referr'd to any better then to thee Thy feet trod out much corn for us indeed On which God grant our souls may gladly feed Simon and Jude Apostles Epigr. 1. THe name imports not much the good and bad Have oftentimes the self same title had The Sorcerer and Cephas both did bear The name of Simon yet was Peter nere The worser thought of for vile Magus sake Nor do accurst Iscariots treasons make Thaddeus James his Brother lov'd the less Because they both were called Judasses Good names do well indeed and yet we see That names and things do often disagree Eve call'd her first born Cain as hoping well He might have prov'd that man that was to quell The Serpent's rage but he alas became His Brother's Butcher and his Parents shame Lord give me that new name the which alone 'T is sure was never given in vain to none Vpon Simon the Canaanite Matt. 10. 4. Mar. 3. 18. Epigr. 2. FRom Canaan's cursed stock some good doth flow Even Christ himself to Rahab's loyns doth ow The flesh he took and she who begg'd a crum Fallen from his board from that vile race did come You need not therefore wonder at the sight If ' mongst the twelve you find a Canaanite The gifts of Grace are free bestow'd alike Upon the Jew and also on the Greek The Spirit breathes where 't list that none may vaunt Of too much plenty nor despair for want Vpon Simon Zelotes Epig. 3. THe Canaanite receiv'd into the train Of Christ Zelotes name doth quickly gain From that great zeal no doubt which he express'd Unto his new chose Masters interest And to say truth it is not seldome seen That those strange branches which are grafted in Bring forth more plenteous and more lovely fruit Then those which nature thrusteth from the root 'T is sad indeed it should be thus that they Who came into Christs School but yesterday Should outstrip those who many years before Did put their sluggish feet within his dore Yet thus my God with my poor Soul it stands Those that but now did put their labo'ring hands Unto thy Plough have rid more work away Then I that here have pingled many a day I grudge not Lord at what these Zealots do May they still thrive in Grace and adde unto The fire they have for thee all that I pray Is that thou make me burne as well as they November 1. THe Muses here put in their claime and cry That this of right is their Festivity That I am bound this Month in every line To Eccho forth the honor of the Nine But they must pardon me these sacred Layes Do own no influence but Vrania's They know no Nines save such as couched be In the Thrice-great Thrice-holy Trinity Th' are all my Muses from their bounteous Throne My Artless quill derives her ayd alone November his Feasts ALL Saints unto Novembers first repair The fift the Powder-Plots discovered are The thirtieth is to that blest Saint applyed Whom John first to the Lamb of God did guide All Saints Epigr. 1. THe Saints deceas'd which now securely rest In Abraham's bosome of rich joys possess'd Cry strongly yet no doubt to re-obtain An union with their buried Corps again And being alike convinc'd that they and we Who still below in these dark Mansions be Make but one Body they as strongly pray That we may gain those joys as well as they We also here on Earth having learn'd that those Blest Spirits which now in blissful joys repose Are part of us and have assum'd their Throne In our behalf as well as in their own Do praise thee Lord for them whom thy good grace Hath rapp'd from hence into so sweet a place Thus whilst our praises and their prayers do meet Knit up together at thy glorious feet Whilst they our wants and we their joys partake And each the others state their own do make This is that true Communion indeed Of Saints that we are taught out of the Creed Epig. 2. WE are not able Lord to comprehend What numerous troopes of glorious Saints attend About thy blessed Throne and yet we know That there 's not one of them to whom we owe Not a Religious reverence for those shares Which we are sure we have in all their prayers Which due regards lest we should haply miss In paying to their several Memori's Athenian-like but in a juster way To th' unknown Saints we Dedicate this day Epigr. 3. THe meanest of thy Saints O God we find Have left such patterns of their lives behind And now such advantageous prayers do make At least in general for their Brethren's sake That we can never pay thee what we owe For what from one of these rich springs doth flow How much more then when all their streams unite Into one flood must that be infinite Th' are thus indeed being view'd by our weak eyes Which make alas but poor discoveries Although compar'd to what thy Christ hath done Th' are all but like a spark unto the Sun Gunpowder Treason Epig. 1. ROmes Mitred Shepherds rage like Wolves and rend With their fell teeth the flocks they ought to tend But I admire not at it for 't is sed Her founders with Wolves milk at first were fed And this approv'd experience daily showes That from the breasts men suck their nature flows Epig. 2. VVHose Vicar Romes High Priest's most like to be This dayes curst fire-works teach sufficientlie The devil no doubt first taught this murthering skill And th' are his Impes alone that use it still Epig. 3. 'T Was thought that such grosse hereticks as we Could scarce be sav'd or Gods bright Presence see When lo the tender Romanist being sorry To have us damn'd prepar'd a Purgatory A new-found blast of Sulph'rous flames wherein Cleans'd from the gross impurities of