faithfull grave Thus Lazarus was carried out of town For 't is our foes chief art By distance all good objects first to drown And then besiege the heart But I will be my own Deaths-head and though The flatt'rer say I live Because Incertainties we cannot know Be sure not to believe Peace MY Soul there is a Countrie Far beyond the stars Where stands a winged Centrie All skilfull in the wars There above noise and danger Sweet peace sits crown'd with smiles And one born in a Manger Commands the Beauteous files He is thy gracious friend And O my Soul awake Did in pure love descend To die here for thy sake If thou canst get but thither There growes the flowre of peace The Rose that cannot wither Thy fortresse and thy ease Leave then thy foolish ranges For none can thee secure But one who never changes Thy God thy life thy Cure The Passion O My chief good My dear dear God! When thy blest bloud Did Issue forth forc'd by the Rod What pain didst thou Feel in each blow How didst thou weep And thy self steep In thy own precious saving teares What cruell smart Did teare thy heart How didst thou grone it In the spirit O thou whom my soul Loves and feares 2. Most blessed Vine Whose juice so good I feel as Wine But thy faire branches felt as bloud How wert thou prest To be my feast In what deep anguish Didst thou languish What springs of Sweat and bloud did drown thee How in one path Did the full wrath Of thy great Father Crowd and gather Doubling thy griefs when none would own thee 3. How did the weight Of all our sinnes And death unite To wrench and Rack thy blessed limbes How pale and bloudie Lookt thy Body How bruis'd and broke With every stroke How meek and patient was thy spirit How didst thou cry And grone on high Father forgive And let them live I dye to make my foes inherit 4. O blessed Lamb That took'st my sinne That took'st my shame How shall thy dust thy praises sing I would I were One hearty tear One constant spring Then would I bring Thee two small mites and be at strife Which should most vie My heart or eye Teaching my years In smiles and tears To weep to sing thy Death my Life Rom. Cap. 8. ver. 19. Etenim res Creatae exerto Capite observantes expectant revelationem Filiorum Dei ANd do they so have they a Sense Of ought but Influence Can they their heads lift and expect And grone too why th' Elect Can do no more my volumes sed They were all dull and dead They judg'd them senslesse and their state Wholly Inanimate Go go Seal up thy looks And burn thy books 2. I would I were a stone or tree Or flowre by pedigree Or some poor high-way herb or Spring To flow or bird to sing Then should I tyed to one sure state All day expect my date But I am sadly loose and stray A giddy blast each way O let me not thus range Thou canst not change 3. Sometimes I fit with thee and tarry An hour or so then vary Thy other Creatures in this Scene Thee only aym and mean Some rise to seek thee and with heads Erect peep from their beds Others whose birth is in the tomb And cannot quit the womb Sigh there and grone for thee Their liberty 4. O let not me do lesse shall they Watch while I sleep or play Shall I thy mercies still abuse With fancies friends or newes O brook it not thy bloud is mine And my soul should be thine O brook it not why wilt thou stop After whole showres one drop Sure thou wilt joy to see Thy sheep with thee The Relapse MY God how gracious art thou I had slipt Almost to hell And on the verge of that dark dreadful pit Did hear them yell But O thy love thy rich almighty love That sav'd my soul And checkt their furie when I saw them move And heard them howl O my sole Comfort take no more these wayes This hideous path And I wil mend my own without delayes Cease thou thy wrath I have deserv'd a thick Egyptian damp Dark as my deeds Should mist within me and put out that lamp Thy spirit feeds A darting Conscience full of stabs and fears No shade but Yewgh Sullen and sad Ecclipses Cloudie spheres These are my due But he that with his bloud a price too deere My scores did pay Bid me by vertue from him chalenge here The brightest day Sweet downie thoughts soft Lilly-shades Calm streams Joyes full and true Fresh spicie mornings and eternal beams These are his due The Resolve I Have consider'd it and find A longer stay Is but excus'd neglect To mind One path and stray Into another or to none Cannot be love When shal that traveller come home That will not move If thou wouldst thither linger not Catch at the place Tell youth and beauty they must rot They 'r but a Case Loose parcell'd hearts wil freeze The Sun With scatter'd locks Scarce warms but by contraction Can heat rocks Call in thy Powers run and reach Home with the light Be there before the shadows stretch And Span up night Follow the Cry no more there is An ancient way All strewed with flowres and happiness And fresh as May There turn and turn no more Let wits Smile at fair eies Or lips But who there weeping sits Hath got the Prize The Match DEar friend whose holy ever-living lines Have done much good To many and have checkt my blood My fierce wild blood that still heaves and inclines But is still tam'd By those bright fires which thee inflam'd Here I joyn hands and thrust my stubborn heart Into thy Deed There from no Duties to be freed And if hereafter youth or folly thwart And claim their share Here I renounce the pois'nous ware ii ACcept dread Lord the poor Oblation It is but poore Yet through thy Mercies may be more O thou that canst not wish my souls damnation Afford me life And save me from all inward strife Two Lifes I hold from thee my gracious Lord Both cost thee deer For one I am thy Tenant here The other the true life in the next world And endless is O let me still mind that in this To thee therefore my Thoughts Words Actions I do resign Thy will in all be done not mine Settle my house and shut out all distractions That may unknit My heart and thee planted in it Lord Jesu thou didst bow thy blessed head Upon a tree O do as much now unto me O hear and heal thy servant Lord strike dead All lusts in me Who onely wish life to serve thee Suffer no more this dust to overflow And drown my eies But seal or pin them to thy skies And let this grain which here in tears I sow Though dead and sick Through thy Increase grow new and quick Rules and Lessons WHen first thy Eies unveil give thy Soul
Had some glimpse of his birth He saw Heaven o'r his head and knew from whence He came condemned hither And as first Love draws strongest so from hence His mind sure progress'd thither Things here were strange unto him Swet and till All was a thorn or weed Nor did those last but like himself dyed still As soon as they did Seed They seem'd to quarrel with him for that Act That fel him foyl'd them all He drew the Curse upon the world and Crackt The whole frame with his fall This made him long for home as loath to stay With murmurers and foes He sigh'd for Eden and would often say Ah! what bright days were those Nor was Heav'n cold unto him for each day The vally or the Mountain Afforded visits and still Paradise lay In some green shade or fountain Angels lay Leiger here Each Bush and Cel Each Oke and high-way knew them Walk but the fields or sit down at some wil And he was sure to view them Almighty Love where art thou now mad man Sits down and freezeth on He raves and swears to stir nor fire nor fan But bids the thread be spun I see thy Curtains are Close-drawn Thy bow Looks dim too in the Cloud Sin triumphs still and man is sunk below The Center and his shrowd All 's in deep sleep and night Thick darknes lyes And hatcheth o'r thy people But hark what trumpets that what Angel cries Arise Thrust in thy sickle H. Scriptures WElcome dear book souls Joy and food The feast Of Spirits Heav'n extracted lyes in thee Thou art lifes Charter The Doves spotless neast Where souls are hatch'd unto Eternitie In thee the hidden stone the Manna lies Thou art the great Elixir rare and Choice The Key that opens to all Mysteries The Word in Characters God in the Voice O that I had deep Cut in my hard heart Each line in thee Then would I plead in groans Of my Lords penning and by sweetest Art Return upon himself the Law and Stones Read here my faults are thine This Book and I Will tell thee so Sweet Saviour thou didst dye Unprofitablenes HOw rich O Lord how fresh thy visits are 'T was but Just now my bleak leaves hopeless hung Sullyed with dust and mud Each snarling blast shot through me and did share Their Youth and beauty Cold showres nipt and wrung Their spiciness and bloud But since thou didst in one sweet glance survey Their sad decays I flourish and once more Breath all perfumes and spice I smell a dew like Myrrh and all the day Wear in my bosome a full Sun such store Hath one beame from thy Eys But ah my God! what fruit hast thou of this What one poor leaf did ever I yet fall To wait upon thy wreath Thus thou all day a thankless weed doest dress And when th' hast done a stench or fog is all The odour I bequeath CHRISTS Nativity AWake glad heart get up and Sing It is the Birth-day of thy King Awake awake The Sun doth shake Light from his locks and all the way Breathing Perfumes doth spice the day 2. Awak awak heark how th' wood rings Winds whisper and the busie springs A Consort make A wake awake Man is their high-priest and should rise To offer up the sacrifice 3. I would I were some Bird or Star Flutt'ring in woods or lifted far Above this Inne And Rode of sin Then either Star or Bird should be Shining or singing still to thee 4. I would I had in my best part Fit Roomes for thee or that my heart Were so clean as Thy manger was But I am all filth and obscene Yet if thou wilt thou canst make clean 5. Sweet Jesu will then Let no more This Leper haunt and soyl thy door Cure him Ease him O release him And let once more by mystick birth The Lord of life be borne in Earth II. HOw kind is heav'n to man If here One sinner doth amend Strait there is Joy and ev'ry sphere In musick doth Contend And shall we then no voices lift Are mercy and salvation Not worth our thanks Is life a gift Of no more acceptation Shal he that did come down from thence And here for us was slain Shal he be now cast off no sense Of all his woes remain Can neither Love nor suff'rings bind Are we all stone and Earth Neither his bloudy passions mind Nor one day blesse his birth Alas my God! Thy birth now here Must not be numbred in the year The Check PEace peace I blush to hear thee when thou art A dusty story A speechlesse heap and in the midst my heart In the same livery drest Lyes tame as all the rest When six years thence digg'd up some youthfull Eie Seeks there for Symmetry But finding none shal leave thee to the wind Or the next foot to Crush Scatt'ring thy kind And humble dust tell then dear flesh Where is thy glory 2. As he that in the midst of day Expects The hideous night Sleeps not but shaking off sloth and neglects Works with the Sun and sets Paying the day its debts That for Repose and darknes bound he might Rest from the fears i' th' night So should we too All things teach us to die And point us out the way While we passe by And mind it not play not away Thy glimpse of light 3. View thy fore-runners Creatures giv'n to be Thy youths Companions Take their leave and die Birds beasts each tree All that have growth or breath Have one large language Death O then play not but strive to him who Can Make these sad shades pure Sun Turning their mists to beams their damps to day Whose pow'r doth so excell As to make Clay A spirit and true glory dwell In dust and stones 4. Heark how he doth Invite thee with what voice Of Love and sorrow He begs and Calls O that in these thy days Thou knew'st but thy own good Shall not the Crys of bloud Of Gods own bloud awake thet He bids beware Of drunknes surfeits Care But thou sleep'st on wher 's now thy protestation Thy Lines thy Love Away Redeem the day The day that gives no observation Perhaps to morrow Disorder and frailty WHen first thou didst even from the grave And womb of darknes becken out My brutish soul and to thy slave Becam'st thy self both guide and Scout Even from that hour Thou gotst my heart And though here tost By winds and bit with frost I pine and shrink Breaking the link 'Twixt thee and me And oftimes creep Into th' old silence and dead sleep Quitting thy way All the long day Yet sure my God! I love thee most Alas thy love 2. I threaten heaven and from my Cell Of Clay and frailty break and bud Touch'd by thy fire and breath Thy bloud Too is my Dew and springing wel But while I grow And stretch to thee ayming at all Thy stars and spangled hall Each fly doth tast Poyson and blast My yielding leaves sometimes
Authoris de se Emblema TEntasti fateor sine vulnere soepius me Consultū voluit Vox sine voce frequens Ambivit placido divinior aur a meatu Et frustrà sancto murmure praemonuit Sur dus eram mutusqueSilex Tu quanta tuorum Cura tibi est aliâ das renovare viâ Permutas Curam Iamque irritatus Amorem Posse negas vim Vi superare paras Accedis propior molemque Saxea rumpis Pectora fitqueCaro quod fuit ante Lapis En lacerum Coelosque tuos ardentia tandem Fragmenta liquidas ex Adamante genas Sic olim undantes Petras Scopulosque vomentes Curâsti O populi providus usque tui Quam Miranda tibi manus est Moriendo revixi Et fractas jam sum ditior inter opes Silex Scintillans or SACRED POEMS and Private Eiaculations By Henry Vaughan Silurist LONDON Printed by T W. for H. Blunden at ye Castle in Cornehill 1650 The Dedication MY God thou that didst dye for me These thy deaths fruits I offer thee Death that to me was life and light But darke and deep pangs to thy sight Some drops of thy all-quickning bloud Fell on my heart these made it bud And put forth thus though Lord before The ground was curs'd and void of store Indeed I had some here to hire Which long resisted thy desire That ston'd thy Servants and did move To have thee murther'd for thy Love But Lord I have expell'd them and so bent Begge thou wouldst take thy Tenants Rent Silex Scintillans c. Regeneration A Ward and still in bonds one day I stole abroad It was high-spring and all the way Primros'd and hung with shade Yet was it frost within And surly winds Blasted my infant buds and sinne Like Clouds ecclips'd my mind 2. Storm'd thus I straight perceiv'd my spring Meere stage and show My walke a monstrous mountain'd thing Rough-cast with Rocks and snow And as a Pilgrims Eye Far from reliefe Measures the melancholy skye Then drops and rains for griefe 3. So sigh'd I upwards still at last 'Twixt steps and falls I reach'd the pinacle where plac'd I found a paire of scales I tooke them up and layd In th'one late paines The other smoake and pleasures weigh'd But prov'd the heavier graines 4. With that some cryed Away straight I Obey'd and led Full East a faire fresh field could spy Some call'd it Jacobs Bed A Virgin-soile which no Rude feet ere trod Where since he stept there only go Prophets and friends of God 5. Here I repos'd but scarse well set A grove descryed Of stately height whose branches met And mixt on every side I entred and once in Amaz'd to see 't Found all was chang'd and a new spring Did all my senses greet 6. The unthrift Sunne shot vitall gold A thousand peeces And heaven its azure did unfold Checqur'd with snowie fleeces The aire was all in spice And every bush A garland wore Thus fed my Eyes But all the Eare lay hush 7. Only a little Fountain lent Some use for Eares And on the dumbe shades language spent The Musick of her teares I drew her neere and found The Cisterne full Of divers stones some bright and round Others ill-shap'd and dull 8. The first pray marke as quick as light Danc'd through the floud But th' last more heavy then the night Nail'd to the Center stood I wonder'd much but tyr'd At last with thought My restless Eye that still desir'd As strange an object brought 9. It was a banke of flowers where I descried Though 't was mid-day Some fast asleepe others broad-eyed And taking in the Ray Here musing long I heard A rushing wind Which still increas'd but whence it stirr'd No where I could not find 10. I turn'd me round and to each shade Dispatch'd an Eye To see if any leafe had made Least motion or Reply But while I listning sought My mind to ease By knowing where 't was or where not It whisper'd where I please Lord then said I On me one breath And let me dye before my death Cant. Cap. 5. ver. 17. Arise O North and come thou South-wind and blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out Death A Dialogue Soule 'T Is a sad Land that in one day Hath dull'd thee thus when death shall freeze Thy bloud to Ice and thou must stay Tenant for Yeares and Centuries How wilt thou brook 't Body I cannot tell But if all sence wings not with thee And something still be left the dead I 'le wish my Curtaines off to free Me from so darke and sad a bed A neast of nights a gloomie sphere Where shadowes thicken and the Cloud Sits on the Suns brow all the yeare And nothing moves without a shrowd Soule 'T is so But as thou sawest that night Wee travell'd in our first attempts Were dull and blind but Custome straight Our feares and falls brought to contempt Then when the gastly twelve was past We breath'd still for a blushing East And bad the lazie Sunne make hast And on sure hopes though long did feast But when we saw the Clouds to crack And in those Cranies light appear'd We thought the day then was not slack And pleas'd our selves with what wee feard Just so it is in death But thou Shalt in thy mothers bosome sleepe Whilst I each minute grone to know How neere Redemption creepes Then shall wee meet to mixe again and met 'T is last good-night our Sunne shall never set Job Cap 10. ver. 21.22 Before I goe whence I shall not returne even to the land of darknesse and the shadow of death A Land of darknesse as darkenesse it selfe and of the shadow of death without any order and where the light is as darknesse Resurrection and Immortality Heb. cap. 10. ve 20. By that new and living way which he hath prepared for us through the veile which is his flesh Body 1. OFt have I seen when that renewing breath That binds and loosens death Inspir'd a quickning power through the dead Creatures a bed Some drowsie silk-worme creepe From that long sleepe And in weake infant hummings chime and knell About her silent Cell Untill at last full with the vitall Ray She wing'd away And proud with life and sence Heav'ns rich Expence Esteem'd vaine things of two whole Elements As meane and span-extents Shall I then thinke such providence will be Lesse friend to me Or that he can endure to be unjust Who keeps his Covenant even with our dust Soule 2. Poore querulous handfull was 't for this I taught thee all that is Unbowel'd nature shew'd thee her recruits And Change of suits And how of death we make A meere mistake For no thing can to Nothing fall but still Incorporates by skill And then returns and from the wombe of things Such treasure brings As Phenix-like renew'th Both life and youth For a preserving spirit doth still passe Untainted through this Masse Which doth resolve produce and ripen
a showr Beats them quite off and in an hour Not one poor shoot But the bare root Hid under ground survives the fall Alas frail weed 3. Thus like some sleeping Exhalation Which wak'd by heat and beams makes up Unto that Comforter the Sun And soars and shines But e'r we sup And walk two steps Cool'd by the damps of night descends And whence it sprung there ends Doth my weak fire Pine and retire And after all my hight of flames In sickly Expirations tames Leaving me dead On my first bed Untill thy Sun again ascends Poor falling Star 4. O is but give wings to my fire And hatch my soul untill it fly Up where thou art amongst thy tire Of Stars above Infirmity Let not perverse And foolish thoughts adde to my Bil Of forward sins and Kil That seed which thou In me didst sow But dresse and water with thy grace Together with the seed the place And for his sake Who died to stake His life for mine tune to thy will My heart my verse Hosea Cap. 6. ver. 4. O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Iudah how shall I intreat thee for thy goodness is as a morning Cloud and as the early Dew it goeth away Idle Verse GO go queint folies sugred sin Shadow no more my door I will no longer Cobwebs spin I 'm too much on the score For since amidst my youth and night My great preserver smiles Wee 'l make a Match my only light And Joyn against their wiles Blind desp'rate fits that study how To dresse and trim our shame That gild rank poyson and allow Vice in a fairer name The Purles of youthfull bloud and bowles Lust in the Robes of Love The idle talk of feav'rish souls Sick with a scarf or glove Let it suffice my warmer days Simper'd and shin'd on you Twist not my Cypresse with your Bays Or Roses with my Yewgh Go go seek out some greener thing It snows and freezeth here Let Nightingales attend the spring Winter is all my year Son-dayes BRight shadows of true Rest some shoots of blisse Heaven once a week The next worlds gladnes prepossest in this A day to seek Eternity in time the steps by which We Climb above all ages Lamps that light Man through his heap of dark days and the rich And full redemption of the whole weeks flight 2. The Pulleys unto headlong man times bower The narrow way Transplanted Paradise Gods walking houre The Cool o' th' day The Creatures Jubile Gods parle with dust Heaven here Man on those hills of Myrrh and flowres Angels descending the Returns of Trust A Gleam of glory after six-days-showres 3. The Churches love-feasts Times Prerogative And Interest Deducted from the whole The Combs and hive And home of rest The milky way Chalkt out with Suns a Clue That guides through erring hours and in full story A taste of Heav'n on earth the pledge and Cue Of a full feast And the Out Courts of glory Repentance LOrd since thou didst in this vile Clay That sacred Ray Thy spirit plant quickning the whole With that one grains Infused wealth My forward flest creept on and subtly stole Both growth and power Checking the health And heat of thine That little gate And narrow way by which to thee The Passage is He term'd a grate And Entrance to Captivitie Thy laws but nets where some small birds And those but seldome too were caught Thy Promises but empty words Which none but Children heard or taught This I believed And though a friend Came oft from far and whisper'd No Yet that not sorting to my end I wholy listen'd to my foe Wherefore pierc'd through with grief my sad Seduced soul sighs up to thee To thee who with true light art Clad And seest all things just as they be Look from thy throne upon this Rowl Of heavy sins my high transgressions Which I Confesse withall my soul My God Accept of my Confession It was last day Touch'd with the guilt of my own way I sate alone and taking up The bitter Cup Through all thy fair and various store Sought out what might outvie my score The blades of grasse thy Creatures feeding The trees their leafs the flowres their seeding The Dust of which I am a part The Stones much softer than my heart The drops of rain the sighs of wind The Stars to which I am stark blind The Dew thy herbs drink up by night The beams they warm them at l'th' light All that have signature or life I summon'd to decide this strife And lest I should lack for Arrears A spring ran by I told her tears But when these came unto the scale My sins alone outweigh'd them all O my dear God! my life my love Most blessed lamb and mildest dove Forgive your penitent Offender And no more his sins remember Scatter these shades of death and give Light to my soul that it may live Cut me not off for my transgressions Wilful rebellions and suppressions But give them in those streams a part Whose spring is in my Saviours heart Lord I confesse the heynous score And pray I may do so no more Though then all sinners I exceed O think on this Thy Son did bleed O call to mind his wounds his woes His Agony and bloudy throws Then look on all that thou hast made And mark how they do fail and fade The heavens themselves though fair and bright Are dark and unclean in thy sight How then with thee Can man be holy Who doest thine Angels charge with folly O what am I that I should breed Figs on a thorne flowres on a weed I am the gourd of sin and sorrow Growing o'r night and gone to morrow In all this Round of life and death Nothing 's more vile than is my breath Profanenes on my tongue doth rest Defects and darknes in my brest Pollutions all my body wed And even my soul to thee is dead Only in him on whom I feast Both soul and body are well drest His pure perfection quits all score And fills the Boxes of his poor He is the Center of long life and light I am but finite He is Infinite O let thy Justice then in him Confine And through his merits make thy mercy mine The BURIAL Of an Infant BLest Infant Bud whose Blossome-life Did only look about and fal Wearyed out in a harmles strife Of tears and milk the food of all Sweetly didst thou expire Thy soul Flew home unstain'd by his new kin For ere thou knew'st how to be foul Death wean'd thee from the world and sin Softly rest all thy Virgin-Crums Lapt in the sweets of thy young breath Expecting till thy Saviour Comes To dresse them and unswadle death Faith BRight and blest beame whose strong projection Equall to all Reacheth as well things of dejection As th' high and tall How hath my God by raying thee Inlarg'd his spouse And of a private familie Made open house All may be now Co-heirs no noise Of Bond
or Free Can Interdict us from those Joys That wait on thee The Law and Ceremonies made A glorious night Where Stars and Clouds both light and shade Had equal right But as in nature when the day Breaks night adjourns Stars shut up shop mists pack away And the Moon mourns So when the Sun of righteousness Did once appear That Scene was chang'd and a new dresse Left for us here Veiles became useles Altars fel Fires smoking die And all that sacred pomp and shel Of things did flie Then did he shine forth whose sad fall And bitter fights Were figur'd in those mystical And Cloudie Rites And as i' th' natural Sun these three Light motion heat So are now Faith Hope Charity Through him Compleat Faith spans up blisse what sin and death Put us quite from Lest we should run for 't out of breath Faith bring us home So that I need no more but say I do believe And my most loving Lord straitway doth answer Live The Dawning AH what time wilt thou come when shall that crie The Bridegroome 's Comming fil the sky Shall it in the Evening run When our words and works are done Or wil thy all-surprizing light Break at midnight When either sleep or some dark pleasure Possesseth mad man without measure Or shal these early fragrant hours Unlock thy bowres And with their blush of light descry Thy locks crown'd with eternitie Indeed it is the only time That with thy glory doth best chime All now are stirring ev'ry field Ful hymns doth yield The whole Creation shakes off night And for thy shadow looks the light Stars now vanish without number Sleepie Planets set and slumber The pursie Clouds disband and scatter All expect some sudden matter Not one beam triumphs but from far That morning-star O at what time soever thou Unknown to us the heavens wilt bow And with thy Angels in the Van Descend to Judge poor careless man Grant I may not like puddle lie In a Corrupt securitie Where if a traveller water crave He finds it dead and in a grave But as this restless vocall Spring All day and night doth run and sing And though here born yet is acquainted Elsewhere and flowing keeps untainted So let me all my busie age In thy free services ingage And though while here of force I must Have Commerce somtimes with poor dust And in my flesh though vile and low As this doth in her Channel flow Yet let my Course my aym my Love And chief acquaintance be above So when that day and hour shal come In which thy self wil be the Sun Thou 'lt find me drest and on my way Watching the Break of thy great day Admission HOw shril are silent tears when sin got head And all my Bowels turn'd To brasse and iron when my stock lay dead And all my powers mourn'd Then did these drops for Marble sweats And Rocks have tears As rain here at our windows beats Chide in thine Ears 2. No quiet couldst thou have nor didst thou wink And let thy Begger lie But e'r my eies could overflow their brink Didst to each drop reply Bowels of Love at what low rate And slight a price Dost thou relieve us at thy gate And stil our Cries 3. Wee are thy Infants and suck thee If thou But hide or turn thy face Because where thou art yet we cannot go We send tears to the place These find thee out and though our sins Drove thee away Yet with thy love that absence wins Us double pay 4. O give me then a thankful heart a heart After thy own not mine So after thine that all and ev'ry part Of mine may wait on thine O hear yet not my tears alone Hear now a floud A floud that drowns both tears and grones My Saviours bloud Praise KIng of Comforts King of life Thou hast cheer'd me And when fears and doubts were rife Thou hast cleer'd me Not a nook in all my Breast But thou fill'st it Not a thought that breaks my rest But thou kill'st it Wherefore with my utmost strength I wil praise thee And as thou giv'st line and length I wil raise thee Day and night not once a day I will blesse thee And my soul in new array I will dresse thee Not one minute in the year But I 'l mind thee As my seal and bracelet here I wil bind thee In thy word as if in heaven I wil rest me And thy promise ' til made even There shall feast me Then thy sayings all my life They shal please me And thy bloudy wounds and strife They wil ease me With thy grones my daily breath I will measure And my life hid in thy death I will treasure Though then thou art Past thought of heart All perfect fulness And canst no whit Accesse admit From dust and dulness Yet to thy name as not the same With thy bright Essence Our foul Clay hands At thy Commands Bring praise and Incense If then dread Lord When to thy board Thy wretch comes begging He hath a flowre Or to his pow'r Some such poor Off'ring When thou hast made Thy begger glad And fill'd his bosome Let him though poor Strow at thy door That one poor Blossome Dressing O Thou that lovest a pure and whitend soul That feedst among the Lillies 'till the day Break and the shadows flee touch with one Coal My frozen heart and with thy secret key Open my desolate rooms my gloomie Brest With thy cleer fire refine burning to dust These dark Confusions that within me nest And soyl thy Temple with a sinful rust Thou holy harmless undefil'd high-priest The perfect ful oblation for all sin Whose glorious conquest nothing can resist But even in babes doest triumph still and win Give to thy wretched one Thy mysticall Communion That absent he may see Live die and rise with thee Let him so follow here that in the end He may take thee as thou doest him intend Give him thy private seal Earnest and sign Thy gifts so deal That these forerunners here May make the future cleer Whatever thou dost bid let faith make good Bread for thy body and Wine for thy blood Give him with pitty love Two flowres that grew with thee above Love that shal not admit Anger for one short fit And pitty of such a divine extent That may thy members more than mine resent Give me my God! thy grace The beams and brightnes of thy face That never like a beast I take thy sacred feast Or the dread mysteries of thy blest bloud Use with like Custome as my Kitchin food Some sit to thee and eat Thy body as their Common meat O let not me do so Poor dust should ly still low Then kneel my soul and body kneel and bow If Saints and Angels fal down much more thou Easter-day THou whose sad heart and weeping head lyes low Whose Cloudy brest cold damps invade Who never feel'st the Sun nor smooth'st thy brow But sitt'st oppressed in the
so true Such perfect Ease and such a lively sense Of grace against all sins That you 'l Confess the Comfort such as even Brings to and comes from Heaven Mount of Olives WHen first I saw true beauty and thy Joys Active as light and calm without all noise Shin'd on my soul I felt through all my powr's Such a rich air of sweets as Evening showrs Fand by a gentle gale Convey and breath On some parch'd bank crown'd with a flowrie wreath Odors and Myrth and balm in one rich floud O'r-ran my heart and spirited my bloud My thoughts did swim in Comforts and mine eie Confest The world did only paint and lie And where before I did no safe Course steer But wander'd under tempests all the year Went bleak and bare in body as in mind And was blow'n through by ev'ry storm and wind I am so warm'd now by this glance on me That midst all storms I feel a Ray of thee So have I known some beauteous Paisage rise In suddain flowres and arbours to my Eies And in the depth and dead of winter bring To my Cold thoughts a lively sense of spring Thus fed by thee who dost all beings nourish My wither'd leafs again look green and flourish I shine and shelter underneath thy wing Where sick with love strive thy name to sing Thy glorious name which grant I may so do That these may be thy Praise and my Joy too Man WEighing the stedfastness and state Of some mean things which here below reside Where birds like watchful Clocks the noiseless date And Intercourse of times divide Where Bees at night get home and hive and flowrs Early aswel as late Rise with the Sun and set in the same bowrâ— 2. I would said I my God would give The staidness of these things to man for these To his divine appointments ever cleave And no new business breaks their peace The birds nor sow nor reap yet sup and dine The flowres without clothes live Yet Solomon was never drest so fine 3. Man hath stil either toyes or Care He hath no root nor to one place is ty'd But ever restless and Irregular About this Earth doth run and ride He knows he hath a home but scarce knows where He sayes it is so far That he hath quite forgot how to go there 4. He knocks at all doors strays and roams Nay hath not so much wit as some stones have Which in the darkest nights point to their homes By some hid sense their Maker gave Man is the shuttle to whose winding quest And passage through these looms God order'd motion but ordain'd no rest I Walkt the other day to spend my hour Into a field Where I sometimes had seen the soil to yield A gallant flowre But Winter now had ruffled all the bowre And curious store I knew there heretofore 2. Yet I whose search lov'd not to peep and peer I' th' face of things Thought with my self there might be other springs Besides this here Which like cold friends sees us but once a year And so the flowre Might have some other bowre 3. Then taking up what I could neerest spie I digg'd about That place where I had seen him to grow out And by and by I saw the warm Recluse alone to lie Where fresh and green He lived of us unseen 4. Many a question Intricate and rare Did I there strow But all I could extort was that he now Did there repair Such losses as befel him in this air And would e'r long Come forth most fair and young 5. This past I threw the Clothes quite o'r his head And stung with fear Of my own frailty dropt down many a tear upon his bed Then sighing whisper'd Happy are the dead What peace doth now Rock him asleep below 6. And yet how few believe such doctrine springs From a poor root Which all the Winter sleeps here under foot And hath no wings To raise it to the truth and light of things But is stil trod By ev'ry wandring clod 7. O thou whose spirit did at first inflame And warm the dead And by a sacred Incubation fed With life this frame Which once had neither being forme nor name Grant I may so Thy steps track here below 8. That in these Masques and shadows I may see Thy sacred way And by those hid ascents climb to that day Which breaks from thee Who art in all things though invisibly Shew me thy peace Thy mercy love and ease 9. And from this Care where dreams and sorrows raign Lead me above Where Light Joy Leisure and true Comforts move Without all pain There hid in thee shew me his life again At whose dumbe urn Thus all the year I mourn Begging KIng of Mercy King of Love In whom I live in whom I move Perfect what thou hast begun Let no night put out this Sun Grant I may my chief desire Long for thee to thee aspire Let my youth my bloom of dayes Be my Comfort and thy praise That hereafter when I look O'r the sullyed sinful book I may find thy hand therein Wiping out my shame and sin O it is thy only Art To reduce a stubborn heart And since thine is victorie Strong holds should belong to thee Lord then take it leave it not Unto my dispose or lot But since I would not have it mine O my God let it be thine Jude ver. 24 25. Now unto him that is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy To the only wise God our Saviour be glory and majesty Dominion and power now and ever Amen FINIS * A wel in the South Country where Jacob dwelt betweene Cadesh Bered Heb. the wel of him that liveth and seeth me Body Soul Body Soul * Light Motion heat