touch the dead But if the God of Nazarites bids kill He may and be a holy Nazarite still But stay Is God like Man Or can he border Vpon confusion that 's the God of order The Persian Lawes no time may contradict And are the Lawes of God lesse firme and strict An earthly Parent wills his child to stand And waite within a while he gives command Finding the weakenesse of his Sonne opprest With wearinesse that he sit downe and rest Is God unconstant then because he pleases To alter what he wild us for our eases Know likewise O ungratefull flesh and blood God limits his owne glory for our good He is the God of mercy and he prizes Thine Asses life above his Sacrifices His Sabbath is his glory and thy rest Hee 'l lose some honour ere thou lose a Beast Great God of mercy O how apt are wee To robbe thee of thy due that art so free To give unaskt Teach me O God to know What portion I deserve and tremble too SECT 14. ARGVMENT Samson comes downe to reenjoy His wife Her father does withstand For which he threatens to destroy And ruine him and all the land BVt Samson yet not knowing what was past For wronged husbands ever are the last That heare the newes thus with himselfe bethought It cannot be excus'd It was a fault It was a foule one too and at first sight Too greate for love or pardon to acquite O had it bin a stranger that betraid Reposed secrets I had onely laid The blame upon my unadvised tongue Or had a common friend but done this wrong To bosome trust my patience might out-worne it I could endur'd I could have easily borne it But thus to be betraied by a wife The partner of my heart to whom my life My very soule was not esteemed deare Is more then flesh is more then blood can beare But yet alas She was but greene and young And had not gain'd the conquest of her tongue Vnseasond vessells oft will finde a leake At first but after hold She is but weake Nay cannot yet write woman which at best Is a fraile thing Alas young things will quest At every turne Indeed to say the truth Her yeares could make it but a fault of youth Samson returne and let that fault be set Vpon the score of youth forgive forget She is my wife Her love hath power to hide A fouler error Why should I divide My presence from her There 's no greater wrong To love then to be silent over long Alas poore soule No doubt her tender eye Hath wept enough perchance she knows not why I 'me turn'd so great a stranger to her bed And boord No doubt her empty eyes have shed A world of teares perchance her guiltlesse thought Conceives my absence as a greater fault Then that of late her harmelesse Error did I 'l goe and draw a reconciling Kid From the faire flocke My feet shall never rest Till I repose me in my Brides faire brest He went but ere his speedy lips obtain'd The merits of his hast darknesse had stain'd The cristall brow of day and gloomy night Had spoild and rifled heaven of all his light H'approach'd the gates but being entred in His carelesse welcome seem'd so cold and thin As if that silence meant it should appeare He was no other then a stranger there In every servants looke hee did espie An easie Copie of their Masters eye He call'd his wife but she was gone to rest Vnto her wonted chamber he addrest His doubtfull steps till by her father staid Who taking him aside a little said Son It was the late espousals that doe move My tongue to use that title not thy love T is true there was a Mariage lately past Betweene my Childe and you The knot was fast And firmly tyed not subject to the force Of any powre but death or else divorce For ought I saw a mutuall desire Kindled your likings and an equall fire Of strong affection joyned both your hands With the perpetuall knot of nuptiall bands Mutuall delight and equall loyes attended Your pleased hearts untill the feast was ended But then I know no ground you know it best As if your loves were measur'd by the Feast The building fell before the house did shake Loves fire was quencht ere it began to slake All on a sudden were your joyes disseis'd Forsooke your Bride and went away displeas'd You left my childe to the opprobrious tongues Of open censure whose mabitious wrongs Maligning her faire merits did defame Her wounded honour and unblemisht name I thought thy love which was so strong of late He thus began t' attempt his first conclusion The patient Angler first provides his baite Before his hopes can teach him to awaite Th' enjoyment of his long expected prey Revengefull Samson ere hee can appay His wrongs with timely vengeance must intend To gaine the Instruments to worke his end He plants his Engines hides his snares about Pitches his Toiles findes new devices out To tangle wilie Foxes In few dayes That land had store his studious hand betrayes A leash of hundreds which he thus imployes As Agents in his ragefull enterprize With tough and force-enduring thongs of Lether He joynes and couples taile and taile together And every thonge bound in a Brand of Fire So made by Art that motion would inspire Continuall flames and as the motion ceast The thrifty blaze would then retire and rest In the close Brand untill a second strife Gave it new motion and that motion life Soone as these coupled Messengers receiv'd Their siery Errand though they were bereiv'd Of power to make great hast they made good speed Their thoughts were diffring though their tailes agreed T'one drags and drawes to th' East the other West One fit they run another while they rest T' one skulks and snarles the t' other tugges and hales At length both flee with fier in their tailes And in the top and height of all their speed T'one stops before the tother be agreed The other pulls and drags his fellow backe Whilst both their tailes were tortur'd on the racke At last both weary of their warme Embassage Their better ease discride a fairer passage And time hath taught their wiser thoughts to joyne More close and travell in a straighter line Into the open Champion they divide Their straggling paces where the ploughmans pride Found a faire Object in his rip'ned Corne Whereof some part was reapt some stood unshorne Sometimes the fiery travellers would seeke Protection beneath a swelling Reeke But soone that harbour grew too hot for staie Affording onely light to run away Sometimes the full-ear'd standing-wheat must cover And hide their shames there the flames would hover About their eares and send them to enquire A cooler place but there the flaming fire Would scorch their hides and send them sing'd away Thus doubtfull where to goe or where to stay They range about Flee forward then retire Now here now
is the ruine than And misery of sin-beguiled Man On what foundation shall his hopes relie See we thy face or see it not we dye O let thy word great God instruct the youth And frailty of our faith Thy word is truth And what our eyes want power to perceive O let our hearts admier and beleeve Which entertain'd my pleased thoughts appear'd A sairer object which hath so endear'd My very soule with sadnesse so distrest That this poore heart can finde no ease no rest It was a Virgin in whose Heavenly face Vnpattern'd Beauty and diviner Grace Were so conjoyn'd as if they both conspir'd To make one Angell when these eyes enquir'd Into the exc'lence of her rare perfection They could not choose but like and my affection Is so inslamed with desire that I Am now become close prisoner to her eye Now if my sad Petition may but finde A faire successe to ease my tortur'd minde And if your tender hearts be pleas'd to prove As prone to pitty mine as mine to love Let me with joy exchange my single life And be the husband of so faire a wife Whereto th' amazed parents in whose eye Distast and wonder percht made this reply What strange desire what unadvis'd request Hath broken loose from thy distracted brest What! are the daughters of thy brethren growne So poore in Worth and Beauty Is there none To please that over-curious eye of thine But th' issue of a cursed Philistine Can thy miswandring eyes choose none but her That is the child of an Idolater Correct thy thoughts and let thy soule rejoyce In lawfull beauty Make a wiser choice How well this counsell pleas'd the tired eares Of love-sicke Samson O let him that beares A crost affection judge Let him discover The woefull case of this afflicted lover What easie pensell cannot represent His very lookes How his sterne Browes were bent His drooping head his very port and guise His bloodlesse cheekes and deadnesse of his eyes Till at the length his moving tongue betrai'd His sullen lips to language thus and said Sir Th' extreame affection of my heart does leade My tongue that 's quickned with my love to pleade What if her parents be not circumcis'd Her issue shall and she perchance advis'd To worship Israells God and to forget Her fathers house Alas she is as yet But young her downy yeares are greene and tender Shee 's but a twigge and time may easly bend her T' embrace the truth Our counsells may controule Her sinfull breeding and so save a soule Nay who can tell but Heaven did recommend Her beauty to these eyes for such an end O loose not that which Heaven is pleas'd to save Let Samson then obtaine as well as crave You gave me being then prolong my life And make me husband to so faire a wife With that the parents joyn'd their whispering heads Samson observes and in their parly reads Some Characters of hope The mother smiles The father frownes which Samson reconciles With hopefull feares She smiles and crownes His hopes which He deposes with his frownes The whispring ended jointly they displaid A halfe resolved countenance and said Samson suspend thy troubled minde a while Let not thy over charged thoughts recoile Take heed of Shipwracke Rockes are neere the Shore Wee 'l see the Virgin and resolve thee more MEDITAT 7. LOve is a noble passion of the heart That with it very essence doth impart All needfull Circumstances and effects Vnto the chosen party it affects In absence it enjoies and with an eye Fill'd with celestiall fier doth espy Objects remote It joyes and smiles in griefe It sweetens poverty It brings reliefe It gives the Feeble strength the Coward spirit The sicke man health the undeserving merit It makes the proudman humble and the stout It overcomes and treads him vnder foote It makes the mighty man of warre to droope And him to serve that never yet could stoope It is a Fire whose Bellowes are the breath Of heaven above and kindled here beneath T is not the power of a mans election To love He loves not by his owne direction It is nor beauty nor benigne aspect That alwayes moves the Lover to affect These are but meanes Heavens pleasure is the cause Love is not bound to reason and her Lawes Are not subjected to the imperious will Of man It lies not in his power to nill How is this Love abus'd That 's onely made A snare for wealth or to set up a trade T' enrich a great mans Table or to pay A desperate debt or meerely to allay A base and wanton lust which done no doubt The love is ended and her fier out No he that loves for pleasure or for pelfe Loves truly none and falsely but himselfe The pleasure past the wealth consum'd and gone Love hath no subject now to worke upon The props being falne that did support the roofe Nothing but Rubbish and neglected Stuffe Like a wilde Chaos of Confusion lies Presenting uselesse ruines to our eyes The Oyle that does maintaine loves sacred fire Is vertue mixt with mutuall desire Of sweet society begunne and bred I' th soule nor ended in the mariage bed This is that dew of Hermon that does fill The soule with sweetnesse watring Sions hill This is that holy fire that burnes and lasts Till quencht by death The other are but blasts That faintly blaze like Oyle-for saken snusses Which every breath of discontentment puffs And quite extinguishes and leaves us nothing But an offensive subject of our loathing SECT 8. ARGVMENT He goes to Timnah As he went He slew a Lyon by the way He sues obtaines the Maides consent And they appoint the mariage day WHen the next day had which his morning light Redeem'd the East frō the darke shades of night And with his golden raies had overspred The neighbring Mountaines from his loathed Bed Sicke-thoughted Samson rose whose watchfull eyes Morpheus that night had with his leaden keyes Not power to close His thoughts did so incumber His restlesse soule his eyes could never slumber Whose softer language by degrees did wake His fathers sleepe-bedeafned eares and spake Sir Let your early blessings light upon The tender bosome of your prosp'rous Sonne And let the God of Israel repay Those blessings double on your head this day The long-since banisht shaddows make me bold To let you know the morning waxes old The Sunbeames are growne strong their brighter hiew Have broke the Mists and dride the morning dewe The sweetnesse of the season does invite Your steps to visit Timnah and acquite Your last nights promise With that the Danite and his wife arose Scarce yet resolv'd at last they did dispose Their doubtfull paces to behold the prize Of Samsons heart and pleasure of his eyes They went and when their travell had attain'd Those fruitfull hills whose clusters entertain'd Their thirsty palats with their swelling pride The musing lover being stept a side To gaine the pleasure of a lonely thought Appear'd
a full ag'd Lyon who had sought But could not finde his long desired prey Soone as his eye had given him hopes to pay His debt to nature and to mend that fault His empty stomacke found he made assault Vpon th' unarmed lovers brest whose hand Had neither staffe nor weapon to withstand His greedy rage but he whose mighty strength Or sudden death must now appeare at length Stretcht forth his brawny arme his arme supplide With power from heaven and did with ease divide His body limme from limme and did betray His Flesh to foules that lately sought his prey This done his quicke redoubled paces make His stay amends his nimble steps oretake His leading parents who by this discover The smoake of Timnah Now the greedy Lover Thinkes every step a mile and every pace A measur'd League untill he see that face And finde the treasure of his heart that lies In the faire Casket of his Mistresse Eyes But all this while close Samson made not knowne Vnto his parents what his hands had done By this the gate of Timnah entertaines The welcome travellers The parents paines Are now rewarded with their sonnes best pleasure The Virgin comes His eyes can finde no leasure To owne another object O the greeting Th' impatient lovers had at their first meeting The Lover speakes She answers He replies She blushes He demandeth She denyes He pleads affection She doubts Hee sues For nuptiall love She questions Hee renewes His earnest suite Importunes She relents He must have no deniall She consents They passe their mutuall loves Their joyned hands Are equall earnests of the nuptiall bands The parents are agreed All parties pleas'd The day 's set downe the lovers hearts are eas'd Nothing displeases now but the long stay Betwixt th' appointment and the mariage day MEDITAT 8. T Is too severe a censure If the Sonne Take him a wife the mariage fairely done Without consent of parents who perchance Had rais'd his higher price knew where t' advance His better'd fortunes to one hundred more He lives a Fornicator She a Whore Too hard a censure And it seemes to me The parent's most delinquent of the three What if the better minded Son doe aime At worth What if rare vertues doe inflame His rapt affection What if the condition Of an admir'd and dainty disposition Hath won his soule Where as the covetous Father Findes her Gold light and recommends him rather T' an old worne widow whose more weighty purse Is fill'd with gold and with the Orphans curse The sweet exubrance of whose full-mouth'd portion Is but the cursed issue of extortion Whose worth perchance lies onely in her weight Or in the bosome of her great estate What if the Sonne that does not care to buy Abundance at so deare a rate deny The soule-detesting profer of his Father And in his better judgement chooses rather To match with meaner Fortunes and desert I thinke that Mary chose the better part What noble Families that have out growne The best records have quite binoverthrowne By wilfull parents that will either force Their sonnes to match or haunt them with a curse That can adapt their humours to rejoyce And fancy all things but their childrens choice Which makes them often timerous to reveale The close desiers of their hearts and steale Such matches as perchance their faire advice Might in the bud have hindred in a trice Which done and past O then their hastie spirit Can thinke of nothing under Disinherit He must be quite discarded and exilde The furious father must renounce his childe Nor Prayre nor Blessing must he have bereiven Of all Nor must he live nor die forgiven When as the Fathers rashnesse often times Was the first causer of the Childrens crimes Parents be not too cruell Children doe Things oft too deepe for us t' enquire into What father would not siorme if his wild Sonne Should doe the deed that Samson here had done Nor doe I make it an exemplar act Only let parents not be too exact To curse their children or to dispossesse Them of their blessings Heaven may chance to blesse Be not too strict Faire language may recure A fault of youth whilst rougher words obdure SECT 9. ARGVMENT Samson goes downe to celebrate His mariage and his nuptiall feast The Lyon which he slue of late Hath hony in his putrid brest WHen as the long expected time was come Wherein these lingring Lovers should consumme The promis'd mariage and observe therites Pertaining to those festivall delights Samson went downe to Timnah there t' enjoy The sweet possession of his dearest joy But as he past those fruitfull Vineyards where His hands of late acquit him of that feare Wherewith the feirce assaulting Lyon quail'd His yet unpractis'd courage and prevail'd Vpon his life as by that place he past He turn'd aside and borrowed of his hast A little time wherein his eyes might view The Carkas of the Lyon which he flew But when his wandring footsteps had drawne neere The unlamented herse his wandring eare MEDITAT 9. HOw high unutterable how profound Whose depth the line of knowledge cannot sound Are the decrees of the Eternall God! How secret are his wayes and how untrod By mans conceipt so deeply charg'd with doubt How are his Counsells past our finding out O how unscrutable are his designes How deepe and how unsearchable are the Mines Of his abundant Wisedome How obscure Are his eternall Iudgements and how sure Lists he to strike The very Stones shall flie From their unmov'd Foundations and destroy Lists he to punish Things that haue no sense Shall vindicate his Quarrell on th' Offence Lists he to send a plague The winters heate And summers damp shall make his will compleate Lists he to send the Sword Occasion brings New Iealousies betwixt the hearts of Kings Wills he afamine Heaven shall turne to brasse And earth to Iron till it come to passe With stockes and stones and plants and beasts fulfill The secret Counsell of his sacred will Man onely wretched Man is disagreeing To doe that thing for which he hath his being Samson must downe to Timnah In the way Must meete a Lyon whom his hands must slay The Lyo'ns putrid Carkas must enclose A swarme of Bees and from the Bees arose A Riddle and that Riddle must be read And by the reading Choller must be bred And that must bring to passe Gods just designes Vpon the death of the false Philistines Behold the progresse and the royall Gests Of Heavens high vengeance how it never rests Till by appointed courses it fufill The secret pleasure of his sacred will Great Saviour of the world Thou Lambe of Sion That hides our sinnes Thou art that wounded Lyon O in thy dying body we have found A world of hony whence we may propound Such sacred Riddles as shall underneath Our feet subdue the power of Hell and Death Such Misteries as none but he that plough'd With thy sweet Hayfer's able to uncloud Such