this life of mine To be my own but thine Not I but thou dost live In me who for me Lord thy self didst give It was thy love that made thee dye for me It is my faith that makes me live in thee Phil. 3.13 14. I count not my selfe to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the Mark for the prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus THis ilfe is like a race Where every one 's a Runner and the prize A Crown of Glory Heavens the place Where the Mark's set before our eyes I who have not as yet Scarce run out half the way must not sit down And think I 've done enough but sweat And labour hard to get the Crown Nor may I cast an eye Behind to see how many I 've out run But with the foremost I must vie And better end then I begun For if I fail at last When I have gone the greatest part o' th' Race Or give off when the worst is past It will be much to my disgrace Nor is that all but then Another man shall take my crown from me And I with the faint-hearted men Out of the Lists quite cast shall be O Lord do thou annoint Me with thy oil of Grace from top to toe In every lim and every joint That I may never weary grow But persevering in My course with vigorous and active strength May be so happy as to win The Goal first and the Crown at length Heb. 13.14 Here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come MAn is a Creature loves society And cannot long alone be well Hence God made Eve that she Might with him dwell From these two sprung A numerous family That to a City grew ere long And that impli'd strength and stability But see how soon this City came to nought Being destroy'd with its own weight And by division brought To ruine strait Then how can we A City have that 's strong Or permanent It cannot be What 's made with hands should e're continue long The best is made with lime and stone how then Can that which is compact of such Frail matter last yet men Are frailer much Those men that make This City are all cast In moulds of Clay and do partake Of earth themselves such vessels cannot last Nor they nor yet their City can endure Many mishaps there be will end them To perish they are sure None can defend them Each little thing To pieces breaks their frame A very wind a breath will bring Them to that nothing whence at first they came Yet whiles their worst part crumbles to the dust And falls to ashes in their urn Their souls immortal must To God return That God hath made A City without hands For them which ne're shall fail nor fade Unmoveable its vast foundation stands A most magnificent and glorious place Which they that see 't can scarce set forth Or give it half the grace As to its worth There God keeps Court Millions on either side Of Saints and Angels do resort To wait on him this City's wondrous wide The least of all those many Mansions therâ— Our greatest Cities far transcend Each one 's a Kingdom which shall ne're Admit of end This then alone Requires our chiefest care In seeking it for there is none On earth's round ball that can with it compare On this lets fix our thoughts to this aspire To this let all our actions tend Be it our sole desire There to ascend For all our bliss God hath reserv'd above Our happiness there seated is There is our Treasure there must be our love James 2.20 Wilt thou know O vain man that faith without works is dead HEark vain man hark what the Apostle saith And do not boast so much of thy great faith For though 't were able mountains to remove 'T is nothing worth unless it woâ—k by love Love is the life of it 't is thaâ— alone Which quickens it or else 't is dead 't is none That man who breaths not at the mouth a jor Whose heart no motion hath whose pulse beaâ—s not We say is dead the like we â—ay infer Concerning faith that 's dead which doth not stir If it be living 't will be active too What the heart thinks mouth speaks the hands will do Let others shew their faith if that they please Without their works while I shew mine by these First my Religion shal be pure and then Peaceable if it be possible with men Forgiving wrongs giving what I can spare To those that want and in distresses are I wil be feet to th' lame eyes to the blind Helpful to all and unto none unkind If thus my faith be qualifi'd I shall Approve it to my self to God to all 1 Peter 5.7 Casting all your care upon God for he careth for you COme heavy souls opprest that are With doubts and fears and carking care Lay all your burthens down and see Where 's one that carried once a tree Upon his back and which is more A heavier weight your sins he bore Think then how easily he can Your sorrowes bear that 's God and Man Think too how willing he 's to take Your care on him who for your sake Sweat bloody drops pray'd fasted cry'd Was bound scourg'd mockt and crucifi'd He that so much for you did do Will yet do more and care for you Rev. 20.11 12. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it from whose face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no place for them And I saw the dead both small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works HAd I the Art in painting like to him Who did the day of Doom so lively limn That when a Heathen Prince beheld the same With terror struck a Christian he became Thus would I set it forth unto your eye The Heavens should put on a sable dye Mask'd with the blackest vail of thickest clouds Which to the Sun Moon Stars should be as shâ—owds To muffle them in one continued night Not once affording the least spark of light Hiding their heads as sham'd or griev'd to see The horrid sins of men which then should be Made manifest and naked to the world And the dire plagues that on them should be hurs'd From this sad object let your eye retire To th' other side and see the earth on fire The Sea all bloud the Throne of God on high Whereon he sits in glorious Majesty Legions of Angels him surrounding there Millions of men that newly raised were Out of their Sepulchres by his command To hear their final sentence trembling stand Below the Divels in the various shapes Of hideous
him I could eat The Author now and sel him to buy meat Cartâ—right is Wit throughout but I read o're More then his four playes his â—ast pious four And then his several Gratitudes unto Him whose head taught him and purse fed him too Who gave him to buy books and gave him skil In each of them to chuse out Well from Ill The Learned Pious Conâ—â—ant Duppâ— hâ— Who was and is stil Reverend in those three Whom these three voice and pen and heart cannot No not Cartâ—rights own enough celebrate In these he kept Christs law lov'd God and then His next act was to pay his debt to men He did it here for this one to him wou'd Be Universal ev'â—y neighbourhood Though he out-sobers out-words out-wits all Grave Virgil Horace nice Salt Martial Yet more then in 's though unprofane verse wou'd â—â—rench my soul in his Diviner stood Those Sermons in which he did wind about Our passions more then Cicero could do 't In which he did out-sense deep Plutarchs skil And taught so wel almost all else taught ill Unlesse when 's Father Duppae 'gan to preach Who us to live and taught him too to teach Oh for that Text where he forbad to ly And prest home truth in unbound Poetry Where David like he did instil and charme Us to be honest though to our own harm Charg'd truths upon us such as do shine here In this smal volume scorn'd and damn'd elsewhere O for his Passion-text that we might buy Th' inestimable price at Sixpence fee That we that winepresse which at Edom was And Christs Church trod might taste from a new press And here we hav 't i' th' dialogue between Christ Angels and Apostles of slain sin Jesus is up again he did not die He but lay downe that death it self might lie I who this book throughout love Adore here As though all Horace was to Scaliger Precious and rich yet above all the rest He did affect his Lydia dialogue best He who t' ave made That would give Empire though A world he offer here he bids too low For as the whole is sacred and each line Though 't is not God yet it is each Divine So here 't is not Apostle only who Does speak and Angel but 't is Jesus too What would that Learnings lover now impart To speak with an Apostle heart to heart For they did not converse as some of late With face of love but with a brest of hate What would his inquisition give to hear An Angel vocally round him i' th' â—are What would he nay what would he not bestow A world almost another Jesus too To hear his own Christ speake who since sixteen Last hundred yeers was neither heard nor seen This Copy is the blessed Jesus and The rest do all as one John Baptist stand Round about this before behind each where To make that way plain for the Lord t' appear This Copy is the Word and the rest are The Voice and Eccho of this Character This is the supreme heaven without this Is heaven too and what 's in heaven Blisse But O when he does joyes of heaven tel Chearfull and without dread paines of hel Whither the Saviour Christ does convey some And whither the Judge Christ does others doome How does he with mixt artifice contrive Either for fear or love that all should live I dare not name all left I emulate The bulk of his Town with my swelling Gate APOSTROPHE To the AUTHOR YOu Sir who study and sport too this way Whose spare hours heaven and whose serious day Whose two week Sermons are to others aim Whose whole week-life is to that your own claim Who preach both waies b'Example and by Rule Whose life 's a Sermon and whose house a School Who your own self do without hire supply With breath and patterne this twin Curacy Who make each day the Lords whilst there are some Do grudge him one in seven who make your home To be his pious house whilst some there are Who scarce allow him his own house for prayer You who do read and meditate and live Scripture and thereby midst of world's frowns thrive You know they who on Gospels first word look Learn from that first word this is all the book They who proceed and search on find that this Is only Scripture all else writ amiss They who wade further yet know there 's not one Word besides this This is the Word alone And yet though nothing else is Book but what God himself made the Man not that he wrote Though nothing else be Scripture but pretence Because if not the same with this not sense Though nothing else be Word 'cause Parrots may Without this talk to as good ends as we Yet as those birds are said to come more near To what we speak then other Foules o' th' air Because they imitate our Cadencies So we do more speak when w' approach to thee Blest be the charity then of your wise choice Not to vex us with an unmatter'd Noise Since though in hundred sheets of paper he Has silent been who does not edifie Since without this though Stentor he out roare He hath said lesse then th' mad Bul or wild Boar Since without this each other book 's a crime It robs my purse and what 's more deer my time Blest be your guidance too that t' all were giv'n Both to discourse and write and Print for heav'n He that writes next this is his praise or curse He makes the Reader if not better worse But friend you often aske why 't is that I Preach to th' next ear and not to th' distant eye Why 't is that I wh'ave taskt my self a scheame In learnings own behalf forbear that Theame Pray ask no more how can you wish my heir Were come to th' birth when there 's no midwife near Copy 't once more and tel the brave Lord N. Be he Mecaenas and I wil write Then HAbes haec è manu subitaneâ prope incogitanter effusa quippe ab eo cujus nulla in instituto pars est Tibi placere qui cum caeteris Dominantis fortunae ludibriis insultibus par es undiquaque similis et Tibi constans Soli illius Approbanti Lenocinio irasceres vir aliter Pacatissâ—mus sed lectori tuo voce invitatoriâ prodesse Ejus interest non tui quod Fercula haec è Promptuario tuoenatantia ut sitiat ipse Collaudo Unum hoc mihi cujus {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Facultatisque qualiscunque aut quanullacunque in animo est Res Angusta Domi Tumulus secundus Satis est utrumque quod est omne punctum tulisti Tu. Vale hìc sed è supra Internos Angelus ipse Tu diu Vale supra inter Affines Angelos tâ—os Semper sed Sero July 26 1653. GULIELMUS TOWERS B. D. On the Divine Poems of his friend the AUTHOR SOme say a Poet 's born not made but I Say he 's
twice born that made this Poesie Nature imparted little to his wit 'T was grace which had the greatest hand in it His pen came from the wing of th' holy Dove Dropping no gall but innocence and Love No scurrilous obscenity to make It vendible and with the Rabble take No tenter stretch'â— conceits no puff-paste strains Which serve not to instruct but wrack mens brains No such as their invention draw from wine And reele into a Verse but all Divine Clear as the beams are of th' inlightned day Smooth as the Galaxy or milkie way Pure as Ezekiels waters which did glide Forth of the Sanctuary on each side Made not to please the Pallat of the foule And carnal man but to revive the soul That humbled is at sight and sense of sin To cheere his spirits comfort him within To scare bold sinners from their wicked course And win them to a penitent remorse That they who take these Poems up as men May lay them down as Saints made by his pen Thus Ambrose catch't an Austin by his quaint Divinity the Manichee turn'd Saint E. P. The Table THe Accident 135 Affliction brings man home 22 The Ague 134 Angels our guardians Psal. 91.11 12 18 The Antipodes 90 All Saints 110 The Ascension 107 The passing Bel 94 The Blind man Mark 10.51 49 Gods Bottle Psal. 56.8 14 The heavy burden Psal. 38.4 12 The bush burning Exod. 3.2 2 Care cast on God 1 Pet. 5.7 75 The child and the old man 130 Christs second coming compared 89 Christ calumniated Matth. 11.19 46 Christs cup Matth. 26.39 48 To Christ Jesus 140 The Church black but comely Cant. 1.5 29 The Circulation Eccles. 12.7 27 No continuing City Heb. 13.14 71 The good mans clothing Job 29 14. 8 The Circumcision 105 Man complaining without just cause Lam. 3.39 32 Country Disputations 133 To day heare Gods voice Psal 95.8 20 An Apostle a Divel John 6.70 52 Of Divine Love 8â— The Dove and Serpent Matth 10.16 4â— The dream 10â— The drunkard 12â— Gods two dwellings Isa. 57.15 3â— The Eccho 8â— Faith and works Jam. 2.20 7â— Fear of falling 1 Cor. 10.12 6â— Former favours earnests of future 1 Sam. 17 37. 7â— The fountain Zach. 13. â— 40 To Doctor Hammond 122 The best Harbinger John 14 2. 56 The good harvest 101 No hiding from God Gen 3.8 p. 1. The Christians hope not in this life 1 Cor. 15.19 64 Gods Jewels Mal. 3.17 42 The impartial judgment Rev 20.11 12. 76 The Inquisition Zeph. 1.12 39 To his kinsman Sir E. B. 118 To the Lady M. C. 125 To the Lady M. T. 120 To the Lady P. 121 To the Lady R. 119 The Larum 95 Against going to Law for trifles 127 Much in a little Psal 37.16 11 The three lives of a Christian Gal. 2.20 67 To the malicâ—ous man 128 What is man Psal. 8 4. 10 To one that married a rich but most unhandsome woman 131 The Mystical marriage 34 To his Cousin Mistriss M.B. 123 Themist 126 Noâ—e but God Psal. 73.25 15 Paul Paradox 2 Cor. 12.10 66 Passion without Reason Jonah 4.1 36 The Pastoral 84 The path of the just Prov. 4.18 23 Christ persecuted in his members Act 9.4.5 58 Peters prayer Luke 5.8 51 The power of Prayer Exod. 32.10 3 Lay mens preaching 98 Upon Doctor Prideaux 116 A Poem of Grotius translated 111 Two of Boethius translated 114 11â— The Race Phil. 3.13 14. 69 The Resurrection 206 The Rock Numb. 20.11 4 Scylla and Garybdis 96 Secret things belong to God Deut. 29.29 6 The holy separatist Psal. 4.3 9 The Snake in the garden 81 Snow in May 138 Treasures only in heaven Matth. 6.19 20. 43 The Temple of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 60 The contrary effects of Tobacco 110 The tooth-ach 93 Upon denyal of Tythes 87 The Vine wasted Psal. 80 12.13 16 The way the truth and the life Joh. 14 6. 57 The wind and sunne 102 The souls wish 88 The wounded spirit Prov. 18.14 25 Youths Memento Eccles. 12.1 26 GEN 3.8 And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the Trees of the Garden WHat fancies sin in our first Parents wrought That they a hiding place so quickly sought From Gods all-seeing Eye As if that he Who form'd the eye were blind and could not see Thorow the thickest trees or darkest shade Which in that Garden he himself had made Such simple fools are their posterity Who seek out places of obscurity To sin unseene and mask themselves all over That God should not their wicked deeds discover As though that they from him themselves could shrowd Like Juno from Ixion in a cloud Or like the Wood-cock hide their heads and then 'Cause they see none think none sees them agen Be not deceiv'd a double folly lies In sinning first then hoodwinking Gods eyes All 's one to him the darknesse and the light The night as clear as day is in his fight Think not by putting of a candle out Or drawing of a curtain round about Thy bed or by fast barring of thy door To shut God out or make him see no more Thou canst not be invisible to him Who did behold thy substance every limme And member of thy body ere that they Were perfect and received day by day Their form and fashion the womb to him was Cleare as the Chrystal or the purest glasse Search the worlds closest corners o're and o're 'Mongst all thou canst not finde a place that 's more Invisible and secret then reveal Thy sin to God which thou canst not conceale And what thou canst not hide from him confesse So seeing hee 'le noâ— see thy wickednesse But with the whitest Robe wil cover thee That without fear or shame thou may'st him see EXOD. 3.2 And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush and he looked and behold the bush burned with fire and was not consumed LOe here a sight Presented to the eye A Bush on fire flaming bright Yet not consum'd a wondrous mysterie The Bush the Church Affliction is the fire Which serves not to destroy but search And try her gold raising the value higher It gathers dust And â—ullied is with ease Wherefore to rub off all the rust To cast it in this fire God doth please Whence it comes forth Far brighter then before And is advanced much in worth One pound being equal now unto a score This bush that flame Could never long withstand Unlesse the Lord were in the same T is he that doth uphold it with his hand Whiles he is there And doth his light dispense The heat we need not greatly fear How ere it may seeme grievous to our sense For though we be I th' fiery furnace cast Our faith the Son of God may see Preserving of our very haires from waste Much more he will By his almighty arme Defend the souls of his Saints still That by this fire they shall
of right it doth belong They that are strangers to the Covenant And saving faith do want This holy Well disdain As if it no more vertue did contain Then Abana and Pharpar which Can hardly cure a scab or itch Much lesse the spreading leprosie of sin Which sticks so close within That nought can cleanse the same But th' Aqua Vitae which from Christs side came Go then my soul and drink thy fil See from his heart it doth distil What though thou very poor and wretched art In it thou may'st have part For t is the beggars bath As much as t is the Kings and he that hath A mind for to be cleans'd indeed May use the same as he hath need Mal. 3.17 They shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels YOu that of godlinesse do make a mock And those that are religious jeere As if they were your laughing stock Know that ere long God wil appear To judge this wicked world and then They wil be found to be the only men Though now you tread them underneath your feete And no more reckoning of them make Then of the dust that 's in the street The time shal come when God wil take Them for his richest Jewels and Prize them as 't were the signet on 's right hand Yea to your shame and wonder he will raise The value of them above all That you can think is worthy praise Or whatsoe're thou precious cal Gold is but drosse Pearls pebbles are To what they shall be there is no compare And how can it be otherwise when they Derive their lustre from his face Not Sol himself shines at mid-day With so illustrious a grace For every grace which they have here Shal be a glory in the highest sphere I care not then how I am vilified Or what the world doth make of me Let men at pleasure me deride So that I may Gods Jewel be For though I now am trampled down Hee 'le make me up a diamond in his Crown Matth. 6.19 20. Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where theeves break thorow and steal but lay up for your selves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeves do not break thorow nor steale GIve o're your greedinesse much-worms give o're And trade no more For Apes and Peacocks and such petty toyes Are nt for boyes Men that have reason and religion too Scorne so to do They count that voyage to be lost that brings No better things For all the treasures of the earth will not Make a man happy if they could be got Some think the Indies to the King of Spain Bring little gaine And that our seventh Henry was more wise Them to despise Though offered to him this we know that Prince Is poorer since And notwithstanding all his golden mines He stil declines For all those treasures that are fetcht from far When home they come are strait consum'd in war What private man can then his riches boast He that had most Amongst us when our troubles first begun Is now undone And he that since of thousands is possest Though kept in 's chest Fast under lock and key may soon be brought Not worth a groat Thus fortunes wheele is turning up and down To day 't wil smile on thee tomorrow frown Who then of this worlds wealth would guilty bee Since that we see No certaintie in riches can be had That man is mad Who seeks to hedge the Cuckoe in and stay What wil away For riches wings unto themselves do make And their flight take Like th' Eeagle towards heaven none can hold Or clip their wings though they be made of gold Be wise and lay up treasures that are sure And wil endure In spite of fraud or force Heavens the place The treasures grace When all your temporal estates do perish This stil shal flourish How much it doth all earthly goods excel I cannot tell But this I can assure you there is none Can bring it under sequestration Travel by Sea or Land go where you will 'T is with you still It costs you nought the Portage nor will make Your Back to ake No burthen 't is but full of ease and joy In the convoy Nor Soldier nor Pirate can it force Or make divorce 'Twixt you and it Once fix it in your heart And make much of it it will ne're depart But grow from Grace to Grace and never cease For to increase Bringing forth fruits of Piety and Love Making us move Fast towards our Center Heaven until our soul Knock at the pole And enter into that eternal rest With all the Blest Society of Saints and Angels this When all is done the only treasure is Matthew 10.16 Be ye wise as Serpents and harmless as doves NExt to the Angels Man created was In knowledg and all parts he did surpass The other Creatures yet is such a fool â—ecome by sin that he may go to School â—o birds and beasts the little Ant and Bee â—oth thrift can teach him and good husbandry the Serpent wisdom the Dove innocence â—hat to avoid this to give no offence That to prevent dangers before they fall And this not to revenge a wrong at all How farre is man to seek in both these kinds He by too sad experience daily finds Into a world of mischiefs he doth run Undoing others and himself undone Some Serpents craft he hath but not the love The candour and the mildnesse of the Dove That hath took wing long since and fled away Nought but the Serpents sting behind doth stay Malice enough to be reveng'd but none Of the true wisdome of the beast that 's gone My God who didst both these at first instil In Dove and Serpent let it be thy wil T' infuse them both in me that I may live So innocent as no offence I give To others and so prudent too that I May not to injuries exposed lie Matth. 11.19 Behold a man gluttonous and a winâ— bibber a friend of Publicans anâ— sinners WHy should I think to be From calumny or slander free When I see men afford No better language to my Lord My Lord though free from sin Free from detraction hath not been If to a feast he come He is a glutton called by some If wine he drink O then they crie He is a drunkard presently If he converse with common people then He 's friend to Publicans and sinful men My God since thou didst bâ—ar Such vile reproaches I 'l not fear The like nor be asham'd By wicked men to be defam'd It is the Godlies lot A blessing rather then a blot Their tongue no slander is They kill me when they kiss VVhen they revile I 'm ne're the worse VVhen they commend me 't is a curse Their commendation is a sign that I Too much with their ill courses do comply Let them then do their worst