sword or shield And leades him by the eye-lids to her snare Heau'ns from such subtill vile allurements shield All those that haue a Conscience and care Their hearts fit Temples for thy Spirit to prepare Purge vs with Hyssope and we shall be pure Wash vs we than the Snow shall be more white Our Soules and Bodies Temple shall be sure A holy house wherein thou mayst delight But I the vertue for the vice haue quight I purpos'd Chastity here to commend But Lust so fiercely with my Muse doth fight I scarce mine owne am able to defend Therefore with Prayer I my Meditation end Oh thou that mad'st my Soule a little King And in this little-world my-Body plac't It subiect making to the ordering Of Reason wherewith thou this King hast grac't Set first of all the Soueraignes Kingdome fast Whereby his Subiects he may rule aright That is affections keepe most pure and chast But most in spirituall chastitie delight To which adde Constancie of which I next do write MEDITATION 3. Of Constancy SO oft as I the Splendour do behold Of heau'nly Graces linkt in golden chaine Which them so firmely doth together hold That all they but as one seeme to remaine My Soule is so delighted with their traine That she desires to dwell with them for ay But oft employment pleasures cares and gaine Mine eyes and heart so draw another way I fleshly motions more than spirituall obay And as these Graces ioyn'd my soule delight So doth each singled out by Meditation Sing I of Loue I loue with all my might If Humblenesse she workes humiliation So Faith Repentance Hope Iustification By Righteousnesse imputed Mercy kind Ioy Patience Fortitude chast Conuersation Peace Meeknesse Prayer Zeale eu'n all I find Do alwayes to my Song both sute mine heart and mind But such are my Corruptions innate Hels malice and the worlds enticements vaine I can no longer hold that happy state Than I in Contemplation remaine This is the cause my Muse is now so faine To sing of Constancie that heau'nly Grace Which all the rest doth ay with vs retaine Most glorious Grace the lustre of whose face Both heau'nly Loue and all her Peeres for euer grace For without Her the rest are all but showes Like Corne by high-wayes side flourish awhile And seemes more glorious than that which grows Vpon best bottom'd dunged tilled Soyle But as that onely doth our eyes beguile With flourishes in calme and gentle spring But Summers heate and frosts it 's verdure spoile Eu'n so these rootlesse Vertues flourishing Aduerse or prosp'rous Fortune to confusion bring Thou that art from Eternity the same Without least shadow of Variety Like to the Sun heau'ns pure world-lightning flame Constant in beate course and serenitie Three yet subsisting in one Deitie Who though thou seem'st to change with things below Art farre in truth from Mutability Oh make mine heart in vertue constant grow That thence as from a Fountaine this Discourse may flow We Constancie a Perseuerance call In some good purpose for in eu'ry thing We vndertake right must be first of all Resolu'd of next our firme perseuering A vaine vnsettled idle wauering Without iust ground by Proteus Poets faine Who on himselfe as many formes will bring As he hath idle notions in his braine Or base desires and Lusts which in his heart remaine But in good purpose to stand fast and sound Not onely man-like is but most diuine Like God in whom no change was euer found For as the Sunne this worlds pure crystall eyne In heau'n doth alwaies with like glory shine Though by the varying Medium's here below It seeme more glorious in the Summer time Than when Eolian blasts darke clouds do blow So Constance is the same though alt'ring oft in show This Constance is with Patience a twin Begot by Iupiter of Fortitude Mother and Babes as like as neere of kin Who hath one with all three must be indude These lift vp to heroicall habitude And come from Iustice and a prudent mind If Fury Rage Wrong Rashnesse do intrude We them no vertues faire but vices find With whom Minerua nor the Graces euer ioyn'd Patience and Constancie in this agree Effeminate faint hearts ay to oppose And men relieue in all extremitie Vndanted resolute who will not loose That liberty they haue the Good to choose Thus seeme they one now marke their difference Patience all wrongs with courage vndergoes For without Suffering's no Patience But Constance is in ioy and paine a firme defence Without Compulsion free for Vertues sake Patience constrain'd oft by necessity Most cheerefull valiantly doth vndertake To beare what cannot well auoyded be One good end Constancie propounds which she Onely regards but noble patience Before her will all euils conquerd see Which her oppresse in flesh or conscience Both haue braue resolution and sound confidence No fury of the headlesse Multitude No Tyrants rage a constant mind can shake Though all the world turne to a Chaos rude The ruines crush him may but can not make Him stagger nor Ioues thunder make him quake The Sea may roare the waues mount to the skies And threaten him to drowne in deepest Lake But Fury Rage Waues all he doth despise And when hopes outward faile his inward highest rise He constant perseueres vnto the end Like some good traueller who giues not in Till he attaine the place he doth intend And as the Souldier that the towne would winne Fights stoutly till he conquers all within Eu'n so in Buildings Arts or Merchandize In any Worke or Science we beginne It is the end where all our glory lyes He runs in vaine that faints before he wins the Prize Though all her meanes all her strength do saile Yet feares she not to hold out to the end She 's still the same and nothing can preuaile To alter any Good she doth intend To whom the heau'ns true Constancie do send Within their hearts to dwell on all occasions Effects most admirable thence transcend She fils the heart with such secure perswasions They it defend from all faint-hearted base inuasions A constant man the most disastrous fate With a most pleasing forehead entertaines Integrity so sweetens his estate As in a pleasant Calme he ay remaines With her he alwayes in his heart retaines Hope Prudence Fortitude Right Temperance And when him Troubles Losses Griefe or Paines Assaile so stoutly patience doth aduance He liueth most secure not subiect vnto Chance Braue noble Constance who art neuer sound Except dame Prudence thee accompany Thou on her counsels and aduice dost found Thy setled resolutions all whereby Thou standst most firme for Truth and Honesty Nothing can thee thus well resolu'd withstand In vaine and euill things no constancie But base peruersnesse we do vnderstand Iust honest profitable's all she takes in hand For perseuerance in a thing that 's ill Is to this Vertue no lesse enemy Than they that by affections guide their will With vaine inconstancy and leuitie
throwes Then he too late plaine-dealing from dissembling knowes But now to thee that peace dost so commend I answer That for reconciliation And thee imbracing as a faithfull friend I neuer had so fond determination God shield me from thy sly malicious nation Thy guilefull heart 's as hollow as the sand Thou doubt'st of Truth I of Equiuocation Stand off The Morall you may vnderstand You haue this Tale from me but at the second hand Thus did the Snake our mother Eue beguile By baits of honour kindnesse and ambition But from her stole this pearle of peace the while And plung'd her and her Seed in all perdition E're since by feign'd shewes false apparition This subtill Serpents viprous progeny Imbrace vs Ioab like with all submission But to the heart-blood stab vs priuily I le neuer trust a base malicious enemy Of a fat Iouiall Oratour I read A pleasant story who when he ascends Into a narrow Deske for Peace to plead The people all foorth shouts and laughters sends Though 's corps were grosse his wit soone apprehends Th' occasion and he thus them telleth plaine My wife at home in bignesse me transcends Yet vs at peace one bed can well containe At oddes we in this Citty wals cannot remaine But well my Muse of her Digression wites From Peace to Concord which the Schooles define An vnion of diuers appetites Of diuers men who in affection ioyne To Peace this Definition they assigne To be a concord in the appetite Which doth th' affections but of one combine In one I Peace and Concord here vnite And of them as but one true perfect peace do write All cruell warres and battels Dauid fought Was but to stablish peace to Solomon That type of happy peace who now no doubt Rests in that Peace which he on Earth begun Oh blessed ioyfull happy Vnion The Song of peace thou singest of the Bride And that great King of peace her louely One When sitting at the Banquet by his side Her with true peace as with a Banner he doth hide His sweetest gardens are our beds of rest The fruits there growing sweetest fruits of peace The tunes which birds there warble in their brest Be songs of Peace There Spring doth neuer cease But Zephyrus with Dewes blowes full increase Sweet Peace which makes the Turtles voice resound Such Musique as the heauiest heart can ease For she her notes doth to the heart propound But none conceiue the sweetnesse till they feele the sound If I through Scriptures gardens should you lead And shew you all that glorious Nurcerie Of fruits and flowres there of Peace that breed I should you tire with sweet Variety It was the last bequest and Legacie Our King of peace did his Apostles leaue Who made our peace when he on Crosse did die For Peace he barres and gates of hell doth cleaue And his Will in due time to endlesse peace receiue See his Apostles Martyrs Fathers all How meeke and lowly they on peace attend Refusing neither Crosse nor cup of Gall So as they might attaine vnto their end Sweet peace on earth they labour to defend When they haue made their peace in heau'n aboue Who feeles this inward Peace feares not to spend Wealth Strength and Life for to maintaine the loue Of those which with them members of one Body proue But what need I thee furnish from without If in thine heart this inward peace thou find This peace of Conscience will giue no doubt More Rest and Comfort to thy Soule and Mind Than all wealth pleasure glory here assign'd Vnto the wicked for their worldly rest Sweet peace of Conscience who art not consin'd To any pleasure here on earth possest Eternall heau'nly peace possesseth all thy brest Oh I had my Muse some losty rapted straine The glory of this heau'nly peace to sing Which doth the heau'n earth sea ayre all maintaine By gentle gouernement and ordering Or were she able on a high-strain'd string To sing the Honour of my Soueraigne That grand Peace-maker Britaines peacefull King Who through the Christian world doth Peace maintaine God grant for peace on earth thou heau'nly peace mayst gaine But ah how can my soule opprest with Care And worldly tumults of such Glory sing Since quiet peace her selfe remoueth farre From Discord Strife Contentions Quarrelling Oh let me vnder shadow of thy wing In happy rest and Peace for ay abide So shall I neuer feare the malicing Of Enuy Satan Couetize or Pride True inward peace was neuer vanquished though tride Ah thus I wish for Peace but worldly Care And troubles more and more my mind oppresse Afflictions heere and Crosses should prepare And fit a man for peace and happinesse But oft they fill vs more with worldlinesse Yet such the nature is of inward peace She fils the hearts of all that her possesse And euer as her vigour doth increase Our worldly thoughts and cares do more and more decease O King of Peace grant me this inward peace 'T is that for which the Spirit alwayes prays That peace which brings all Graces sweet increase And now thou art to heau'n gone with vs stays This Peace Hell Death nor Tyrants rage dismays 'T is not such peace as world to vs doth giue In Comforts she transeends Sunnes gentlest rays By her when we in Life of Grace haue thriue With her we euer shall in life of Glory liue This is the peace which sets our hearts as sure As Sions Mount which no force can remoue This peace it is which euer shall endure If rooted in our hearts by Faith and Loue This Peace which first descends from heau'n aboue And doth our troubled Consciences still Which makes the Members like the Head to proue This is the Peace of God the which doth fill Both heau'n and earth with Peace and all men with good will Now neuer let my Soule enioy true Peace If now she doth not more my heart delight Than all the pleasures glory wealth and ease Which heere mens minds to vanity inuite God of all Peace which hast me giu'n a sight Of this most rich inualewable treasure Grant I on peace may set my whole delight True peace like loue which hath no bounds nor measure In this I ly downe safe and take my rest and pleasure MEDITATION 2. Of Chastitie THe heau'nly Steeres-man which was erst my guide Vnto the hau'n of peace and happy rest Where I could wish at anchor ay to ride Free from worlds stormes which mortals heere molest Doth now vnto my whiter Muse suggest The praise of heau'nly Chastitie to sing Most needfull grace for those in peace that rest For when she most tranquillity doth bring Man most in danger is of Lusts enchanting sting For such is Hels malicious subtilty With all aduantages still to assaile The part vnarm'd of mans mortalitie That he with greater danger may preuaile And when we all his instruments do quaile Of Anger Enuy Couetize and Pride In humble quiet peace he will
Who of a wanton imbecillity Stagger and change at eu'ry idle motion Wind-shaken Reeds whose instability Are like the brain-sicke idle vaine deuotion Of Nouellists drunke with hot humours giddy potion Prepost'rous fools who when they should frequent Assemblies hide themselues at home alone From what they do approue they soone dissent Hating what erst they lou'd dispraise as soone What erst they liked well Lo such a one Appeares like Cato's Ape wondrous seuere With rugged brow but you may find him soone Dissolu'd in Laughter or eu'n dead with feare Such any publike Office is vnfit to beare No truth of Iudgement or Sinceritie In such a vaine inconstant mind is found But Slouth Fraud Wantonnesse Iniquity With all the basest Vices there abound This Leuity in youth doth age confound With doting madnesse and a man declares Wise onely then in shew not inward sound But then a braue and constant mind appeares When constant Resolution honours siluer haires Well said th' old Cynicke when him friends aduise To leaue his study and to take his rest I am saith he now running for a prize And therefore in the end must run my best The shorter time of Life to vs doth rest More constantly we to our ayme must rend Who runs saith Paul the race is neuer blest With due reward that holds not to the end For Constance is the Grace doth all the rest commend And as the man that hard things vndertakes Must alwaies haue respect vnto the end Which all precedent bitternesse sweet makes Be it for pleasure glory gaine or friend So he that for Gods glory doth contend And makes it ay his constant end and ayme As that 's immortall so it him doth send True immortality in heau'n to gaine Which comforts him for all his Labour losse and paine As Mountains huge stand fast on their foundation So constant minds on resolutions sound As they vnmou'd so without alteration Are good Conclusions built on Vertues ground A constant man stands on a rocke profound Which neither stormes wind waues nor force can moue Crosses afflictions can no more confound Him than wind waues and stormes the rocke remoue Whose strong foundation stands on faith hope truth and loue Anselmus doth a constant man compare Vnto a sixe-square dye or hewed stone The sixe flat-sides his sixe Conditions are Freedome Prosperity Subiection Aduerstey Life-publique and alone On which soeuer side he chance to fall He stands vpright with resolution No changes can his constant mind appall But as he standeth firme on one side so on all As bodily eyes all need Light of Sunne Whereby they may attaine vnto their end So on all good and vertuous workes begun This holy Vertue Constance must attend And as except the Sunne his Light doth lend We open in the darke our eyes in vaine So vainely we good holy workes intend Except we constant to the end remaine Like Pilot drown'd in hau'n when he hath scapt the Maine Is 't not absur'd that we should early rise Lose sleepe broile with Suns heat and take great paine Onely to winne a fading worthlesse prize And giue in when we sure be to obtaine A Crowne which shall for euer make vs raigne Except the Souldier Constant be and bold His Captaines fauour he shall neuer gaine Vnlesse our spirituall fight we constant hold Gods comfortable face we neuer shall behold She is the Nurse of Merit friend of Peace Way to Reward sister of Patience True friendships Band pure Sanctities increase Take away Constance Bounties excellence Doth fade and Duty wants her recompence High Fortitude doth want her commendation She is alone the noble Grace from whence All other Graces haue their Consummation To her is giu'n or rather she giues man saluation What more like vnto God than Constancie Who ay like Sunne in heau'n remaines the same Though to descend to mans capacity He often seeme to change his mind and name The Scriptures then mans changing closely blame When they affirme God grieues or doth repent 'T is flesh that alters God is still the same So clouds seeme oft to change the Firmament Which till the Day of Doome stands firme and permanent When as she hath a constat of the right She therein perseueres vnto the end Therefore of constat she is Constance hight And well this name her nature doth commend Her vnderstanding first doth apprehend Things to be good before she doth beginne Then she most constantly doth ay intend When she consid'rately hath entred in Thus all the Saints on earth a roome in heau'n must win And though all flesh by our first Parents fall Are so vnconstant vaine and wauering They haue in words thoughts actions and all Of Eues fond ficklenesse a relishing Lo Enoch yet constant perseuering To walke with God till he him takes away And Noah constant in the publishing Of true Repentance eu'n vntill the day Flouds come and drowne all Flesh without the Arke that stay Abram most constant in beleefe we find No feare nor terror Iacob could dismay Ioseph had rather yron linkes should bind His lims than from chast Constancie to stray So long as hard'ned Memphians disobay Moses most constantly for plagues doth call Lo Iosuahs courage lengthens out the day Till he Gods enemies destroyeth all No force nor fury can his constant mind appall I number may the Starres of heau'n as well As here the Mirrors all of Constance count Who champions braue against world flesh and hell In Fortitude and Patience surmount Many of them I formerly recount In Fortitudes and Patience Meditation They all arise from one faire heau'nly fount That clensing Lauer of Regeneration Though glittring shows we find oft with the heathen nation I le name one Carthage prisoner for all Who vpon promise to returne againe Was sent to Rome the Senate there to call Them to perswade against their Cities gaine But he most nobly will not yeeld to staine His Countries glory for his priuate good But constantly perswades them to maintaine Their honour though he seal'd it with his blood And constant still the same against all tortures stood His noble mind their cruelties derides His Executioners are wearied Yet constant he and cheerefull all abides Griefe gaine for Countries good he reckoned Yet hath this Constancie beene conquered By thousand Martyrs which most willingly For Syons glory haue beene martyred Who when their flesh doth broile and bowels frie Sing ioyfull Hallelujahs to God on hie Yet are these but as Candles to the Sunne Compared with the constant Lord of all Beginne we with his apprehension When his Disciples all from him do fall Behold him in the high Priests Iudgment-hall See Herods men of warre him foule deride Condemn'd by Pilate scorn'd abus'd of all The theefe that raileth hanging by his side Yet he most valiant constant patient doth abide But now the Sunne ascended is aboue Th'Apostles will their Light no longer hide They constantly before the Rulers proue That they the Lord of Life had crucifide